Texas or Bust!!!! Pig hunt in progress...

[tmccall]

Finally it got around to time for that first hunt!  This was around 5:30 Tuesday evening and the bunch from Arkansas hadn't slept since they got out of bed Monday morning, but all of a sudden we were full of energy!

We dropped everyone off at their chosen locations and I was second to last.  When I got into my blind it was a hot but beautiful South texas afternoon.  The view from the blind was impressive, made doubly so by that Dryad Wind Talker in my hands:

 

And that awesome tapered cedar arrow on my string!

 

Kudos to James at Clearfork Archery for such an awesome set of arrows.  BTW James if you are reading this, I'm down to a matched set of 10 arrows!   :D

I settled in for the evening excited about Mikes exuberent confidence, everyone WILL get a shot at a hog tonight.  However, as the afternoon stretched on, I began to worry that maybe I wouldn't get my shot after all.  

Finally, as I had just began to wonder how everyone else had done and as the sun began to dip low in the sky and evening began to settle in, I heard a pig snort.  I couldn't even see them yet and my heart was already trying to jump out of my chest!

I tightened tension on my string and took a quick glance around to reassure myself that my setup was optimal, then they were finally on me.  There must have been 15 to 20 100# hogs running in one tight wad and they were coming straight to me.  However, we had been dealing with a tricky wind all evening an now it was turned and blowing right across me to them.  They advanced on my blind like Pickets last charge until their noses hit my scent in the wind then witn a snort and the pounding of hooves they were gone!

[tmccall]

Well...  not quite gone, I could see them standing about 75 yards away peering in my direction.  Apparently their memory is short because a moment later here they came again, they came right at me and bolted just 5 steps short of my shooting window!!!  we did this 4 times in just a few minutes before a big wet sow with 6 piglets and 2 100# boars with her came at me from the opposite direction.  They advanced into my shooting lane, but, while the sow stayed broadside the boars began to feed head on to me offering little or no shot.  

I held off and waited patiently for something to change, the the sow began to move off and the boars prepared to go with her.  I tightened pressure on the string and they began to turn from me.  Finally the moment was right and I brought the bow to anchor and watched a beautiful shot sail right over the hogs back!

I wasn't really upset, as a matter of fact, I kind of sat back and said, "Yep, just what I expected...  I shot over him!!"  But this was the first night out and I was sure that more chances would follow.

When Mike came around to get me I learned that there had been plenty of arrows in the air.  Every one shot, some shot several times, but this first evening seemed to be all about getting rid of the jitters, we all shot high!!!  When we got back to camp our spirits were high, everyone had seen and shot at pigs and we were excited about what the next morning would bring.  Mike fed us all his trademark Jambalaya and we settled in for some much needed rest!

Hang in there because it only gets better!!!  Be back in a bit!

[wingnut]

Yep the first night was a great success, but Tony you forgot Jason's pig just before dark.  Jason had had an eventful night in the ladder stand by the intersection with five shots and misses at weiners.  Then just as darkness was falling a group of larger pigs came down the lane.  The biggest one presented a shot and the arrow flew true.  It would be the second shortest blood trail of the trip.  Aoerta severed and a dead hog in seconds.  We through it on the truck and off we went to camp for dinner.

Laying in bed that night I was a bit disappointed with my shooting, frankly I'm not used to missing this much on game animals and I spent time chewing myself out for not practicing more.  Something was wrong, at the target butt I shot right down the tube but on the pigs I was high.  What was different?  I went over my tackle that night and decided that I would forgo the gloves the next day and see if that helpped.  It couldn't be me. . it had to be the gloves.

LOL

Mike

[the Ferret]

Mike I'm sure you got it figured out but shooting high is usually a case of not getting your head down and leaving it there until the arrow smacks home.

[wingnut]

Wednesday morning the alarm went off at 0500 and we jumped up and made coffee.  With all of the sitings and shots the night before there would be blood on the ground this morning for sure.  Jason had the skunk out of camp so there should be nothing holding us back.

