Littlefeather hunt update!!!

[Littlefeather]

I wanna thank Charlie for doing the updates as they came in on this hunt. Charlie was supposed to be there with us but stayed behind to greet the new Grandson into the world. Im bettin they named him Tex since he held Charlie up from this hunt.

Arrival at the Ranch had me wishing I could fire the Weather Man! The damn guy had missed the boat completely on this hunt. Forcast had been Blue-Bird days with 80 degree temps and sunshine. WRONG! Light rain and cooler than normal temps kept us just a notch below comfortable. Yuck! Im soooo glad to have dry feet now. We've been drenched and cold for three days and nights.

It only took Wes and I a few minutes to unpack the truck and string up our bows as we waited for the ranch owner to arrive. He was late and we were ready to hunt. As I eased around the camphouse(Country Hilton) I spot a group of javalina crosing the sendero about 100 yards away. Game on! I begin a rapid stalk down the edge of the sendero and am almost within shooting range when he spots me. The biggest javi is a boar and he doesn't like me. He bristles up and charges me! Wow, I've never had one charge for no reason. As he retreats slightly, I move forward only to be charged again. HeeHeee! This is crazy fun. Well, I side step and as he turns to charge me again I let loose an Ash shaft that hits dirt between his front legs sending him to parts of the ranch unknown. Dang, I ask myself if this is how the hunt is going to be? I guess all the excitment has affected my shooting accuracy. I'll surely improve!

After the ranch owner arrives and takes us on a tour of the ranch it became quite apparent that we were in a South Texas Paradise. The rain had wipped the slate clean of game tracks and the tracks that we now see literally everywhere were only hours old. This was going to be incredible.

The evening hunt found me with three bunnies in tow. Hogs could be heard quite often through the brush but nightfall came quick and found me with a broadhead still on the string. I'll eat some dinner then I'll return for some night stalking the senderos. Wes's hunt was pretty much uneventful with the exception of one hog that suprised Wes form behind at about 8 feet. I guess neither herd or saw each other till they were close enought to dance. He did manage to send a few bunnies to the happy hopping grounds with his BBO and some obsidian heads he had knapped.

   

Wes tagged along with me on the night hunt. It was new to him and only took one encounter with a group of hogs and he was hooked on night hunting. We had at least six groups of hogs around us before we called it quits for the night. No shots taken but surely sunrise would change all that.

Here is one of many deer pics I took as well. Deer were seemed to be literally everywhere. We never made a hunt when there weren't deer around us.

   CK

[Littlefeather]

Humm? Anyone reading? I was gonna tell more. CK

[so tx pighunter]

Yea bro, I'm here checkin everything out.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Waiting....  

[ptaylor]

keep it coming

[Littlefeather]

Well, the second morning started close to camp on a spot and stalk mission. Wes went his way and as I bid farewell, I went mine. The morning was really nasty. One of those morning where a fella would be much better served to be wrapped up tight in a blanket, still sleeping.

As luck would have it, the misting rain lightened up a little. I managed to see an abundance of wildlife, put a stalk on more javalina, and busted a few bunnies. I met Wes back at camp around noon to find he had also successfully stalked some javi's but managed to slightly miss one after the cactus carp saw him and bristled up. Believe me, they will scare even the toughest of men once they get adjitated! Wes was upset that he had missed the little javalina because it has been a lifelong wish to kill and mount a Texas javi.
Little did either of us know he would have other chances. The evening hunt and hair raising excitment was only hours away. Surely one of us will be huddled close to the meat pole by nightfall.


I'll get back to story telling a little later. Lunch is over. CK

[Luke Vander Vennen]

I'm listening  

[Doc Nock]

Sure is a cure for the deep freeze blues up her in Yankee land of white and chatters.  

[Littlefeather]

So, with the morning excitment behind us, the story telling completed from the morning hunt, and some lunch in our belly, we set out for more exploring.

By now, Wes and I have about half filled our pockets with arrowheads we seemed to find wherever we went. I even found some dainty little bird points. We set out across the ranch in 4wd trying to navigate around the deepest mud holes. We saw javalina, hogs and countless rabbits as we drove. We ended up close to a low lying drainage that looked really promising so I decided to stay in this area to hunt till nightfall. Wes decided to head back to the spot where he had missed the javi in hopes of redemption.

