It had been many years since I had killed a wild pig so when February delivered the second snowiest second month on record in New Hampshire, my bride Debbie and I headed south to sunny Florida for some warm beach time and a couple days hunting pigs with Jim Dussias at True South Adventures.
We left NH in another impending snow storm and breathed a sigh of relief when, after de-icing the aircraft, we got underway. Well, mother nature delivered one of her humorous moments with the coldest temps of the winter in Florida this year. Result-no beach time, but when it came time to hunt Deb stepped up to the plate and hung tough with me to video the hunt.
Jim and Irv (Eichorst) have a very nice property in their lease on a cattle ranch with some fallow orchard land and some adjacent working citrus orchards. Both are trad oriented hunters and showed it with thoughtful stand placements at the feeders.
The first day Deb and I saw a couple decent pigs both morning and evening sits but with no shot opportunities. The rampant squirrel population didn't fare so well, however. An unusual lucky shooting spree on the rodents earned me the 'Rodent Master' title. It was cold.
Our final (second) day we sat in a pop-up blind adjacent to an overgrown orange grove. Nothing showed in the a.m. The wind was whipping for the evening and final sit in the blind. The ever changing cold, gusty wind didn't inspire confidence, but as often happens shortly after sunset the wind died and silence settled around us.
As the light of day faded, I was thinking of packing up. Filming light had failed as I heard swishing in the grass from the grove behind us and suddenly he was there, a great lump of a boar with plenty of European heritage. Obligingly, he stood broadside at 11 yards.
I shot, dropping the big boar on the spot. A high but effective hit which proved to have cut the high artery in the back and shattered the backbone. I quickly exited the blind and cautiously approached to put a finishing arrow in. After he was down for good, I got the shakes. When that stops happening, it's time to hang up the bow.
Irv came out to help bone the boar out on site as dragging the brute out would have over -taxed the both of us. Irv guessed him at about 200 lbs.
Despite the weather, Deb and I had an exciting hunt and we can't wait to go back again next year hoping for at least a little beach weather.
Jim, who has mastered Photobucket, is helping this e-challenged guy out with some photo posting.
I hunted with my Hummingbird LB, 54# @ 27" shooting Carbon Express shafts and VPA 3 blade totaling 600 grs. with 300 grs. up front.
Topic: Last Night, Last Light at True South Adventures (Read 834 times)
