New moon, mountain boars & Guava ELB's

[NorthShoreLB]

I don't have much time to hunt lately, but today I had a full day off to dedicate to roaming the wood looking for mountain pigs.

Prevailing KONA winds (kona winds blow opposite direction of the regular trades)made me change completely my tactics for today's hunt.

on a KONA patter nmorning winds will be offshore untill about 10, than suddenly will shift to strong steady onshore.

My plan was to try to get as far inland as I could while I had the wind in my face, than turn around and hunt my way back to the coast.

As I started feeling the winds stopping, i was approaching a good ambush spot I know well where several trails are in shooting distance.

As I got there I decided to take a rest and sit for a bit, as soon as I took my belt/pack off and set the quiver on the ground watching the trails towards the ocean where the wind was starting to blow from, I heard something behind me, and there they where, 4 hogs coming down the mountain strait at me at about 40 yards, I couldn't move, I was right in their sight, with the wrong winds    

[NorthShoreLB]

I've made much better bows than this one, but most of the times I go hunting I end up chosing to take with me this Guava ELB selfbow, it was an experiment, I was wandering how good of a bow I was able to make out of a really small tree.

It came out pretty good (not the best looker    )
but  it shoots really well and at 59# @27" it'a a fair pig hunter.

I'm hunting the open ironwood forest when I can, trying to intercept hogs on the transition between the unhuntable thick guava patches and the overgrown tropical bushes,...when I can't sneak around the forest floor I hunt game trails listening ( because you just can't see a thing   ) hoping to locate pigs as they come to cross the trails.


It has being a long day, I run into a few pigs, but never close enougth to have a shot.

It's almost 5 PM ,I located a pig feeding on the edge of thick vegetation, I get into position beside an uprooted ironwood, the pig is feeding in circles if it comes left I will have a good shot , if it goes right it will wind me if it goes back I'll never see it again   , I like the look of this pig, nice size, very unusual tan color long fur, can't tell yet the sex.

It goes right, shortly after comes a grunt and the sound of a hog crushing thru the thick tropical brush.

the usual pattern is starting to form, lot's of hours in the woods but no pig.

I don't kill that many pigs, in this forests they are hunted hard with dogs, very wary, mainly nocturnal, and smart buggers.

[NorthShoreLB]

I'm still in the same place, leaning against a tree, thinking how much I liked the look of that pig, and how much I would have liked to arrow it    

From the corner of my eye I see a shape coming towards me from the left, bingo, the wind is holding in my face and at the pigs back.

A second look, reveals a nice looking black hog.

He's on a trail that will fork about 20 yards to my left, if he goes left he will present me with a strait broadside at 10-12 yards, if he goes rigth it will be a bit more challenging, quatering to me at about 6-7 yards and a small windowfrom when it would appear from a tree to when it would be behind a cluster and than free to go.

It's looking quite good, my hart beat is just about maxing, he's trotting a bit faster than i really like it but I'm feeling good.

It takes the right at the fork, game on !

I'm quite in the open, so I gotta make sure I don't make excessive movements as I draw, he's out from the trees, I draw swing, and the arrow is on the way.

The arrow completely disappears in the side of the boar, a bit back and higher than I'd like but still a good shot nonetheless.

the boar take of, and I see a crimson red shaft hunghing by the feathers on the other side of the pig.

...big smile on my face    


..Than I go look for a blood trail, immediatly I found lots of frothy blood.

some places I have to crawl, but the blood trail is easy to follow, at one point the boarrubbed against a small guava tree and 2 feet of it where painted whit blood, I knew it wouldn't be hard to find it.

not 35 yards from the place it was shot the boar was laying down dead.


It was the first time I shot something with a snuffer, I couldn't belive the damage.


sitka spruce shafts 160gr snuffers for a 750gr arrow

[NorthShoreLB]

[NorthShoreLB]

[tradtusker]

fantastic mate, what a good read! been waiting for you to post another of your adventures, congrats on a great looking hog.          

[4runr]

That's a beautiful pig Manny.

Congrats!

[NorthShoreLB]

Thanks guys, it was a fun day.

....meat is on ice, and my legs are pretty sore  

[robtattoo]

Good job Manny! I always look forward to your stories bro. Nice looking bow you got there!

[Forester]

Awesome    

Sounds like a great day.  Well told story about a well done hunt.  Way to go!

It sounds like you were on public ground?  Hauula Reserve by chance?  I don't really know anything about your area but made a short visit this past summer.  A day hike in the reserve made me wish for my bow.  We saw 5 hogs just from the main hiking trail, a couple bruisers.

[Whip]

Nice hog, nice looking bow, and great story!     Thanks Manny.  Makes me want to do that some day.

[Wulomac]

Nice Pig!! Well told!!!

[longbowben]

What a pig nice bow you should be very proud.Congrats

[guzzi2000]

Great looking pig and bow. I always look forward to your posts to see what bow is going to be pictured. I can't get enough looks at them. You are a very talented craftsman.

[drewsbow]

nice pig congrats :0)

[kawika b]

nice one Manny,,, hope you're doing okay with all this bad weather we've been having these past couple of days. Maui is all Bus Up!

[Shaun]

Manny, good to see you again on line. Nice hog and sweet ELB. Thanks for the ride along on the hunt. Good Hunting!

[Leland]

Love it!!! Thanks for a great story and pics. Leland

[NorthShoreLB]

Thanks guys, it surely was a blast    

Forester, ..not far from Hauula, but this was private land, Doug Cambell has being there, but we found no pigs.

[steadman]

Way to go!! Very nice!