Post by: Littlefeather on May 13, 2005, 02:56:00 PM
I've wacked several pigs in the last week or so. I didn't even get pics of several. The tides have changed in my favor and the hogs are comming to the arrow quite readily.
I left off on the stories the other night when I got boxed in my blind by a big-ol-grizzled feller. I threw a chair at the opening of my blind when I lost my stand and fight ability(I shook like a School girl). That moved the feller enough for me to get turned and hap-hazardly shoot an arrow directly into a limb. I was a little shaken to say the least. Remember, that arrow was a Ferret arrow. The rising Sun the next morning couldn't wash away the memory of the event the night before so I resharpen the arrow and planned my next assult against the Sumo Wressler of a hog. The darkness of night would return again soon enough and I would surely redeam my efforts from the episode the night before. CK
Post by: Roughcountry on May 13, 2005, 03:13:00 PM
I'm all ears, don't makem as scary please
Post by: herb haines on May 13, 2005, 03:25:00 PM
Post by: Littlefeather on May 13, 2005, 05:17:00 PM
My nerves hung loosely and frazzled tonight and my bold thoughts were meer memories. I sat worried and Im not gonna lie about that. I shuttered at every twig snap and ever noise of the night.
Squeeeeellllll! Holy cow, I am snapped into realization as two bruisers bust into the old food plot pushing and shoving. Things start moving fast and my shattered nerves took control of a shaking bow and I release the Ferret arrow into the wind. The connection was made with an audible CRACK!!!!! It hit him hard but in the darkness it was impossible to see just how good the hit was. The swirl and flash of the two pigs exit was only shadows dancing with the darkness and things fell silent in seconds. I wait......
About 15 minutes passes and I find myself in no hurry to try and trail the Sumo hog. My mind pours over the events from the night before and my veins run cold with thoughts of finding him wounded but still alive. As these thoughts run rampit, the barbed wire fence that is close by creaks through the darkness. I know something has just crossed under the fence. Oh God, there is movement in the bushes and it's close by. IT'S HIM!!!!! ITS THE SUMO HOG!!! He has returned to find the other hog that he was seperated from. As I take close note of his posture, I realize that I have forever placed the Ferret Trade point deeply in his fighting shield and I've not so much as even wounded him. He is healthy, he is pissed, and my hair is now standing up on my neck!!!!!!
There is no way Im putting another arrow in flight tonight. My nerves just cannot handle any more. As Mr Sumo crosses the old food plot for the last time tonight, I know in my heart that we will meet again. I am quite certain his thoughts were running in the same direction as mine. I can only hope I meet him comming and am not the one he is hunting tomorrow night. CK
Post by: the Ferret on May 13, 2005, 05:33:00 PM
I say poke him again and get my trade point back!
Post by: herb haines on May 13, 2005, 06:22:00 PM
Post by: Shaun on May 13, 2005, 08:07:00 PM
Post by: ky_longbow on May 13, 2005, 09:31:00 PM
we want pics!!!!!! it dont matter how many hogs you kill-share the pics!
!["[redneck]"]("graemlins/redneck.gif" "\"\"")
at least those are my thoughts!!!!!!
Post by: HARL on May 13, 2005, 11:29:00 PM
Post by: cjones on May 13, 2005, 11:48:00 PM
Post by: Jakeboy at home on May 14, 2005, 11:01:00 AM
Post by: Guru on May 14, 2005, 02:00:00 PM
Please don't hold back,share all you can with us.
I'm looking forward to the rest of this one,as usual...come on!!
Post by: Littlefeather on May 14, 2005, 02:02:00 PM
I enter the lease property after having a mental struggle to remember the combo to the gate. The land owner has warned me that the hog population has reached epidemic levels. She told me that a stipulation of my lease was to never let a hog walk away without a bullet or arrow in it. Well, as you can imagine, I was beside myself hoping I would not have to kill hogs. :bigsmyl:
As I throttle the Power Stroke Diesel across the lease property, I see something black ahead in the hay field so I stop to see what it is. Can you guess? You guessed it, Hog. Numerous hogs actually and standing in broad daylight as if they had never seen a man. I only carried my varmit rifle today because I never expected to see hogs at mid day. After a breif struggle with myself about killing with a gun, I decide I will fulfill the Land owners wishes and pick a nice little Sow. Pow!!!! The 222 cal does its job and I now have a hog down. I hate guns!!!!!So dang easy! I can't even make a good story from this kill.
As I ease up to the spot where she fell I realize that the 80# pig I picked out in the crowd wasn't 80# at all but a wopping 175#. Geeze how a scoped rifle will throw off a bowhunters eyes. Now there is no time to hang stands or drink cold ones or relax. Its time to work. I'll return tomorrow to take care of hanging stands, etc.....
With pig cleaning a day behind me, I return to the lease property. Today will surely be different. At least I brought "Dream Keeper" along in case a freak accident would happen and Id see pigs again in the daylight. Im not shooting anymore with a gun, I tell myself. It leaves a sour taste in my mouth and a ringing in my ears from the damn noise.
As I ease through the gate, I am carefull not to make much noise. Im sure I will not see hogs after blazing one with the cannon yesterday but I try and be quiet anyway. CK
Post by: Guru on May 14, 2005, 02:50:00 PM
Post by: herb haines on May 14, 2005, 03:01:00 PM
Post by: Huntrdfk on May 14, 2005, 03:21:00 PM
David
Post by: Littlefeather on May 14, 2005, 06:59:00 PM
I exit the truck with "Dream Keeper". Im 300 yards and closing the gap with a heavy stride. I am having to swing really wide, through a wet drainage, around a pond, and up a dry drainage. Im not sure I can close the distance, keeping good wind in time to catch up with the bruiser. As I walk, I tell myself how crazy this is to be chasing pigs in the heat of the day. There must be something wrong with these pigs!
As I start up the dry wash, I see the colored pig ahead and realize that he has an entourage with him. Boy, what a pretty sight to see all the little colored pigs with stripes and the different size and shaped hogs that follow along noisily. Kinda looks like a piggy Carnival setting. All dressed up and only a mud hole to waller in. I notice as I close the gap, easing from Live Oak to Live Oak, using the trunks and visibility shields, that the water holes I pass are still swirrling and muddy. Musta been a piggy-skinny-dip going on just minutes before.
Everything is really looking good as I have closed the gap to 30 yards. The grass is just tall enough that when the pig dropps his head to root the ground, his eyes are shielded from viewing my approaching doom. Things start moving fast in my chest. My ears are getting that buzz and my body has that shaky weakness that always enhabits the final moments before the shot. Ohhhhh, I love Buck Fever! Ride em Boy!!!
With so many pigs Im worried about the final few yards but they are all moving slowly away and have no clue of the danger that lurks. I decide it is time to go for points. I easy to the next tree to my right as to get better vantage on the quartering away hog. Its my favorite shot and as the arrow finds wind, I know without a doubt that I will again take up space at the meat pole. The hit was as perfect as they get and with a grunt, a groan, a fly-turn, and a roll he is away and spewing hard. I've done it again! I grin and take in every ounce of adrenaline coursing through my veins. If I could bottle this feeling, I'd be a Junky that never left the house. Pass the bottle please!
It takes only minutes to easy down the blood bloody corridor and retreive my prize. He is a real handsome fella. I sit down beside him and admire everything about this macho-man of a hog. I wonder of the battles and the hardships he has endured along the way. I admire him for him abilities to edapt to such harsh environments. He was surely a Leader of his tribe. A fine specimine at 225#'s! Im very proud but also kinda sad that he wont be there to share in my next hunt. I suppose there will be others.
I often wonder when it all happened? My deep seated love for a critter with such a nasty disposition, a hated animal by most men, a mud dweller, a survivor! Im not sure when I pushed the pursuit of deer and turkey, and other highly sought after critters to the back burners and turned my sights toward swine but I can't remember a day that I have ever regretted it. I guess that is what makes us all even the more individuals. Its cool, all the differend avenues that life can bring. Pigs just seem to have fallen right in the middle of my Avenue. Guess I'll just have to navigate through them and enjoy my ride.
