Camp (h)Ambush 2014 at Wild Things!

[sticksnstones]

Us Michigan boys made our annual pilgrimage to Estill South Carolina to hunt some wild hogs. We had a full camp with 8 guys at Andrew Harper's Wild Things for 5 days last week/weekend.

     

I'm still catching up on work, but I figured if I put this thread up the guys can post up their stories as they have time. Some cool pictures coming soon too!
Thom

[4dogs]

[sticksnstones]

While we're getting our stuff together,    HERE  is a link to our story from last year. That trip we finally broke our streak of bad luck and we killed a couple hogs. We had very high hopes we'd keep our mojo going this trip.

Michigan Longbow Association was well represented so we decided to snap a picture with the traveling banner. In the picture above from left to right:
Thom (sticksnstones)
Rick (Rick Butler)
Gary (flingblade)
George
Andrew (pokerdaddy)
Donavan
Brad
Doug (doug g)

[pdk25]

[rbcorbitt]

This should be good!!!!

[doug g]

Come on Donavan.....

[T-Bowhunter]

[sticksnstones]

I know Doug! Geez I might run out of teaser pictures before any of the story gets told!
   

Got any pictures of your new friends to share?
Thom

[Pointer]

OK so we have a bloody arrow...where's the porker???    

[pdk25]

All 3 look bloody to me.  

[sticksnstones]

Originally posted by pdk25:
All 3 look bloody to me.      

Too bad it's a 4 arrow quiver    

[Pointer]

OK PDK...3 Porkers then!!

[Matty]

Originally posted by sticksnstones:
 

Originally posted by pdk25:
All 3 look bloody to me.      

Too bad it's a 4 arrow quiver      [/b]

Ha ha. That's great. Bring it on fellas!!

[Flingblade]

Thom,
I'm surprised noone has taken notice of your "tracer round".  
The devil's in the details boys.  This is fun, it's like I was there for the making of the motion picture and now I'm waiting for the book.

[Mike Vines]

Another excellent story in the making.  Thank you for being great Ambassadors not only for traditional bowhunters, but for the MLA too.

[smokin joe]

Looks like you got a little revenge on those pigs. Looking forward to the stories.

[sticksnstones]

Well Joe, this was a pretty interesting trip. Us experienced hog hunters didn't do exceedingly well. The guys who've never hunted hogs, or never even hunted with a trad bow before were the ones with the best luck.

While all us "experts" were out spot-n-stalking in the whirling wind and getting busted, most of the "newbies" stuck to stands and blinds and got their shots. Even my missing arrow story will be from a hasty strand I hung over a trail that day, but I'm getting ahead of myself...

Before Donavan posts his part of the story, take a look at the group picture. You might be able to tell he is hunting a longbow and woodies all built this winter of his own hands. That is a heck of a way to show up for your first hog hunt!

Anybody got a picture of the bow racks with his bows on them? I checked and I don't.
Thom

[Red Beastmaster]

"While all us "experts" were out spot-n-stalking in the whirling wind and getting busted, most of the "newbies" stuck to stands and blinds and got their shots."

Thom, don't forget pure dumb luck! Probably half our encounters with hogs at Wild Things have come from random encounters. The hogs are on the move to nowhere in particular and the hunter is just walking down the road. Two moving points will eventually bump into each other. It happens to each of us on every hunt.

The other half of our sightings come from moving through "hoggy" areas fully expecting to run into them. Still hunting is the ultimate thrill!

Something we never really did until this last trip is setting up and just waiting for something to come along. I sat in a stand for a couple hours, and on a ground seat for an hour. Some of the other guys did the same. Kinda boring and not much fun. We may have to give it another try next time.

Great story, sounds like another exceptional hunt at Wild Things!

Dave

[sticksnstones]

Well looks like I'll be the first one to post after all.

Weather held highs in the upper 80s each day, dipping to low 60s at night. I can't imagine more perfect hunting weather. One layer was perfect day and night and no rain gear was needed the whole time. Absolutely the best weather I've had on any of my trips.

And here I will begin.

[sticksnstones]

I took off out of Michigan at 5am on April first and blasted straight through to camp arriving just after 9pm. All the guys had been in camp for hours preparing gear and settling in.

I climbed up the stairs to the porch and walked through that door to many hearty welcomes from many friends old and new. After some half-hugs and handshakes I was handed a plate of baked chicken. No it was something like a 6 pound chicken on a platter. It was as monstrous as it was delicious! A few stories were told and some drinks were drank as I ate, then we gathered around the big maps and talked about our plans for the first day of hunting.

Warmed by a little of Doug's Yopper Lemonade and weary from a long drive it was a race to see who could get to sleep before all the snoring started