Paradise Lost,The Hog Hunt

[KPaul]

For me,the only way to describe "The Paradise" is to use William Faulkner's southern hunting tale "The Big Woods".The Paradise is filled with the same mystery and traditions:having places like the cemetery,trashcan woods,the garden and the convicts' camp.When you drive through the gate,it's as if you've gone back in time to that era when the land and hunting were an essential part of society.The faded photographs on the camp kitchen wall give silent testimony to the great hunts and hunters that have passed in time before you.I felt humbled and and pressured to continue that tradition on my first ever hog hunt. -  to be continued.

[aYak]

[hormoan]

YEEEHAAAA I've been waiting for this one          

[aYak]

I'll be jumping in on this with a story and more pics too.  Had the absolute time of my life.

[stringmusic]

That pic looks like a really neat landscape

[aYak]

I've never seen such a diverse habitat, but The Paradise is 4000 acres. If you ever go, better bring your walking shoes, and maybe your bathing suit, if you follow Matt   :D

[aYak]

[KPaul]

Less than an hour after Andy and I arrived in camp,Terry Green had me stalking 7 hogs at the far end of a field.As I worked my way along the edge of the field,I could see the sun radiating of the back of a good size red hog.These pigs were too busy tearing up the ground to notice this big old northern boy edging towards them.I decided to move from the edge of the field out towards the main group.The wind was in my face and the pigs were facing away from me.The big sow in the group started to turn towards me and I froze in my tracks.It's hard for a 240 pound man to hide behind a longbow.She stared at me for what seemed liked an eternity but then went back to churning the earth.Now all the hogs were facing me.My heart was pounding and momma pig was starting to stare me down.With 40 yards left to go things were headed south.Any thoughts I had of closing the distance evaporated when the sow led the group into the thicket leaving me with grunts and squeals as a goodbye.As I stood there shaking,Terry Green approached me smiling.Terry's only comment was "that sow was lookin at you liked you owed her money!"

[Biggie Hoffman]

I don't know who was more excited that night around the fire. Terry was so tore up he hardly let Dr. Kev tell the story!

Great start to the weekend that's for sure!

[Molson]

Man I love hog hunting stories!!!          

[Chris Surtees]

This is shaping up to be a great story...can not wait read more.

[aYak]

At least Terry didn't tell you "It's time for you to make your move" like he did me, later.  I was ready to fix bayonets and go runnin' after 'em

[Biggie Hoffman]

Americas Most Wanted

Andy, Dr Kevin, Jerry Brumm, Biggie, Matt, Terry

[Terry Green]

Yeah...I get exited at times....and I hope I never lose it!!!

I picked up a souvenir on this trip as well...will post a pic later...

Fun trip...wish it lasted another day of course.

[KPaul]

It is a suspicious looking group.Most likely to be searched by TSA at the airport.Montana looks like she wants nothing to do with this bunch.

[aYak]

We met up with Terry Green after the drive in from Ohio on Wednesday afternoon. Biggie Hoffman, Jerry Brumm from Great Northern Archery and Matt Schuster were already there and ready when we got there.  

Since I couldn't see any fresh blood stains on Biggie's special 'pruning' shears,
 
this city boy put his snake boots on and hit the road with Matt.  

Starting out, I made a severe tactical error in letting Matt know I oughta be in decent enough shape to walk awhile since I'd been running the treadmill at 6% incline for the past couple months, and this place seemed flat, relative to Ohio.  Pretty sure he took that as a challenge and off we went....and went...and went...and went some more.  

Matt told me when he saw the snake boots to just not notice them (the snakes) and I'd (probably) be allright.  I looked down and noticed he was wearing NB hiking tennis shoes so he must not worry about them a whole lot.  Then I thought in his tennis shoes, he really only has to just outrun me, not the snake.  So to start (and I guess to cure me), he took me out thru a pretty good swamp behind the camp which is known as the 'Clear Cut'.  This walk/swim would eventually bring us up on the back side of a food plot at the end of the day, where Jerry was working...

[Sharptop]

Rough looking group, but whose Drahthaar? Looks just like my Jude.

[Biggie Hoffman]

This one is to get Guru fired up...these 3 gobblers were in the cemetary food plots.

[aYak]

After stretching my legs a good bit with Matt, toward the end of the day, we spotted several hogs working their way toward us down a road perpendicular to the one we were on as we walked by its opening. We ducked over the side quickly and into the woods when at one point it looked they might be headed away all of sudden they began coming our way again.  This went on for awhile until we eventually had them run off for good.

The next day Terry, me, and some low cut camp shoes (my feet were killing me from the snakeboots I shouldn't have worn) went out to check some foodplots and working our way back toward the camp we snuck up on a good size sow with BUNCHES of piglets and a few other bigger ones mixed in.  The sow was out in front of the group and she hopped up on the road 30 yards away and gave me a quick look, then turned facing me, stopped, and took a few steps toward me and stopped and stared....

[rastaman]

 thanks for the wakeup!