Decided last night that I would get up early and chase hogs for a bit this morning before it got too awful hot. Out the door at pre-dawn and over to my target for a couple of "confidence shots" before I ventured into the woods.
Slipping thru the woods to the nearest feeder and there are hogs there, 10 or 12. Figure I am in business as I check the wind and begin my stalk. 50 yards out I am busted by a doe and a fawn that I failed to see between me and the hogs. This puts the hogs on edge and they slowly drift off the feeder and slip under the fence onto the neighbors property.
I move into position near the feeder and set up in a clump of palmettos. Thermocell out and I settle in. 30 minutes pass and a small, solid black boar wanders out of the swamp and comes directly into range. He sticks his head in a palmetto clump and I come to full draw. about 12 yards. My form feels good. Anchor is solid. He turns to his left giving me a slight quartering away shot and I let fly. Still not exactly sure what happened, he either saw or smelled me milliseconds before release or actually jumped the string. The arrow went were I was looking, just the pig wasn't there when it got there. Instead I killed a perfectly good oak tree. Woodsman broadhead stuck full depth in the heart of the tree and will remain there for a long while....... Pigs 1......
I hadn't planned on hunting this evening but after the near miss this morning I felt the need to go back and redeem myself.
Couple of hogs on the feeder when I slipped in. Big sow and a small shoat, maybe 40 pounds. Wind was swirling and the sow smelled me and wandered off to the wood line. Long low grunts as she went calling for her youngun to follow but he was having to much fun wallowing in the mud under the feeder to listen... ( reminded me of a teenager :-) )
The little guy eventually figured out that he was alone in his bliss and took off running for the woodline. He went out of sight and I, figuring I had nothing to lose grunted at him,trying to imitate what I had just heard the sow do. He turned around and ran back out into the open and stopped. Still too far for a shot and I only fooled him for a second but definitely something to remember.
Moved in and got set up in the same place I was this morning and the fun began, quickly. I saw 11 hogs in a little over an hour. Had a 100# boar about 5 yards in front of me, Facing directly at me. Face half under water ,blowing bubbles and munching corn. He never presented any sort of shot and the wind swirled and he blew out of there with a quickness. Hogs came and went and never presented a shot until just before dark. Two 100 pound plus boars came in and both turned away from me simultaneously at about 20 yards. I came to full draw as one turned sideways but before I could get settled in and pick a spot he had turned and the other boar had now turned sideways so I switched over to him. The shakes had me BAD! My form went all to hell. I found myself closing one eye and my anchor was nowhere to be found. I should have let down and recomposed or just passed but with the wind swirling the way it was I knew it was now or never. I let fly and hit the boar, way high up. I think in the top inch or so over his shoulder. Arrow passed thru and the flew up in the air. Not sure whether it hit the opposite shoulder and glanced off or hit the palmetto behind the hog and then went up. Doesn't matter. Bad hit.No blood. Fat and very light blood on the arrow and after an hour of hunting for more blood or sign by flashlight I am hoping he wasn't hit hard. Hogs 2, Swampdrummer 0
Lessons learned.
Need to set myself up better if I am going to hunt on the ground. Mainly wind problems but better concealment,possible away from the feeder would help. Theres a small funnel area that all the hogs I have seen today have passed thru, either coming or going that would get them within 12-15 yards and they may no be as wary when they are coming in then when they have reached the feeder.I could solve all of this by climbing back up in a tree stand but I'd like to stay on the ground. Both for the challenge and for the mobility.
I need more time on the blank bale. My form should be the last of my worries when I have game in front of me.
I need to stick to my range limits. I am very consistent out to 15 yards. I occasionally blow a shot, even on the target at 20 yards. I have no business slinging arrows at game at 20 until I can be consistent at that range. I know standard stuff but in the heat of the moment I lose common sense I think......
At any rate. Another day in the south Florida swamps! The hogs are safe at Gator Creek until next weekend!
Topic: Hogs 2, Swampdrummer 0( Long) (Read 251 times)
