Texas pig hunt . . story and pics added

[wingnut]

Well to tell the truth I promised Terry he could tell his own story and the last I heard he was still a couple hours short of home.

I will tell my own Saturday night if a few minutes.  Gotta go fix dinner now.

Mike

[James Young]

Well I wasnt gonna tell teh story about the miss but ok.. the shot presented was a classic TEXAS HEART shot.. 8 yards thru some of the thickest tangle Ive seen in a while but wait theres a hole and if I can only get an arrwo through I'll be in good shape.. the arrow bounced off of limbs and over the pig.. was such thick brush he couldnt go far and went about 10 yards to the left and presented Jason a shot.. he shoots and misses and we go looking for our arrows.

So after getting Terry we'll let him tell his story we head back to camp....

Well we decide that me original stand is a dud.. so Mike and I go out to change locations..

we find a great spot and put together a great ground/brush blind.. it's on the outside of a curve in the road and the winds perfect for it...

well I wastn paying attention where we put it up and I realized it when Gerald was dropping everyone off.. I was last inteh truck and the ranch owner is with us.. he turns and asks where my blind is... UHHHHH dont remember I says and tell him its in the cormer of the raod... the owner gives me one of those looks and says there are a lot of corners... we drive on and find it..  Now the best part.. Ownere asks if I get lost a lot and I laugh and say yep all the time and he tells me if I find the fence turn left and I'll end up at teh camp eventually.. OK I'm set now got good directions back to camp and time to hunt...

Settle in and after Gerald takes off.. I swear he wanted to be a NASCAR driver when he was younger.

About 15-30 mintes later.. I dont wear a watch when hunting.. heck who needs to tell time... when it gets too dark to see huntings over in the evening and in the mornings I go in when it gets real sunny.

I digress... anyway 15-30 minutes later I here pipgs grunting and rooting around to my right.. all right here we go.. a little bit later I hear em crunching corn and headed my way .. hey whats that I hear... crunching noises to my left.. YESSS two groups coming in from both directions and they are gonna meet right here and its making bacon time..

OK now the ones to teh left are three about 30-40 pounders.. I see em and what????  :eek:  they stop just outside of where I can get a shot.. still have teh ones on the right I hear and they get quiet... all of a sudden they all bust out of there.. didnt wind me  teh wind is perfect..

Oh the agony.. so close but so far..

didnt see anything else that night and I sat till it got good and dark.. I with the directions back to camp ( find fence and turn left) I decide its time to head in.. I figure I'll take the road ( one of may ) and see where it goes.. Owner mustve been funnin with me..

So I start easing down the road and come up on three pigs in the road. I was about 60 yards or so behind them and they are walking away from me..

I keep up with them and start to close the distance a bit.. I hear Wingnuts truck start up and here comes Wingnut.. slowly driving the roads to come find me..

I get about 30 yards fromteh hogs and I can see Wingnuts headlamps.. the pigs group together inteh road and as Wingnut gets closer the pigs turn and head towards me..

I kneel inteh road and get ready...... the pgs are getting closer... I get to half draw and the pigs are getting closer... just a little more and I'm making bacon.... or so I thought.. Wingnut turns the corner and I have a perfect back lit pig just in front of me.. now I always check whats behind my intended target in case I ... well lets just say the stuff behind my targets usually get hit.. Wingnuts big ole truck is there and all I can think of is if I am about to be the first to do a broadhead test on a Ford Dieal radiator..  The pigs run off and thats the end of the hunt for me on Saturday night..

BUT the fun just begins and I'll let Wingnut take it from here..

James Young

[Luke Vander Vennen]

Okay, this suspense is getting just plain mean  :mad:  

great job of telling the stories

[wingnut]

Ok, dinners on so I got a few minutes.  Good one James I had forgotten about you almost shooting my truck.

let see, my hunt for the evening was going to be a makeshift on the fly hunt on a road in the south corner of the ranch.  This was bedding ground and full of pigs.  it also was not on the feed route.  So Gerald takes me and drops me off.  I look around for a hole to climb back in and he goes 150 yds past me turns around and starts the feeder.  As he passes I get the thumbs up and look down the road in the direction he had come.  DANG there are 30 or more pigs about 40 pounds running down the road towards me.  No time to setup now I just kneel next to a tree and hope for the best.  The pigs are coming hard and making a racket.  There is not much corn when you are traveling at 60 down the road spreading it.

they are just coming into sight at 30 yds and ther is a couple of bigger ones about 50# so I decide to focus there.  Then at 20 yds they clear the brush a few more steps and I will have a shot.  then a gust of wind hits the back of my neck and they stop in there tracks.  They make a turn any dancer would be proud of and they are gone.

Now what am I too do.  My corn is gone.  the pigs are gone but I wait for an hour and nothing.  so I work down the road away from the other hunters and decide I will still hunt and spot and stalk this evening.