Tonight I'll clean another hog and tomorrow I will return to the woods behind the house for a redeaming shot at Mr Sumo. Lord knows I need the meat. CK
Post by: Guru on May 14, 2005, 07:19:00 PM
Post by: Littlefeather on May 14, 2005, 07:24:00 PM
Post by: Guru on May 14, 2005, 07:54:00 PM
Good luck :thumbsup:
Post by: herb haines on May 14, 2005, 08:21:00 PM
following along and waitig for the next shoe to drop .----- herb
Post by: HARL on May 14, 2005, 08:49:00 PM
Post by: Shaun on May 14, 2005, 08:59:00 PM
Post by: the Ferret on May 14, 2005, 10:14:00 PM
Post by: Huntrdfk on May 14, 2005, 10:20:00 PM
David
Post by: Timo on May 14, 2005, 10:28:00 PM
Congrats again.
Post by: **DONOTDELETE** on May 14, 2005, 11:31:00 PM
Post by: Holm-Made on May 14, 2005, 11:43:00 PM
Post by: cjones on May 14, 2005, 11:58:00 PM
Post by: Jock on May 15, 2005, 03:52:00 AM
Post by: Littlefeather on May 15, 2005, 06:53:00 AM
The day grew long quick. Being a Public Servant sometimes brings trying times. Seems I have a target painted on my back and everyone wants a shot at the bullseye. I shrug off the blows by thinking good thoughts, "Hogs". LOL! See, even made you smile didn't it?
My day would bring about 14 hours of torment today before I would once again find solice back at my slice of South Texas. A quick feed of the chickens and the goats and Im headed back in pursuit of pigs. Debbie just shrugs and wishes well as the screen door slams shut behind me. Darkness is fast approaching!
I grab my trusted Osage bow, a few arrows, and I hit the trail. It takes only minutes and I find that I am behind the pigs today. I can hear their heckels at one another through the underbrush. Somehow, I can't even find excitment at the sound of them this evening. Two jobs has me running on empty and I only continue on pressed by my addiction. As I round through an old, over-grown gate and over a rise, I see something strange and can't make out what I am looking at. It is a gray colored pigs back in the tall grass. Once I figure out it is a pig, I begin a crawl and peek hunting technique that I've developed into a science. Actually, I think Im starting to get calouses on my belly from implementing this technique so often. LOL!
As soon as I get crawling in the pigs direction, I realize that there are more pigs than I realize and slow my approach to a proverbial crawl. I ease up to get a peek and am now inside of thirty yards. The antics among the pigs are no different today than any other. The pushing, shoving, grunting and squeeling is almost constant. I can almost hear the little pigs saying, "Mom, he's touching me. stop touching me". You know, like your own kids do.
My heart starts picking up the pace now and I know Im only minutes away from the flight of the arrow. As I sit back onto my heals and watch my piggy friends, I decide that deep down my heart isn't into killing one of these guys today. I've killed plenty in the last couple of days. With 15-16 hours already behind me, the thought of trailing and cleaning another hog just doesn't appeal to me. Tonight I will watch and admire my sloppy little friends and count my blessing for having the health and opportunity to be where I am at.
I watch for about ten minutes as the tie-dyed team of rooters pushes and plows their way through the remnance of Rye grasses still left from the cooler months. It has been a good day. To close out the final minutes of daylight in this manner brings about a closure for the day that I couldn't find any other way. Im quite content as I raise up and start my journey back to the house. Tomorrow's another day. CK
Post by: Shaun on May 15, 2005, 08:28:00 AM
Post by: herb haines on May 15, 2005, 08:44:00 AM
Post by: Doug Campbell on May 15, 2005, 02:31:00 PM
Post by: trashwood on May 15, 2005, 03:17:00 PM
never kilt nothing and got lots of shots. it was a lot of fun......for us, not sure the goats had as much fun.
come to find out goats are not dumb at all. they patterned us in about 2 weeks. when we were around, not a goat in sight. it was evident when we were not around the goats did what they wanted to :)
don't let the pigs pattern ya. they might develope a taste for wirey hunmans
rusty
Post by: Guru on May 15, 2005, 06:41:00 PM
Enjoying the ride bro!!
Post by: Littlefeather on May 15, 2005, 06:49:00 PM
Guru, Yea, Church time. Absolutely!
I'll do more tellin tomorrow. Im couch riding tonight. No more work and I aint goin in the woods either. See yall tomorrow. CK
Post by: Kevin Breaux on May 15, 2005, 08:14:00 PM
Power to ya Bro! Great stories
Post by: Littlefeather on May 16, 2005, 08:03:00 AM
Today I would again push my second job to the back burner. The weekend is approaching and I'll play catch-up on work on Saturday if the weather holds.
