The Good, the bad, the ugly at Ray's This Weekend

[SheltonCreeker]

I have to say of the wounded pig. We searched and researched the area. I know it was hard on Mike as any hunter, but that is hunting and I know my friend has learned a great deal from this shot as did I. It doesn't make the unrecoverd animal any easier but it definatly doesn't make the it a total lose. Keep your head up my friend you are one of the finest people Ive ever stepped into the woods with.

[Joeabowhunter]

I'm not the Canadian that snored so loud the walls shook but I did bring him and new well enough to bring ear plugs so we BUNKED together.......Ray need not comment on my choice of words this time!  Anyway, to Ray, Mike, David, Shawn, Kip and even the human chainsaw Barry it was a pleasure to share a camp with all of you and I hope we will be able to hunt together again.  Mike, thanks for taking and posting these pictures.  I was too wound up to take my own so I will enjoy yours.  I have to say my hunt was a success even though I don't have any meat for the freezer.  I did have a group of 3 young/small boars at 5 yards in a mud wallow that I was able to watch for about 10 minutes.  I passed on them hoping for a chance at a bigger pig but it wasn't to be....that's hunting.  I saw one other nice pig that busted me way before I ever saw it.  Hunted with Ray and Barry on Sunday morning and was able to stalk within 15 yards of 3 bedded deer on the river bank.  I actually only saw one ear twitching in the tall grass until they busted out.  I saw many armadillo's (that sound like pigs rooting through the tall grass), some turkeys, a gator and thankfully no snakes or other biting critters that Ray was happy to keep warning us about ACTUALLY I think Ray kept directing that stuff to me for some reason.  Oh yeah and the food was great thanks to Ray and Kip.

[Whip]

Originally posted by Ray Hammond:
Yes it is Kip M and if you ever get offered a plate of his crawfish étouffée and you don't take it someone should slap you!  

I thought I could cook til I tasted it- wow!!!

Truer words were never spoken (or written)  I've been there and done that, and I can say I sure hope I get to do it again someday!

Sounds like a great trip for all involved.  I'll be in that area in another week on the Bacon Strip and hope to do half as well as you fellows did.  Thanks for wetting my appetite - Great story telling!

[BOWMARKS]

Sounds like a good time was had for all!!      

[awbowman]

That was one huge copperhead, and yes those LA boys can cook!

[Bud B.]

Excellent thread and photos.

I gotta keep saving for a return trip  

Sorry you lost your pig but it sounds like a great experience at Ray's!

Bisch

[straitera]

Raggedazz to lose game & hard on the soul. I know. Thanks Mike for being man & hunter enough to explain your sympathies.

Snakey swamp hog hunting is sure exciting sometimes especially for you Yankee boys. Better luck next trip. Looks like a great place to hunt with great TG friends making it all the better! Pic & story thanks.

[Kip]

I am not a Turkey hunter or a cook                   but hope to change the first soon.I think I will have some turkeys on huntable property fairly soon so I need to learn how to hunt them,I could not have picked a better couple of great turkey talkers,bowhunters,campers,teachers,and all around great guys that I had the pleasure to spend a long weekend with.I offered my wife to go to Savannah for a few days (brought her sister to keep her company while I hunted)and would also make a detour to spend a great weekend with Ray and his guest Joe and Barry from Canada,Mike and David from Illinois and Shaun from Virigina.Ray tried his best to put me on birds and Mike gave up his last morning to call in a bird for me but the Manuel curse again did not fail me.Saw birds,heard them gobble but no cigar walked up on hens saw plenty of other wildlife,beautiful swamp,good food.As I get older the experience and comraderie of meeting bowhunters from all over makes me smile.Ray you made this old fart happy.Kip

[DesertDude]

Thanks for sharing.......

[Cyclic-Rivers]

     

good stuff so far!

[wooddamon1]

Sounds like a great hunt!    

[Jwilliam]

Thanks for taking us along.    Guess I need to get to Ray's in the near future !!!


Bill

[smokin joe]

Great photos of a great place. Thanks for sharing with us.
Joe

[turkey522]

Great story and pics,thanks for sharing.

[Mrx2010]

I don't know what you guys are talking about, but I didn't hear any snoring.  Ray was an awesome host and while I've hunted with Joe for 27 years it was great to share camp with Kip (thanks for the crawdad and the seasoning) Shaun, Dave, Mike and Ray.  Food was great and the company couldn't be beat.  Ray is a great host who really cares that everybody has a great time.  I made a good stalk on a group of pigs and promptly shot right over their backs and as you can see no one has mentioned it since.  I hope we all cross paths again.  Barry

[wapiti792]

Ahhhh meanin' to tell ya Barry...I think you need one of them fighter-pilot masks like Ray has. It's a win-win you see...you get to get over your sleep apnea AND shoot down migs all night when you are sleepin'   :p  

It was a great crew there. You take 2 "different" Canadians, one coon-ass cajun, one by-God marine, one Yankee, and one born-in Tennessee but living in Illinois confused as hades bowhunter and put them in camp together and see what happens...enough where we aught to do it again  

[Ray Hammond]

That's cause you WEREN'T snoring Barry! You were just breathing very heavily-most of the time.

I do need to hammer in all the finishing nails on the wall paneling, but then again its an old trailer, so there you go, eh?

Thanks everyone for all the nice comments.  I enjoyed having you down/up, as the case may be!!

[sticksnstones]

So I'm looking at this picture and I'm wondering if these are the same friendly pigs I saw last month?

Here's me and Ray and the five little pigs:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS5k1x8vINM&feature=plcp  

Sorry the helmet cam is so wide angle, it was my first time using it so I didn't know how close to get.
Thom

[wapiti792]

Well if it was near Hog lake possibly...I would have thought they'd have grown quite a bit since though. Who knows...I kinda wanted Dave to scoop one up for a mascot but I figured that would be wrong with us being hardcore bowhunters and all