Great winter hog hunt, despite frigid weather

[pdk25]

Scott kept trying to maneuver for a shot because it was thick with brush.  I circled to his left to a place that Scott had previously been in case one of the bedded hogs snuck out to the left as Scott approached.  As Scott crept forward, a nice boar headed straight at him through the brush, but it was so noisy that the boar heard Scott move and headed my way.  I though it gave me an opening at around 7 yards away, but my shot caromed badly off of a juniper branch, turning sideways, only sslicing his ham a little.  Doubly pissed at myself, as some of the hogs scooted out again.  Too my surprise though, as I waited the hogs funneled back to the same bed, making just as much noise as before.

[pdk25]

I had lost track of Dave and Scott, and thought that they might be chasing a sounder up ahead, but it turned out they were still watching the bedded hogs like me.  It was too noisy to creep closer, and too much brush for any shots. The wind was good, so we waited for the hogs to make a move.  Here is where my luck turned a little better.

[pdk25]

I looked to my left, and that same boar that I had nicked was coming back in toward the bedded hogs.  He was dripping from his ham,   I guess he convinced himself that it was a mesquite thorn rather than a Simmons Safari that had cut him.  Either that, or he just missed his friends and a warm bed.  He was going straight for the bed from ahead an to my left than turned and circled toward me on my left, rooting along the way.  As he passed behind a large juniper, I came to full draw and waited for him to come out on the left side of the tree.

[pdk25]

I do not shoot that well when holding that long, but he was pretty close when I released. It hit a little high, which works when they are close and you are standing. The exit was on the offside shoulder muscle, but I hit him a little further back than I wanted to. It looked lethal, and we had decent blood. We decided to take up the trail right away with Dave taking the lead.  We trailed for araround 100 yards, with it rilling a couple times. The track started curving away to the left when Scott saw a hog on the right.

[pdk25]

Scott was kneeling behind the tree trying to tell me it was my boar, but I misunderstood and was going to continue tracking and told him to shoot it.  Eventually he got through to me that it was my hog.  It knew we were there, but it layed down facing away from us, gasping badly.

[pdk25]

In hindsight,  I should have waited for the Boar to die right there, but instead I went to my knees to circle to the right. The highs ears were trained on us an it started to turn it's head toward me while it was mostly facing away from me, but barely quartered.  I decided to get another arrow in it, trying for the very narrow gap in from of it's hip.  Well, my shot was off the mark actually hit the right ear. The big jumped up, I nocked another arrow, and in a split second three arrows were in the air. Dave's took it in the heart, mine quartered through lungs, and I think Scott's went high. It looked like tribe of aborigines had chucked spears simultaneously.  The hog went around and turned to face us. For a second I thought, here we go. Quickly our concern about a charge faded, and as we watched our staggering quarry, we started saying ' oh crap, there go our arrows. Both if our wood arrows snapped as the boar went down.

[pdk25]

In hindsight,  I should have waited for the boar to die right there, but instead I went to my knees to circle to the right. The hogs ears were trained on us and it started to turn it's head toward me while it was mostly facing away from me, but barely quartered.  I decided to get another arrow in it, trying for the very narrow gap in from of it's hip.  Well, my shot was off the mark actually hit the right ear. The hog jumped up, I nocked another arrow, and in a split second three arrows were in the air. Dave's took it in the heart, mine quartered through lungs, and I think Scott's went high. It looked like tribe of aborigines had chucked spears simultaneously.  The hog went around and turned to face us. For a second I thought, here we go. Quickly our concern about a charge faded, and as we watched our staggering quarry, we started saying ' oh crap, there go our arrows. Both if our wood arrows snapped as the boar went down.


He looked a little bigger before he was field dressed, and I look a little like the Michelin man, with all of those clothes. I would say that he went over 225#.


 

 

[Bowmag]

Were you hunting at Spikebox? I hunted with David and Scott there about three years ago.

[pdk25]

We dragged the hog back to the truck and headed back to the woods for more hunting and many more opportunities, but for now I am going to wait for Dave to chime in about his experiences.  Scott is probably still driving back to California, and I know that Mike is away and probably won't be able to post until Monday.

[Guru]

Pat, very cool stuff here bud!!!  Nice to finally see a pic that doesn't look like it's underwater too    

[pdk25]

LOL.  That was the first one when someone else was there to take a picture with a better cellphone.  Yeah, can't wait until Mike can share some of his experiences.

[RC]

Good deal Pat.Glad your on the mend and out hunting.RC

[pdk25]

Thanks, Robert. I wasn't even sure what I would be able to do on this hunt, having had surgery on both my left knee and shoulder a couple months ago. The knee held up very well with the aid of a brace, and my hunting partners were pretty patient with me.   Leading up to the hunt, I wasn't doing much practice because I tore a muscle in my back, then aggravated it slipping on the ice.  I wasn't able to shoot my heavier bows, but my 50# thunderchild still did fine.  In the heat of the moment, I barely remember drawing it.  It has now accounted for around 1600 pounds of hogs.  Good things sometimes come in small packages.

[Bowmag]

That's a nice hog for sure.  Congratulations

[drewsbow]

congrats nice hunt and thanks for sharing

[johnnyk71]

what all goes in the pig bomb? i've seen a few recipes, but am curious.

[Mike Gerardi]

Did'nt know what to think about the weather in Texas when we arrived. But turned out to be a great trip.
 

[VictoryHunter]

Way cool, congrats!

[Guru]

Please I don't mean to take anything away from this awesome thread. Just giving an example of our Pig Bomb from our hunt....

A pig bomb that Don Wilson and I made in Tx a few years back....

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Sour corn, corn, kool aid, and that bag of "Hog Wild" Don brought.

We just dug a hole about 2 feet deep and layered eveything like a cake with dirt between and pouring in some water too.

I made some trickle trails to help them find the bomb....the results were amazing.... Pic of detonation to follow

[Mike Gerardi]

We have made this trip with the same people for the past three years. Every year I looked forward to spending a week with my friends in Texas hunting Hogs. At the end of last years hunt we were up in the air if we would make it back this year. Dave and Bryan had a Elk hunt in Colorado, Pat was scheduled for surgery and I went to Montana. Budget concerns and other plans seemed likley to cancel this years Texas trip. This past summer Dave and I had all but canceled the hunt, agreeing that we would not go this year and focus on other hunting interest in other places. This November during "Turkey" day Daves brother Scottie was home and rekindled interest in the trip. Sometime in December we all decided to pull the trigger and head down.  It turned out to be a great trip with alot of memories that I will not soon forget.