2013 Hill Gang Hog Hunt

[Bud B.]

Darren,

You have pics of the tips on Howard's bow?

[Iron Man2]

Aye! I know this might be a bit early...but, any thoughts for the next location for the 2nd Annual HHH, in 2014?

JL    

[awbowman]

Originally posted by Iron Man2:
Aye! I know this might be a bit early...but, any thoughts for the next location for the 2nd Annual HHH, in 2014?

JL        

Just a thought, but we can hunt deer until mid-February in central louisiana.  Lots of public land with lots of camping.  I think we could find something to cook too.

You can also purchase deer license per day at $36/ day.

[Rossco7002]

I hear Louisiana is covered in deer...

[Knawbone]

I like that idea, I think you can take one deer a day too if my memory serves me correctly.

[Knawbone]

So anyway Iv' got not one but two hog stories to tell. Some of you know about the hogs RC and I got on, but you may not know about the hogs I did a recon on before anyone else got in camp. Some people don;t know that I also had some advantage do to the fact that I arrived at Ocmulgee early Monday morning and hunted for two days before anyone else got to hunt. Monday I set up camp and did a little looking around and got familiar with the area. Know that I think about it, I guess I didn't hunt at all Monday, but I did see hogs.I drove past the check station to cut some firewood late Monday afternoon right at that first bend in the road past the check station. I noticed fresh pig tracks coming from the direction of the railroad tracks and heading into the brushy clear cut that stretches from there to the power line and across from the check station.More on that later. So anyway, I'm driving back to camp with my firewood when I look and see a black back of an animal standing in the little grassy field, between the check station and the camp grounds. At first, I was thinking Deer, but then realized it was too dark in color to be a deer and that it had to be a hog. My first instinct was not to spook it, but I had to drive back to camp so had no chose and drove on toward camp.Well it wasn't one but four hogs, and the one sow had four piglets with her. Out of the field and across the road they went, right into those thick entangled pines between there and the railroad tracks.With my senses alerted I noticed the time, it was 6;15 pm. and the wind was blowing steady from the direction of the railroad tracks- NNW I believe. I now had my first plan of attack. If the wind would stay from that direction the next night, I could hide just inside the woods on the downwind side of the grassy field. The pigs would enter from the pines, cross the road and into the field.It would be a perfect set up. More to follow...........

[Sockrsblur]

[awbowman]

Actually in Louisiana you can take a buck and a doe a day in most areas.  3 does and 3 bucks for the year.
We can talk later. I want to hear what knawbone has to say

[sticksnstones]

Originally posted by Sockrsblur:
   

x2!

Those were the spots I was seeing sign and was pretty sure I heard some moving last Sunday morning.
Thom

[Knawbone]

All was quiet at camp Ocmulgee that Monday night,as I cooked my dinner and enjoyed a bottle of Ommegang Abby ale around my first bond fire. I fell asleep in my warm cozy cott listening to the coyotes yipping and howling in the not so far distance. Tuesday Morning was clear and cool as I awoke around 7;30. I remembered RC saying the pigs weren't to active until the day time temps warmed a bit, so I enjoyed my coffee and oatmeal, and did my chores, waiting for the sun to warm the day. Around 10;00 I walked out of camp to hunt adjacent areas around camp and look for further pig sign. Without disturbing the areas near my" golden field" I used the railroad tracks as a means of travel to search the area past the check in station and the areas around the RR crossing. I found fairly fresh hog tracks just before the tracks and again piggy tracks entering the brushy clear cut. Now this clear cut was playing on my mind. I figured there had to be pigs in that clear cut, but it would be next to impossible to get a clean shot in such a place. Still, I kept thinking about the possibilities.Unfortunately no pigs were encountered that afternoon, but it was now time to prepare for the evening hunt in the" golden Field. "                                    
  Now back at camp I found myself eager for the evening hunt as I rested and thought about every detail for my approach to the field.            
  Suddenly, a car comes into camp and pulls up to my little home away from home. A gentleman rolls his window down and says :" are you a part of the Hill Gang by any chance " After confirming that I was, he introduced himself. Hi, I'm Tom Tally otherwise known as Knapper. Well now my sollitude was broken and Tom and I had a great visit. It was exciting and a pleasure to meet the second member to arrive.                              
  Now I didn't mention my hunting plans to Tom as we went our separate ways to pursue our quarry. Tom drove up the road past the check in station and I followed suit to my field of promise. I believe it was around 5;00.  Why can't i get my paragraphs to separate? To be continued.

[tradlongbow]

Originally posted by Bud B.:
Darren,

You have pics of the tips on Howard's bow?

Bud-

I didn't take pics of the tips because they were small like Scultz made them. In Bob Burton's book he measured those tip's they're .400.

D.

[Knawbone]

The field and surrounding area was quiet and void of anything that walks,as I ducked into the woods just east of the field. I skirted the back side of the field, with clippers in hand not wanting to leave any scent, or visual clue as to my arrival.Upon reaching my vantage point, I quickly weighed the situation and chose the best spot in which to ambush the hogs. Looking it over and then clipping out a couple of shooting windows into the field. It was quite open woods for the first ten yards from the field, so my sitting spot came behind a section of upturned old foundation of a generation or two old. As I settled in my nest, I was confident I would get a shot should the pigs come within fifteen yards or so of the wood line in front of me.          

  The breeze in my face was perfect as I retrieved two broad heads from my back quiver and patiently waited the anticipation and arrival of the hogs. I looked at the time, it was just about 5;30 pm.                                      

  Well, sure enough, almost exactly at 6;15 in came the pigs. First one, then two, then four and the baby piggies came into the field, exactly as they had the night before. They came in right across from my position, but immediately went some 30 yds. to my left and stayed out some 20 yds. from the edge of the woods. Now all I had to do was wait for one of them to feed my way and come a little closer to my side of the field.I remember thinking " is this really happening, am I about to get a good shot at a pig " It didn't seem possible that it could be this easy and only my 2 nd day of hunting.                      

  Praying heavily I did, as the minutes of the day whispered the retreat of the sun: I needed one of those pigs to stop screwing around and come over and say hello.                    

    Just then, as if on cue, one of the pigs started chasing another over in front of my position. One was now walking right in front of me, but was out toward the limit of my confident shooting range and more importantly, at the limits of my shooting window. The chance for a shot was now and I knew it. The sun was no longer my friend, as shooting light swiftly faded. The moment of truth was now. My only alternative was to refrain from shooting and hope that not only might I be able to leave the field undetected, but the weather, the wind, and the pigs, all return the following night. None of which I had  any confidence in.              

  Rocked with a bad case of hog fever, after watching these pigs for what seemed like forever, I drew my bow down on the pig in front of me. It was already darker out than was Ideal and I feared the pig was a bit far out for my shooting window, but I had to try. It was a shoot now or never situation. With my mental calculator guiding my hold over, I realized I would have to shoot threw the upper limits of my clipped window and hope for the best. The shot felt good upon release, but as the arrow reached my shooting window, I watched in horror, as my arrow deflected off some unseen object, and fly up and over my target by some four or five feet. My chance had come and gone as I watched the pigs leave the field in unison.                                  

    I hate that feeling when you realize a blown opportunity, but as I sat there running the events threw my mind, back in the field the pigs came, not but five minutes after their hasty exit. More yet.........

[WESTBROOK]

Bud, if you go to Bob Burtons web site, whispering wind arrows, he has some pics of the same bow. Its in the Howard Hill collectables book.

Eric

[Knawbone]

At this point in the game,my chances for another shot were very slim. Lighting was poor, but if the pigs came close enough, there was a chance. The pigs went west once again, and my time had run out. Suddenly, one of the hogs looked up the road glared for a moment and then sounded the alarm. Off the field the pigs ran, as I looked for the source of their fear. Coming from the direction of the camp was a man dressed in a guillie suite- it was Tom Tally returning from his hunt. Tom had circled from below the check in station and had hunted down the power line and up a trail somewhere in the vicinity of the campground, and was returning to his vehicle. Tom did me a favor, I now had a clear exit from the field. Lord only knows how long those pigs may have stayed in that field otherwise. If that had been the case, it may have been a long wait unless I wanted to totally spook the pigs. That, I didn't want to do in hopes that I might get another crack at them the next night. As slight a chance as that may have been with all things considered. Thanks Tom.

        Wednesday came with new high hopes and the knowledge of expected arrivals. Today I would get to meet more of my Trad Gang members. The day was nice once again with yet more prospect for a pig kill. My plan for the morning was simple. I hit the Railroad tracks once again and just hung out there and watched for hogs to cross the tracks.I walked up the tracks a was and looked for pig crossings, if there were such a thing. Not finding much sign of pigs but just mostly watching the tracks for pigs crossing, as I could see for quite a good distance up and down the tracks. Then, as I looked up toward the RR crossing past the Check in station, there they were, two black pigs crossing from the direction of the swamp and heading  once again toward the brushy clear cut.More yet to come......

[awbowman]

Great story telling.  I was right there.  Keep it coming

[Sockrsblur]

   Good story David!

[Knawbone]

I believe it was now 2;00 when I shuffled into camp to eagerly meet my comrades of the American longbow, and brothers of the band width. At that point, I was more excited to meet them than I was to hunt pigs.( if you can believe that )      

 Everyone was busily unloading and setting up their camps as we greeted, shook hands, and became acquainted with one another. I can't remember everyone I met that afternoon, but present was Darren, Bud, Paul, Ross,Jesus,Chris and RC was there.

[RC]

Great hunt recap. I enjoyed meeting you and our short hunt together. Just that short time I could tell you are a fella that loves to hunt and will get after`m. You are welcome to hunt with me anytime. I regret that I could not get back up there to hunt again but duty called here. RC

[Knawbone]

Of coarse, we naturally got on the subject of hunting pigs, and RC answered all our many questions and offered his vast knowledge of the area and the pigs.Here was a man with a storehouse of hog knowledge and was more than willing to share it with us. We all thank you RC, especially me, as I was the only one in camp who had an active hunting license that day. Knowing that I would be hunting for 7 to 10 days I had bought a non resident license. Most If not all the other Hill Gang hunters had wisely bought a 3 day license knowing that for them, it was a weekend venture.                              

 I'm not sure just what time it was when RC and I decided to look for some pigs, but I was thrilled at the opportunity.We jumped in his truck and headed for the swamp across the RR tracks.I now had a personal guide, and a good one at that.

[Knawbone]

The feeling is mutual RC, and I thank you for all your help, and all you did and said that day to help your friends of the internet. I would jump on the chance to hunt with you again, and just may do that before this license expires. If at all possible and our time could arrange it, I'll be there.