As much as I wanted to head out to my new red deer spot I had been told that Easter W/end was going to be family time so it took a bit of thinking to come up with a plan that would cover the family thing and mabey give me an oppertunity to have a shot as well.I managed to look away when the stare was put on when the bows went in the car with the other gear so all was good I mean after all if the kids were playing in the canoe why would I have a bit of a walk around the river bank?
After recent rain and flooding in the Moonie district I thought the river might still have enough water to give the distraction the kids need when camping to keep them out of Mum and Dads hair. :D I even put the canoe on hoping the trouble of carting it all that way would be worth it.I have only ever fished from it and had not really given any though to hunting from it but that was to change that is for sure.After setting up camp and putting up the new tent(its amazing the money you can spend when it is FAMILY stuff) :wink: it was into the water with the canoe and a bit of paddle up the river to get my sea legs so to speak before taking the kids for a bit of a paddle.The water hole we camped next to was about 100mtrs long so I headed upstream to the end and turned around to come back but was suprised by some noises coming from the reeds under one of the trees left laying over from the recent floods on a sandbank at the edge on the main flow.It was 3 slips and a large sow that I had woken up from their midmorning knap and they burst from cover and made short work of getting over the bank to disappear into the scrub that closes in on the river at this point.I paddled back to camp and through on the camos and grabbed the bow telling the misses that the water was shallow enough for the kids to play in there by themselves(yes I DID check really) and I was going for a quick walk.
It took me about ten minutes to get to the area on the far bank I last saw the pigs and sat and listened and watched to see if maybe they had stopped after getting over the high bank.As the wind was in my favour in the canoe they should have only seen me and not smelt me and if that is the case often they settle down quickly.As I sat sweating and listening to my heart beat I spied some little black legs slip through the bush heading back to the river and I knew it was game on.I now had a real advantage as I knew the nice little shady spot they where heading back to so angled across to ambush them as they settled back to sleep in the reeds.I made it to about 15 yards from the edge on the bank when I stopped at the sound of movement coming back toward me and had to freeze as the 3 little pigs came over the bank heading straight toward me.
I had been caught very much in the open but the advantage camo was doing its job and the little mob was just standing there grunting to each other as they do when not sure what to do next.As I came to full draw the wind made up their mind as they got a snout full of me they decided the scrub was the best place after all and ran toward me along the track I was standing on.I was forced to hold at full draw until they all passed me and as the last little pig veered to avoid my leg I guess I released as I dont remember the shot just the arrow burying to the fletches behind the shoulder on a rapidly departing pig.The shot was spot on and the run was more of a pig on a tread mill as they do when hit well so I started off quietly but quickly to follow the pig as it crashed through the scrub.There was no blood trail so I was keen to keep it within earshot as the scrub here was very think and had swallowed a well hit pig before today.She only made it about 30 meters and I could hear that she had stopped and then the prolonged squeal they sometimes give when they dont know why but just cant keep up with the others in the mob.I had another arrow on the string but there was no need as by the time I got there the life had drained onto the ground next to the arrow that had now passed right through undamaged apart from some very messed up feathers.(Just got to love carbons).
I sat and had a big long drink from the camelback and a few deep breaths and noticed the shakes come on as they do for me at this stage of the game.It was only a small pig and many guys will see the pics and say whats the big deal but its amazing the way this sport can throw things at you as you practice at 20 yards every day and end up shooting at THREE after holding for what seemed like 10 seconds(more like a compound shooter)So I was stocked as I headed back to the river with my prize to get some pics as I had not had a chance to grab the camera before leaving camp.I left her on the side of the river and came back with the canoe to pick her up and though it very fitting that the trophy was carried back to camp in the canoe as I would have never found the pigs without it.
Thanks for reading....Cheers KIM
PS..Bow is a Robertson Vision Falcon #63 shooting carbon express arrows 650 grains with a Woodies Outback Supreme b/head
Topic: Daily Hunt Pics and Stories 2008 (Read 8604 times)
