Makin' Bacon at Hog Heaven

[Littlefeather]

When?      Dang hogs!

[Guru]

[JC]

I decided it was getting time to turn back to the truck. The wind continued to pick up and a light mist began to fall. Not 100 yards back the way I'd come, I noticed another good wallow in the ditch with a heavy trail from the pines. While standing there looking at the complexity of interwoven lanes, the front half of a hog materialized right in front of me...looking down the road away from me...he simply turned and vanished into the seemingly impenetrable thicket as quickly as he appeared. Never knew I was there, but not long enough to offer me more than just a blink of a moment to recognize what he was there.

In less than a half hour I had close encounters with 3 different hogs within 150 yards of each other. Ray don't call it Hog Heaven for nuthin....

[JC]

The rain began to fall but I didn't switch to my rain gear...it was warm and I wasn't too far.

I stayed on the road because it was the shortest route. Along the way though I was distracted by the THIRTEEN scrapes I counted, on both sides of the road...

 

 

The rain came down harder and eventually became a downpour. I made it back to the truck about the same time Ray did; he relayed his close encounters with a big buck while I told him of my pig tails.

On the way back a wet sow crossed the road with a following of shoats and piglets. By the time Ray had the truck stopped I had my bow in my hands and I was off through the scrub. The sounder scattered away from me as I tried to catch up.

Curtis Kellar had given me lessons on hog callin multiple times while hunting with him. Though I've got no real clue compared to Littlefeather, I gave my best series of grunts. Low and behold, a good sized boar answered my call running straight at me. I was completely caught flat footed. I was on my knees but as I drew he knew that bush wasn't supposed to be there...he made a hard left and rejoined the sounder of "real" pigs. From what I saw of the sow, piglets, shoats, and boar, that now made 12-15 pigs for the morning.

The rain continued and we headed back to camp for a sandwich and a debriefing. Half a days hunt and I had already had a seasons worth of memories. Anything more would simply be gravy...little did I know, there was lots of gravy to come.

[JC]

After sandwiches Ray and I took a drive 10 miles down the road for good cell service where we checked in with our families and relayed our tales so far. Apparently I was missing a great double header with Connor's fall baseball team, but for once, I thought I might be having more fun than him.

Back at the camp, the rain lulled us into a state of bleary discussion; the nap was upon us and we couldn't resist it's siren call.

My internal alarm clock rolled me out of my bunk. My feet were on the floor before I really realized it was time to get hunting...I was on auto pilot. The rain had mercifully cleared and unusually for the south, it had actually cooled in it's wake.  I had decided to sit a stand for the evening, maybe trying to fill a doe tag for the freezer. Maybe I had already pushed my ration of luck for the day on the pigs, we would see how the deer reacted.

Ray dropped me off and I followed his directions to the stand, enjoying the sunshine and cool breeze. A short while later I was settled comfortably 18 feet up a tree, overlooking a beautiful section of woods bordering the creek. I had a great view as the sun went down; nothing more than the constant activity of squirrels but an enjoyable evening none the less. As earlier, the constant anticipation of "what could be" was enough to keep me on the edge of my seat.

Ray picked me up after dark and though my host was slightly disappointed I didn't have continuation of the action I had earlier in the morning, we were both in perma-grin mode from the simple joy of being in the woods. While I rearranged gear for the next days hunt, Ray hooked us up with some FINE hand cut steaks, oven roasted vegetables, and ice cold beer. I can't tell you how satiated I was, both physically and emotionally I was at the end of day. Incredible hunting, incredible food, incredible company...so far it was nothing but gravy.

[JC]

We talked late into the evening, until I couldn't hold my eyes open any longer. That night I didn't dream, I simply fell out after a day full of adrenaline overload.

We woke to a clear and cool Sunday morning. Again, Ray had the breakfast hot without any help from me. Though I don't remember telling him how to cook them, my eggs were perfect anyway...WHOMP biscuits completed my fuel for the morning's hunt.

I really felt good about the spot from the night before, I just knew that spot would produce. Besides, the scenery was simply pristine and I hadn't gotten enough from the previous afternoon's vigil. After Ray dropped me off, I settled in for the rest of the crisp morning. It passed uneventfully except for a small basket-rack that passed safely in range.

By 10:30 I had decided there was nothing left there on the stand for me and set off across the property. Changing tactics, I thought it was time to get back on the pigs that had all but thrown themselves at my feet the day before. I found a wallow Ray had described to me but nothing but mud awaited me there. I wound my way through game trails, past feeder fields and along grassy lanes enjoying the sunshine and low humidity the high pressure front following the previous day's rain. I stopped more than once to "smell the roses"....God continued to bless me throughout the trip with more smiles than my simple heart could contain.

