Trad Gang
Traditional Bowhunting/Archery Videos => Tarz Antics => Topic started by: Terry Green on April 24, 2009, 08:52:00 PM
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Had some business in Eton GA yesterday afternoon, and since Eton is at the base of the Cohuttas I took my bow and my good friend Keith Westbrook.
We went into a familiar area and we roved through some impressive hog sign to say the least. After an hour and a half of walking/stalking through some hoggy bottom I spotted a bear. Looked like a big bear but they can fool ya some times. I whistled at Keith and motioned for him to come fast as it was lightly raining and I didn't figure the bear would see us as it had moved behind some brush.
Keith scurried over to me to see his 1st bear in the woods....but he was about to see 3 more. Yep, this was a big momma bear as we soon saw 3 cubs rambling about. We watched and followed them for at least 20 minutes keeping them inside 50 yards for most of the time. They were really a site to watch, and the cubs kept cracking us up.
Well, one of them saw something they didn't like, and all 3 cubs scampered up a big pine tree, and momma stood up on her hind legs and looked us over pretty hard. She then turned her head to the tree and looked up, and that's when Keith and I ducked out of there. We'd gotten the fun out of them for sure and I didn't want to blow them out, or have her freak Keith out over her cubs, so we went looking for hogs once again.
I decided to take Keith up a small branch that lead uphill to an old logging road and show and tell him about some bear and hog experienced me and my friend Doug Johnson had in that area. After a 15 minute walk we got to the branch and saw fresh hog sign and we started upstream with anticipation. We were looking ahead scanning the terrain while listening for rocks popping in the branch bed till we reached a little glade filled with 4 foot white pines. Once we crossed the glade we started uphill to get to a curve in an old logging road that has it's share of stories.
We stopped short of the road by about 20 yards as I wanted to explain our approach to Keith, and tell him about some of the stories from past hunts, and low and behold here came 2 hogs trotting from the right on the logging road. The lead hog was a dandy for sure and they trotted right around the curve and out of site by the time I got an arrow nocked. I heard Keith whisper 'go get em Terry'....well I didn't have to be asked twice.....
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If you guys down south can hunt hogs what seems like ALWAYS, how do you ever get any work done?
If there were hogs to chase where I live, I would be in trouble all the time.
Looking forward to the story. :D
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I took off for the logging road at an angle to the left, and being familiar with the road, I was imagining how far along they would be when I got up there to see them again. Since they were on a trott I figured they'd be 75 yards or so ahead of me and I'd just move along hoping they would stop.
All I can figure is that the lead hog heard me coming because I never got to the road. When I stepped up on a mound it was standing there looking at me and I froze of course. The hog snorted at me and turned quartering way and its vision was blocked by a 2 foot white pine so I started raising my bow. I froze again as the hog turned straight at me again and this time it snorted and shook its head violently from side to side so hard it ears were flapping audibly loud. It then turned to the right broadside and I eased my bow up and was ready to draw when it turned at me yet again and shook its head so hard I thought it was going to fly off and then it took two quick steps toward me. This hog evidently didn't like me....and I was fixin to make sure of it!
Sure enough a broadside shot was offered and the shot was off. I nipped one of the tiny white pine boughs and it went one way and the hog went the other...all in a blur, but the arrow was on a deadly course before the blur. What I 'thought' I saw was the arrow passing through the hog at the proper elevation but I never really saw the entrance, but did see my arrow ascend to a higher elevation than I shot. I had no idea the windage of the entrance wound, and that was something I wasn't happy about, but I knew I'd just blew slap thought it for sure. The hog roared as it dove off the road on the down hill side like a scene out of 'The Man from Snowy River'....
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:campfire: This should be a great story!!
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I could not see anything as I was blocked by the hill, but heard plenty as the hog bottomed out and started to climb another knoll to a saddle. It was big timber we were in and I could see it now as it stopped once and started up again for only a short distance and stopped again taking 3 wobbly steps backwards. I could not believe it didn't go down as it started up again crossing another loggin road to bound over the saddle.
Bad news......basically straight down 150 yards to a mountain laurel infested dark creek bottom. This wasn't good as it was now 7:20 PM. We paused for only a moment and and went to get my arrow for inspection. No doubt I'd passed through, and no trace of a gut shot, and lots of clean blood but no bubbles. I figured a liver shot so we slipped to the saddle to look for blood by a tree it ran by.
While I was looking for blood Keith wandered over an 'looked over the side'. Keith said "Terry, I hear something down there"...I said "There's a creek down there, are you sure you hear something other than the creek"...he said "I've never heard a creek break sticks"! I hurried over and sure enough I heard the racket and then spotted the hog....and I started easing down thinking I might could get another arrow in it but it soon move off breaking stuff along the way again.
