Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Recent posts here have had me traveling down memory lane. Although I've been a very infrequent contributor here. I was curious as to how many of you have taken the proverbial Carl Kauffeld trip to Jasper Co. SC in the spring, and what your successes were. Pics to post, I'm sure would be enjoyed by all.
Not to mention the interactive interest you've had with the locals.......OTHER than Todd, Bengi, and the "Super Raper", Davey Jones.
Hoping to stirr things up.....
Bob

After reading Kaufield's book, I was very anxious to one day make the trip to Okeetee and hopefully grab my very own true locality corn.

The opportunity finally presented it's self last spring and on Easter morning, I set out to see the area and find that snake. Mind you now, I had no idea where the heck the club actually was or what road it was on, but I was certain I would find it. At around 10:00 that morning I did. Wasn't really much, just a bunch of woods on the side of the road with train tracks running parallel. There was lots of overgrowth of bush that separated the hunt club property from the tracks. On the right side of the road, I noticed a yard full of sheets of tin. I was very tempted to pull in and see if there was a "cover charge" to collect from his tin as I am sure that was what it was for. Or possibly he collects and sells to the public. I decided to call him the "Tin Man" for all future reference. Either way, I elected to pass it up.

About a mile or so past the club entrance was one of the prettiest views I have ever seen. Across the road was a canopy of oak limbs full of fresh new growth. It was just like you imagine when you think of the canopies leading to the old plantation homes. Gorgeous!!

After I was certain I new where to go, I turned around and headed back toward the highway and met my friend in Charleston and we hunted other locations in S Georgia for the rest of the day. Not allot of success, but we did find my first snake ever from behind bark, a young yellow/greenish rat. He was placed back and we left. It should be pointed out that my friend spotted the tree in the middle of a swamp and stopped the car announcing "there has to be a snake behind that tree". We wadded through swamp water and mud to our calves, utilizing fallen trees and solid ground whenever possible. The other success was a loan black racer on a dirt road. I bolted from the car and actually ran him down and caught it, I was quiet pleased to have run down a bolting racer.

After a long day fighting bugs and ant and flipping tin, rolling logs and such, we said goodbye, gotta do this soon, all the normal stuff and then parted ways, me heading back for Myrtle Beach and he for Atlanta. As I got closer, I decided I had to road cruise the hunt club at least one time to say I had done it, even though the temps were now to low for a snake.

As I approached the club, I slowed down hoping against hope that maybe one of the "Tin Man's" corns would decide to visit the other side of the highway. No such luck, but as I got to within 100 yards of the hunt club entrance, there across the road was a snake, to far away I couldn't tell for sure what it was, but it was definitely moving. I speeded up, but no doubt I wasn't traveling as fast as my heart was racing. I couldn't believe my luck, I started thinking, will anyone really believe me, and they will say I am a liar, that I bought the snake. I got close, slammed on brakes, jumped out of the truck, ran to the snake, pillow case in hand. My best one, to be sure the snake didn't escape on the way home. As my flash light hit the snake, my heart sank; it was only a red bellied water snake. He didn't take the immediate defense posture these guys normally assume, he sort of looked at me as if to say, what I am not good enough, I have to be a corn to be special. I shewed him off the road, sighed deeply and turned the truck around and headed for home. If that let down wasn't good enough, less than 200 yards back the other way, right across from the "Tin Man's" place, I spotted another snake. Again it was to be a red Bellied water snake.

Oh well, I guess there is always next spring or this fall, or this summer. Eventually, the place has to yield one to me after that cruel joke on my first trip. But hey, I was there and enjoyed every minute of it. Sorry to bore you, but you asked for stories and results.

Camby,
I live in Wilmington, NC about an hour north of you up the 17 strip. I'd go down to Okeetee with you but I am afraid I would A.D.D. out on spots from another book on snake hunting that mostly takes place between uor two cities (to some degree anyway).
Rock on,
Blue

by kauffeld's book i assume you referred to "snakes and snake hunting." have you read his other book, "Snakes - the keeper and the kept"? it has a chapter about a return trip to Okeetee. also richard d. bartlett's book, "In search of reptiles and amphibians" has two stories about Okeetee.

Made trips to Okeetee during spring break back in '69-73? There was always a big group of us coming up from South Florida. We always had to work for our snakes........a lot of walking! I found my first canebrakes up there on my first day......one inside a lollow log, the other coiled outside a stump. The finest corn I've ever seen came on one of those trips. A few of my buddies managed to flip over a piece of railroad rail near Ridgeland. This corn was a BIG male......5'3" with a pumpkin orange ground color, vermillion blotches,and thick black borders. I don't believe I've ever seen a corn as nice as this one. Okeetee also has some of the prettiest Southern Copperheads.

This was back in the "good old days" when you were allowed to wander all day through Chelsea Plantation and the property around Bolen Hall. Too many hunters resulted in a crack down on trespassing.

How's this for a magic piece of tin that was just outside an old sharecropper shack..........First year....a "green" rat. Second year......an eastern King. Next year......a pair of copperheads. 4th and last time........a canebrake.

We always roomed in Hardeeville. The locals weren't nuts about snake hunters. Our cover story at first was that we were "working" at the new resort at Hilton Head. As time went on, they were tolerant........as long as the snakes stayed in the bags!

Which reminds me........Driving back home one year, I felt a snake crawl over my right foot as I was driving. Thank goodness........only a kingsnake, but we did have to pull over and do some inventory!

