After a bit I decided or rather the wind decided that the only course we could take was to slowly go back the way we had just come. This goes against my normal inclinations as I would normally look at this path as used up, but after some thought I decided there was not a choice.
Slowly I went back down the ridge staying just off the top so as not to skyline... we walked… Sounds? A smallish red body? Three black body’s? Maybe a dozen hogs appeared at the bottom of the draw. They were moving at a pretty fair clip and my position made it impossible to approach them strait on. There was a small crease in the ridge to my right and I figured that if I could reach that and pop over the top away from the hogs I could move ahead of them and wait for them to come buy me?
Come on legs, Ibuprofen don’t fail me now…. I got ahead of them and came back over the top. I had run, that’s right a fat 60 year old ran and the pumper was field testing the buttons on my jacket. The hog had either stopped to rest or I am faster than I think as they were now about 50 or 60 yards down the draw and heading my way…. I wasn’t that happy with my location behind a big oak, not because it didn’t cover my position well but because it was pushing my range threshold a bit but it was the only available cover. I
Waited for what seemed like an eternity but was probably only a minute…. All in all there were a dozen hogs in the group. They were all on the smallish side but for me they would make dandy eaters… They walked by me but stayed on the opposite bank out of range and I thought I was not going to get a shot, and then a sow decided she liked something in my direction and started to walk my way… closer… come on old girl turn, turn… that’s right a few more steps…. Come to full draw that’s the spot….. I shot and with grunt as my arrow bounced off the top of her back and my hunt ended… I sat there for the longest time trying to figure out what I had done. The truth is I just missed, somehow I misjudged the distance and shot high and that sow got her first shave...
I truly wish my work schedule and health would have allowed me a little more time to with Hope, someone is going to get a sweet shooting bow and help the kids at the same time….
Thank you for letting me spend a bit of time with her …
Now she's on her way to Tom Phillips and Bear Quest...