I had a stress-free and restful week waiting for the Corbitt/Lindamood trip,something I am not used to, but it was worth it.
It all started with a meeting at "Cowboys" for beers and steaks prior to the hunt. We had a nice $100 donation from C.J. LaCoste a benevolent client who wanted to make sure we were nourished.
Thank You Chris!
It must be the Virginia water or something!
I've yet to meet someone I didn't like from Virginia. The three of us had a ton of fun.
This time of year, the temps make it pretty conducive to skip the AM hog hunts and concentrate on spawning Tillapia instead, which these guys took to quite quickly.
I know some of you clients feel like you have shot some respectable Tillapia, but when Bob's first fish (with his new Centaur) was pulled in, I did a double take. It had to be close to five pounds. Bob has the record for the largest Tillapia arrowed at True South Adventures.
I soon learned this fellow is a good shot...and doesn't mess with the small ones as the remaining four he shot were all +- four pounds...beautiful and delicious fish!
I guess we figured out the bow fishing was over for the morning when my Chocolate lab, Shooter, tested the canal for gators.
No...he's not a hog dog. He's my faithful sidekick and Wisconsin Pheasant Pointing Lab. Not bad for a rescue dog. When he took a swim, Sam burst out laughing, as I had just finished telling hi how I had removed and laundered all of my seat covers.
More importantly...no gators in the vicinity.
One word of caution...if you bowfish with these guys, do not accept a bag of fish guts to be taken to the nearest dumpster. I'll let them tell that story. I can tell you it was not a pleasant odor.
Normally, I do not hunt with the clients, but our new ranchers wanted one of us on site, so I took the leftover stand. It was an absolutely gorgeous 73 degree evening with a nice steady wind.
(At least where I sat)
Sam started the hog harvest out right with a nice grey sow that first evening at the Pines stand. He could have killed two, but out of courtesy, wasn't sure what the limit was, so he held back, as he watched seven return to the feeder.
The coons were out in full force and I missed three by inches from the Pecan stand, while Bob dead centered a bait thief at the Woods stand.
As it turns out, Sam Lindamood has no mercy on hogs...a man of my own philosophy. (If only I were a better shot.) He harvested three more this trip.
The next morning, with permission to attack a part-time private location, we corned up four stands and checked feeders.
Then, after arriving at one of the numerous canals, the guys soon shot two more nice Tillapia and two Gar.
After fishing, it wasn't long into our evening sit, that Sam texted he had shot a nice sow. She headed to what Sam later described as an impenetrable jungle.
Soon after dark, Sam shot a bigger boar. Bob reported he was adding to his coon tally, and about 8:40, I heard crunching sounds coming from under my feeder.
Giving the group time to settle into eating, I arose from my stool under the four Palms, carefully illuminated my red bow-mounted Sniper Hawg Light, and slowly directed it toward the feeder. Eight seems to be the lucky number this week. Let's see...which one?
The large black mama sow looked directly at the light, gave two alarm grunts then the whole nervous group backed up a few feet, but soon returned to devour the corn.
I slowly and quietly advanced to 10 yards, waiting for mama to turn quartering away.
She wisely refused, but a nice tan 50# sow stood at the perfect angle.
Never pass up good meat!! The group exploded as the broadhead made that familiar smack. I followed the stricken one's path with the light, and concluded she hadn't gone far.
After 20 minutes, the hit was confirmed by good blood directly at point of impact and I soon discovered why she had only ran 30 yards....a heart shot pass through. Textbook...and the way one wishes every shot would conclude.
Not a bad evening, three hogs and two raccoons.
Next morning the guys took some more fish from a nearby canal and I met with one of our rancher friends for lunch. As a result we may have another grove to hunt next year.
One would think, as destructive as these critters are, that landowners would be begging to have them harvested. It just isn't so. It's a complicated scenario, with liability, and local competition being a big part of it.
Good hunting spots are very difficult to find and to keep, and we are very grateful for every single feeder we can place.
If you want to hunt hogs, we are a small operation....BOOK EARLY!
Next year we will be hunting weekends only and following a strict 11 day rest period for our hunt spots. When you arrive, you will know that no one has been in your seat for a full eleven days.
These hunting spots are in constant flux, and unfortunately we had to play musical chairs with some of our feeders this year, which amounts to a lot of work, but we enjoyed another very successful Winter season.
The final evening of our hunt, our boy Sam comes up with yet another nice red sow while Bob and I each kill a raccoon.
We got our share of skinning practice in again this trip despite the unusual Southeast winds and some warm conditions.
Successful hog hunting is all about lack of human presence, and we have proven this fact to ourselves countless times. If a hunting spot is properly rested it will produce. Over pressure these animals, and they won't show.
When they do, it is more fun than just about any other type of archery animal (in my book).
We ended the trip with two more Tillapia and a nice lunch at one of our favorite local seafood hangouts.
Bob and Sam are headed to see Greg Dudley for a paddling trip and I am packing for my return to thawed out Wisconsin.
Jim will be taking a few lucky folks out this Summer, as this turns out to be the time to harvest the big ones.
Thanks for listening.
Hope to hunt with all of you one day.
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