Hiking The Savannah River Trail At The Webb Wildlife Center
Posted by lowcountryhunting on January 15, 2009
The End of the Trail: Savannah River
As everyone knows, our family loves to hike. With two boys, we need lots of outdoor time to wear them out. Plus we all just love being in the woods.
And one of our favorite places to hike is the Webb Wildlife Center and Game Management Area here in Garnett. It is 5,600 acres of unbelievable lowcounty woods that are home to lots of our native birds and animals including tons of deer, turkey and wild hog. The management area also includes a special nature trail that runs through roughly 1000 acres of floodplain and out to the river called the Savannah River Trail.
We have hiked parts of the 2.1mile long path before with the kids, but we decided that we would like to do the entire hike to the Savannah River this time. That “unfortunately” would mean an afternoon off from the boys, so we called over my mom from next door and drove frantically away:) Sorry, but we don’t get much time together alone anymore, so it was a rare treat.
We headed over to Webb, down the oak avenue and back to Bluff Lake. There we parked and entered the path at the far end of the field to start our journey down the old logging roadbed that winds all through the river bottom and by lots of giant, towering old trees including white oaks, tupelo, cypress and maple as well as by many of their rotting remnants. And hiking during this time of year was perfect since there were no leaves on the trees allowing one to see all through the understory of the river bottom. There were also not many mosquitos – something I can’t say for most of the year in our lowcountry swamps.
It was just truly a beautiful afternoon hike, and as we finally neared the river’s edge, a huge old buck sprang up out of his bed and took off running. He only had one antler, but you could tell that he was big and his one side of horn was decent. And as we watched him running off, I saw that one side fall off.
I told Amy and she said that while she didn’t see it fall, she definitely saw him one second with an antler and then without it. So we raced over to the small, brushy ridge that ran along the bluff of the river to recover it. Sure enough, it was lying next to a log that the buck had jumped during his escape. The pedicle was even still warm.
We couldn’t believe what we had just seen, and then as we studied it, we were even more blown away. That buck was at least 5.5 years old or more! I say that because, while its not that big of a shed, the base and pedicle are both bigger than my shed from the Webb Center/Cubbedge Hill Monster when he was 4.5 years old. All I can think is that the old buck had found a great sanctuary back in the back of the riverbottom where he subsisted on low quality forage unlike his brothers who spend their lives up in the pines where huge foodplots are scattered everywhere.
After relishing our great find and spending a few minutes at the river’s edge enjoying some peace and quiet, we hiked the hour back out to Bluff Lake and back home to the boys. There we shared our find and our story to two very interested young hunters.
Jeff
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I’ve never found a shed in my life, and here you are watching antlers fall off right in front of your eyes.
Now that is definitely a unique experience. I’m sure the future hunters loved hearing that story and seeing and touching the results from it.
January 15th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
I agree with Arthur, what a unique experience actually watching the antlers fall off! Of course we know that it happens, but it’s one of those things that few people will ever get to see!
I followed your blog here from ‘The Hunters Wife’ and I have to say I love the family quality part of your blog! You’re definitely on my list of daily reads!
January 15th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
WOW, now that is one fresh shed! Too cool. That story will be a good one to tell grandkids one day.
January 15th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
wow! you scared the antler right off him! lol. too cool!
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