posted
Welcome to one of the most breathtaking hunting spots east of the Mississippi ! Browse through the accompanying photos and you'll realize its a "whole other country" .
bald eagles, swallow tail kites, towering oak and giant cypress -filled river bottoms filled with free range deer, squirrel, eastern wild turkey, and wild hog.
Currently (spring 2013) I can accomodate a maximum six hunters, due to sleeping space. All meals, lodging, snacks,bottled water, guiding, meat preparation are included. We have two showers, a walk - in cooler, ice machine, and skinning and meat prep building in addition to our current camp you'll see photos further on in this post. And by the way, lady hunters- you are welcome to book with Hog Heaven.
Beginning early 2014 we will have a new camp which will allow us to entertain slightly larger groups. Stay tuned for a formal announcement of some exciting news we will share on powwow forum in early May.
We meet in Estill SC on Thursday afternoon- 6pm at Wiggins Hardware on 321 right near the only stoplight in town-and the hunts will run daybreak friday morning thru lunch on Sunday...the only expenses you have are getting to estill, sc and a 40 dollar license if only hog hunting.
Combination hog and turkey is a 40 dollar license and a 100 dollar big game tag. Shotguns are OK for turkey
Adult hunt price is 575.00 for hogs and 675.00 for turkey hog combo hunts. $300.00 for boys and girls 16 and under who hunt with their Mom or Dad.
Also note- to reserve a slot a 100.00 non-refundable deposit. If you have to cancel, you don't lose it...but it's not refundable.
We hunt the swamps and uplands surrounding the Savannah River basin.Don't let the swamp intimidate you- its like going to church, not like going to Bigfoot's house. The swamp is interspersed with plenty of well-kept roads and you are completely surrounded by the river... so you won't get lost.
The nearest town to the hunting camp is Estill, SC 29918.
views of the swamp
If you want to book but don't have a full group, that's not a problem. If a couple guys book a weekend it allows others who also don't have a full group to join up with you- we only take TradGangers and their friends, so you'll get to meet some folks you might have talked with but never spent time with.
------------------------------------------------ If you can arrive before 6pm on Thursday you can get your licenses at Wiggins Hardware store right on 321 business, the main drag into town (40 dollars for hogs) and 100 dollar big game tag if turkey hunting. Off limits are bobcats and foxes.
You are able to take armadillos and coyotes- as many as you can carry, as well as gray squirrels in season.
Licenses may also be purchased on line, but I recommend you do NOT do that if you are turkey hunting because you may not get your turkey tags in the mail in time before your hunt.
I have a practice range that includes several targets right in camp as well as plenty of space to stump shoot if you prefer.
There are two showers. Bring a couple of towels, your toiletry kit..and civilian clothes.You also need a pair of "camp" shoes to wear on the covered deck and inside the trailer so we don't drag mud inside.
Also bring a sleeping bag or sheets and covers, and a pillow if you want. The trailer has heat and a/c and is quite comfortable,but its NOT the Taj Mahal. It is a hunting camp, not a fine lodge with private bedrooms,fireplaces, and TV's.
We do offer beautiful stars, a big fire in the evenings if its cool enough outside, coyotes howling, and story telling to replace TV. We think it's a nice alternative. If anyone has a DVD player or laptop I always have some cool stuff to look at like a hunt for jaguar and Tippit's stone killed bear video among others
I need to know if anyone has food allergies..or special dislikes, ahead of time and I will alter the menu to suit!
Permanone, available at WalMart in bug season, is a product you need. We have chiggers(no see-ums to some of you) and they bite and climb off before you ever know they did it.
You don't spray it on your skin but instead on your clothes, at the belt line, cuffs, sleeves, and neck opening, then let them dry fully before you wear them.
A nice thing to do would be to do this at home prior to coming and then after it dries put your clothes in scent free bags to bring down. That way you are ready to hit the ground running, so to speak!
We have enough hogs so the snake problem is really not a problem- and we also have lots of king snakes who see rattlers and copperheads as fine dining.
Binoculars are a requisite for successful hunting. Even at ten yards they are useful for making certain your mostly all black targets are facing the way you THINK they are, and the angle is what you want, especially in low light.Do not come without binocs.