We changed the batting order too (heck it works in baseball).  Tony's dad wanted to stay with the blind and get another look at the big boar he saw the night before.  I was going to hunt the short ladder Jason had seen all the pigs from the first morning.  Mike would take the stand Jason was in the night before,  Jason had a brush blind he wanted to try and Tony wanted to find out what was going on at the other Double Bull I had up.

So off we go.  In the early morning semi light we see pigs heading across the roads as we go out.

Gerald drops me at the stand and I climb up. It's getting light fast and after only 20 minutes, I hear the crunch of corn and grunts of pigs.  They are coming right down the wind too me.  I just need to stay calm and slow down a bit.  Then there they are 6 of them coming fast. . .dang why not slow.  They are through the first shooting window before I can draw but I'm ready as a white spotted boar hits the second window.  The arrow is away as my eyes burn a hole on the elbow.  SMACK. . .he spins and I see the arrow out the far side and lots of blood.  Then they are gone.  Within seconds I hear a crash but don't believe he could be down already.  To bad because it cost me another chance seconds later.  The group without the boar reassembled right in front of me.  But with one blood trail it was against the rules to shoot without recovering the first pig first.

They fed around the corner and I hit the ground.  AT the spot he went into the brush half of my arrow lay covered in bubbly red and the brush was painted a great color.

I went around the brush pile and soon picked up a trail a blind man could have followed.  Stopped and looked up to see the spotted boar down less then 20 yards from the shot.  When we cleaned him we found that both lungs and the arteries on the top of the heart had taken the WW with full force.

My miss streak was over and it had to have been the gloves.

Mike

[Van/TX]

Way ta go Mike (and Jason too)     Must have been the gloves     ...Van

[tmccall]

Yep it was the gloves!  And the crooked rotation of the earth...  And burning sunspots...  And heat exhaustion...  And a lot of other things I don't remember now.   :D

Sorry about Jason's pig, didn't mean to leave it out, that night was a blur.  After the sun was down and the hunt was done my body started reminding me that it had been an awful long time since I slept!

The next morning was a fine hunt, I experienced the excitement of another shot opportunity and the agony of a missed opportunity!  I saw lots of pigs, stalked within five yards of a big boar but was busted by one of the baby pigs when I started to draw!

I had lots of shot opportunities at the little 10# porkers but they were always accompanied by bigger hogs and I let them walk in hopes of getting the shot at a better pig.

When Wingnut picked me up he told me about his dead hog and we headed over to pick up Mike.  When we drove up he was standing in the road with a bloody arrow.  We immediately hit the brush and started blood trailing a hard hit pig.

I'll take this moment to say that these critters are unbelievably difficult to kill!!!  Mike has told you about a couple of short blood trails but this pig was hit hard, spraying blood high on the brush and it just kept on going!  It was a crazy blood trail, easy at times and difficult at other times.  When we finally recovered the hog he was hit through both lungs and the heart had taken a wicked slash as well but he covered a lot of ground in a very thick place before he finally crashed!

Mike B. produced the third hog of the trip and the first hog for the Arkansas crew!  He did it from the same stand that Jason produced the first hog of the trip from the night before!

[wingnut]

Mike B. made us all proud, he was a true rookie and had gained comfidence in his shooting only 24 hours before.  He shot that pig like a veteran.  Perfect placement but man did the pig want to live.  He gave us a real test on the trail before Tony finally bellared that he had the pig.  It was belly crawl thick back in there with lots of stickers.  A typical place for a Texas pig to give it up.

So it was back to the camphouse and the cooler to clean up the pigs and get them put away.

The Arkansas crew was cooking dinner and had the big smoker going as Mike and I headed to town for more ice.

Mike

[tmccall]

I found a photo of Jason's hog where it expired...

