It was 6:30 AM on the morning of Wednesday, February 9, 2005 and the alarm clock was buzzing loudly telling me to get the day started. Yet today it didn't signal the start of a work day but rather the start of a Southern hog hunt in the Palmetto State.
Having hunted wild hogs on hunting preserves in both Ohio and Tennessee, I had decided that I wanted to try some free-ranging wild boar on a budget. After lots of phone calls, reading through internet hunting forums and sifting through the regulations and information sent by the South Carolina Division of Natural Resources, I had decided that my best bet was to hunt an area called the Great Pee Dee Heritage Preserve just outside of Mechanicsville, South Carolina. Even with the cost of driving, licenses, food and lodging I was amazed at the relatively cheap cost of doing this hunt as compared to other places where guides and dogs were employed. Having tried getting several hunting buddies and family members to go, the only person to take me up on the offer was my girlfriend's father, Bill. He had never hunted hogs before, much less set foot in pursuit of any wild game in South Carolina, just as I never had. It was going to take a lot of sweat, dedication and effort to take home a hog on an area sight unseen. However, we didn't go in completely blind. Like I said, I had done as much homework as I could in preparation for the hunt, I had maps and aerial photos of the area as well as advice from the locals which simply involved such generalistic things like, "concentrate on the waterways," "get away from the crowds," "hunt where the sign is" I arbitrarily marked a few X's on the map on areas that I thought might prove to be good. With these maps in hand and our gear packed from the night before, Bill and I set out on our 8 hour drive to Florence, South Carolina from Fairmont. The drive wasn't bad at all and like I said it was right around 8 hours there with only 2 stops for gas and leg stretching.
When we arrived at the KOA Campground in Florence, just off I-95, we found everything that a hunting party could want for in amenities while staying within a limited budget, around $30.00 a night. We got a cabin with heat, air conditioning, bunks and electricity, as well as access to the shower rooms, free coffee in the morning, picnic tables, a water spicket outside our cabin area and a porch swing to boot! Here's what our cabin looked like from the outside and inside: :
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