So, I snuck away yesterday and did some scouting for whitetail. I went to an area that I'd had success in 20+ years ago and was surprised to find it hadn't changed much. I was half expecting it to be a neighborhood.
I found several really nice rub lines from last year. Saw a couple of does, one with a set of twins.
The biggest surprise happened when I decided to sneak down to the creek at the bottom of the drainage. I was taking my time, trying not to get too overheated. Sporadic showers made the leaves quiet, so I was able to sneak along fairly silently.
As I was passing through a section of hardwoods, I was able to see some movement about 100 yards off to my right. At first I thought it was a big black bear. I repositioned myself for a clearer look and realized that it wasn't a bear. It was a huge boar hog. He was rooting around randomly and didn't seem to be going anywhere in a hurry. I watched him for a good five minutes from about 75 yards away. Finally he barreled off down the hill toward the creek.
I don't have any idea how big he was, but he had a set of nads the size of nerf footballs. He was black and looked like a body builder. His sides were really scarred up and it looked like one of his tusks was broken off. The other one was pretty impressive.
I didn't have time to explore any further, but I did see a few well used game trails. I think I've found my second secret spot. On public land, nonetheless.
One thing I do know. If I shoot a hog like that down there, there's no dragging him out. It would take a horse.