Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: bill langer on April 28, 2010, 10:45:00 PM
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Thought I'd share a week full of fun with family and friends with all of you here. My dad, Tom Phillips, Big Ed, and myself were slated to hunt in Mexico last week, but after the news coming out of Mexico for the last month and warnings from those in the know, we cancelled that idea. Because our flights were already booked we started fishing around for opportunities in Texas. It didn't take long, and we were contacted by Roland Guerra and his good friend Captain Jack Thatcher of extremebowfishing.com. They put together a five-day bowfishing and hog hunting adventure that was second to none. Unfortunately in the end, Big Ed could not make it on the trip due to medical reasons. I'm going to share a few pictures here to help with the story.
After traveling from Massachusetts (Tom Phillips started at 3AM) and Connecticut, the plane leaving at 7:30AM, we met up with Captain Jack Thatcher in George West, Texas at 6PM. We collected some provisions, hunting and fishing licenses, and hit the water. Dad anchored this gator gar on his very first shot on his first bowfishing trip ever.
(http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo293/billlanger/scan0006.jpg)
Tom Phillips also took a gator gar in the 5'8" range. Tom, if you're out there, post a pic. I don't have any. I ran the camera most of the time but was able to take a gar and several carp as well. If you are ever headed to Texas, and want to hunt gar, look up Captain Jack Thatcher at extremebowfishing.com. Jack is not a weekend warrior. This is what he does for a living. Captain Jack is perhaps one of the most friendly and knowledgable professonals I have had the pleasure of hunting with.
After a long day of travel and all-night bowfishing, we crawled into bed at 4AM the next day. Up at 10AM we had breakfast at an authentic Mexican restaurant, grabbed provisions for the rest of the week, and dropped Jack's boat off at his friend Glenn Smith's (Smitty) ranch. Glenn owns Brush Country Bowhunting. We did not hunt with Smitty, but got a tour of his accomodations and bowhunting memorabilia. In our short 2-hour visit with Smitty it was readily apparent that this man is the salt of the earth, loving his family, bowhunting, and our great country.
By the end of the day Jack had us at Roland's ranch and we were headed out to hunt hogs, just outside of Laredo, Texas. We hunted in typical South Texas style, over feeders and corned sonderos. The first night, Dad and Tom sat together seeing over 20 hogs, but having no shot opportunities. Jack and I sat together in a blind and enjoyed viewing Mexican ducks, doves, road runners, rabbits, and whitetails, but no hogs. On the way back to the ranch house I was able to secure a small hog. Each night ended with a Texas bbq, cold drinks, and lots of laughs. On day two Dad and Tom adjusted their blind set up and again sat together seeing 12 hogs. Tom had 2 shot opportunities but the odds were in the hogs' favor. I sat alone on the second night while Jack barbequed the "eater" from the night before. I again saw plenty of wildlife but no hogs.
On the afternoon of the third day on the ranch our host Roland Guerra showed up. We spent a few hours growing a relationship that to this point had only been done over the phone.
(http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo293/billlanger/scan0002.jpg)
"Viewing footage of Roland's South Texas deer and hog hunts with his longbow. Dad and Roland at the table and Captain Jack relaxing on the couch"
Roland had picked up a couple inexpensive infrared lights to hang under the feeders for night-hunting hogs, legal in Texas. That afternoon Tom and my dad hunted again together with the infrared lights, but saw nothing. Roland hunted a blind near a small pond and saw a sow and piglets. Jack held down the cooking in camp and I headed back to my blind and feeder, for the third time. With a half hour of light left I had a large, lone sow come to the feeder. With the camera rolling she worked in and fed broadside at 10 yards. After glancing at the video monitor, to make sure she was in frame, I raised my Black Widow PCH, tightened my grip on the string, to draw the traditional only carbon shaft, tipped with a 250 grain Woodsman. With that slight movement she spooked, ran 10 yards, looked back, ran another 10 yards, looked back the other way, and left. I couldn't believe it. The shooting window was small. How could she have seen me start to draw? With natural light fading, the infrared began to glow as I sat in bewilderment at what had just happened.
More to come...time for bed now.
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COME BACK AND HUNT TEXAS AGAIN!!!!!