I hand the days final work details to my Foreman to pass along to all employees. I am headed out to retrieve another chapter from the chronicals of Pigville. Im having fun and I can't seem to get enough. Today I will let the pigs at the house rest. I have Jim Fisk comming on Friday and I dont want the hogs all spooked when he gets here. I'll return to the lease property and see if I can make another visit work in my favor. So far I've seen pigs on every trip to the lease. Would today be different?
As I ease the truck up to the gate I can already see what the evening holds. At somewhere around 3oo yards I can already see pigs pushing dirt. They seem to be right under a hang-on stand I have in a Live Oak tree. As I slowly ease the truck in their direction, I can tell that they are under the stand. Damn, Im late! There are two mud holes within 10-15 yards of the stand location created by the overflow from a small Bass pond. It's really pretty and the hogs find it a nice place to soothe themselves from the hot Texas Sun. I wont even attempt a stalk on these pigs. The grass is too short for stalking and there is no cover. They spook from the truck noise and I bid them fairwell.
I continue across the property to the place where I have killed two hogs already. Surely there could never be such a coencidence as to find them there again? :D You guessed it, Hogs everywhere!!!!! Im in disbelief as I can count at least 20 hogs rooting at the edge of the hay field. I'll not stalk them today but try and drive slowly past them to gain access to the back of the property. I get close and they all bust and run. No problem. As I drive slowly forward, I realize that the high winds has left one hog unable to hear the others leave him. He also never heard my Chevy truck approach. I am within 30 yards of him and he still has not heard the truck. As he lowers his head to feed, I turn off the truck and ease out the door with bow in hand. This is nuts!!!! I seperate his view of me by placing a Live Oak tree between us as I slowly approach the small hog. As I ease forward, I lean to see around the tree occasionally. Im gaining on him and it's about to all come together. About the time I get to 18 yards the pig raises his head and starts looking around franticly. He realizes that he stands alone in the Sea of prarie grass. He panics and starts to run in circles looking for his family members. He runs faster and more erraticly. Then he exits the field 200 yards in the opposite direction as the others. I think he will sleep alone tonight.
As I get back into my Chevy, I look down a long sendero in time to see a herd of deer easing across. at least 12 deer. Its good to see deer in numbers like I do here on this property. It is not so common to see 12-15 deer together on other places I hunt. The deer quality is always good but the population is not that great. Maybe this season will bring about more venison.
I ease back to the first stand location and take up space in the sweeping Oak. Maybe the hogs will return by nightfall. I pass the time sucking on lemon drops and thinking about the stories I'll tell on Tradgang. About 10 minutes before dark a couple of deer move through the tree line and directly under me. One deer was within five yards of my tree. It was good to see their health so good and their demeanor so relaxed. It should be a good deer season ahead.
As darkness falls, I hear a lone Gobbler bidding good-night from a tree top somewhere in the Ocean of Oaks. Its been a great week. I've paid my dues by spend as much time as possible in the hunting woods and this time it has paid off. I've taken a few pigs this week, I've washed away a few of lifes stresses, and most of all, I've spent time under a sky of blue in Gods creation. Who could possibly ask for anything more. Life is good! CK
Post by: RayMO on May 16, 2005, 08:24:00 AM
Post by: hunt it on May 16, 2005, 08:54:00 AM
Surrounded by pigs that haven't had much pressure. Sure sounds like a little slice of heaven to me. Enjoy the time afield and thanks for the great stories. If them pigs on that lease get out hand just let me know. I could swing south, find find a few guys from Georgia or Missouri and come give ya a hand.
Post by: Marvin M. on May 16, 2005, 10:03:00 AM
Great stories.
Post by: Chad Edgar on May 17, 2005, 12:18:00 PM
Post by: Jeff Holchin on May 17, 2005, 01:10:00 PM
Post by: JC on May 17, 2005, 01:19:00 PM
Post by: Littlefeather on May 17, 2005, 01:44:00 PM
Post by: herb haines on May 17, 2005, 03:40:00 PM
Post by: **DONOTDELETE** on May 17, 2005, 04:28:00 PM
Post by: Guru on May 17, 2005, 09:59:00 PM