OK, to most people I admit my life is either cool or nerdy...depending on where you are from. I enjoy many things most guys love, such as sports-see College Football, action movies, politics, etc. And I absolutely love hunting, be it deer, turkey, birds, or other game. To most people, that is cool, unless you are a sustaining member of the PETA Foundation or something!
However, I also like to do another type of hunting-Relic Hunting! To some, like my lovely wife, this is the stupidest thing on the planet. Walking around with a metal detector trudging through dirt and weeds to find a silly little button or bullet-"why waste the energy when you could be walking around the mall or boutiques searching for the latest fall fashions", she normally asks. But to me, I love history, especially Civil War history, and our part of the country is loaded with former plantation sites and old civil war camps and bases. To me, finding an old bullet or button that hasn't been touched in 150 years is a really neat find. I always think of who was the last person to touch or wear the item, and what their life must have been like back then. I could care less if the item is worth anything financially, to me the link to the past is reward enough. So, depending on who you are, you may find that tidbit about me neat or nerdy. Regardless, that is me and it's a pretty inexpensive way to get out of the house and enjoy the outdoors on a cool fall day!
Some of the items I have collected over the years
So now, for my weekend, I went to Yemassee this past Saturday morning to put out corn for the deer to feed on, in hopes of preparing for a hunt next week. While I was up there, I spoke to a friend who has a family plantation (Richfield) dating back to the early 1800's, Melvin Lane, who told me that he and some friends were going to hunt Quail later in the day, but were relic hunting one of their Dove fields that morning. I told him I would stop by and visit. When I arrived, they were still detecting away, but had not located much-a few buttons and bullets, that was all. While I was talking with Melvin, I started picking up old plantation china shards that were all around my feet in the middle of this cut corn field. I must have picked up 20 pieces of antique China shards-pretty neat pieces. I like to collect these any time I find them and display them together on a plate or dish. They make for good conversation pieces for sure. After visiting and putting out feed, I headed home to get ready for the Hospital Christmas Party...a black tie affair-Read more about it on
Jennifer's Blog. Jennifer's mom and dad were kind enough to come down from Beaufort and spend the night looking after Anderson for us-thanks Phil and Sandi!
China Shards found at Richfield Plantation
I was able to hunt Sunday afternoon with my friend James, and I saw 10 does and 1 huge buck, but unfortunately they were all at the opposite end of a huge field I was sitting, about 700 yards away! The does filed out one after another, and played and chased one another for about 20 minutes when the big guy showed up. He immediately began chasing the does, and man was it fun to watch. I just chose the wrong end of the field to hunt, but that's how it goes sometimes. It was a great evening regardless...and I am always appreciative of the chance to spend and evening at Trowbridge!
