ROAD TRIP WITH A ST JUDES FLAVOR/HOGS

[Marty]

Gotcha Michael- I'll give you that one!
 And ElkKen is correct- you are a great Dad!

[ber643]

All sounds great to me, Michael. Looking forward to meeting your youngest "sharp shooter", at her St. Jude Turkey Hunt in April.

[Don Batten]

Well my last chance was to be on saturday pm set. Marty said he was gonna put me on a stand where none other than Terry Green had killed one of his biggest hogs.  Wind was 19 to 25 out of the W/NW.  Marty go another of his helpers, young guy named Joe, to take me to the spot so he'd have time to station the Langahans in their evening spots. This spot i was in was really cool. It was a ladder stand with a climax loc on behind it for a camera person. Another thing that caught my eye was that Marty had put a ratchet strap on two live oaks behind the stand to pull them together to provide more back cover. A great idea that i'll likely use in the future.  
   About 30 min before dark I looked over to my left to see the biggest hog i'd ever seen in the woods. He came out of a swampy area and walked to the road behind me. He just stood there looking at the feeder for at least a min. The wind was directly from him to me and I was on my feet. All he had to do was come in about 15 yards. Instead, he just turned and walked back in the woods from where he came. He was a big red hog. Looked like a barrel and I'm sure he'd been cut cause when he walked away he was missing some luggage.  I would have loved to have gotten a clear shot at that hog. Just seeing him made my hunt. I texted Marty and told him about my encounter. What he came back with made me laugh out load.

He said, " Terry would a got him" .

Marty McMahon is a piece of work. Ive never felt more welcome at a camp and even though Ive only been around him three times now, I'm proud to call him a friend and I hope he feels the same way.

My dad told me when I was a kid that the hunting is only 10 percent. The trip and memories made are the gravy. I'm still sopping the gravy from this one. Thanks Marty as well as Michael, Mills and Woods.

Stay tuned, Come April we gonna do it all again to the 10th power.

[leatherneck]

Your dads words are so, so true Don.

[Guru]

Man don't ever show Marty the slightest chink in your armor....he'll tear ya up!  In a loving way of course    :D  

And yes, he sure is a piece of work and one of the greatest hunting camp hosts and as entertaining guy as you'll ever be around. I luv'um like a big brother!

I can't wait for Mills' Turkey hunt!!!

[Lowcountry Archer]

Okay look here I don't remember talking about Chloe at solanla and so I killed some and I didn't have my sister there either.

[Lowcountry Archer]

Okay look here I don't remember talking about Chloe at solanla and so I killed some and I didn't have my sister there either.

[Don Batten]

The guest of honor sporting a custom hoodie sent to her by Mike Rizzo (leatherneck).  
 
Woods standing guard while Marty checks a feeder
 
Mills, glassing some sandhill cranes out about 100yards from the buggy. Marty said they taste like Ribeye Steak but Woods never could get a shot on them.
 

[Don Batten]

The Spoils of War
 
Marty sitting around and supervising Some wood chopping.
 
We were getting really proficient at this by the time this pic was snapped
 
Hungry hunters. The food was outstanding.
 

[Guru]

Awesome pix buddy!  Actual hunt/kill pix are great, but the camplife/off time pix are what really tell the story of a hunt.

That picture with little Miss Mills swingin' that big 'ol axe with Marty watching is priceless    

[Terry Green]

Yeah....great stuff...starting my day off early and right...

And I'll have to add as well....Marty is one of the best hosts a hunter could ever have.  That is no lie.  I once told him I'd drive 12 hours just to piss in his camp fire.  Its just too much fun there, and riding in that buggy is like being on a Floridian Safari.

Mills aint so little any more, I mean, she's still small, but not that little monkey I remember.  Cute as a button too.  I'm sure you guys got a lot out of the hunt just from her presents.

Thanks for sharing, and if there's more...keep it coming.

And thanks to you Marty for offering up another great hunt an gesture.

[ber643]

That's a mighty snappy jacket that Mike customized for Mills, and she does it proud too. Great pics and tales, all around. I've enjoyed it, for sure.

[tippit]

For sure, Marty is a kick in the pants to be around.  After seeing Mills in that pink camo, I've got to get back to the forge and re-do her Turkey Knife in pink     tippit

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Wow, I left this thread go way too long before checking back.

Congrats to Miss Mills.

Thank you all for sharing, looks like it would have been an incredible hunt to be on.

[alligatordond]

Pink skinning gloves ...nice touch for Valentine season

[Biggie Hoffman]

Originally posted by Don Batten:
 

THE PUNISHMENT STAND.
I was trying hard to do good so I wouldn't end up in this tree.  All the more so since Woods was trying hard to beat me to it and it didn't appear to be much room for one hunter not to mention, two.
 Marty dropped off everyone in the dark again and once again I was last. Still really dark as I climbed up in my stand. As the shadows started to grow I heard a low grunt. Thats real close for me cause I can't hear much at all.  Two pigs came from out front and then a larger (100 ish) joined in on the chum corn. Was waiting for a little better shooting light when I heard a shot. I grinned again and checked the time. 6:37 am.  My pigs started getting jumpy and I knew that If i didn't get a shot off , Marty would really be mad at me. I came to full draw and cut one loose. appeared to be a tad forward but a pass through as I could see the arrow on the ground and the pigs bolted.  I sat there replaying the shot in my mind.  About then I heard another shot. I was really grinning then. text mssg confirmed what I already figured. 2 more dead hogs ala Mills.  I climbed down to find my arrow broken off an inch behind the broadhead. No blood no head. Peanut confirmed no hit. Must have got a deflection on an unseen limb in the dark and hit under hog who ran over my arrow and broke it off.  Yea I suck.
I could tell Marty was feeling bad for me. I started to feel better when he put his arm on my shoulder and said" Man don't worry about it" feeling alot better now I was until he finished his sentence. " You just aint good enough" . Man , what a pep talk.  

Off to do some farm work. I'll be back tonight and finish up my  adventure.

Marty put me in that stand once....it wasn't broken down like that though when I got in it
 

[Marty]

Thomas Burns was the first to receive the Punishment stand after Biggie was sentenced there. The hard part is to quickly let go with one hand- shoot- and grab the rail again before you fall!

Just told Don that I can't make the turkey hunt. I have a college reunion in the Keys that weekend. Went there a couple years ago and found out why my buddies always went to classs and studied- talk about successful. I get to stay in a house that I usually go in the service entrance! I wish I woulda studied instead of buying Rollong Rock! These guys wouldn't fly over the places we crawl through...

Don- your checks in the mail for saying nice things about me.

Notice how we got Woods to stutter on his computer about Chloe!!! He's easy

[Doc Nock]

Ummm...there's an obvious question stemming from Biggie's post, but I won't ask...        :rolleyes:

[leatherneck]

Mills really does make that hoodie look good!

I'm beginning to think the way she pounded those hogs I should have had a pig embroidered on it instead! But we will find out next month.

What is it with those Langehans and an ax?   :confused:   Woods swung one the whole time he was up here this fall now Mills has one swinging. Michael, there are still child labor laws out there. Even for you rebels!

[Duckbutt]

If I got to live another life, second behind being Monty Browning's bow would be to come back as a Langehan's young'n.

Gotta love that crowd.

Good show from Don, Marty and crew as well.