The 2023 white-tailed deer archery hunts on Bulls Island, Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge will be held Nov. 6- 11 and Dec. 4-9. Hunters must possess the required state hunting license. Each hunter will check in and register before setting up camp and hunting. Hunters under the age of 16 must have successfully completed a State approved hunters education course, present a hunter safety certificate and be under the immediate supervision of an adult.

On Nov. 5 and Dec. 3 at 4:00 p.m., the Refuge Manager will meet with archers to discuss refuge hunt regulations.

The camping area on Bulls Island will remain open from 9:00 a.m. on the Sunday preceding each hunt until noon on the Sunday following the hunt. Only registered hunters will be allowed to camp. Water and restroom facilities are the only amenities provided on the island. Overnight parking is permitted at Garris Landing during the archery hunts.

Hunters must provide their own transportation to and from Bulls Island or make transport arrangements with the refuge concession Coastal Expeditions by calling 843-884-7684. Only portable hunting stands that will not injure living trees are allowed. Crossbows, firearms/ammunition, motorized equipment, poison arrows, dogs, nails, wire, paint and flagging are prohibited. Bicycles are allowed for use on service roads. All deer, regardless of sex, must be tagged. One antlered deer and unlimited antlerless deer may be taken. Tags will be provided by Cape Romain NWR.

The archery hunt on Bulls Island assists management in maintaining the deer population at a level compatible with the environment and permits the use of a valuable renewable resource.

Visit the Cape Romain site at www.fws.gov/refuge/cape-romain for a copy of the hunt permit. For additional information, call the Refuge office at (843) 928-3264. Permits are available at the Refuge Headquarters Office Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and, Wednesday – Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Sewee Visitor and Environmental Education Center, 5821 Hwy 17 North, Awendaw, South Carolina 29429.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service mission is to work with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

Visit the Service website at www.fws.gov for more information on the organization’s work.

AWENDAW, S.C. (WCIV) — The Awendaw Planning Commission Monday approved plans for a 204-home development near Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge.

One of the nation's largest homebuilders, Pulte, is moving ahead with a plan to build 200 homes just off the water- on a 148 acre piece of land known as the White Tract, near the Bulls Island Road intersection of Sewee Road.

The April 18 approval came with more than a dozen conditions from the commission. Only one commissioner voted against it.

Read More: Captain says Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge is environmental treasure, needs to be protected

Charleston Waterkeeper Andrew Wunderly said the conditions are "mostly meaningless."

Wunderly said the commission's decision was disappointing, but expected.

His biggest concern is the more than 200 septic tanks, which could negatively impact the surrounding Class 1 Wildlife Refuge.

Read More: Environmentalists fear impacts of 200 new homes near Awendaw wildlife refuge

“We know what will happen if these developments are built relying on septic water: habitat quality will degrade. We know what’s going to happen, I mean where are these developers going to be in 10 years when shellfish beds are closed and all the fish are gone and we can’t swim in the water? Where are they going to be?” Wunderly told ABC News 4 earlier this month.

In early April, Coastal Conservation League’s Jason Crowley said CCL would be fighting to scale down the developer's footprint.

“Two hundred houses on individual septic all flowing into the same area is a huge risk,” Crowley said at the time. “The town of Awendaw does not currently have a septic management plan. They are going to be approving this development and adding a 50% increase in their population."

Nearby Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge is home to dolphins, sea turtles and millions of other marine creatures.

Read More: Awendaw residents concerned proposed new developments will strain critical infrastructure

Pulte still has to get approval from several public agencies before starting construction.

A second development off the intersection of Doar Road and US Highway 17 is proposed as well. The commission is expected to consider the 249-home plan at another meeting next month.

The two developments combined could eventually double the town's population.

Current residents are concerned about the effects that would have on traffic and critical infrastructure.

AWENDAW, S.C. (WCSC) - Some homeowners in Awendaw say they are concerned severe weather may be bringing severe problems to their properties.

Community members living on Seewee Road claim more recent storms in the Lowcountry have caused drainage issues for roadside ditches along the six-mile stretch of rural road.

“My backyard is just totally covered with water,” neighbor Stephen Flagg says. “My front yard has been totally covered with water. I mean, something just needs to be done.”

Flagg lives on the same portion of land as his grandmother, Lillie Swinton. The family has called Seewee Road home since the 1960s. They say they have noticed the problem for decades.

Both Swinton and Flagg say taking care of the ditches along the property is one thing, but they believe fixing the ditches along the wooded areas and uninhabited spaces would make a big difference.

“Anytime we have heavy rain, the water settles. The ditch drain, there’s nowhere for it to go,” Swinton says. “When summer comes, we’re going to have a lot of trouble with mosquitos, and moccasin snakes.”

At one end of Seewee Road sits the Town of Awendaw Town Hall. Town Administrator Gregory Saxton says he has heard the concerns of neighbors and relayed them to the South Carolina Department of Transportation for assistance.

Seewee Road is a state road and therefore maintained by SCDOT through work orders.

“We just want something to be done. Because after all, we’re taxpayers, just like others. We should be able to have access to things, just like the other communities,” homeowner Alberta Goodwine says. “When it’s raining, the water just settles into the ditches and overflows in the yard. It’s a nuisance.”

Goodwine worries parts of the neighborhood community have been neglected. She adds it is a problem that affects her social life and her daily routines.

“When I step out, I’ve gotta have a boot on coming off the step. To protect myself,” Goodwine says. “Put pipes or something, so drainage will go somewhere, not on my property.”