 

After that mornings hunt we came in and had some pork BBQ for lunch, then the arkansas crew settled in to prepare dinner.  I had taken some deer tenderloin and placed into a marinade on Sunday evening and packed up real nice in one of the coolers for the trip.  We took that and wrapped it in bacon and put it on the grill along with cream cheese stuffed Jalapenos wrapped with bacon and corn on the cob.  I figured all that bacon was sure to improve my accuracy!

As we got ready for our evening hunt Mike B regaled us with stories from the mornings successful hunt:

 

I failed to mention it before but this hog was Mike B's first trad kill!!!  And he was stoked!!!!

Wingnut showed us how to put the stalk on a goat.  

 

If you've never seen one of these big corn fed guys get "goat small" just ask Mike for a demonstration!    :D  

Finally it was time for the evening hunt and I elected to try the stand that both Jason and Mike B had already scored from.  As evening settled in on south Texas I raced off to my date with destiny...

[tmccall]

Much as I would like to continue the story -- I'm getting to my favorite part -- Mike B and my Dad are just about to get here and we've got pork to process!!!  I'll be back in a bit and we'll get on with the hog killing!!!

[wingnut]

After a great meal we again suited up, shot a few shots at the targets and headed to the bush. This time Tony Sr. again tried the DB, Jason decided on brushing in near the ladder that I took my pig from in the am, Tony went for the ladder that Jason and Mike had already taken pigs from, Mike tried the DB that Tony hunted in the am. I decided on a spot that Gerald hunts now and then when the family is low on pork.

I found a little scrub oak and mesquite combo that provided cover and was able to clip out a shooting hole in a few minutes. The wind was good for this spot and I hoped to ambush the pigs as they rounded a corner. Maybe get the shot off before they new what was up. It was hot, I mean fry an egg on your hat hot. I sat and sweated as only a big guy can do and slowly drank the bottle of water I had with me.

After 30 minutes I heard them coming. It was too early for the big guys I thought so it must be wieners. Figures that my shooting was cleaned up and missing behind, so if it was wieners I was going to take one home. But as they came into view, it wasn't wieners at all. Five hogs were in the group, one small wiener, three 50-70 and a big boar in the 150# class. What were they doing up so early?

They were closing at a slow pig trot (about 20 mph) and would be in my shot window in less then a minute. I took a check of the bow and any twigs I had not taken out. Everything looked good. Now pick a spot and shoot the big guy.

First around the corner was the wiener, and then one of the middle sized boars. Here he comes, wow he's bigger then I thought when I saw him a bit ago. But he's quartered too me, gotta wait, slow down. Then he opens up and shows his side. SMACK! The arrow hits home but my first impression was it was a little high, about the midline but tight to the shoulder.

Bowhunters anxiety sets in. You know the feeling that while waiting after a perfect shot that in a few minutes you are not sure you even hit it. LOL
Well all kinds of demons were chewing on my confidence at this point. I know if I'm too high I'll miss the vitals. But was it too high?

Ten minutes go by and I decide to see if I can find first blood. I crawl out of my hide and cross over to the spot where the arrow and hog met. Big running hog tracks but no blood. HMMMMM! Following the tracks for 20 yds in the open mesquite was easy but still no blood. I decide to go for Gerald and Gator the wonder dog.
Gator is seven pounds of fury. He is a cross between a Jack Russell and a Weiner dog. He is the boss of the property and I've seen 250# boars back down from him. I've also seen him catch and haul down a 50# wounded sow.

Anyway I head for the camp house. Along the way I ran into three Jakes that were fun. They are pretty stupid at that age and I was able to play with them for a couple hundred yards as they walked ahead of me. Once I reached the camp house I found that Gerald had run to town figuring we would not need help til about dark. So I grabbed another water bottle and headed back to the shot location. I was on my own and decide to try and dry track the hog. He had big feet and was easy to sort out from the rest of the traffic.

I reached the spot and start again this time not looking for blood but look at track. It was good trailing as he was running and leaving a lot of sign. It's funny how you concentrate on blood so much at times you forget all the other sign. I followed the running pig for over 100 yards to a stand of white brush. There I found blood and a lot of it on the entry to the brush. I start looking for the next sign when I glanced over the bush to see the pig lying in the middle of one of the farm roads. Now that was nice of him.

