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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: wtpops on December 31, 2011, 09:34:00 PM
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Sorry guys but this is all i have time for. Im putting gear back together and sharpening used broad heads so i can get back out there tomorrow. I may be able to add a little tomorrow but the full story and pics on Monday.
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/photo17.jpg)
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/photo16.jpg)
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well thanks for NOTHING :biglaugh: cant wait to see
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Talk about a tease! :saywhat:
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I understand. I'm so busy right now I will not be able to respond until Weds. or Thursday. Just let me say,
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DOOOAH!!!........ :smileystooges:
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:campfire:
God bless,Mudd :archer:
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:campfire:
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:campfire:
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That's just wrong sir! Can't wait to "hear" the rest of the story! :wavey:
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I am guessing a dead hog will be at the end of that lovely blood trail :saywhat:
Looking good!
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Thats Just Cruel.Good luck tommorrow.
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Tap-Tap-Tap
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Not nice ! :nono:
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Hmmmm that is not cool.
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Hmmmmm? must be a hog can't wait to find out.
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since he said "i may be able to add a bit more tomorrow"..???
I just gotta ask...
didja find it yet? LOL!
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Well I’m home had a great weekend, I'll start from the start. I’ve been scouting a piece of public land starting in October, This is a military training base, the largest in the state of California, Fort Hunter Liggitt is 165,000 acres and is about the best piece of public land in the state i have found. There is a lot of game on the base. Deer, Elk, Hogs, Bobcat, Coyote and all kinds of birds from Turkey to Goose and all in between.
Of course i concentrate on the hogs and turkey when in season. I found a hunting area that had a lot of good sign so I’ve been hitting it hard the past couple of months and it paid off this weekend. This area is a park and walk-in and is large, about 3.5 miles long and a mile wide. Needless to say it is a long walk.
After reading some threads on bikes and the one that Terry posted last sealed the deal. I made some changes to my mountain bike and here is my new hunting accesses transportation.
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/photo-32.jpg)
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:campfire: :coffee:
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The hunting area has the last leg of the river and the first part of Lake San Antonio. Im on the south side of the lake and river.
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/Huntingarea.jpg)
This pic shows my view of the river bottom. The grass is any where from waist to arm pit high and has a huge high way system of hog trails and tons of beds.
Last weekend i glassed 3 hogs feeding in the grass about 50 yards from the rivers edge and dropped down for a stalk. I made my way to within about 80 yards and looked up and saw this yote sneaking across the river from the other direction next thing I saw was the pigs hauling out of there and the yote standing there looking like he just missed lunch, he should have used the wind better, dang yote. Also that tree on the left is about 60 yards or so. Early that morning two yotes walked up under the tree. I have never tried it before but i put my lips to the back of my hand and gave them a couple of squeaks and one came running to me he stopped at about 20 yards and caught me just as a came to anchor, he was gone before the arrow got there, but what a rush. I'm going to have to try that more often.
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/photo-33.jpg)
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Saturday I'm heading in to my spot over looking the river bed and it's dark and so foggy i can only see about 10' in front of my face, thank god for smart phones and google earth or i would have never found my spot. I sit down and wait for the sun to come up and burn off the fog. At about 8:00 am it starts to lift and about 10 minuets later about 8 quail hunters line up and start walking right through my hog grass and it sounds and looks like they are getting there limit. I have no gripes about it, if i was a bird hunter i would have been right next to them. Good bird habitat it is.
So on to plan B, on public land you have to have a plan B.
I stand do a 180 and start back into the canyons and ridges that i have found a lot of routing.
I start side hilling this one ridge that has a few fingers running down it. My plan is to hunt this ridge all the way to the back of the area while the thermals are in my favor the jump to the next ridge next to the lake and hunt it back when the wind changes into my favor. As soon as i start in to the ridge i start finding stuff like this, looks good, and its fresh.
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/photo18.jpg)
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For about the next 300 yards or so i find out I'm not the only predator that's been hunting this ridge. I find this and its fresh, still has meat on the bones and has the smell to it.
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/photo20.jpg)
I also find this; i think it is what’s left of some type of hawk. I ended up running into three different bird kills; they looked to be two hawks and an owl.
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/photo19.jpg)
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I make my way to the end of the ridge and drop into the next one. I get about half way down the face of the first finger and sit down to look and listen. It doesn’t take long and i hear a crack from the face of the finger next to me, something with weight just stepped on and stick. A couple of minutes later i can hear the crunch, crunch of acorns and what i have come to recognize as the woof, woof sound of dirt being cleared from nostrils. A couple of minutes more and i can make out hogs moving my way under the oak trees, its on.
There is about fifteen of them and they drop down in the drainage and come up in front of me. They’re all from 15 to 30 yards from me. I pic one out, pic a spot and it turns, all i see is tail. The next one, dang behind a tree, this goes on until all 15 have pasted me.
Now there are 7 that are about 75 to 100 lbs, 6 that are sows about 125 to 150 lbs and 2 BIG black boars that are 200 to 225 if they are a pound and both sporting some nice long weapons from there lips.
