PIG GIG--Week 1 ---***SNAKE PICS ADDED***

[Guru]

The sky was clearing and the snow was melting. Good and bad!  Good because it made sneaking very quiet, but bad because it made the mud even worse!
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I had a "game plan" I would work on this mid day hunt. With two feeders(We had shaken corn out of both) in walking distance of the bluff overlooking the "pig bomb", I would work a circuit between the far one(where we kicked the hogs off of the day before and I chased down), and the bluff. Halfway between I could glass the other feeder without having to walk toward it.

The wind was perfect for all the spots if a stalk was in order...I was set.

This is the feeder/shooting house that I could glass while working my circuit. Easy to see the green shooting house,but the feeder is a small silver box over on the left side of the picture...
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Fence line I followed between the feeder and the bluff(bluff in the backround)...
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Cactus in a bit of a struggle...
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Snow melting and starting to look like Texas again. The "Pig Bomb"....
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I glassed and watched the guys trying to cross the creek for the first time. They disappeared into the river, and for several long, long minutes they didn't come out. I mean there I was 5-4 miles away, watching helplessly and getting worried about why they hadn't come out on the other side yet....not a good feeling knowing your buds are in the truck crossing a creek they weren't familiar with!

After about 10 very long minutes out pops "The Beast"!!!  Whew...what a relief!

I watch them park and go off hunting...knowing they'd finally gotten to the "better sid"e of the creek and they'd have some good stories and hopefully some pork!!  Rob's "Beast" in the distance....
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Glassing the "pig bomb"...
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Snow almost gone...
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[Guru]

A couple reminders that we were in fact still in Texas....
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  Although the feeder that I was going back and forth to had been hammered again since we'd been by yesterday. Nothing was around just yet....
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Back and forth I went...glass the "pig bomb", work toward the far feeder, and stopping half way between to glass the other feeder....I bet I walked 5-6 miles thru the mud working my circuit...
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But with it being mid day, and us having to leave before prime time....it just wasn't going to happen. I would have bet $$ that if I could have stayed for the last couple hours of daylight that something would have showed....back to camp to start getting ready to leave tomorrow    :(

[rightminded]

What an adventure.  Hope to go on a free ranging pig hunt some day.

[glenbo]

Looks like you had a great time Curt regardless of the weather.Really nice pics.You would have made Steve Irwin proud the way you were working that snake extractor. glen

[Boss Maputahi]

Why would you kill all those snakes? If it was cold enough to snow, they sure wern`t going anywhere. I`m sure the rodent population will thank you in the coming months.

[JC]

Maputahi, from my previous post:

"Now I'll preface this next part for those that may be offended with the upcoming pics: I'm not a bloodthirsty killer that hunts out and kills poisonous snakes for the thrill of it. None of those in our party fall into that category. While some feel there should be a live and let live mindset for all those things you don't "eat", I've spent my life around farms in one fashion or another and "pests" can come in many different forms. If cattle is your lively hood, I know for certain a young calf hammered by a big snake is going to have issues. Not to mention the trouble they can cause to the cowboys and horses that work those cattle. In addition, when we initially showed the pics to the Gene and Barry, they were adamant about the rancher wanting the snakes gone, albeit the slim chances of us encountering them in the current weather. I will also say that we wanted the skins for use as bow backing and integration into knife sheaths, armguards and the like. This is not a whining justification to make us feel better for the killing of these snakes, it's simply some background for my personal mindset and a portion of which was shared by those with me at the time (I cannot speak fully for them and their motivations). "

[Terry Green]

Thank God for Trad Gang!!!!!!

Nothing like reading about and seeing pics of hunts you couldn't attend.

Thanks for sharing guys.

[FerretWYO]

JC and Curt you know how to tell your stories that is for sure.

[rushlush]

This is a great thread, thanks guys!

[Jerry Wald]

Looks like alot of fun for sure. the weather seems to change like i change my underwear though...well maybe more quickly    

JB

[Mint]

I'm going to have to make this hunt one year. I hunted south texas for hogs but it wasso thick you couldn't do any spot and stalk. This ranch seems like it is perfect for a great hog hunt.

[T Sunstone]

Was there any hogs killed last week?  I haven't read all the post but didn't see any pictures of hogs.  I was hunting about 30 miles away and was planning on stopping over one night but never made it.  I missed one big boar on Tuesday night and some close calls on the ground.  The boar was so nervous and jumpy he had me all jumpy.

[Fletcher]

There were several taken in week 2, too.  The Pig Gig Week 2 thread is floating around someplace.

[DW]

There were several hogs killed during week one and there are pics of some of them in this thread. You have to read or at least look at the pages. There is still several that could be be posted but they may not. Sorry your hunt didn't work out.

[Guru]

The fun of the last night in camp. Eating a wonderful meal and soaking in all the camaraderie we could before we had to say goodby the next morning....


Bill, Kevin, Steve, Gene, and Hillboy...
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Chase, LC, Barry, and Woody...
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One regret from this trip is not spending more time around this guy...Woody Blackwell.  One of the nicest, most sincere, and truly talented guys I've ever met. I wish I would have seen him work his magic with stone.
 But I was the recipient of a few of his works of art to haft to an arrow and kill something with. Thanks again bro, I'll do ya proud!
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Hogdancer, Whip, and Paul V....
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Tippet and Hormoan "slaving away in the kitchen"...
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[Guru]

Paul, Sky, Thomas, and Shaun...
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Thru the smoke...Eric and Barry....
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Bill, Kevin, and Skyler...
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Bill, Gene, and Barry warming up his but-tocks..
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Thomas, Kevin, Tippet, and Whip....
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Barry pretending that he's my friend.  I still can't believe I hunted in the same camp with Gene and Barry Wensel.....means more to me that I can put into words....
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Tom Phillips with a big smile...
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[Guru]

The lead up to these 2 pix was absolutely hilarious for anyone who saw it!  Well maybe not for Tom Phillips     . Maybe he'll tell the story...
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[Jerry Wald]

So if I come through texas in early june could I hunt there (a canadian).

Do you have to hunt with an outfitter or just another trad member?

jB

[PZee]

Looking at those landscape pictures, I'm really suprised how closely that bush resembles the 'Bosveld' in South Africa! Apart from the snow that is. Really making me home sick!!!! Great pics guys, keep them coming!

[tradtusker]

Originally posted by DW:
         

Nice Sky!
 Plenty of good eating right there and plenty Of good skins for some bows.