I thought it over, and normally would have backed out, but this hog was surely hurt as it didn't move far at all before stopping, and it wasn't moving fast when it did. So, I move down hill again with Keith in tow. It was wet, and I figured we might be able to slip up for a follow up shot.
As we got down the hill a ways, we bumped it again and it slowly and noisily made it's way another 20 yards before stopping again. This time we really crept along before bumping it once more as it entered the laurels. We were gaining on it, but the terrain was turning ugly for the bowhunter trying to get a clean shot off.
While I was looking ahead watching my track to try and remain as silent as possible Keith found blood, and lots off it...and then we found a large pile of blood from the last place it evidently laid down. There was some sort of open area below with a relatively clean path, so we started down again to close in on the bottom Keith later named 'Little Cambodia'.
The 'opening' below was yet another old logging road that would allow us a quiet approach and the blood was leading us right to it. As we we followed the road Keith was leading spotting the blood as I followed looking into the laurel thicket waiting to hear or see movement. I told Keith that if he heard something he needed to just drop to his knees.
There was good blood still as we tried to beat the clock with the daylight. After about 40 yards on the logging road the hog got up not 20 yards away moving slowly and busting stuff in the thicket. I could see bits and pieces, but there was no way to get a shot off. Again, it didn't go far as I saw it stop in a little hole maybe 35 yards away, but there wasn't any getting an arrow in there that's for sure.
That's when I made the call. I told Keith that if this hog wasn't hurt bad, it would not put up with us and would be in the next county by now, and we would come back in the morning and likely find him right where we saw him last. Least that was the plan.
I'm whooped guys....see you tomorrow..... :campfire:
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LOL, Terry! :) Nice cliffhanger! :thumbsup:
Can't wait for the climatic conclusion. :campfire:
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Man!
I started reading this thread while I was at work and hopin' I'd get to read/see the climax when I got home.
It's still early here on the West Coast Terry!
Sounds like you might be settin' a personal best on distance traveled to recover game....
I'm hopin' for a happy ending to this story!
[I might even get up early on a Saturday just to find out. Week days I am usually out of bed by 3:45 AM, but I like to sleep in to at least 7 AM on the weekends....]
Shoot straight, Shinken
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You young guys sure sleep in late. Up and at em.
Good tale so far Traz. I'll check back later for the finally.
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Good stuff! Can't wait to read "the end"!
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Great read. :campfire: :coffee:
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Good one Terry, your going to get me in trouble here, I've got a garden to till and now can't leave the puter!! :campfire:
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Go till your garden ...I got some family ties this AM and wont be back to finish till this evening.
Sorry about that.
Shawn, I've been up since 7 and I've been rounding up women all morning :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: ....but boy am I stoved up!!
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Good story, I am sure it will end with a dead piggy.
Jack
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Go get him bud!
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You Bet Terry, Save me a log and a cup of coffie and see ya latter!! :campfire: :coffee:
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"Rounding up women"? Need any help with that? :biglaugh:
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I think this might be a bogus story,I dont recall going on a hunting trip with you Terry,although I would really enjoy a good hog huntin trip with ya ole buddy ole pal.
KEITH WESTBROOK
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Keith and I were back walking to the last sighting by mid morning and we stopped short by about 60 yards of spot we had last seen the hog. The plan was for Keith to move on ahead on the logging road and go up about 20 yards past where we backed out and cut into the laurels, and I was going to ease in at an angle toward the hog to a clearing we could see. Keith would walk slowly to me while looking for a dead hog, and a dead hog he found. It was bigger than I thought, and it was a sow kinda built like a boar. I thought it was about a hundred pounds, but it was more like 150.
It was lying pretty much where we'd last seen it, sheltered by the shade of the laurels, and cooled be the stream running around her. She'd make for some fine eating if we could just get her out before it got too hot. We'd brought ice along just in case that was back at the truck.
We hurriedly took pics and I gutted her with an Ace Super Express(bonehead me forgot to bring a knife). Then we began our long rugged drag out. The 1st 60 yards of the trail basically had to be blazed, and Keith did the blazing and moving the bows ahead while I dragged. Once we reached the logging road we both dragged it to the base of the steep 150 yard incline. One 40 yard stretch we had to get our footing set and then 1,2,3 HEAVE to move the hog along. Keith laid his bow down to wipe his brow and his bow went skiing down the hill.
We finally reached our other logging road and felt a great sense of accomplishment, but we still had a long drag to the truck that took us 35 minutes. The ice was ours 1st as we didn't even take any water with us, but had some in the truck, and we guzzled 3 bottles in record time leaving us another bottle to split on the drive out. That was some mighty fine tasting water to say the least.
Funny, even though the hog died in the middle of a laurel jungle, she died just a few yards of the biggest clearing we'd seen for a pic.....how convenient.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/cohuttahog2a.jpg)
Here's an uncropped version with the north side of 'Little Cambodia' in the background.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/cohuttahog2b.jpg)
Conquest 1...getting her to the top. You can see the drop off in the next two pics....
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/cohuttahog2c.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/cohuttahog2d.jpg)
Here's a typical pic of Keith - Just got through dragging a dead gutted hog out of the wilderness and he still looks like he just walked out of a magazine!!!....I don't know how he does it. :saywhat:
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/cohuttahog2e.jpg)
Yes, it was a hard earned trophy. And if you don't think a 150 pound hog killed with a longbow in the Cohutta Wilderness is a trophy....well,... I'll pray for ya!!! ;)
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Great story!
Thanks for sharing, nice hog!
Todd
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Oh...before I get asked...
70# Thunderstick MOAB - Arrow Dynamics Trad - Abowyer Large Bonebuster head.
I'd gotten some of these heads from Larry about 3 weeks ago and told him I'd try to kill a hog with one 1st chance I got.....thanks for the lucky head Larry!!!
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Good job Terry.
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Traz , congrats buddy, my brother - inlaw is the same as Keith, 80 degress, Im sweating like water buff , he is neat has can be...makes ya sick!!!Ya got that with ur MOAB!!!!! nice ! :)
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Good job on the kill and recovery Terry!
Thanks for sharing the story.
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Way to go Terry! Fine hog and story. I don't know how Keith does it - I can't get from the house to the truck without getting mud from head to toe, much less drag a hog through the jungle and come out looking like that.
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Yea bud great story and thanks for sharing,very much worth waiting on!!! congrats on a well earned hog!!
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Great read. Congrats Terry!
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Outstanding story. Way to go my friend, fine hog ya got there.
Danny
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Good job Terry. I hope to get up there to hunt one day. That is one fine trophy from anywhere. But for sure from there. :thumbsup:
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Nice work Terry and thank you for taking the time to share this hunt with us!
So...what do you estimate the distance from the shot to the recovery was on this boar-lookin' sow? And was the shot all liver?
Keep the wind in your face, Shinken
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I can't believe you guys ran out of water? I bet you wish you had a cooler full of corona's in the truck when you got her loaded. Keith has that kinda"It's Miller Time" look in the pic. great story. Don
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Dang Terry you need to come hunt with us. We'll teach you to bone the game out at the kill spot and pack out only what you are going to eat. A 150# hog becomes two packs of 45# and a lot less sweat.
Mike
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Anybody want to show your fellow bowmen how to bone out at the kill site? Sounds like a good how to.
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HA Mike!!!...hard to do when you can't even keep up with a knife. :knothead:
I didn't think it was that big, and besides, we are still young and strappin!!! One day we wont be able to do those things ya know.
I'm usually better prepared when I bear hunt up there during the regular hunting season.
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Great Story and Congratulations.....Don
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Funny hearing Terry say he forgot his knife....it seems he is always looking for something, forgot something, or just plain scramblin' :notworthy:
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Yeah Curt...at times it sure seems I run my life by the seat of my pants!!!
Shinkin, it really wasn't that far as the crow flys, and all but 40 yards was steep down hill. I didn't inspect the gut pile as I was more worried about saving the meat.
I think the haul out was great for Keith as well, as he's never done anything quite like that. He said that whole hunt would be good conversation when we are in a nursing home.
Thanks for the comments guys...it was a fun hunt and recovery.
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Congrats Terry!
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Congrats on a fine hog Terry ! Give us some more details on the hit and performance of the Abowyer head ??? DW and Sky have always told me you cannot hit a hog to far forward.
wingnut, start another thread for us on boning in the field ???
nocams :coffee:
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Congrats :thumbsup:
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Way to stay with it. Congrats.
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Good Pig Terry.RC
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Great story - Man I have to get in on one of these, hog and turkey hunts sooooon
Jer Bear
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:thumbsup: Congrats on a fine hog Teryy
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:bigsmyl: :thumbsup:
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:thumbsup: :clapper: :clapper:
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:bigsmyl:
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Terry, congrats bud! Sounds like a very "fun" day... funny how once it is over you block out the burning lungs, and sore back. ;)
I fondly remember an 18 hour pack out of a pair of Caribou as a "fun" day also. ;)
Thanks for sharing with us, and that is one great hog and a true trophy!
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Way to go Terry. :thumbsup:
Jack
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Great story Terry. Tell Keith congrats seems he did most of the hard work with the exception of pulling the string. :)
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Nice hog Terry!! Congratulations!!!!
