Hog Wild @ Wild Things '13 - the Truth and nuthin' but the Truth

[rbcorbitt]

Mike,

In my experience, the hogs were hanging out anywhere there was a combination of acorns, grapes (if the area still has some) and water's edge.  Any time after mid-morning, investigate any "hoggy-looking" downfalls with extreme prejudice     :p  .  

Seem to like to bed up in standing pines and the tall grass (Phragmytes) that grow in the center of these areas.

Bob

[Red Beastmaster]

Terry,

The photo of the bridge gave me a flashback.

Labor Day weekend, Andrew and my wife & I were on the bridge checking out the pond. I noticed the big hornets nest under my feet and the next thing I hear is Andrew shouting "RUN!". It felt like we were being shot with a BB gun. The stings left a mark and still itch.

I can't wait to get back down in March. Maybe you can visit the tribe during our hunt. We can send you out on the bridge first just to check things out.  

Glad you all had a great time.

[Terry Green]

Ouch....so there really were trolls living under that bridge!!!

Anyhow, Todd had found an area with a lot of sign, and he wanted me to go help him 'figure it out'...

Upon arrival the more we walked the more sign we saw, sign on top of sign on top of sign on both sides of a field leading to the back corner were there was a feeder....once at the feeder, I saw 4 different routes leading into the woods only a few yards and then down they would go into the cypress bottom....do down into the bottom we went as well....

we walked across the bottom to the water's edge where the little stream had risen out of its banks and ran out of the flats.  This 'bottom' had a berm running for I don't know how long just along this cypress bottom....the berm is what we climbed down to get in.

Once we got to the water's edge, there it was as suspected....sign...mud n bubbles along the edge.  We followed the water's edge by turning left and bobbing and weaving in the yet flooded edge just beyond the water.....this kept our footsteps quiet, and any sticks we likely were to bread would do so under the mud making for a pretty quiet stalk downstream....

Now, I'd heard talk of Todd and armadillos since I'd been there...and that morning I was told, by an un named attendee, that Todd was OBSESSED with killing one.  That was the reason for all the dilla jabbering I'd been hearing about.  Now that I was on a hunt with Todd, he had already mentioned dillas a couple of times earlier but now we were serious about hogs....or so I thought...

[Terry Green]

So here Todd and I are, me in the lead...staying on hog disturbed terrain that was soft....pure stealth mode.  We'd move calulated for 10 yards and stop and scan the 100 to 150 yards ahead for any movement of 'the wild boar'.  Taking careful note of every foot step.  Eyes scanning...scanning...scanning...then more forward movement...scanning ....scanning....

The out of no were I get a TAP TAP TAP on my right shoulder and I look over at Todd who's just behind me with his bow tip pointed to a smallish cypress with a beautiful little volleyball sized hole in the bottom....you know, a hole like the Kebbler Elf would live in, only without the door.

Well, like I said, all seriousness with "Ze Wild Boooar" was now blown as Todd asked in a loud and low DEMANDING tone.....
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"IS THAT AN ARMADILLO HOLE"!!!!


                                                     

[rbcorbitt]

I can see Todd now on his knees peering up inside that Cypress        !  I'm truly surprised that he didn't call in Harry the Wonder Dog to root that dilla out!!

[Bud B.]

Mike,

I imagine once the grapes get eaten up they'll turn to acorns, then to the corn. The grapes were dropping all over the swamp floor and were hitting the water as I walked through. Along the water's edge the grapes floated to settle by the banks. This is where the hogs were tearing up the mud.

If you go to the Hog Crossing sign, where the Jon boats are leaning on the tree, the thicket I ran them from and towards Bob was about 1/4 mile or less from there in a S/W direction up on the other side of the main creek and up on a high spot.

PM for more info if you'd like. I would love to see some success pics from Wild Things. I'm sure Andrew will share our sighting spots with you.

[MCNSC]

Bud, I have been down to Wild Things when it was Hog Heaven with Ray. I will be hunting property that is a few miles down river. A friends family owns it. So just trying to find out generally where hogs seem to be hanging out most.
Thanks

[Terry Green]

Oh...now I know what 'grapes' y all are talking about. ....NOT what we call grapes down here As those have been long gone ...but y all are talking about the gum drops falling out of the Cypress trees!!!

[RC]

I was about to say grapes/muscadines are gone by mid Sept here. I did have a Yank friend calling tupeloes grapes once. Only thing I`ve seen eat them were squirrels. This time of year here and there probably you will find pork coming to late dropping water oaks. Cane thickets with water oaks dropping or a thick palmetto flat is good this time of year. Pigs feel good in the cover and you can put the sneak on them there too.RC

[Bud B.]

Y'all got a pic of these gum drops? The ones I saw were oblong like a grape and were deep purple in the inside. The fruit seemed fermented also as the taste was strong and wine-like.

[MCNSC]

I was wondering about the grapes too. Never saw grapes this late in the year. Although I have seen muscadines refuse to fall before.

[Terry Green]

Yeah Bob.....thems gum drops u
r talking about....not grapes or dines.

I'm OUT !!!!!!

Back home n got a steak in me            

[suburbanirma]

It was raining Sunday morning when I got up and went to breakfast, which happens to be my favorite meal of the day. The rain soon let up, so Thom and I went to hunt in the swamp. There were hog tracks and rooting activity that occurred overnight. We put some tree sling seats to use but didn't see any hogs before our pickup time. I harvested about a dozen river cane stalks to take home for making into arrows.
When we got back to camp, the other guys were shooting their bows and arrows at the hog, turkey and deer 3D targets. They also had already packed up their stuff from the bunk house.
Soon, it was time to go our separate ways. Before that happened, though, most of us gathered for a group pic with Andrew, to whom we presented the TradGang Hog Wild Hunt #1 commemorative arrow which all of the hunt participants signed. Hopefully, there will be many more of those Hog Wild Hunt arrows to come.

 
Andrew

 

And the gang...
Thanks, everyone!

[Over&Under]

Sounds like fun!

So were there any shots????

[Bud B.]

Yeah, "Right here."

(inside joke...look on the left side of the above pic)

I'll let Todd explain if he wants.

[T-Bowhunter]

It looks like a great time for all! thanks for sharing.

[sticksnstones]

Here is my best shot of the weekend      
Thom

 

[rbcorbitt]

Thanks, Terry and RC, on the correction!  Flora was never one of my strong suits       .  I'm more of a carnivore!!

[smokin joe]

It was a great time with great hunting companions. And the hunting was very good -- as Terry said, "everything but a dead hog."

That just about says it all. We were all into fresh hog sign all weekend. It was a terrific hunt.

When did you guys take that photo of the arrow presentation? I must have still been out hunting hogs.

[Terry Green]

Yeah Bud.....just what you described. ...I'm pretty sure that you were in a Cypress bottom correct?