This was a great hunt and since the story is a little long, I'll post the pictures after the story.
Friday September 17, 2004
As planned, I arrived at Gregg Gravois's house boat in time to make a evening hog hunt. Gregg and Todd Gustin was there when I arrived. We loaded up and drove the 30 miles to the boat landing. From there it was a 15 minute boat ride to the island that Gregg had decided we would hunt. We are all hunting with traditional bows made by Tim Mullins of Acadian Woods Bows, from Slidell, Louisiana. This is spot and stalk hunting at it's best.
There wasn't much time left to hunt. I was going to stay with Gregg and try to video a shot. Soon after Todd went his way Gregg spotted a hog and signaled to Todd. Todd was able to see it and started his stalk. I managed to briefly record the hog before he noticed Todd and left. We hunted until dark without seeing any more hogs.
Saturday September 18, 2004
We were up early this morning and Joe Carpenter with his Acadian Woods Recurve joined us for todays hunt. We arrived at the island at first light and dropped Todd and Joe off at the same location that the three of us had hunted yesterday evening. We wished them luck and went to another area. I was still wanting to get a video kill so I stayed with Gregg. The first quarter of a mile was so thick that it took all our effort just to get through it. When we broke out into more hunter friendly woods I got the camera out to video and it wouldn't record. After several tries I gave up and told Gregg that if I wasn't going to be able to record I might as well go off on my own. We could cover more ground and would both have a chance for a kill.
I made a big round and had seen lots of sign but no hogs. I was almost back to the boat when I heard Gregg calling to me. It took awhile to get to him but I found him with a big sow that we guess to be about 180 pounds. He had been dragging her, in the 90 degree weather and had over heated. I gave him some water and after resting he felt better. I finally figured out a way to make the video camera record and we did some show and tell. Gregg had spotted the hog laying on her side with several more around her. She was sleeping and he was able to stalk to less than 10 yards for a shot that proved to be perfect. She didn't travel far after the shot. This sow was his 7th bow killed hog of the year and the third one he had slipped on and shot while it was sleeping.
We decided that we would just field quarter it instead of dragging through the bad thicket. I had brought my ALICE pack for field quartering and packing but left it in the boat. Gregg always hunts with a bag for his gear and it would hold more than the little backpack I had. We just barely managed to get it all in his bag, for the pack out.
After we made it back to the boat we headed towards Joe and Todd. Using cell phones we learned that Joe had shot a big boar hog and hadn't found it. We found them and spent some time trying to find his hog but didn't come up with anything. We had about given up when Gregg called to us that he had found him.
The boar wasn't big, he was huge. A 300 pound plus animal. After pictures and video it was field quartering time again. This one took awhile. I couldn't believe how thick the hide was on this thing. It was a lot different than doing a deer, much harder. While Todd manned the video camera Joe and Gregg helped me get him in the bag. It was so hot we had to take turns on him as well as working together. We were all over heated. It was about a quarter of a mile pack out and we were glad to make it back to the boat. Of course since Joe had killed he did the packing and held up good under the weight of the four quarters and back straps.
After a good meal and some rest we were ready for a late evening hunt. Gregg decided to look for a new area. Once there Joe and Todd got out of the boat and Gregg and myself went to another spot and hunted until dark. I saw more sign than any place I had been but not hogs. When I got back to the boat Gregg told me he has seen a group of hogs but wasn't able to get a shot. He pointed out in the lake and said look at all the gators. They were everywhere I looked. We must have seen over 50 for the evening.
Joe called and let us know that Todd had kill a hog. His first traditional kill. We were all excited for him, he has been due. He has worked hard at it but hadn't been able to get everything right until this evening.
What a great day, three hogs for 4 hunters and we still had another morning to hunt. Hopefully I will connect and we will have a 100% reward for all our efforts.
Sunday September 19, 2004
We were all up early and look forward to a good hunt. For the first time on the hunt I was wearing my regular hunting hat, instead of a cap. I told them it was going to be different today because I would be wearing my kill hat. Little did I know what was going to happen.
This morning Gregg dropped Todd and I off where Todd had killed yesterday then took the boat to the place were Joe had killed. Todd and I split up and I headed towards the direction that I had seen all the sign, yesterday evening. I was still hunting towards the East, taking my time. I head a hog get up and move out of high grass. I held up for awhile to let things settle down before continuing on in the direction it had went. I found a slight ridge that ran between the marsh and a lake bed. It didn't take long before I could hear hogs in front of me. It sounded like they were moving towards me. I held up for awhile then move towards where I had heard them. It was quiet and I figured they were moving ahead of me and I hoped to catch up with them. A few hundred yards down the ridge it turned into wet swamp. I took a break then started back tracking.
On the way back I heard the hogs again and went to them. It didn't take long to spot one, then a couple of more. I was stalking in when a small pig saw me an spooked. The way it left made the other curious but they soon settled down and I continued my stalk. One of them was a big boar that was at least as large as the one Joe had killed yesterday. At one time I was within 12 yards but didn't have a shot because he was facing me and I didn't have a shooting lane between all the thick brush. He became aware of my presence and left with intimidating grunts. He stopped out on the ridge and I watched him for awhile before noticing a small hog coming straight towards me. I was patient and was able to take about a 8 yard shot that hit low in his right front shoulder while he was broadside. He squealed and ran hard. I held my ground and nocked another arrow.
While waiting to give him plenty of time to die I heard more hogs coming from the marsh. I must have been standing in their trail because a big hog was leading a smaller one straight towards me. She was inside of 10 yards closing when I raised my bow into position. She stopped at 7 yards, eyeballing me. As she slowly turned I started my draw and she was broadside when I touched anchor and released. The timing was good and the shot looked perfect.
After a 15 minute wait I found the second one I had shot. She had went about 40 yards and was a big sow that weighed around 200 pounds. I hung some toilet paper to mark her spot and went back to find the first one. I missed it on my first try but found him the next time. My first attempt to find him, I had actually walked within 10 feet of where he was and never saw him. He was a small boar that weighed around 60 pounds. He was in water so I drug him to higher ground on the ridge for pictures and video.
Todd answered my call and walked up as I was finishing up the video show and tell. He was just in time to join me before shutting the camera down. I wasn't sure if I could get both of these hogs in my bag for the pack out so he called Joe. They agreed to bring another bag to help get them out.
After bagging up the small one, Todd and I went to the big one and did more video and pictures. Gregg and Joe showed up just in time for the quartering. It wasn't a bad pack out with Gregg carrying a share of the load in his bag.
All in all it was an Acadian Woods Grand Slam. Five hogs for four hunters in a day and a half. Gregg mentioned that last weekend two hunting parties went to the same property with airboats, radios, guns and dogs and they only killed 4 hogs. I'm glad that I was with the traditional group. I had a great time. It was hard work but extremely rewarding. If there is another time, I'll be sure to start the hunt with the right hat. It works for me.
A special thanks to Gregg Gravois for the invitation, to hunt with him.
Warren
Topic: ***Daily Hunt Pics 2004*** (Read 35427 times)