 

 

I made the long hike back to camp without sighting any game. Another great lunch awaited me and though the breakfast was spectacular, it had worn off some time ago.

Ray and I got involved in hanging two new stands so lunch was delayed until late. Before I knew it, the day had matured and it was time to start back out for the evening hunt. I had a feeling...I wanted to go into the swamp to find a hog and Ray helped me narrow my choices. Something in my gut told me it was about to happen...this afternoon was the main event...it was about to all come together.

[PV]

       

[JohnHV]

Just caught up on this, great story. Wow Joe, you had more action in one morning than I've had all season long. Looking forward to the rest of your "pig tail"!

[JC]

I took the John Deere Gator into the swamp and Ray went to an oak flat closer to camp. I parked at a crossroads and took "the middle road" towards the depths of the property. The breeze was mild and steady, the right direction for both my walk in and the stand I wanted to make my way towards.

A few hundred yards down the road I heard an obvious discussion among a group of pigs off to my right.  I veered off the road and out into the trees, picking my way as quietly as possible while trying to keep trees between me and the sounds. Shortly I came upon a big sow with 7 or 8 footballs in tow. It reminded me of the aquarium....a big fish swimming along while an entire school of smaller fish darted and danced all around it as it moved. The suckling piglets would run into her, bounce off, bang into each other, fall, roll, tip over, jump up to do it all over again while she rooted. They seemed more interested in milling around each other than rooting...it was comical to watch her trying to find something to eat while they continually got in her way. I could almost hear "Would you kids STOP that!??!!".

Pointing my bow at them and whispering "thump" to count coup, I backed out and continued on. A few hundred yards later I caught movement off to my left...black shapes drifting among the tree trunks. Another sow with shoats in tow, looking a bit more reserved than the previous group. Among them were two shooter pigs 125+/-, so I quickly nocked an arrow while I duck-walked towards an intercept path. They were really moving quick and at an angle that would require me to stay at just short of a run to connect with them. I gave it a try but the number of eyes and the speed I was forced to travel was too much for my luck. Busted, I made my way back up onto the trail and proceeded to the stand.

Settled in, the stand overlooked a feeder in a small clearing. Even though it was still well before dark, there was a distinct contrast between the darkness of the surrounding swamp and the open hole of sunlight ahead of me. The ground under the feeder was mixed into the typical cake batter/plastic hogs create and not a kernel in sight...it was obviously used heavy.

I saw a couple of turkeys glide into my peripheral vision. They made a quick circle around the glade and evaporated the way they came. As I was watching them go, I had just hung my bow back up to readjust my harness....only to almost jump out of my skin as the feeder went off. You know it's coming, you even have a rough idea of when...but when it happens I still am caught completely surprised for that brief second. Glad my bow was hanging...

I put an arrow on the string and attached my arrow holder, angling my body so I wouldn't have to move far for a shot. A minute later a coon sauntered in, going right to the water in the wallow/hole beside the feeder to begin testing it's depths for morsels of corn. I enjoy watching coons, it doesn't take long doing that to understand how they can get into so much mischief: if I didn't know better, I would believe they "think". Another coon joined the first and both went to playing in the water for their supper. Their front paws churning bubbles into the mud slurry as they feverishly worked for each individual kernel of corn.

[Littlefeather]

Gruntin hogs in on you can get real exciting! Glad you got to use yhose tools. Sounds like a great hunt so far. Carry on. CK

[frassettor]

   

[JC]

Engrossed in watching their God-given talents, I was snapped out of my trance as they both looked up to my right into the swamp...and quickly beat it in the other direction. Here now! Maybe we got something here!

In came a big black sow, I'll bet close to 200#, with a purposeful gait that took her straight for the feeder...followed by the most eclectic bunch of piglets I had ever seen. Sizes from not much bigger than my hand to footballs, colored from black to rust with a calico and brown/black striped one thrown in.  They all began rooting as if their life depended on it...wait a minute, it did.

Again enjoying the spectacle the Lord had blessed me with, I was surprised as another sow with piglets in tow barreled in and broke me from my thrall. There were now 13 pigs under the feeder, frantically hoovering up anything they could find.

WHOOOF! came a deep sound from the direction they had entered. All the suckling piglets threw themselves belly down in the mud, some piling on top of the others, and froze solid. The sows both wheeled and faced the sound, resounding "Whoofs" of their own. Everything seemingly returned to normal after a few seconds of silence, the piglets unthawing and going about their antics as if nothing happened. WHOOF! again from the side...the previous scene played out two more times before I decided I was going after the obviously bigger pig outside my view. Believe it or not, it wasn't too hard slipping down the back of the tree...the hogs made so much noise among themselves they never heard me get down. I backed straight away, keeping the tree between me and them until I got 30 or so yards further away, then turned my attention to my right where the sounds had come from. I slowly stalked from tree to tree, straining my eyes to pick up any movement in the falling light.