I had been in the low lying area for a short time. I had stomped out a circle in some tall grass adjacent to a well used hog trail. About the time I got comfortable chomping sunflower seeds and taking in the sights a hogs ears appear about 7 yards in front of me. He was hidden in the grass and his apporoach was quite stealthful. He knew something was not right but he just couldn't figure out what it was. (the first picture I posted was the hog in the tall grass). I snapped a few pictures of the hog before I picked up my little Bear recurve, raised it ever so slowly, and released a Griz 190 through the beast. My heart was about to explode with excitment!!!!! The hog was at seven paces. The bad news is that the shot was a little high and I knew the outcome could be bad. I waited a few minutes then begain the lengthy track. Blood was extreemly good and the crawl through thorn heaven was made easier because of the copius blood trail. Well, the trail ended at a hog about 1/2 mile(guess) from where he had started. Now, how am I going to get this pig back? Oh crap, with all the crawling and looking down I've lost my bearings and can only shoot a compass reading based on a lucky guess. An hour and a half later I emerge from the sticking, biting thorn brush. I am certain I can find my way back now.

As I arrive back at my hunt spot I decide I will leave the downed hog to find again at first light. No sence in getting lost again, only to spend the night in the cold, wet, cactus brush. As I sit and think about what has transpired a set of ears appears and is headed straight for me. I hunker down, grap another arrow, and as the hog passes through the grass in front of me at maybe 5 feet, I raise the camera and shoot. Got him-on film! As the hoh reaches about 6 yards I put the second arrow in flight. Crack! Hes hit hard and as he exits he musta jumped 4 feet high trying to clear a cactus. I hear him crash about 50 yards away as twilight fades to black.

   CK

[SuperKodiak38]

You go Boy! Now gimmee the rest and lotza pictures.

[slow walker]

Curtis,

I have two questions:

Have the "voices" gone away?? :-))))

Could you post some pics of the arrowheads you found for us please?

Thanks

[Shaun]

Hey CK, keep the story rolling. Great stuff.

See ya in a little over two weeks if your home and I'm not hunted out.

Shaun

[Littlefeather]

Yes Dr., I'll post some arrowhead pics last. Yes, I do still hear the voices. They keep me inspired!

(continued)
As the skies go gray to black, my mind races from the excitment of the evening hunt. A pig shot at close range, a two hour ordeal with cactus, compass errors(yea,right), voices in my head saying "you're lost", a really long walk, and another arrowed hog. Whew, Im feeling a little frazled from all this. This has really been an evening for the memory books.

As I entered the brush tracking the second hog I decide not to make the same mistake I've made with the first hog, so I do a compass check. Wait, I claw at my pockets looking for the compass. Somehow I have misplaced the compass, never to be found again. Once I realize I now had no compass I made the quick decision to leave this pig till morning as well. The meat will keep in the cold and I aint about to spend the night with the pigs if I had my way!

I got to camp to find Wes already wipping up some "dog food" as he called it. It was actually a ham salad kinda stuff that I make outta bb-q hog/javi. We ate way too much of it on this trip!!!!Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Wes had a slow hunt on this evening and had decided to night hunt to see if it would be as good as the night before. Wes later came back to the house with tales of a big boar that had repeatedly harrassed him. Wes drank a beverage then returned to the darkness in pursuit of the beast. To no avail. The beast was spotted once again but refused to offer up his ghost.

The next morning would prove to me what really good friends are made of. Wes sacraficed his morning hunt to help me locate my rewards of "game greed". The plan was to turn the radio in the truck really loud and use it as referance in a land of no landmarks or visual navigation aids. It worked and Wes located my second shot pig. It wasn't easy because an unexpected rain had all but eliminated any sign.

   

Well, this is where it gets rough. The first hog was a long way away and I was dependant on blood sign to return to the carcass. Following in a game of grown man hopscotch, we eased along dropping bits of toiletpaper. The guy in front finds sign then the guy behind moves forward till he finds sign as well. I took a large roll of toiletpaper!!!!! Hell with the compass!

This went on for some time till I recognized an area from the day before. We hear coyotes ahead and I tell Wes that it is certain to be where the hogs is. I hate to be right sometime! Well, as bad luck sometime has it, track jobs turn to salvage operations. I hate that but Im not really sure I would change anything I did in this situation. Sorry, Im not posting any pics of the first hog.