Timer is going off have to put the chicken in the oven.

Mike

[Huntrdfk]

OK, it's been 17 minutes, more, more, more....    


David

[James Young]

BTW I'm glad Wingnut showed up... I had no clue where I was and man I wasn't looking forward to finding the fence...

Mike,  I'm sure you would have remembered if I punctured your radiator    

James Young

[wingnut]

I'm back dinner was good.

Ok, I started down the road towards the fence and yes I turned left.  I was still hunting and moving real slow.  About every 20 yds I would see something move usually a pig.  They were everywhere.  I was in the heart of the bedding area and they were waking up for a night of plunder.  First there were 5 in the brush but they gave me the slip, then there was 22 small ones on the fence line heading the other way.  Dang!!  then I came to a cross road, I peered around the corner carefull not to show myself adn there were 6 Audads man they are cool.  But I had heard that they are like turkeys with noses and just watched.  Then suddenly a pig fed into the antelope.  WOW he was big maybe 350 or more and just feeding.  I decided that if I could get close to the Audads I could kill the pig.  He would be the biggest I'm sure taken on this property with trad equip.  So here I go.  Slowly; very slowly: like the wind is moving me.  It took an hour to move 40 yards but here I was 15 yards from the Audads and the pigs were just to my right.  The big one and his buddy (at least 350#) and two 100# boars.  They were feeding in and out of the mesquite and they just might come out far enough for a shot.  I was out of cover and stuck so I had to wait.

The time ticked by very slowly and finally the second largest boar was headed out to the shot opening.  One more step . . . Please!

Mike

[wingnut]

hi! made mike go out and close up the shop - sometimes he forgets and leaves the compressor on - bad new if it wakes me up in the middle of the night -  anyway - back to the pig hunt....

Sat. night - Shona and I go back to the Double Bull - she had decided that I had more luck in seeing critters than Jason did (not sure about that but....)  Got dropped off a bit before 6 (was a bit worried about James 'cause he had mentioned that he couldn't remember where his blind was ... not too sure about that boy but he's fun....
Shona and I got settled into the blind (I remembered my arrows this time - camera too- yep water) so we were all set. Wasn't too happy about missing the night before - don't do that too often - gotta bring the meat home or else the guys give me a really bad time and after not bringing anything home from the javi hunt figured I'd better get busy....
Well thing were pretty quiet for quit awhile - Shona started digging a hole to China - then all of a sudden some Audad's appeared to the left (pretty cool - another photo op)
 

then some Axis Deer appeared to the right (another photo op)
 
dang I love this new camera - then it got really quiet for a really long time (at least it seemed like it - the hole to china was getting bigger) then off to the right we got some visitors (piggies) yeah!!!  but.....they freaked out at about 25 yards and no shot...bummer ---bigger hole--- then about 8:00 from the left came some unsupecting critters (this time they were pig yeah!!!!!) pretty cool all around 100+ pounds - waiting----they came closer 'bout 5 yards---waiting ---all head on---waiting --- starting to draw----waiting all head on --- now--- one turns broadside left--- I draw........see the spot.....

mike wants the PC got back from the shop ---caught me ..... oops
C

[Luke Vander Vennen]

oh the agony!!!

[wingnut]

Dang it!! I was telling a story here and Connie snuck on when i went out to turn the lights out in the shop.

Anyway here I was face to face with a 350# hog and it was moving into the perfect shot position.

One more step . . .please just one.  And then he does it and I hit the draw.  Burn a hole in the spot at the corner of the elbow . . .Burn . .. hold . . .hold  .. . let her go. . . .NO! it goes over the back what the heck happened.  GRUT!! and off they go.

Bummer! how could I miss that shot?  18 yds and I missed my mark by 2.5 feet.

Well I looked for my arraw for a minute and headed back to the fence line dejected.

20 yds from the fence the brush moves to my right.
Dang it's thick but I see ears moving my way.  It's close . . . real close.  I come to 3/4 draw as the pig comes out of the tunnel 15 ft from me.

He is big and takes two steps toward me.  I come to full draw knowing he will turn.  he looks up and sees me a 12 feet away and turns just as I predicted.  Soon as he shows his side I release.  The arrow from the Windtalker zips to the target and burys to the fletch.  The boar spins and bugs out.

I stand there dumbfounded realizing I have ust nailed a really big pig.

Mike

[wingnut]

okay - sent mike back out to the barn - yep he left that dang compressor on --- had him take chess out to chase bunnies too.... and whats up with that 350# ....probably more like 150#s but sh.....don't tell him I said that.

k--- saw the spot.....Shona's getting excited....couldn't actually see the pig....though sitting a bit low.....I've gotta it back a full draw ---oops one of the other ones (we had about 10 in that group) turns sideways....ok Connie gotta keep focused.....I'm back on the first one now at full draw ...about 5 yards...hate that...to close...okay...concentrate...easy shot...release............Yeah......hit...pig turns back around....yeah....arrow all the way thru.....broadhead sticking out other side....cool...dang a bit back should be double lung though...wait 20 mins...Shona say's didn't see actual shot but saw pig take off....lots of blood (she thinks) still waiting.....hard to do sometimes but it's getting dark - better to wait for Gater (what a great dog - little but tenacious).....