SCDOT spokesperson Ginny Jones released the following statement:

We had a crew work on ditches along Seewee Road Jan. 2-5. Last week, the crew had to work on storm recovery efforts, but we have employees back out there today. The crew will not be onsite tomorrow due to a regularly scheduled safety meeting, but they will return on Thursday and Friday, as well as next week if necessary. Our crews are digging along approximately 9,100 linear feet of roadway, so it is taking some time, but we will continue to work on it as needed.

Regarding a work order, the answer is both: A citizen may enter an online work request, or a municipality may enter a work request on behalf of a citizen. Online work requests can be submitted here: https://apps.scdot.org/mwro/

We have been in touch with the Town of Awendaw about this work. Please let us know if you need any further information.”

When asked for clarification on how uninhabited portions of the road are maintained, Jones released this response:

SCDOT maintains what is in our right of way. If the land belongs to a municipality, county, or other party, we often work with those folks to plan for maintenance, but there are a lot of different ways that can look.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - A $5 million federal investment will soon add 446 acres of land along the South Carolina shoreline.

Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge is currently made up of 22 miles of barrier islands. Sarah Dawsey, the refuge manager, has been working with nature preservation since she was in high school and joined the Youth Conservation Corps.

“This has been a lifelong goal for me. I mean, I can’t tell you how ecstatic I am to get this money. We have barrier islands, the refuge is barrier islands, and they’re only accessible by boat,” Dawsey says.

Coastal Expeditions does run a ferry to Bulls Island for a fee so those interested can visit for the day. There is a public dock on the island for those with boats to use as well.

“This money will allow us to have a tract on the mainland, where we can have trails, we can have hunting, fishing, environmental education, everything that we do on the islands, but to a greater extent and you don’t have to have a boat so it’s really exciting,” Dawsey says.

She also notes that a mainland tract is a step toward a future corridor connecting the refuge to the Francis Marion National Forest.

Durwin Carter is the project leader for Cape Romain, Ace Basin, Santee and Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuges. He says any addition of land is a huge win for conservation efforts, wildlife and the people nearby who can enjoy it.

“It ties directly into what our mission is. Our mission is essentially working with other partners to conserve these lands and habitats and the critters that use it, for the public to enjoy,” Carter says.

Dawsey and Carter pointed out how erosion from storms and sea level rise are threatening the barrier islands and, in their time at the refuge, they have seen the saltwater breach into ponds on Bulls Island and encroach further into the land each year.

“With the threats happening with development and habitat fragmentation and sea level rise, any additional lands that we can conserve are going to be beneficial. We do what we do for the wildlife, for the habitats and for people to enjoy. But we also do it for future generations to enjoy,” Carter says.

The funding comes from the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. The fund is made up from the sale of Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps, commonly known as Duck Stamps, and import taxes.

The refuge has a visitors center located off Highway 17 where people can learn more about the conservation work and migratory bird protection the islands offer. Dawsey says people are always welcome to visit Bulls Island as long as they come with respect for the wildlife and leave it as they found it.

“If you see birds flying around or acting unusual or dive bombing you, that’s a signal that you’re close to their nest and they’re just trying to protect their babies,” Dawsey says.

Cape Romain is home to more than 290 bird species that migrate through the area as well as other animals like alligators, deer and sea turtles.

“We are just winding up our field season, so we have a really big loggerhead sea turtle project, it’s seven days a week. We do a lot of posting for birds and stewarding to keep people out of the bird areas and educating people on why it’s important,” Dawsey says.

Carter says his staff and volunteers are grateful for the land the refuge currently gets to take care of. They are looking forward to the expansion once the sale is finalized and eventually to hosting wildlife and visitors on the new mainland tracts.

“We’re really lucky to have the jobs that we have because they really enjoy their time out on the water of Cape Romain; really enjoy their times out on the trails, enjoy their times out appreciating the refuge, doing birdwatching, fishing, hunting, whatever it is, we’re constantly reminded of how great our jobs are because we get a chance to see this every day,” Carter says.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

AWENDAW, S.C. (WCIV) — For the past three years, two months, and 17 days, Middleton & Maker Village Barbeque has been providing good food for a good cause, and has provided a safe space for customers.

“It’s a backyard family reunion type of effect," said Eliot Middleton, one of the co-owners of the popular business.

This family reunion started back in 2016 as a mobile business bringing barbeque to different areas throughout the Lowcountry, but once those wheels parked, the business began to grow.

"From that opportunity coming into this opportunity with this restaurant being available and getting this literally two days before Covid start, so it’s just been a very strong strong battle for the last four years," Middleton said.

Middleton's passion didn't stop there. After realizing transportation was hard to come by for some people, his love to help the community kicked in.

“On the Middleton side, whatever profits I get from the restaurant, it all went back into the cars and making sure I could fix and develop cars that needed," Middleton said.

Unfortunately, the popular BBQ spot, located on 5105 N HWY 17 in Awendaw, will be closing due to new development plans moving into the area. But the business is now going back to its roots.

“We’re going back mobile. It’s going to be Middleton’s Village Mobile Barbeque LLC, and we’re going to be in all of the other areas and counties, and we’re going to do more community-oriented events," Middleton said.

Despite the change in locations, the passion remains, and the village will only grow.

"And they say if you build it they will come, and that’s what we did here—we built it, and people are coming," said Charles Maker, co-owner of Middleton & Maker Village BBQ.

Middleton and Maker will also start having village field days throughout the community for people of all ages to come out, play games and get some good food.

Middleton's service to his community dates back years. In October 2020, he was recognized with the Jefferson Award after he started fixing up old cars and giving them out to people in need of reliable transportation.