He was big and I had thoughts of getting the truck and wrestling him into the back. But as I approached he grew in size and I knew I would require help.

I went back to my hide and sat for a while, remembering hunts gone by and the results of today. It was a good time and my melancholy was interrupted by the distant sound of a diesel starting. Mine was the only diesel in camp so I figured Jason needed help.


Mike

[RayMO]

Mike, I sure am enjoying this. Pigs are just a blast. I know about shots being too high also, it feels great to look up and see them laying there after a long trail, nothing like it    

So, what did Jason get??

[Huntrdfk]

Great hunt guys, keep it coming.  I've got to try this pig hunting thing some day, I think I'm missing out on waaay too much fun.


David

[wingnut]

As I walked towards the camp, I heard another truck start and missed catching a ride with Gerald by a few seconds.  Oh well, I can use the exercise.  I could see the trucks parked at the other end of the main road, so off I went.  It was a short 15 minutes and I was there.  I could hear Gator off to my right so I homed in on it.  A short time later I came onto Gerald and Jason in real thick stuff.  Jason took a minute to tell his story.

"When dropped off I found a good looking spot that offered cover and tucked into the brush for the evening wait.  An hour passed without any action, then without warning a single 70# hog appeared on my left.  It stepped into the window and I decided to pass it up.. . .about 2" over it's back.  Dang it!!  Oh well, after it made it's excape to safer feeding area, I settled back knowing that it would not be the only visitor.

An hour later, I was right.  A group of smaller pigs mostly wieners and 40 and 50 pounders came down the road from the same direction.  I could also hear another pig coming from the right.  With pigs coming from both sides I had to decide on what to do.  The pig from the right was larger by the sound but the ones from the left were closer.  I decided to take the first oppurtunity rather then take a chance.  The largest of the left group stepped in, however, as I drew  the next one down cut it off.  Well a pig in hand is just that.  The arrow flew true and looked to be a great hit.  All heck breaks loose as the group makes tracks for places unknown.  

I looked for a minute or two for bloodsign and decided to get some Gator aid to find this one in the thick white brush.

After going and not finding Gerald, I took the truck back to the site and started to trail on my own."

He said the shot felt and looked solid.  He has taken quite a few hogs now so I figured it was down and out.  Gator came to Gerald rather then stay with the pig.  We circled a bit and Jason soon found a 40# BBQ pig laid up in the thick stuff.  We took it to the road and field dressed it.  Gerald went for the truck and we were soon on our way back.

After hanging it on the meat pole we drove out to pick up my hog.  Jason and I dressed and manhandled it into the truck.  We were soon back sipping water and looking at our hogs as the sun began to set.

Mike

[Dano]

"sipping water" ????  

[Van/TX]

What Dano said        ....Van

[Guru]

This is great guys!!!!  Where's all the pix???

[wingnut]

Well Tony has all the pics and the rest of the story.  He is AWOL again so we will have to wait.

Probably in church actually.

LOL

Mike

[tmccall]

I'm back!

First of all I want to apologize to everyone for not getting the story told quicker.  It's just been crazy since I got home.  I got all the pics sized and uploaded to my photobucket account now and the rest of my story as well as all the hero shots are going to post within the next hour or so...

Sit Down, Shut Up, and Hold On cause we're going on a ride!   :D

[tmccall]

First off, I'm gonna post the group pic from the end of the hunt, then I'll fill in the rest of the story from my perspective.  If Mike is able to get back on he can help sort out the details form there.  At the end I'll post the hero pics...  K?

Here goes the group shot:

 

Pictured from left to right are Jason, Wingnut, Mike B, Me and my Dad (T-Mac).  Not a bad haul for a 2 day hunt!  Two of those pigs represent first tradkills, but I'm getting ahead of myself...