Connie

[Huntrdfk]

Yes!!!!!  We have meat!    Took awhile, but that just makes it a great hunt.  Now the waitin' begins while you find those piggies.


David

[herb haines]

Folks it is daylight here in New Brunswick time to start tracking -- herb

Charlie Lamb started all this with his Paradise Hunt but wingnut and Connie have refined it

[wingnut]

Ok we are back.

Let see Connie has connected with a nice pig and it ran off.  Same for me.  I wonder where Terry is?  He should be up by now.  Heck it's 5:15 in AZ.

Gonna let him fill in his piece before we start tracking.

Mike

[James Young]

Ok Now Wingnut has me in the truck and tells me we have a few bloodtrails to work.. Man oh man this is getting good.... We head back to camp and Connie has hers already found by the time we get there.. Its a nice hog too... Ok we are all pumped.. Mike tells me about his hog shot and off we go... This time after Terry's hog.. Mike did say that he shot one earlier so I wont ruin his story about the shot etc..

Anyway we are off to work another trail..  Gerald has a really small dog named gator.. guess its because he has the attitude of one.. scared of nothing...

Gator gets on the trail and barks that she found the hog.. off we go busting through brush and tangle stuff.. wer're busting trails and get close to the hog.. what the heck... its still alive and runs off with dogs close behind.  I bought a qbeam spotlight thats real bright but not too good at lasting long... the hog gets bayed up again and gerald pulls his pistol to end the chase and fires twice.. did he hit it.. we dont know but that hog takes off yet again... more busting through brush and I can tell ya we are having a good time..

We come to the fence and my first thought is to take a left to find camp... wait we got a hog to chase.. Gator bays it again and as we close in on it my spot light goes out.. Gerald is half crawling half duck walking to get to it.. of all the times to have a light go out.. gerald and wingnut had flashlights but the spotlight sure would have been nice at this point..

The pig is grunting and squelling.. Gator has a mouth full of hog ear.  tension is rising and my light came on for a second and goes off.. Now we have a situation that is one of those apple and oranges situations that we will laugh at for a long time..
Mike: " what are you doing"  ( talking about the light going on and off)

Me: " It's dead" ( talking about the spotlight)

Mike:" not its not its still running" ( talking about the hog)

About this time the hog is off running again.

I look at mike and ask what the heck you talking about and he says the pig and I say I'm talking about the light.  Man did we get a good laugh.  We are laughing hard and the pig is running harder with gator on its tail..

Off we go again.. Gator finally bays the pig and the chase is over.. Terry collects his hog.. Want him to tell his story here and not ruin it.  But man that chase was a blast... almost as fun as a coon hunt..  

we get the hog out of the brush and field dressed and Gator gets his reward of lots of praise and pets from everyone..

Now its time to get Wingnuts pig...

James Young ( man this is fun)

[wingnut]

Yep before we chased down Terry's pig (It was hit a little far back, but we got it with a little gator-aid), we sent gator on Connie's trail.  We were standing there looking at bloodsign for 30 seconds or so when Gator started barking.  The pig had traveled 50 yds in the thick stuff but Gator made short work of the trail and led us right to it.  

James already talked about Terry's so let's fast forward to mine.  We were headed back to camp to drop Terry's cause having a dead pig in the truck distracts the dog sometimes when we turn a corner and I see my arrow sticking in the dirt marking the shot.  I hollared to stop and we decide to track the big boar.  I had a good blood trail when I left it so I knew the trail would be short.  But not this short.  Gator hit the trail when Gerald said "Get the pig" and it was another 30 second Gator-aid job.  He was barking before we turned around.  Gerald and I hit the heavy brush to get to the dog.  Gerald was standing looking for Gator when I arrived.  I told him to look down as I put the light on the large boar at is feet.  He did and jump back a step.  We grabbed him and drug him out to the clearing.  My shot had caught him behind the ribs angling forward and had taken both lungs and the top of the heart.  Man the Woodsman do there job.

Anyway we have One in camp and two in the truck.

Where the heck is Terry?

Mike

[the Ferret]

wow this is the good stuff (FINALLY)..now where's Terry and where are pictures of these hogs?

Congrats all around (didn't think Connie would miss twice!)

[trashwood]

Heeeee Heeee  

rusty -dat makes ya smile- Craine

[JC]

Now that's what I'm a talkin bout! Way to go ya'll. And the rest of the story.....  :D

[trashwood]

Dang James, if me and you go hunting together with Wingnutty we'll keep him busy just find us  

rusty -is the sun setting in the east?- Craine