There will be other mountains to climb

"I've leased the land to someone else," she said.

I was stunned. All I could think to say was "Why?"

Her answer was also a surprise.

"Well, I didn't think you wanted the land anymore."

Before I could think, I blurted out, "What on earth made you think that?"

She said that she had not heard from me in a while.

There had been no gap in our correspondence. We occasionally talked by phone but usually communicated by email. I had sent her a check and a lease agreement in the mail every year, for 10 years. She and her sister had inherited the farm from their father. She lived out of state and had never even seen the property.

I had met with forestry professionals and farm service representatives on her behalf. I had posted the property and established fire breaks. I had made improvements to the land that increased its value as a rural property. I had managed the land well - for a decade.

I pressed her for a better answer, and she finally said, "Well, to be truthful, I got twice as much for the lease from someone else." I was already paying her the going rate for a hunting lease in this area and was saddened that someone would price me out, at twice the rate. Someone else coveted the lease that I had, and the owner's greed helped them get it.

There was nothing I could do to change that outcome, and I had to move on. At the time, I had several other places to hunt. Here is another example of poor behavior.

There was a local farm owned by a retiree. The old man had become a good friend, and I helped him out from time to time on the place. One day, after I had done some bush hogging, he said, "Let me pay you for your work." I smiled and said, "No sir, your money's no good with me, but there is something that I do want." His answer was, "Just name it."

"I'd like to hunt the turkeys here when the wildlife department gives the go ahead." He shot right back, "You got it, and as a matter of fact - you can have all the hunting rights." I answered somewhat carefully, "Well, I know you have a son that lives out of town and he will probably want to hunt them too." He answered somewhat sadly, "He never comes here; don't worry about him."

But the son did come. When he realized I was hunting the place, he came every weekend and brought his friends. I made friends with him and scheduled all my hunts around his activities, but he made it harder and harder for me to hunt the farm. Jealousy drove him. I eventually gave up and moved on. I could have complained to the old man, but I didn't want to drive a wedge between them.

These things happen, and we look for new horizons. Consider our "secret duck pond." A small group of my friends and I managed to get a lease on an old duck impoundment. It had not been managed for years, but I knew it had potential. We put in a well and a new spillway. We planted the field in corn. We built blinds and cleared paths. We improved the access road.

In the fall, we flooded the field to just the right depth and kept curious club members away. The ducks poured in there in unbelievable numbers. They flew from the refuge to our pond. We "outmanaged" the refuge and enjoyed fantastic duck hunts at the pond for several years. We practically begged the owner to come hunt with us. Eventually he did, and he brought his son.

It got better every year, but I knew in my heart that it would not last. Then one day the owner surprised me with this statement, "The family wants to take over management of the duck pond." I was puzzled and asked, "Who - what family?" He named his son and nephew and some other folks. One of my greatest faults is that I am naive and believe what I am told, until I see different. I was asked to stay on and help manage the pond, but I knew my time there was over, and again I moved on.

I've owned property for many years in Clarendon County but never hunted there until recently. I've mostly kept it in reserve. I've been a member of a couple of Lowcountry hunt clubs for many years. I've leased timber company tracts in Clarendon and Sumter counties. I've hunted Sparkleberry and Wildlife Management Area lands.

Some recent hunts on WMA land near Foxville got me interested in the High Hills. The hills are different from all the other places that I've hunted. The long drive to the swampy Lowcountry got me interested in finding a place closer to home. Perhaps I could find a new place in the hills and "mounts" of upper Sumter County.

Recently a friend of mine was offered a lease on a truly special place - a mount or "mountain" in the hills. It seemed too good to be true, and to our dismay, it didn't happen. But I'll keep looking. I know from a lifetime of experience that there will be other mountains to climb.

Reach Dan Geddings at cdgeddings@gmail.com.