I saw more shapes materializing out of the swamp filtering into the edge of the clearing. I picked an angle that would take me on an intercept where they new group was coming from. I could see these weren't footballs, there were numerous shooter pigs making their way through the woods angling towards me.

[Kip]

Great story JC.I was in a bunch of hogs last Sunday and never got a shot so your story is very familiar.Keep it coming.  

[JC]

I was gettin the nerves now...hogs were close and there were a lot of eyes to catch any mistake I made...one wrong move and my hunt for the night would be over. One hog passed by at the right angle and distance....but it couldn't have been 30# and I really wanted something bigger considering everything that was moving into range. Up out of a depression a pig angled in...the green light went off in my head as I began to put pressure on the string, starting the draw. The hog turned slightly away, looking back the way it had come...I saw the hollow of it's armpit as it shuffled it's left leg forward...I remember realizing I was in the last 1/2" of my draw, bearing down on that hollow, and then the arrow was in almost silent flight.

WHUMP! the arrow disappeared as if the hog's chest had swallowed it in one gulp. It whirled and exploded...hogs erupted from everywhere...as Jeff Foxworthy would say "It was Pandolearium!" I struggled to keep my eye on my target among so many wildly running bodies. Within seconds all I could hear was the beating of my heart and the curious "plop..pop" of bubbles in the mud where the hogs had been just before.

I made my way to the impact point and found my arrow neatly stuck in the mud, covered from point to nock in the prettiest shade of perfect crimson a hunter has ever seen. I slung the blood off, the sweet coppery aroma cloying at my nostrils and tickling some atavistic section of my brain...a reflexive grin spread across my face.

I traced a few yards the direction I thought it went...a few more yards I saw good blood. Light was falling fast, my pack was up the tree 50 yards away, I was long walk from the gator and we had a dinner plans with our friend Andrew in an hour. It's tough to leave knowing you've got one on the ground but I had no desire to get turned around in the swamp for the rest of the night. I needed more light that what I had brought with me at least. I marked last blood, gathered my gear and hustled back to the gator. I thanked God as I drove back to camp; for the opportunity to see what I had, experience what had just happened, and prayed that the animal now lay dead from a clean shot.

[JC]

Back at camp Ray was already slicked up and ready to go. "So are we draggin?" he asked. I just smiled and showed him the crusty arrow. He was ecstatic; jumping up his expression changed slightly, he set his jaw and said "I'll change." I told him I thought the best thing to do would be to make our dinner plans with Andrew; I hadn't seen him in too long and I was sure the pig wasn't going anywhere.

The reunion with Andrew was as it should be among close friends, picking up right where we had left off as if it had not been many months in between. Dinner was fantastic and we all ate almost to the point of pain; much laughter and smiles...it was simply more icing on the cake to an already incredible day. Ray and I hated to leave, but it was already 10:30 and we knew it would be late by the time we got back to camp and then the pig out of the swamp.

[JC]

"First blood is here..." I pointed to Ray as I picked up the TP I had left to mark the spot. "Blood here....blood here....blood here..." as I walked the trail. Couple of times it took us a minute to determine which way it had gone, the path made a circuitous route through the timber. "Blood here..." I said. "There it is JC..." I looked up and 15 yards away lay the 125# dry sow, sprouting a small bouquet of shining bubbles from the triangular hole in her side. Turning back to look at the headlights of the still running gator, she hadn't gone 60 yards as the crow flies from first blood. Congratulations, backslaps, grins, and even a giggle was heard. The relief of actually putting your hands on the animal you "knew" was down is heady emotion indeed.

We drug her to the gator and motored back to camp, our eyes watering in the now cold air...my perma-grin stuck on my face as I replayed the shot in my mind.

At the skinning shed we emptied her and hung her in the walk in cooler. It was late and I would have plenty of time to complete the necessary tasks before leaving in the morning.

I couldn't go to sleep; I busied myself with washing the bloody arrow, resharpening the head, arranging gear for the morning hunt. Eventually, the adrenaline left my system and I crashed into my bunk sometime around 1am (that's late for a guy who gets up every day at 4).

[Arrowslinger]

Way to go JC.  Great story telling.    

[4runr]

Congrats JC!

I sure do enjoy your story tellin Mr.Coots!

[Terry Green]

Gotta love a good story......  

[Rob DiStefano]

most excellent in every way, jc - way to go brother!