Expedition Hog Heaven

[Biggamefish]

OK for all those that are home already and want to post pics or storis about this last weekend.  Us Yankees are still driving home     only 8 hours left.

[Biggamefish]

So we are now in Baltimore but I am bored so here goes.

We all met and got acquainted, we had a bigger group than usual with 8 in camp but that was no problem.  Like always with the guys from the trad gang nobody had a problem with it. The thoughts were it was just going to make it a better weekend.  

We had three guys from Illinois.  One of those guys makes a mean looking bow.  I think it was the Jensen special or the Jensen model#1.  Any who when he shot it in camp you hear a crack and it wasn't the bow breaking I think it was the arrows breaking the sound barrier.  That bow is a speed demon and was smooth shooting.  

Hold on we are running out of gas @#&&#&:&%@@###$$$"

[wapiti792]

Bring it fellas...I enjoyed meeting you guys (ya'll if you are non-Yankee) and look forward to the tale. I will chime in too with my own account of the actual record in case Squirrel Bait gets on here and muddies the the story with his own version   :p  I promise no gross ER stories though. Some of us have a weak stomach...

[Izzy]

Looking forward to this tale.

[Biggamefish]

OK that debockal is over. You know that feeling when you hit the gas and nothing happens then car goes blahhh. Luckly we limped her into a gas station.   Phew.

So we had two guys from New joywsey.   A North carolilian and us Yankees from New York.  Squirrel bait and  Rocking Ray Hammond ( boy that guy can sing) rounded our hog hunting team.  

We all needed some sleep from our travels so off to bed we went to dream of hogzilla and adventures to come.

[wapiti792]

Since I went and got myself nearly run over by a big boar hog and never got a shot off I will start while these boys are nappin'.

I went back to Hog Heaven for many reasons...pigs, a landscape like none other that I have ever hunted, turkeys that actually let you work 'em, food that is some of the best I have ever eaten in portions that a big fella like me appreciate, a host that is dedicated to his clients and the comedy (and some knowledge I begrudgingly admit he has in spades) of the one and only Squirrel Bait.

I spent the week with one other southern fella (big ups to Bennie) and 6 damn yankees    I am a transplant to here in IL...so I don't count. I learned something about these fellas: The New Jersey faction know how to hunt AND have fun. One of them has pet pigs (Ray hope Lillie spoke to you when you got home) and one of them enjoys Tennessee whiskey. Both are ok by me and hunted hard. The New York duo are hard hunters that don't mind getting a little wet to try and kill a hog and ONE of them can shoot. The other, well let's just say he's gonna need a new cell phone and some Jenkins time (kidding boss). I'd share a camp with either at the drop of a hat. That leaves me with my two truck mates from Illinois...all I can say is that they hunted hard and learned some new diagnoses from me. Both suffer from thunder feet. They sound like thunder when they walk and anytime a pig was near they busted them. Pitiful really. Plus they tried to steal my Snickers bars. That ain't cool. I had them do a hero shot as this is the closest they will come to a real one on this hunt:
 

All kidding aside, I couldn't have asked for any better campmates, and if we all could do it again in a year, I'm GAME!!!

[wapiti792]

If you have never hunted Southern swamps it is a unique experience. There are palmettos to glass, blackwater to explore, and pines to take a nap in and sometimes kill a hog in (or try).
 
*Palms aka piggy hang out
 
*Stalked a doe...thought it was a pig.

[wapiti792]

I had good hunts all 3 days...I was on pigs too! The first day I turkey hunted and was at my last set with my longbow when I see something moving in the very thick brush. Thinking it was a tom slippin' in, I readied my bow and started the process of identifying what exactly was gliding in noiseless.

At 30 yards my eyes and brain said not a turkey. My common sense said a dog...a small black dog stalkin my Avian X high dollar dekes. Then at 25 yards it was canine but not domestic. A solid black yote with a white chevron. Too quickly I was on the string and it caused my "dog" to notice me. I found my spot and dumped the string as my heart-rate hit it's maximum. I am cancelling my stress test with my cardiologist after this hunt. I had TWO on this trip...in a flash I thought my arow was there and then dipped right under his heart. He did the 'yote gallop confirming it was indead a rare critter and I smiled and nearly cried at the same time. It still will be the coolest experience ever...and perhaps it was a good thing I missed. He was beautiful!!!

Hogs that afternoon. I bumped pigs again and blamed one of my thunderfoot truckmates...but it was me that blew it as we were "hopscotching". I tripped, slipped, or fell...I think it was this I was trying to dodge. It was everywhere.

 


Finally on Saturday I took another beating from henned up toms and decided to hit the palms and do some loops. The 4 hours I spent in there was truly heaven. I nearly called a tom to my longbow, had a small bobcat key in on my conversation with the boy, and spooked when he got a little close. That alone was worth the price of admission. Then it happened: I was into pigs.

As I eased though a cane patch a large sow busted out and ran about 40 yards away. A smaller sow stood near me, and I passed as I thought it was a bit small. There was rustling in the cane at about 10 yards and I started to grip the string. As I was keying in on the sound I heard the pig pop it jaws some and then bust straight for me. Truthfully, I don't know if was coming for me or just busting out, but I had no time to shoot. I took my bow and swiped at him as he closed the gap to 5 yards and screamed like a little girl. Yep. I learned that fight or flight means that if you had wings you'd fly the hell out of there. Luckily he took pity on me got the heck out of there without thumping me. I spent a little time looking for more pigs and made my way back to the camp for dinner...and a drink. A strong one.