How did i have so much time to get a good assessment of all these hogs you ask? Well for the next 15 minuets i stalk these hogs from tree to tree all the way to the bottom of the finger. I must have gotten to half draw seven times. How all those eyes and ears didn’t ketch me ill never know.
Then it happens at about 20 yards one of the big black boars gives me a shot, i get to about 3/4 draw and he takes that ever-recurring step behind a tree. As i let down I’m thinking man it’s going to be hard as hell getting the beast out of these hills, I'm all the way in the back and about a mile from my bike. He starts to step out from behind the tree and I’m at half draw in a blink, he stops just before his sweet spot is clear. I’m at half draw looking at this monster thinking, man i will never get this thing out of here or have a heart attack trying. Right about then 90 degrees to my left at about15 yards one of the smaller pigs steps out in view, i instantly think that one in can carry out of here, i turn draw and let loose, i see the arrow zip right through him. He goes about 15 yards and disapears behind some brush. I look around and none of the other hogs even react the the shot, there all just feeding away. Dang what a time to only bring one pig tag. As i stand up to go check the point of impact they look up and just trot off like nothing happened and in no big hurry. One of the big black takes up the rear of the line and i just smile as he trots off. If i would have been closer to the truck he would have been toast.
I get to where the pig stood, no blood, but about 7 yards away i see this.
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/photo17.jpg)
Can't really see it in the photo but it's covered from stem to stern with good blood. I turn and start down the path the pig took and at 5 yards this,
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/photo16.jpg)
5 more yards this,
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/photo12.jpg)
5 More yards this
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/photo11.jpg)
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What a hunt! Excitement at every turn or should I say at every tree!
Great shoot and what a neat colored piggy!
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Way to go rick,nice hunt. :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
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Here is a couple of hero shots, O yes and what a time to not have someone to take a pic. Once I got the hog back to my bike I lifted it up, straddled it's back legs over the center bar with its tail against my seat horn put its front legs and head over the handle bars and road that sucker all the way to the truck. My bike needs a good washing.
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/SDC15553.jpg)
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/SDC15556-1.jpg)
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Nice! Good shot!
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:thumbsup:
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Thanks for great pictures to go with your hunt! Congratulations and go get another 'un!
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That story was worth the wait! Great scouting, stalking, and shooting - Congratulations!
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Awesome hunt/story! Nice pig too. Thanks for sharing with some nice pictures.
I'm amazed at how you can't just kill every hog you see, tag or no tag, since they're an invasive species. Here in KY, hogs are starting to show up more and more so the state wants us to kill them on sight, no tags needed.
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Great story :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Now THAT is the way to hog hunt! Can't wait to see a #300 strapped to that mountain bike. California hogs is another one of the hunts way up on the list to do again. Beautiful country.
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Congrats on a great piggy.
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Thanks for sharing, great story! :thumbsup:
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Pigs are great fun, congrats!
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Even in CA!!! Excellent! Way to work what you've got to an advantage! Congrats!
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Originally posted by ishoot4thrills:
Awesome hunt/story! Nice pig too. Thanks for sharing with some nice pictures.
I'm amazed at how you can't just kill every hog you see, tag or no tag, since they're an invasive species. Here in KY, hogs are starting to show up more and more so the state wants us to kill them on sight, no tags needed.
Thank you all it was fun.
Shoot4thrills, we have no bag limit, you just have to have a $20.95 tag for every one you shoot, they are considered a game animal here in Ca
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Awesome job congrats!
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Great story and pics! WAY TO GO :clapper:
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Way to go sir! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Good tale and congrats. I hunt on a bike here sometimes. It will help save the legs for sure.RC
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Way to go Rick. A public land pig in CA is a tough go, even for the rifle guys. Would have loved a pic of you and the hog on the bike. :D
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Congrats!!
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I'm impressed, always thought it was impossible to kill pigs on public land in Cali
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Congrats! And thanks for posting an awesome story.
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:thumbsup: :thumbsup: Great story and pics
Congrats !!
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That pig is almost matching your camo! I like the color. Next time get us a pic of you riding the pig. :)
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That was awesome. Congrats!
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What bow and arrow set up???
Thanks...
and CONGRATS! :thumbsup:
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Originally posted by fnshtr:
What bow and arrow set up???
Thanks...
and CONGRATS! :thumbsup:
Setup:
Black Widow PSA V 62"
53# @ 30" drawn to 31"
Carbon Express Haritage 350 @ 32"
200 Grain Razorcap
Total arrow weight 625 grains
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Well done Rick........
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Nice job. I can't believe they charge you for pig tags. I thought most places had open seasons on them.
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:thumbsup: :clapper:
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Oh Yeah! Love the paint job on that pig!! I would get that hide tanned for sure. Great colors and good shooting too Pops!!
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Great write up.
Love the way you gave us all the background on the area and scouting and how the whole trip went, rather than just "shot a hog here are some pics"
Felt like I was along for the ride :)
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Well done!
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great shooting.
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Good hunting Pop's :thumbsup: