Conservation and preservation of our 5,500 acres is a top priority. Read first hand from owner, Chip Hyle as he tags along with our Hunt Director, Marion Gohagan during this spring’s prescribed burn of our hunt fields.
A steady breeze. Frost on the ground. The rush of adrenaline as your dog goes on point. You hear before you see a pair of quail take to the air. Your first shot of the season, followed by an incredible smile from your son, “nice shot dad!” The rest of the morning is a blur as you only recall the laughter.
The Brays Hunt Fields have been the source of family stories and laughter for decades. Just as the stories grow richer so do our fields. Our Hunt Director, Marion Gohagan and his team are the engineers and front-line stewards for these 3,500 acres. So, I jumped at the opportunity to join his team late in March as they initiated the annual prescribed burning event.
This process is ingrained into the Lowcountry calendar. The fields to be burned are rotated each year with the objective being the same – reduce the fuel for wildfire (brush, dead forest floor), reduce disease, ticks and snakes; improve the overall habitat for wildlife including quail; and provide nutrients for new generations of growth. And of course, more stories and laughter.
Months prior, the team begins by plowing a fire line around a field leading up to the morning of by submitting a Prescribed Fire Plan and request for a permit with the SC Forestry Commission. Leveraging the state’s Fuel Load Estimation Guide combined with that morning’s weather, Marion’s submission results in permits being issued or delayed. These advance preparations resulted in a quick and efficient burn our morning at the Smithfield hunt unit as the team ignited the fire with a simple drip torch containing 1 part gasoline and 3 parts diesel fuel. Within two hours the burn was complete.
Finally, over the course of the coming weeks a broadleaf herbicide will be applied. A humorous question Marion is frequently asked, “…what type of broom straw seed do you use?” The answer is none. The tall, reddish golden “grass” is native to our area and thanks to these prescribed burns the seeds become stronger yielding greater density.
These stunning fields are to be enjoyed not only during quail season but year-round as they provide the backdrop for the many publications, photos and television productions viewed around the world. Some have stated the fields are our greatest treasure. If you ask your dogs and horses they will agree. To those owners and potential owners who have not yet explored this area, ask a neighbor to introduce you; schedule a tour with our Naturalist, Jake Zadik; by horseback with our Director of Equestrian, Nicole Palazzo, or stop by to meet Marion at the hunt department.
This morning while the temperatures were still cool, Brewster (my creamy golden retriever) and I once again explored the area this time selecting Oaks North. We were entertained by a bald eagle circling in the sky. A red shouldered hawk resting on a live oak branch. A fox squirrel seeking a meal and a statuesque adult great blue heron fishing in the Big Dig pond.
The next time you see Marion thank him and all the members of the Hunt Department team for their work. And my personal thanks to this team for sharing a morning with me as I continue to learn and am grateful for this place and our Brays team.