I’m pumped!
After 3 “guided” hunts for hogs over the past half dozen years, my brother and I finally decided to do it on our own. All of the “guides” were great, hospitable guys – but none of the hunts resulted in either of us taking an animal. I’ll never go back. Nuf said.
On this occasion, I flew to Georgia from Idaho and drove 2 hours to meet him, after a 4-hour drive of his own, on the border of Georgia and Alabama. Neither of us had been there before, so the learning curve was bound to be STEEP. Up until the wee hours of the morning, catching up, talking old hunts and unwinding from the long days, we got a short night’s sleep and headed out. It took some time to figure out access to the area and do some on-site homework, but we got into the hogs on the first afternoon. No shots, but plenty of action. Taking some local advice, we decided to try a little different area the next morning. Two dead-ends and a bridge out before we finally made it to our hunting area around midday. As we rolled up – BOOM, THERE WERE THE HOGS. We closed in on the first group, which resulted in taking the brown pig below. We cleaned it and headed for the truck where we promptly found a nice shady spot and grilled up the back straps. There is just something about putting a fresh harvest on the grill right away. So satisfying.
After lunch we headed back into the woods and promptly got into more hogs. The arrows started flying and pretty quick the black hog below was on the ground. This was a TOUGH shot – about 6 yds, broadside. I actually completely busted the front left leg (bone was in two) and passed through the animal. I guess those 700+ gr lam birch arrows, tipped with a Winsel Woodsman, shot out of my Grizzly Bow did the trick. I had hogs all around me when I shot – what a rush!
This pretty much sums it up:
Airfare from Idaho to Georgia: $963.00
Out-of-State Georgia Small Game License: $40.00
2 lbs of BBQ and a gallon of sweet tea in a “restaurant” with see-through walls: $20.00
Killing 2 hogs in one day, eating the back straps in the woods for lunch and walking through the Marriott lobby muddy and bloody: PRICELESS!!!
- MV