Rays, No Pigs?

[DW Dyer]

I can pick up a little bit where Charlie left off. After Ray gave us the rundown we all took off to our respective hunting areas. Ray had told us that when we get into the thick pines there will be patches of Fragmites ( Don't know if that is the proper spelling) where the pigs feed off the root bulbs. Creeping along very slowly and paying attention to the wind direction, I wasn't in these pines more than 75 yards when I had my first encounter. I could hear something headed in my direction. I knocked an arrow and got ready, pretty soon I could see some black figures headed directly toward me. The first pig in line was a wet sow that came within about 15 yards. She was followed by 2 piglets and another smaller sow. I will work on some pictures, but for those that have been in these pines they know how difficult it can be to get a shot. Regardless of the growth that was in between myself and the hogs the wind suddenly changed and gave me away, these pigs didn't spend much time hanging around to see who or what was among them.

[ron w]

Looks a lot wetter than in January, glad you had a good time! Good that you also saw game!!

[DW Dyer]

I finished the first day of hunting off by seeing 1 more pig that I didn't get real close to. I heard some others but didn't have anymore sightings. When we arrived back at camp Ray had a delicious meal prepared for us, most of you already know Ray is a fantastic chef.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Food      

   

[DW Dyer]

After having breakfast the following morning Ray said I think you should go back into the same place as the first day. I believed this to be a very good idea since I had already had some encounters in this area. I got back into the pines and wasn't much more than 50 yards in when I could hear some grunting and a lot of noise coming from a very large area of the Fragmites. The only way I can describe these is that they look like cattails without the brown top. I could hear a pig moving around in them and could see these large reeds moving. Paying attention to the wind I was able to creep around the outskirts of this wet area and moved to within about 20 yards of the animal. I stood there watching as this hog was feeding in my direction, suddenly I heard a noise coming from my right and another sow came into the picture. I attempted to move up on the animals but was busted by the swirling wind once again.     I encountered another bunch of hogs when I was headed back in to meet the guys for lunch. These animals were within shooting range, but no clear shot.

[DW Dyer]

That afternoon we decided to head down into the swamp. We encountered the alligator that Charlie spoke of but saw no pigs. Another guy in the group manged to see 2 at a distance but there was too much water between he and the animals. This was my first experience in the swamp and it was very cool. Even though we didn't encounter any pigs it was a nice break from the thick pines and briars that I had been in earlier.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

After we left the swamp, we were standing chatting it  up near the truck. I had felt about as sore as I could feel. As it turned Out I wasn't the only wimp in the crowd.

While talking we heard a blood curdling noise coming from the woods no to far away. and then again.  The squealing Kinda reminded me of Deliverance                

Dale and Dan grabbed the bows and readied for shots but it became too dark much too quick.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Originally posted by IndianaBowman:
Very nice Charlie! Liked your story in the PBS Magazine.

Thanks Terry for encouraging me to submit it.

[DW Dyer]

The next morning I was headed back for the pines. I was barely out of sight of the camp on a newly cut fire break when I encountered some fresh sign. It looked as if someone had just run a rototiller down the road. This sign was fresh! I started creeping down the fire break road an hadn't gone more than 20 yards when I started to hear something off to my left. I counted 4 sows and around a dozen piglets feeding through some hardwoods. I attempted to stalk up on them, the problem was there wasn't any cover. One of the sows either winded me or heard me move. They didn't spook, they just started feeding in the other direction. No big deal I said, I will just cut them off up the road a bit. I took position behind a bush on the edge of the road and my plan was working. This large sounder was head in my direction. Every thing was going to plan until this large wet sow came around the bush and busted me.  

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Before I forget:

  Special thanks to Glenbo!!!

For letting me park my truck at his house.  also thank you for the generous offer for dinner!!!        That was awesome!!!

[ron w]

That's the same plate of food I had down there,and it was good!!   Yea Frolicking, that's the word  

[DW Dyer]

Paying attention to the wind I figured that I would try and cut this group off in the pines and possibly get a shot on one. I headed into the pines slowly and pretty soon I ran into some more animals in the Fragmites. I crept around and got within 15 yards of this group and they were feeding toward my position.Pretty soon a good sized sow was working her way through and was getting in bow range. This was my opportunity. The pig stepped out and I let an arrow fly. Miss!    You're supposed to pick a spot dummy. That was my chance to take a hog and I didn't pull it off. In all I saw between 50 and 60 pigs. This was an awesome hunt and great learning experience. Ray was a wonderful host and is a class act. I shared camp with a great group of guys and had a blast, and I want to thank my father for taking me on this trip.

[DW Dyer]

Here is a picture of where my first hog encounter took place. They came through on the other side of all that stuff.  

[DW Dyer]

I guess the picture didnt come through. Sorry.

[Bel007]

Ray can cook!  Better than my wife too!  Although...she is a fair bit purdier, so I'm stayin with her and just visiting Ray once a year.  

Enjoying the story.  Keep it comming.

[huntmaster80]

looks like a nice vacation

[redant 60/65]

Glad you all had fun.    

[DW Dyer]

It was a great time! Just being able to get that close to these animals made the whole trip worth while.

[DDyer]

After we met Ray on Fri. he told  us that they had had 10 inches of rain that week and the swamp wasn't accessable and he thought the pines and "high" ground would be the best place to hunt.After our lunch, orienation, and a few practice shots Ray dropped Dale and I off on the main road and we hunted through the hardwoods into the pines across from camp. There was a lot of fresh sign in the hardwoods and I figured they must be in there at night so I planned to hunt the pines and come back there in the evening.Once I got into the pines there was hog sign everywhere! I hunted slowly up to a wet place about a hundred yards long. while woring my way up through I heard a hog grunt to my left. The wind was right and following Rays advice I became aggresive and went after them. If you wait around for them to come to you the wind will probably change before you see them and that will be the end of it. Well I wasn't quite quick enough and when I got 30 yards from them they were still behind some bushes and the wind changed. They turned and came back by me at 20 yards running behind thick bushes,no shot. Ther were 3 medium sized hogss and 3 piglets.At that point in my life I became addicted to hog hunting. I played cat and mouse with them until dark and kept hearing them but couldn't get close enough to see them. I made my way out of the pines after dark and back onto the fire break surrounding the pines.Following the fire break back to camp I jumped at least 10 hogs out of the hardwoods bordering the fire break.I guess I should have stuck to my original plan but now I knew where we would be hunting the next morning. Got back to camp for a delicious supper of spaghetti with wild hog sausage sauce.
will post more after work.

[Rob DiStefano]

sounds like you guys had a good, albeit wet time.  yep, there's a LOT to learn about hogs and hog hunting ... damn frustrating at times, but fun none the less.  it took me forever to get the gist of it and take some hogs, and i'm still learning.  headed 'back to school' tomorrow.  :D