2015/2014 St Jude Hog Hunt !!!

[Terry Green]

Yep....I'd been slipping around with only my phone to shoot with....still scoping the place out and at 8 o'clock I took a pic of this hog and got out of there as I knew Mike was going to leave the feeder early enough to stalk the road back to meed up with me.....

Funny thing is I was to pick him up and I slowly started stalking to the little straigh away where I could glass the road near where the hog was and see if he crossed over into another heavily used area.

I'd set up on one side of the road and was glassing when I heard a noise and a pig crashing the brush and snapping reeds....then moments later out of the ditch slips Mike....

What I'd heard was him taking the shot and the hogs reaction......that was cool.

Here's what I shot....(sorry, phone cam)...He was pushing 200

   

[BrushWolf]

After checking out the area and a thorough search for blood we came to the conclusion that the shot went high. It wasn't a clean miss but I'm confident that the hog didn't suffer any significant damage (just a scratch on the back) and should be fine. Back to The Chateau for some supper and sleep. Morning came fast. The wife decided to sleep in so Terry and I went out to corn the ditches and see what we could find in the way of hog sign. Terry hung back as slipped ahead to check out a spot. While he was there he saw a hog cross the road behind the truck. I heard one in the brush but never got to see it. Here's a pic of one that I made a pretty good sneak on.

 

The temps started climbing so it was back to camp for lunch and to wait out the heat. Again we made a run into town for fuel and food. On the way back we were greeted with this sight.

 

We waited around for an hour or more with no movement. We called the train company and jumped the track so we didn't miss the evening hunt.

[gregg dudley]

That place is a trip to hunt.  Trains and planes keep you entertained.  The first night I ever spent in that camper an air force plane came over with enough lights on to illuminate the whole 600 acres.  I thought I was being abducted by aliens.

Very cool property and lots of good memories.  It is fun to watch this unfold.

[Terry Green]

[BrushWolf]

Again we decided to split up. The wife went to her feeder and I went back to my spot. As told by the wife... Terry dropped me off so I could hunt the road/ditches back to the feeder. I settled in for what I hoped would be a productive night. After sitting for an hour or so I realized two things. One I had no thermacell or bug spray and two the mosquitoes were trying to eat me ALIVE!!! As much as I was wiggling there was no way a hog wouldn't see me so I hunted my way back to camp in search of bug spray. A little Batman and some AC later I made up my mind to try it one more time. Bugs be damned! About an hour had passed from the time I left the feeder to the time I turned the corner to head back in the woods. Guess what I saw....

 

That's right Ol Yogi was in the deep dark somewhere and this little lady ain't no bears snicky snack. Let's just say I didn't waste any time headin back to camp. Lol

[Terry Green]

[BrushWolf]

My turn. Since Terry was dropping the wife off I walked back in hunting the road and all the piggy places on the way. I sat down near the feeder and played the waiting game. Around 6:30 I heard something in the brush. A hoss of a boar stepped into view. He was every bit 150+ pounds. I kept waiting for an opening but he always seemed to keep something in between us. The next thing I knew he slipped back in the brush and was gone. I waited as long as I could to see if he would come back in. No dice. The sun went down and I needed to start back to meet Terry. As I was walking out I saw what every hunter in the swamp dreads. A cottonmouth. Not quite the excitement I wanted but what a way to finish the night. Back to camp for some R&R and hittin it again in the morning.

[BrushWolf]

Something else I've never seen... a gopher tortoise! This beauty was laying eggs when we happened on her.

 

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Good stuff so far      

[Terry Green]

Look closely between the grass in the foreground and the water....in the brown ground......

   

[Terry Green]

That is a row of some of the biggest tracks I have ever seen....


     


And he left us one of the largest Baby Ruth's I've ever seen as a present......

   

[Terry Green]

Anther Hoggish looking scene.....

 

[BrushWolf]

Here's some more shots from the hunt.


 

 

 

[BrushWolf]

Sunday morning found Terry and I up before daylight. We stepped outside to see what Terry said was a Hunter's Moon. Taking that as a good sign I got ready to head out for the last time on this trip. The wife stayed back at camp to pack while I tried to lock one down. Terry drove me partway to the same place I'd been hunting. I snuck down the road and eased into brush after I saw a big hog cross in front of me. Fingers crossed I could get a shot. He went into the same ditch as the one on Friday evening. I could hear him in the reeds as I slipped closer. I could see his hams but his head was hidden behind some weeds. I started to step around a pine tree to get ready for the shot when he decided to turn and walk straight away from me and into the woods. That's the last I saw of him.

[BrushWolf]

Disappointed I headed back to the road to continue toward the hardwoods. I made my way back to the feeder a little after daylight. While I sat there I reminisced about the hunt so far. All in all it had been a good one even if I didn't get a hog. The feeder went off and I waited. Was that something in the brush behind me? I listened and didn't hear it again. Maybe it was a squirrel. The wind had been blowing that way most of the morning. Then something black moved toward me. My first thought was "Crap it's a bear!" what with all the tracks around and there didn't seem to be any mud on it. Slowly it walked my way. I shifted slightly trying to get turned to shoot behind me. It kept coming. One minute it was a bear and the next it was a hog! I couldn't believe it. There was a hog 7 yards behind me. I let him walk past me so I could stand up to shoot. Praying the whole time the wind wouldn't shift and bust me. He walked about 20 yards past me and slid into the brush. Without offering a  shot  I was afraid it was over. I could still hear it so it wasn't the end yet. He started coming back in. I sat back down so he didn't see me and waited....

[BrushWolf]

The hog completely circled the feeder and after deciding it was safe he walked toward me. At 15 yards he was quartered to me. He fed behind a big pine for what seemed like an eternity. I drew the bow twice before he came back into a clear spot. At 18 yards I drew the bow back a third time. He stood still a little too long. The arrow was on a collision course for what I hoped was a kill shot. It had sunk to the fletch. The hog spun and ran off. I listened and thought I heard a crash. I texted Terry and the wife to let them know what had happened. We met up and after giving him a little bit we started to track.

[Guru]

   

[BrushWolf]

This is where it all went down.

 

We found a few drops of blood where I shot him. Then Terry saw this.

 

Encouraged by what we saw we kept going.

 

We lost the trail in the high grass so we went back to where we had blood last. Spreading out we checked the trail on either side.

 

Looks like he went into the woods.

[BrushWolf]

It was a slow but short track. After about fifty yards and following the trail back towards the feeder we saw the boar piled up under the pines. He was a sight for sore eyes. What a way to end the hunt.

 

 

[Cyclic-Rivers]