I left around 11:15 yesterday afternoon and headed to Horse Creek WMA. Alot of strong storms have been moving through the area and, best I could figure by looking at the weather channel, the rain would be clearing around noon. I got over there around 12:15, and it was raining hard, so I decided to just sit and wait it out. Well, two hours later, I was still sitting in the truck. Even rode out a couple of bad thunderstorms. But I knew it would eventually clear, and the hunting should be good right after the rain. I finally got out of the truck at about 2:25 and headed for the swamp.
The mosquitos were fierce. I had my Thermacell running but I really couldn't tell. The bug juice I had rubbed on my hands and face didn't last long since the water was still falling off the trees and washing it away.
I needed to get the wind right, so I cut across an old clearcut and headed towards the back corner of the area I was hunting. By the time I got to the corner, I was soaked. Guess it's better to be soaked from rain than sweat.
I started zig-zagging back and forth, first up one slough, then down another. I was hunting fast, trusting my eyes, since I knew I wouldn't be able to hear them. I had checked 4 or 5 different sloughs and hadn't seen anything, and started to get into a thicker area with lots of palmettos. I passed about 30 yards from the end of a short slough, and stopped for just a few seconds to look things over. Not seeing anything, I started to take a step when suddenly some movement caught my eye. It was a pig!
I had almost gotten by them, and from the position I was in, I now had a cross-wind. I figured it would have to do, so I pulled an arrow from my quiver and started toward them. There was a very large overcup tree just at the edge of the slough, so I put it between me and the closest pig I could see and closed the distance. Just as I got behind the tree, which put me about 18-20 yards from the pig, I noticed a big sow start to head to my right. When she did, the other pigs followed her lead which, because I was in the thick stuff, took them out of my view. I didn't like the direction they were headed, because it was taking them more downwind of me. I backed out, made a loop around them, and came at them again, this time from dead downwind. I knew about where they were, but couldn't see them. Since it was so thick, and I'm talking palmettos everywhere and head high, I kept moving forward.
Suddenly I glimpsed legs moving not 15 yards ahead. This pig was rooting right up tight to the edge of the palmetto thicket. Now I had another problem. Trying to get a shot through all this thick stuff. There was a big water oak just a few yards ahead, so I decided to slip up to it and see what I could see. There happened to be an open area at the base of the oak which would give me plenty of room to draw my bow. When I got there, I saw several more pigs, plus the big sow, and they were all within 15 yards now. I was about as close as I could get, and really didn't have any shots. While I was trying to figure out what to do, a small boar, about 7 yards away, started moving to my right. I happened to notice a small hole through the palmettos, about the size of a softball. Just as he hit the hole, I drew, bore down on the spot I wanted to hit, and shot, all in less time than it takes to tell about it. He squealed and ran, and almost instantly I couldn't see him anymore. I thought I heard him go down, but wasn't sure. The other pigs in the group really didn't know what happened, but after several seconds, decided to head somewhere's else.
After they had gotten out of sight, I eased forward and found this...
This is where he was standing. The blood spray is from the exiting arrow. Note the palmetto stalk cut by the broadhead. My arrow was a few feet behind this palmetto.
The ground was wet (I'm colorblind), but a few yards away I was able to see this...
Exactly 20 yards away I found this...
Cut 2 ribs going in, and 2 coming out. I love Tree Sharks.
I've been keeping up with it and, since my last opportunity I have walked a conservative 16.5 miles. The sweetest walk was that last mile back to the truck. Thank you Lord!
Topic: 1st public land pig of the year (Read 873 times)