:wavey:
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WOW that's a big fish! Congratulations
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This has the makings of a good one. Funny thing about those Texas deer and hogs around feeders. They are alert and skittish. Just ask "Guru" and Terry Green. :banghead:
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I know Smitty very well, have hunted with him several times and am going back this year in December. Great story so far, keep it coming.
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great stuff so far. Keep it coming
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Excellent - great hunt - gator gars are cool - I think I'd get that thing mounted.
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Very cool! Nice fish!
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Very glad you guys had a safe and fun trip. H
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niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice....Yeah alex was telling me we should have done that while I was there but the weather wasn't cooperating.
Maybe next time.
Congrats
Jer BEar
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Bill,
I am a dummy when it comes to putting pics on TG,I may have to email pic to you and have you post it !!
What a blast we had.Can't wait to do it again and also looking forward to lessons from the Langers on filming.
Thanks Again Roland & Capt. Jack Thatcher.
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Hey Guys
Just checking in real quick. Very busy tonight with the 4 little ones.
I agree Bill, deer and hogs are much easier to hunt away from feeders. We just did not have much time to scout-although I did spend a bit of time walking mid morning.
Tommy boy-email me some pics.
I will be back later boys with more of the tale and pics-thanks to our new good friends and generous hosts Roland and Jack
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good stuff ! keep it coming .
Ben
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Roland is a friend of mine who is a top notch guy. Bill, glad you guys had a great time. Roland told me ya'll were coming down. Looking forward to the video footage.
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G'day Bill, good on ya! I'm lookin' forward to the rest of this.
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God job. Glad you enjoyed your stay here in the Lone Star State. You are welcome anytime.
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When I was a kid, between the ages of 10 and 15, I did quite a bit of coon hunting at night with the Jabs boys, who lived next door, where I grew up. I've also done some night bowfishing here in CT , as well as on this trip for the gar. But that's been the extent of my hunting at night. So as darkness closed in around me, as I sat there in the blind, my eyes straining to adjust to the faint glow of the infrared light below the feeder, I tried to absorb my surroundings, while pondering how the sow had slipped from my reach. It's very interesting how your sense of smell and hearing almost instantly heighten when your sense of sight becomes limited. The musk of the cooling South Texas night air moistened my sinuses. And I was acutely aware of every rustle and crack in the brush. A port hole to the red glare under the feeder closed to a small tunnel between my eyes and the ten yards that separated their focus as complete darkness surrounded me. I couldn't help but think that this must be what it felt like to hunt leopard at night over bait in Africa. And I wanted to believe that I had a connection with the Algonquin Indians floating the CT river at night with birch bark lanterns in search of whitetails for their sustenance. A loud grunt, growl, and blow by a hog just outside the blind shot my heart into my throat and warmed the back of my neck as blood rushed through my ears as I strained to listen as it ran off. I was back on full alert now. No longer daydreaming, but focusing hard to see more than just the little red glow infront of me. Fifteen minutes passed and another hog, this time to my left, growled with disapproval and tore off. These pigs were sneaking in on me. I couldn't see or hear their approach until they had already discovered something was wrong and decided to announce it and leave.
As one mosquito after another pierced my sweat-soaked skin I heard them coming, this time not from behind or the side of the blind, but directly in back of the feeder. Hogs in a group are a bit more bold and less aware because of herd confusion, and are often easier to get a shot on when hunting a food source because they are more concerned with competition with eachother than potential danger. Five pigs in the 30-40 lb. range, and one considerably larger hog, grunted, squealed, and snorted their way under the feeder. As the corn popped under the pressure of their molars I made sure the video camera was recording and tightened my grip on the string. For the next 20 minutes I would get to 1/4 or 1/2 draw only to have to let down as the pigs moved and darted in search and competition for corn. On a couple of occasions they all scattered for a few moments outside of the dim glow of the infrared only to have hunger and greed force them bach under the feeder. Finally, the largest pig stood broadside at ten yards long enough for me to hit anchor and release. A dull thud and a loud ping from the arrow striking a feeder leg scattered the swine. The dust and noise quickly settled and I sat alone again in a dark, eerie silence. I checked my watch and it was 9:50PM. For the next 20 minutes I sat silent replaying the shot in my mind over and over again. Satisfied that my experience as a predator had sent the arrow true I packed up and quietly slipped back towards camp to collect my partners.
