....One of the trail cams, that was set at #3 that there was a group of 4 hogs coming into the feeder religiously just after it went off in the morning, and evening. #3 has quite a history, lot's of critters have died there!
Marty decided that if the wind held, that's where I'd be going in the morning.....
After some great stories by the camp fire, we were off to bed.
Before I knew it, we were all up sitting by the campfire again. That's the ritual at Marty's. Up early, grab a cup of coffee(if you drink coffee,I don't), and sit and enjoy each others company before jumping on the buggy to head off to the stands.....
We all wished each other good luck, I grabbed my Kwyk Styk, and my Sitka pack, and I stepped off the buggy within steps of the bottom of the ladder, and with the aid of my red lensed headlamp,climbed up and settled in. The hogs and deer tolerate the scent of the buggy, more than the smell of human odor around the stands. So it's much better to drive right to the bottom of the ladders if possible. Kind of bizarre to a N.E. whitetail hunter, but over the course of the next few days it was proven over and over thru observation.
It was very warm, and humid this morning. Also quickly apparent that I'd need my Thermacell! The mosquito's were quite active in the pre-dawn darkness!
As it got lighter and I could see I was getting quite anxious. After checking out the trail cam pix, I was hoping the hogs would keep their pattern and be close by. I soon saw the silhouette of a dark hog circling around the right side of my. It quickly moved off out of sight though, seemingly just cruising.
Then came the always startling sound of the feeder going off! Dang it, just when ya think you're ready for it, it still makes ya jump!
But then, within seconds I heard a hog grunt off to my right in the palmettos. They'd heard the breakfast bell, and almost instantly I could hear, and then see them trotting in!
I was going to have to be patient as they fed around. Hogs are always moving when feeding. There was three boar hogs, and one sow. It was quickly apparent that the biggest boar, wasn't the boss. There was a slightly smaller one in the bunch that was very aggressive with the others.
After watching them for about 15 minutes, the smaller aggressive boar was broadside at about 12yds.....the 3 blade VPA Terminator disappeared thru him. In a second I was all alone and my arrow was stuck in the sand....
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I knew from where the arrow had gone thru him that it wasn't at all perfect, but too far back, about mid body, left-right...up-down.....
I sent Marty a text and explained what had just happened. He let me know that he'd just shot a doe. Both would need some time as Marty's doe was hit a little too far forward. But Marty said the penetration looked to be sufficient.
There was no rush to look for either of these. I just sat tight and enjoyed the rest of the morning.....
Man there was a lot of these things around....quite cool looking....
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View from the stand....
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Sitka Ascent 14 pack, with a hot weather hunters best friend....Thermacell!!
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The mystical Spanish Moss, I luv that stuff....
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Another resident on the other side of my stand...
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I got another text from Marty that Biggie had texted him that he was going to head shoot a coon that was by his stand. When Marty pulled up to get him...there was a coon with an arrow thru it's head! But the question is....what came first...the text, or the shot....only Biggie knows.....
When they got to me, I climbed down and we looked at the arrow, and quickly checked for any sign of blood. The arrow was "paunchy", and a quick search revealed no blood close by. It was decided to leave the arrow right where it was so Peanut could smell it when we came back, and go look for Marty's doe first.....
On the way to Marty's stand....
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