Just think if you had shot that one in Florida you wouldn't have had a single hill to drag it up!
That's the nice thing about hunting down here. But it sure makes it hard on a fellow when he goes north and suddenly has to contend with non level terrain.
Congrats!
Hal
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Terry, Nice job, and thanks for sharing! Mike
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awesome hunt for sure, congrats
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Now how in the WORLD did I miss this one??? Good on ya bro: great story and a mighty fine trophy in any location...especially for Cohutta. I've seen them that big there but only from a distance; never even CLOSE to a shot on one that size.
I KNOW that was a heck of a drag, heck I have a hard enough time hauling just my fat but up and down those draws without a hog attached! I know I'd have boned one out right there...I'm just lazy. Send me Keith's # so I can invite him on my next foray up there...just in case :D
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Great story! I for one recognize a trophy. I used to hunt Cohutta for grouse a lot back in the 90's and I never even saw a hog.Or a bear for that matter. Congrats!
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That's my kind of trophy right there.
I know, I know...duct tape a knife and some meat bags to a frame pack, at all times ready to go. Man he does look dapper after that bit of work. See what happens when you show him some Kryptonite...something fishy here.
:thumbsup:
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Great job terry!! Congrats
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Sorry...been busy....
Broadhead performance.....I shot a hog with it and it died....worked flawlessly. :D
Seriously....the Abowyer is a tank, and I shot it with the WIDE Abowyer head. The hit
was lower on one side than the other cause I was downhill...and being that the entrance wound was
only a 1/4 of the way up the body that made for a great drainage opening. Again, it was
not a 'goodie box' hit as it passed through the mid section. Again, I did not inspect to see what all was hit as I was more interested in saving the meat.
The head was very sharp as I filed it with a fine tooth grobet and it was so sharp that I
didn't even want to sleep in the same house with it . The head was also still sharp
after the pass through...all it needed was to be re-nocked to the string.
Thanks again for the comments...I'm ready to go back that's for sure. :jumper:
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Way to go there Mr. Green, sounds like you earned every pound of pork you put in the frige. Gota love it when that happens.
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Great job, T! :thumbsup:
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:thumbsup: :clapper: :clapper:
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Nice! They always run downhill up there don't they... way downhill!
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Sounds like a good time Terry!
Congrats!!
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nice job, great story!
cheers
Ben
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I knew ther'd be pics and i'm guessin that was a reflex deflex.
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nice piggy you got there Terry, are you guys positive you were not hunting in Cambodia? for some reason I just don't see you in a nursing home.... :biglaugh:
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Nice Hawg.
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Sounds like a heck of a lot of Fun!!!
Thanks for sharing that with us Terry!
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great story as usual! :thumbsup:
that sure was a good hard earned one, terry - congrats! :notworthy: :pray:
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Congrats, Terry, he's a ripper!
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Rob...you are going to be behind a hog like that soon....COUNT ON IT!
Thanks again guys....I've gotta go for another walk up there this week or I'm gonna bust.
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Very cool bud!! Don't know how I missed this either. Congrats. Glad to see you pokin around in the woods a little.
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Nice hawg Terry! Great story and pics as well. What life would be like with hawgs in the back 40 - I'd never get any work done!!! :thumbsup:
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I hear ya Dave...this is like hogs in the back 95,000!!!
Going again tomorrow afternoon I hope.
Look forward to the Sweat II stories....crank em up!
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Well the link doesn't work from the highlights form of 2009 but the thread is still here I found it!!!
So yes to the person El Greco that didn't lock the fact that there were no threads brought over... here is proof!
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I'm sorry Tony you asked on the other thread if I was still pulling 70 lb I'm hunting with 60 to 64 when I hunt which I haven't been lately cuz I've been too busy and that's another reason why I haven't been shooting 70 pounds I'm too busy but I want to get back I got to kill some of that Howard Hill That's Heavy I really need to kill some with it maybe I'll get around to start in that for our little trip
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:clapper: :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
God bless,Mudd :archer:
PS: thanks for sharing!
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Great story. A real trophy hunt and meat for the grill -- love it.
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WOW
Great story
Good job and good hunting
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I love to see old threads like this come back up!!! :archer: :campfire: :archer:
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Congrats!!!
Bisch
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Old threads are great. That sounded like an awesome trek and hunt.
:campfire: :coffee: :archer2:
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I love these old threads especially in the off seasons (never an off season if you have hogs)! And just FYI, Cohutta is straight up and straight down mostly with jungle like thickets in the semi flat areas. Good job Terry then and now!
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Wow guys.... heck I enjoyed reading it again!!!