Arriving back at camp the guys eagerly greeted me with all the usual questions and I replied with all the usual answers. I grabbed a cold bottle of water and a heavy sweatshirt, in the 80 degree plus heat, to help ward off the thorns of the South Texas brush. After inspecting the arrow Captain Jack quickly found the direction of the blood trail. I took the lead and in short order found my Texas hog.
(http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo293/billlanger/scan0004.jpg)
I used my new Black Widow PCH, a traditional only carbon shaft, tipped with a 250 grain Woodsman Elite, from 3Rivers Archery.
(http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo293/billlanger/scan0003.jpg)
Roland Guerra to my left, and Captain Jack Thatcher to my right.
(http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo293/billlanger/scan0001-1.jpg)
Dad, Roland, Tom Phillips, and Jack, with my South Texas hog.
(http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo293/billlanger/scan0005.jpg)
Jack Thatcher was always so helpful throughout this adventure, helping to skin my hog, and cooking several meals. Thanks Jack.
Roland, thank you for your unselfish hospitality and generosity. Yet another fine example of the fabric that makes up the Tradgang's membership. Thank you, Bill
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Bill I truly enjoyed having you guys aboard! Can't wait to hunt with you guys next year! Keep up the good work!
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:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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great pics
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Great write-up, Bill! It was a pleasure having you guys on my ranch. Next time it will be south Texas whitetails in the fall.
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Can't wait Roland.
Thanks again!!
Bill
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What a fish! (The hog wasn't bad either!) :thumbsup:
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Looks like you guys had a blast!!How much did that fish your dad was holding weigh? But i really like hug hunting!How many hogs did you get? Congratts!!!
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Hey Bill,
We need to have a mosquito hunt next time. We could have tried it this last trip but the bows were a little light in poundage! The blunts would have just bounced off! States legislature is considering making the mosquito the state bird!
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:thumbsup:
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Hey Jack i think its already our state bird here in Maine! I swear they have landing gear!Come on up and site in a bear stand and you'll go home thinking you've got chicken pox! All ican say is god bless the therma cell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tony
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:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :clapper:
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Thanks for sharing Bill, sounds like you all had a grand ole time!
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We never did weight the fish Tony, but I can tell ya the old man was workin hard to hold the dinosaur for the pic.
God Bless you and your family Jack.
Those mosquito's were something else!!!!!!!!!!
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Gator gars are real fun!!!
Congrats,
Bisch
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Thanks Bisch
We never did hunt them during the day.
Which do you prefer, day or night?
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Great story and piggie Bill!
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Thanks Bill
Can't wait to share another camp with you.
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Bill,
Looking forward to seeing gator gar pic I sent you posted !!!!
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Great story! You guys had FUN! :thumbsup:
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Here are a few more pics from the gator gar/pig adventure.
(http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo293/billlanger/scan0004-1.jpg)
Tom Phillips and his first gator gar
(http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo293/billlanger/scan0003-1.jpg)
A different angle of my dad's gar showing how wide these prehistoric fish are
(http://i385.photobucket.com/albums/oo293/billlanger/scan0001-2.jpg)
My dad and Tom had some good laughs hunting pigs together for two days. I will be sure to put some of that footage in our next Traditional Adventures video. The video footage of the gar hunting is excellent and I couldn't even come close to telling the story that the video does. Thanks again Jack and Roland.
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Ooooooooooh Boyyyyyyyy!!! Good stuff right there. :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
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Those are some nice fish. That had to be a blast.
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What a blast Texas Gator-Gar & BIG Carp are bowfishing.
Jack Thatcher www.extremebowfishing.com (http://www.extremebowfishing.com) knows his stuff.
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Man oh man! Those are some whopper gator gars fellas!
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:thumbsup:
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Looks like a great time had by all!
Congrats and thanks for sharing.
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Dang Tom, you look awfull upset in your picture holding that big ole GAR!!!! Anything you want to tell us??? LOL!!
Looks like a grand time was had by all!!
:bigsmyl: :bigsmyl: :bigsmyl: :bigsmyl:
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I was holding the fish for a while while several cameras were used as well as Video.The teeth are pretty large pointed buggers and where diggin in good !!! I would do it anytime to shoot fish like that.
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awesome, I can't wait to see the videos! I'm glad you guys had such a great trip!
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Greg
I can't wait to see all that turkey footage!