I use a pair of 6x32 Leupold Green Rings that cost 88 dollars and they are as good a glass for what we do as anything.You don't need something that costs tons of money 'cause we aren't looking too awfully far.
Please make sure to bring a card or something with emergency contact information for yourself...including emails and phone numbers in case something happens to you we want to know who to get in touch with without having to search through your belongings or cell phone- time in those situations is critical. We plan for the worst and work for the best.
You don't need a bunch of meat prep tools except for your knife or knives, we have all the rest here, so save the weight and aggrevation. We have a 300 lb commercial ice machine so getting your processed game ready for your long ride home will be easy and free.
You might think about packing your gear coming down in a nice size cooler with a duffel inside it as well. Then you have your cooler for meat on the return trip, and a bag to put your duds in as well.
If you are turkey hunting, a blind will be a real plus. We have so many birds it can pay big dividends to spend most of the day in one spot, calling periodically, and catching up on your favorite book.
Boots? Snakes are not that prevalant here because the hogs eat small snakes, but if it makes you feel better or hunt better, snake boots are OK. They tend to be noisy, though.Knee high rubber is also good, as are regular 10 inch or 8 inch hunting boots..your choice.
Waterproof stuff is a plus in my opinion, but not necessary if you don't mind stepping off in some water now and then. Some guys hunt in high top sneakers and just get wet...it's all up to your preference.
I also use 'silent stalkers' with effectiveness- those felt undersole thingies that strap onto your boots if you know what I'm talking about.
I hope you are coming with having a good time as your objective. We will control what we can- the accomodations, the food, and the camp banter. The rest-game movement, weather- is up to God and your stalking skills- if you have them, you'll be rewarded.
When I tell you that you need to move slowly- I mean slowly. It's a lot like walking up on a squirrel in your back yard. You move like molasses.
When Mike aka Squirrel Bait and I hunt hogs, we do it in tandem usually- 50 yards apart. We 'hopskotch' one another, through the cover, stopping at ten to fifteen paces and both listening and looking- then in 20 seconds or so- the other one moves beyond the previous one, stops, and we start the looking and listening all over again.
It's a lot like hunting rows of standing corn.
Our animals are free range, and do what they like. There has never been a hog released on our property. We have no fences, we hunt mostly spot and stalk, and can't guarantee you a kill. There are hundreds of animals though, with large populations of hogs, deer, and turkeys. We will show you what we know and hunt with you or turn you loose, as you desire.
One of my real interests is to assist any of you that wish to learn, to become a better bowhunter for having visited with us. Some of you will be experts, but I bet you can learn something- I know I learn something from every group that comes to camp.
We will help you with any kind of skill if you ask for assistance- including stalking techniques, knife and broadhead sharpening, calling, skinning and processing of game, and just about anything else you can think of.
The phone service at and near camp is spotty with everyone- but Verizon users have the best luck. There is a phone at camp for EMERGENCIES ONLY. There is a spot about 9 miles away we can take you to in order to make cell calls.
If any of you are experts at coyote hunting, call me before you make the trip in...I'd like to talk about an idea I have.
Looking forward to hunting with you!!!
-------------------- "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man..." Benjamin Franklin
-------------------- "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man..." Benjamin Franklin
-------------------- "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man..." Benjamin Franklin
-------------------- "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man..." Benjamin Franklin
-------------------- "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man..." Benjamin Franklin
posted
some pics of camp and other stuff of interest to prospective attendess.
-------------------- "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man..." Benjamin Franklin
-------------------- "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man..." Benjamin Franklin
-------------------- "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man..." Benjamin Franklin
posted
One of the bigger boars we regularly see wandering around the property- trail camera wasn't set up right- the date was 2009, not 2008
-------------------- "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man..." Benjamin Franklin
-------------------- "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man..." Benjamin Franklin
posted
the cupboard is full! Our walk in cooler- Woody Blackwell and I shot these hogs in the middle of a 100+ degree week in July. It's hot then, but the pigs MOVE baby
a wallow- one of thousands on the property
-------------------- "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man..." Benjamin Franklin
-------------------- "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man..." Benjamin Franklin
-------------------- "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man..." Benjamin Franklin
-------------------- "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man..." Benjamin Franklin
-------------------- "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man..." Benjamin Franklin
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic
