Hogs, great food, new friends and an Angel

[BowHunterGA]

Mike, hated you couldn't make it as well. Would have liked to have met you, always next time I guess.

[Kip]

Mike sounds great but understand you will have a very green greenhorn.Talked to Ray and will bring some Crawfish and rice to make an Etouffee for one meal.Kip

Looks like a great time!

Bisch

[OBX]

Well, you know what they say, even a blind nut finds a hog once in a while. This weekend was my second trip to "The Heaven" and it started right where the first left off. Me in plenty of pigs and something in my eye that kept me from hitting them. Within an hour on friday morning I sent a warning shot over a nice meat hog just to let them know I was back. Clipped just enough hair to let em know I was`nt fooling around. The rest of the day was spent chasing a couple groups of pigs around that just did`nt want to come out an play. Hogs 1 Blind nut 0. Day 2 was even tougher. High winds made finding pigs in the thick stuff  where they had been the day before challenging. But then came Sunday morning, cold and clear. I decided to hunt down by the river as pigs  had been seen there the day before. About 9am I stumbled onto a group of a dozen pigs all about the same size except for a couple 30lb dinks. They ran ahead a hundred yards or so but then as pigs sometimes do they seemed to forget why they were running and stopped to root around some. Within a few minutes they were feeding back toward their original location. The terrain was very open and I could not get close enough for a shot  as they passed between me an the river. They fed into some tall grass that grows along the bank and that gave me just enough cover to close the distance to 25yds or so. A plump red and black spotted boar gave me the chance I needed so I let fly. The woodsman passed thru and stuck in a tree on the far side. Chaos erupted as the pack run by to my left toward the swamp and I could see the spotted pig lagging well back but making it out of my sight.I marked the spot I last saw it and went to retrieve my arrow from the tree. Sign on it looked good but I knew the shot was a little back. After a little wait and prayer I went to the spot I last saw the pig. Blood sign was scarce but within a hundred more yards I  found  it piled up.This blind nut gets to eat. Thank you Lord! For anybody wanting to have a good time with good people you can`t beat Ray and the guys that frequent Hog Heaven. Ray is as good a person as you`ll ever meet and he cooks pretty good too.The trad guys will keep you entertained every evening as you sit around the campfire. Many thanks to Ray and the new friends I made this weekend. See ya again soon. And thanks Ray for posting the picture as I`m not sure I could have figured out how to.

[Ray Hammond]

Danny was a MAN ON A MISSION this weekend
Left at daylight and back at dark!

[Terry Green]

[sticksnstones]

Man that was a great weekend! Very good looking pig Danny, huge congrats on taking that one in those weather conditions!

Steve, I never would have thought of using an angel as a bow stand    

I'll check through my pics in the next day or two and post any good ones that turned out here. I have one with my hill leaned up against a big tree up by Hog Lake, should go with your Crocodile picture.

It was a pleasure meeting all you fellas, and thanks again Ray for everything you do!

I spent the drive home recounting and planning for April, I'll see some of you jokers soon!

Speaking of jokers: what does a 5 lb jelly bean say when he sees a guy with a 100 pound Hill and a broadhead sneaking through the brush?
Thom

[benmmc]

Looks like y'all had a great time! I know you'll put one down next time, Steve.

[BowHunterGA]

Originally posted by sticksnstones:

Speaking of jokers: what does a 5 lb jelly bean say when he sees a guy with a 100 pound Hill and a broadhead sneaking through the brush?

I'll beat Ray to the answer on this one.........the little piggie says..."look out, it's STEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVE!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[sticksnstones]

That's not gonna get old!

Here is my 70" Big Five up against a tree at Hog Lake (and yes, it is frozen over)
   

[BowHunterGA]

Very nice Thom, caught myself several times looking at those big Cypress trees in awe! Truly amazing. First time I saw Hog Lake.

Yea, the piglet story won't get old. Plus when I go back and Ray starts telling this story to everyone else I get to say.... "Heard it!"        

[petertschantz]

Wow Thom, that bow looks familiar    :cool:

Can't wait to get back down there in April!

Pete

[sticksnstones]

Swamp should look familiar too, that's where we were sneaking up on the black pig and saw the gator eyes looking back towards us  

I can't wait to get back!
Thom

[larry]

you guys are making me long for another trip down to Ray's!

[Cyclic-Rivers]

 
I need to get back!

[petertschantz]

Thom, it sure does look familiar. I'm looking forward to poking around down there again!

[CV]

I'm headed down the last weekend in February. If we have half as much fun as your group did it will truly be a hunt to remember. Thanks for sharing.
CV

[petertschantz]

CV it will be something to remember. Take an appetite and listen to Ray! Good luck in the swamp.

[sticksnstones]

Pete you would have liked it, I shot the Big Five in camp a little bit (and quite well when my fingers weren't frozen.) It turned a few heads and got a few "dang, that is quiet!" types of comments. It's bracing 7.25" with 14 strands of D97 and two little yarn puffs near the tips. It's tossing 600 grain arrows right now. Nice combo. I think I could push the tuning on it further, but when it's this good, it's kinda hard to mess with it.

Those arrows get there OK? I hope you're enjoying your Ambush and getting plenty of practice in! Looks like my bow might not be started yet, that could mean I might be hunting the Hill again in April... I can't say that I'd mind taking some game with it if the opportunity arose!
Thom

[sticksnstones]

I wouldn't worry about just getting deep into the swamp, pigs were seen all over last weekend. About as many were up in the pines by the road as down by the river. Listen to Ray, and hunt SLOW. You could bump into them anywhere!
Thom