Hunting Lodge finally opens doors

By Ryan Hanchett
Published in Sports on October 24, 2008 1:46 PM

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On the corner of Belfast Road and Highway 117 North stands a familiar building with a new-found purpose.

The Hunting Lodge opened today, and the dream of proprietors Mike Wilkins, Todd Wilkins and Jenny Aycock came to fruition.

"We wanted to have a place where people could come and get what they need," said Mike Wilkins. "It's been a long time to get started, but now it's here and we are ready to see what happens."

Striving to be more than just a typical market for outdoorsmen, The Hunting Lodge offers the comfortable feel of an era long-passed.

"We want everyone that comes in here to enjoy it, share a story ... show off a picture," said Wilkins. "Everyone thinks back and reminisces about when they were young and hearing stories at the local lodge. We wanted to re-create that atmosphere."

The road from idea to grand opening was not an easy one.

Wilkins and his associates put in countless hours renovating the building that was once home to Seymour's Embalming.

"We had to completely redo everything to get up to par," said Wilkins. "All new electric and new plumbing, a new parking lot ... we changed it all.

"The building was actually about to be condemned and we didn't want to see that happen. There is a lot of history here going back over 100 years."

Building owners Earl and Angie Aycock gave the green light to the new business and the transformation began.

"I had a saw in my hand when we got our first visit from the city inspectors," said Wilkins. "I know a lot of people talk bad about the city and the state officials, but not us, they helped us every step of the way."

Now when customers walk in the door they are treated to the smell of hardwood and fresh-brewed coffee.

"We have been getting a lot of hunters that stop before they head into the woods," said Wilkins. "The store opens at 5 a.m. Monday-Saturday, and people take the opportunity to stop and have a cup of coffee and maybe pick up an item that they had forgotten about until the last minute."

The store offers a full line of hunting accessories as well as live bait for area anglers.

"We have nightcrawlers, minnows, crickets, eels ... all kinds of bait," said Wilkins. "By June we will also have firearms, permits and all the North Carolina hunting and fishing licenses."

With the open sign now hanging in the front window, Wilkins already has plans for the future.

"I want to put in an enclosed weigh station in the back where hunters can bring their deer," he said. "We also want to finish our archery area."

The Hunting Lodge will be a one-stop archery hub.

"We aren't just going to sell you a bow," said Wilkins. "We are going to make sure it fits the shooter and we are going to let them test it before they leave with it."

An enclosed range will allow would-be archers the opportunity to sight-in their bow before ever leaving the lot.

"A lot of people buy a bow, they get it home and when they take it out of the box they think 'now what'," said Wilkins. "When they leave The Hunting Lodge we want them to have the confidence that what they have in their hand will be effective in the woods."