I have been to this place my father's friend has many, many times before. A beautiful 700 acre plot of land with river bottoms, rocky hilltops, grain fields, and mesquite flatts all across it. One of those places you could spend your whole life on without ever thinking twice. The first time I went out, after a lot of crazy encounters with the wildlife, I shot my first rabbit which I was quite proud of. This place has whitetails, rio grande turkey, ferral pigs, rabbits galore, and beautiful scenery.
Anyways, on the 13th and 14th of december, my father and I were invited out to his place for the annual hunt weekend. With only about 4 or 5 of our close friends, the hunting is not stressed and we have a great time also when not hunting. So we head out the first day, see no pigs,(but I can smell them I swear it :D )but get to chase a bunch of turkeys and spook up a couple of deer. That evening I head out and take my time walking through the still pecan bottoms and up to the limestone hills. I was walking along, when, I hear heavy foot fall in the group of bushes next to me. I sit and wait for about 5 mins, and continue on as I hear whatever that animal was run down the hill far from me. About ten yards down the trail, a 50 piglet (born last spring) comes charging through the brush and re-enters to my dissapointment without noticing me. I know this sounds strange, but out of pure entertainment for myself, I start to make a low growling noise that I have heard pigs do when they are by their young. The pig GROWLS BACK AT ME, and even though he is small, my knees start to get a little weak. I play a small growling game with him for about two minutes, and he eventually runs down the hill as well.
I continue my weird bellowing noise, and I hear brush crashing to my back. Something is running in my direction, with the same pig-like growl! I hit the deck immediatley because I was out in the open, and realize that the animal growling at me is a pig about the same size as the first. I still bellow, and the thing sees me (it was really dark so we both looked like shadows to each other). The only thing that I can come up with is that the small pig thinks that I am its momma, because it is coming at a full trot straight for me. I wait until he is about twelve yards out, and I leap up, and take a shot before he even relized what I had done. I hit him at about 8 yards out, right in the neck just behind the jaw (I really didn't have a better shot and I was running out of time to think about it). He made a 25 yard loop and squealed the whole time, and about thirty minutes later I go and track him in the dark.
I follow the blood trail (which is off and on)for about 1/2 of a mile where it completely disappears, and I look around the last spot of blood for the pig for about an hour and a half. Never did find him.
With the way I hit him, I was positive that he would be down in a hundred yards. Very bitter ending to a great thrill rush, but I am thankful that I got the experience.
Maybe I wasn't meant to find him.
All in all, I had a great time hunting and shooting my first large animal. We are all blessed! -Lee
Topic: a great hunt (Read 104 times)