Thanks guys. As time goes by, I miss the "old days", back when most of the Plantation Stewards welcomed "snake hunters". But, it is also refreshing to know that they have realized the importance of keeping snakes around. Though most still dislike venomous, they do protect the corns and kings.
I have many stories of great fortune and misery to tell, which may end up in a book one day.
I have been lucky enough in life to find many corns, kings, EDB's, canebrakes, SK's, etc..ect... in the Okeetee area. Oh yeah, those avenues of oaks accross from the entrance are meant for picture taking. There are many more throughout the area.
One of my favorite memories was back in '89, my now ex and me were heading out from the Palms Motel in Ridgeland. We were heading for White Hall Plantation east....had the permission of
Mr.Harry Cooler to hunt "Gregory's Neck" (my fav). My wife spotted a "House for Rent"! She begged me to stop so she could peer inside the vacant windows. While she enjoyed her realty specs, I... chomping at the bit to find herps, walked the perimiter of the lot. Mind you, we are still IN Ridgeland. In the back corner of the yard, I find a stack of tin. 7 sheets neatly piled. My instincts had me flipping. The find was a splendid pair of 5'+ corns under the 3rd sheet. At the bottom was one of the biggest Canebrakes I've ever found. Exactly 6'2". Never again did I argue about looking at houses with my wife.
Bob

That's awsome! I bought my first house in Pender Co. NC because I found a southern Hognose in the front yard while the wife was looking at the house.

hmmm..Never been there..

Seriously, there's not many spots as immortalized in print as Okeetee, is there?
Kauffeld's books and his descriptions are etched permanently in my brain.
All I saw from my quick drive by this year was one dor cornsnake and one or two I didn't stop to i.d. (looked like waters)
Next season, I'll have to make more time.
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

www.crimsonking.funtigo.com

It's been about two years since my last trip out to Jasper county, I don't think I'll be heading back. I'd gone every year for about five years. Most of our old spots were gone, new development and ever increasing herper activity(no offense guys). Suprisingly enough every year found more okeetee corns than the previous year. I'm not sure what it is about the area but the snake population is incredible. Noticed in a previous post the mention of Hardeeville, that was always where we crashed, and suprisingly found most of our prize catches in town. First herp on arrival about four years ago was a gravid canebreak, gorgeous female. Hunting tin, road cruising, run ins with local law enforcement and local hunters. Ah memories. First okeetee pine snake, first mud snake, hell my first corn was an okeetee. Getting warned off by okeetee hc staff ( sorry guys it's a public road First moccasin. Legal spotteds Chain kings, almost catching sight of a diamondback (swear guys its six foot long and about a mile back Courteous locals. "You want to look for and take snakes....common I'll show you where they hide" Fellow herper fell asleep in the backseat at the very start of our first road cruisin night (whoops) because as soon as twilight hits that small space in time where you can barely see the road but you better keep your eyes peeled , I spot a five foot male corn crossing, I slowed down just enough to pop my door lean out and grab him and chuck him onto my sleeping herp bud You learn not to fall asleep around fellow herpers pretty quick. Flipping up a piece of billboard to find the largest copperhead I'd ever seen, so I leaned the board on my hip and proceeded to capture my prize....I don't know about fire ants but I do know that those tiny sc black ants are mean lil ...buggers- Not sure how I missed a bite from the snake cause every one of the thousands of ants took a chunk out of me.
I miss the good old days,,,,,
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Primeval-Beauty
"Finding beauty where other's fear to tread"

Those are great memories. Your first "PINE"!!!! Geez, I've hunted that area off and on for 40 years. NEVER NEVER NEVER a pine. I've found them in Florida...but SC? Never. I'm jealous! HA HA..good for you though!
I know what you mean about old places being developed or destoyed....that happens everywhere...unfortunately. I know some here will disagree, but habitat destruction is far worse to alot of herps than the commercial collectors. One of the reasons the Corn pops continue to grow is they can co-inside within an urban area, whereas, Crotalus cannot.
Keep up the stories....I'm sure more than myself want to read them.
Thanks,
Bob

That pine was a find. We were getting ready to leave out at about 11 am , I just couldn't let it go had to try our favorite road even though chances were slim finding anything. Cruisin up it for the last time and I swore I caught the tail end of a snake going down into the ditch. We hit the breaks everyone jumps out and swarms up and down the ditch. Took us five mins to find him but sure enough it was a pine and the last snake of the trip. Was my second pine ever. The first I found about17 years ago, when I was fifteen and still lived in atlantic county nj. 6ft male Pine Barrens pine, more white than black and the only one I ever saw in the pine barrens. I'll tell you what though, jasper county herpin is like shootin fish in a barrell compared with herpin the barrens....unless you are lookin for black racers
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Primeval-Beauty
"Finding beauty where other's fear to tread"

I'm sure it is easier huntin' Jasper Co than the barrens. Never been, but have stories in my head from my late Dad....geez, he was there in Kauffeld's era. (and it is Kauffeld people, not Kaufield.) My Dad worked for the Philly zoo along with Roger and his wife Isabelle. He even met the "God" of herpetology...Ditmars himself. He was the "rock-star" of herps in those days and I'm still in awe!
I live in Texas now, and after growing up in the east, I find hunting here is like shooting against Tiger Woods in the open where hunting the east is like making the windmill putt @ "mini golf 'R' us. Guess it's all about what you learn.
Bob

Haven't been herping in Texas. But have been on numerous occasions in Arizona. There really is no comparison. But I think okeetee will just always hold that special place in my heart. As a herper, especially after reading Kauffields books, being able to almost look back through time and see what it could have been like, meant alot to me. Not to mention being able to share it with some of the best friends money can buy.
Steve
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Primeval-Beauty
"Finding beauty where other's fear to tread"

My feelings exactly Steve. When you read that even Ditmars found this area special, all the way to today, where the herps there are still found and considered special, one can't help but think about our herp hero's...and how it must have been when they tromped the same land.
Bob