Wes and I are really sick of being wet and cold but as I hoist the hog up on the gambrel, Wes bids me farwell. He heads out for a mid-day foray for some javalina he holds a grudge against. I envy the guys persistance! After I clean the hog and put away knives and such, I decide to rest a bit. The plan turned south pretty quickly as Wes entered the camphouse with a big ol' grin. Seems the javalina cooperated for once and Wes capitalized on the moment. Not being quite certain as to how well the javi was hit, we waited a short while and returned to the area Wes had marked with an arrow. As we eased into the brush, we immediately find the bloody arrow. Looks like the arrow was a passthrough. As I ease along looking for sign, Wes says, here he is! About this time the little fella goes running by with a second wound. He falters slightly as he enters an opening and as he wobbles, I put a grizzly in him low. Later it was revealed that my arrow was certainly not necessary. This was Wes's trophy and he got him on his own. Upon wound inspection, we were totally amazed that the animal wasn't dead immediately with the first arrow. Sometime the will to live overcomes all odds!

 

We still have an evening hunt and a morning hunt before we head back into the daily grind. Yall stick around and I'll tell the rest a little later. CK

[Missouri CK]

Curtis,

Now that it deer season is over and winter is in full force here in Missouri I'm feeling the bite of the "Sweat bug"!

Gosh, I would love to being planning another trip down your way. Thanks for taking me along on this adventure (even though it makes me want to be there even worse). Sounds like you have hit the jackpot with this spot and the story telling isn't even over.

Congratulations again on the pig and javi.  

P.S. I hope my brother realizes what a fun trip he is in for this March.

[Missouri CK]

Curtis,

Do I see some tusk on that pig of yours? Pretty nice looking hog. Definitely too big for my taste, as I only shoot those little tasty pigs, but that is another matter all together.  

Looks like Wes had a good time with the bunnies and the javalina. Nice shooting.

Chris

[Shaun]

CK - love the pic with the pig, it has a real Mona Lisa / pissed off look about it, kinda a toothy sneer. Nice javie Wes. Way to keep after them little stinkers. What happened next ...?

Ah, I guess I can wait till tomorrow to find out.

[Timo]

Congrats on a great adventure Ck.

Man I'm getting pumped!!!

[Jumper]

Thanks for sharing Curtis! Sounds like you all had a GREAT hunt despite the adverse weather. Enjoy the BBQ!

Later, Scott

[Littlefeather]

After Wes got his trophy cleaned, we chatted about this evenings hunt. Wes decides he has had all the wet and cold he is gonna take for today and heads in for a much deserved hot shower. I on the other hand decide I will punish my body further. I came for javalina, not hogs and so far I've been thwarted.

I decide to head over to a location where a Bull Dozer had pushed up some brush piles. The little javis seem to be holding in this area and I decide to as well. I clean out a little area in the brush pile that ended up being the nicest little blind I've used in awhile.

As I get my gear scattered around at my feet, I decide to take a few pictures. I always get wrapped up in the hunt and forget to take pics. The first pics are of bunnies and birds. Here is a beautiful Mexican Green Jay.    

Also a common Cardinal.    

As I sat there taking in the sights, I see movement in the thicket to the left of me. Its hogs comming. Wait! It looks like it could be javalina. Yes, it is javalina and they are holding a course that will take them past me less than ten yards away. Javalina are slow movers so I decide to snap a few pics before I shoot.

 

Sorry about the picture quality. The camera is new and it was close to dark when I took the pics.

Just as quick as I got a couple of pics I grab up my Kodiak Mag and put an arrow on the string. When the second to the largest javi turns sideways, I put a sledge hammer hit on him! His ribs cracked loud enough to hear back at camp."exageration". The little stinker hit the thorn brush at full speed and within seconds I hear the death howl. He's done!

Javalina seem to have the unnatural ability to retain blood when hit. This fella was no different. Id hit him as well as humanly possible but he refused to leave a blood trail. No matter. He's only gone about 40 yards by the sound of the death howl. As I enter the brush, the dimming light of dusk tells me its gonna be a tough track in the thick stuff. I blind trail till I just can't see. No worries, I'll come at first light and retrieve my little trophy. For now, Im willing to fight for a hot shower. CK

[the Ferret]

Loving it! Hogs and javies are so much fun to hunt. Man I wish I was there!Weather clear up? Getting warm yet?

Keep em coming CK.