[wapiti792]

That was my hunt. Almost. I killed a turkey the last morning with another weapon. I found a few "rocks" along the way and once again soaked up the S. Carolina vibe until next year (or sooner). Here are some pics to enjoy until the NY boys wake up. Enjoyed it ya'll!!!
 
*Turkey callin' and nap takin' spot!
 
*For the Mrs.
 
*Pottery from a long-lost bowhunting culture.
 
*Sometimes there aren't enough rocks  

[modr]

Had a great time in camp this weekend, great bunch of guys in camp, congrats too Matt and Mike on their Hog and Turkey. Never tell Ray Hammond you have a pet pig named Lilly, all he talked about was making a back quiver out of her.

[wapiti792]

Come on! Somebody has a story to tell    

[Biggamefish]

Love the pics Mike.  I figured you would be taking pictures of hog poop after all the talk at camp!!!!

Fri started out slow for me I took off down the middle road of the turkey foot.  Had some sign but no hogs lurking around me. I was getting reacquainted with the swamp and my bearings down. Then I see it, the bino's are showing me a hog sleeping in the river cane.  I am off jumping from behind one tree to the next I had 80 yards to cover and I needed to do it before the wind shifted.  I move 30 yards and take the wrong turn and have get past a fish hook thorn thicket.  There was a log going through the middle of it like a bridge and that is what I took.  I almost get to the end and the log rolls now I am standing there waving my arms wildly in circles trying to keep my balance.  Finally I leap off and hit the ground witha loud thump and crash.  Luckily I landed on my two feet but where is my Hog?  I glass for it but don't see it it should be about 40 yards from me now and I can't find it.  So I take a few steps up towards the river cane and BOOM I see it.  Right in front of me is a 200 pounder.  The only problem was it was a rock and not a hog.  I wish I had a video of that stalk would have made the record books.  LOL
 
  I hunted toward hog lake only seeing some buzzards flying about and some cardinals after that.  The cardinals where plentiful that's for sure and the color to them seemed so vibrant.
  I met Steve back at the truck at noon to get some lunch.  Back at camp I was looking over the big map and figured out that I wasn't even close to hog lake that morning and that was where I wanted to go in the after noon.  Squirrel Bait was in camp and this was the first time I got the pleasure of meeting him.  All I can say is the guys in camp almost saw me rocket water out my nose more than once because I was laughing so hard.  

Squirrel Bait you sure do know how to tell a story!!

  That being said me and Steve were ready to get back at it.  So we both talked about our game plan and we were off.  I went back Down the middle turkey leg and straight for Hog lake with out stopping.  Half way there as I slowly rounded a corner I see a shape slowly moving away from me on the trail.  I knock an arrow and I am off on a stalk.  I am only moving when it is walking away from me and I am covering ground quickly.  I am now 20 yards from it and closing.

[Littlejake]

You are'nt the first guy to put a stalk on a big black rock,or stump.

[Biggamefish]

I tell you right up to the helicopter dance on that log it was one mean stalk!!!
 
Sunrise in the swamp
 

Hog wallow
 

[Biggamefish]

So I am at 20 yards and and I was ready to shoot.  Only not with my bow but my camera because I had covered the ground on this stalk to get close to a raccoon.  I wasn't able to get any pics of the little critter because he made me and got to his tree before I snapped the shutter down on him.  

  So I get to hog lake and the wind was perfect to parallel the road back.  So I started stalking the waters edge of Hog Lake and zig zaging back and forth from palmetto's to river cane up to thick brush piles.  As I was getting close to the waters edge I see a brush pile and head for it.  I am closing in and looking at it I said to thick for something to be in there.  So I was going to go around it to the waters edge and continue my stalk.  As I got into 15 yards of the brush I hear a rustle.

[Joeabowhunter]

 keep it coming....  I'm on the edge of my seat.

[tarponnut]

cool pics.

[4dogs]

   

[Biggamefish]

It happened so quick I couldn't believe it.  The rustle turned into the brush pile moving up and down.  I hear Crash-Crash-Crash. Now I know something is in there trying to get out but I still can't see what is making this racket.  I walk forward three steps and the brush pile explodes.  The sticks go flying in every direction and I freeze and wait, out comes a huge pig.  He blows out the other side of the pile and halls @$& top speed for 60 yards and stops.  I got a good look at him and he had to stand 3 feet tall and sounded like a Thoroughbred running through the mud.  He didn't stand there long and took off through the palmetto's never looking back.  My heart racing I walked in close and I still don't know how the pig got in that brush or outta that brush so fast.  It was so tightly woven together I wouldn't have thought a squirrel coulda gotten in or out of there.  I stood there in amazement.
 
  The rest of the day was uneventful compared to that.  I saw two turkeys and some armadillos.  Those armadillos sure do make a racket going through the woods and boy they sure can run.  They are little speed demons.  

  Off to dinner It was dark and I was beat from all the cool adventures of the day.

[Biggamefish]

Some of the huge trees Down in the swamp.

 

 

This tree you could walk right into like walking through a door and look up that is how I got this shot.  I stand 6' tall.