It's time - Hog Hunting East Tx- ( pics and updates pg 8 )

[MR BILL SHORTY]

   

[Crittergetter]

Well Jon didn't see anything at the feeder he was at last night. I assume with the full moon the hogs are feeding in the early morning hours. Trail can pics confirmed my suspissions.
Kevin got a shot on a coon. It was cool to see his excitement.
Marty also had another close encounter with a hog on his walkabout!
We've come to the conclusion that Marty sees all the hogs because he's 2 ft taller than everyone else!! He's got a birds eye view!! Lol

[John146]

Originally posted by crittergetter:
Well Jon didn't see anything at the feeder he was at last night. I assume with the full moon the hogs are feeding in the early morning hours. Trail can pics confirmed my suspissions.
Kevin got a shot on a coon. It was cool to see his excitement.
Marty also had another close encounter with a hog on his walkabout!
We've come to the conclusion that Marty sees all the hogs because he's 2 ft taller than everyone else!! He's got a birds eye view!! Lol

Marty is a tall drink of water that's for sure!!! His walkabouts would equate to small marathon!!      

[Crittergetter]

They informed us earlier that they will be closing the gates tomorrow at 5:00 pm when they leave for the weekend because there wl be no one here to monitor the water levels!
We are hunting now, More updates later.

[Michael Arnette]

I'm headed down now and will be there in the morning. I assume closing the gates means we can still get in? Just not with vehicles?

[Hackbow]

Michael, if you get a chance to read this, yes, we can access the WMA, we just won't be able to drive into the camp. I will PM my number to you and you can call or text me in morning. I will be on road at 4:30 am Fri. We are planning on heading out to first hunt around 7.

[MR BILL SHORTY]

       

[wooddamon1]

[Crittergetter]

Last hunt this evening. I'll be back tomorrow with pics and a full story!!!

[Dan Landis]

I've been following this thread for a long time now, can't wait for the "Last Chapter".  Sorry the weather wasn't very cooperative.

[kennym]

   

Well, are y'all dried out and tired of quartering pigs yet?

Bisch

[m8hunter]

I'm guessing no posts mean no hogs      ?

[Crittergetter]

Ok guys snd gals, sorry for the delay. I had to work this morning and been loading pics. I'll do a recap of the hunt snd hopefully others will post their versions and pics as well. It'll have to be several post.
First I want to say what a pleasure it was to meet some new faces and to be able to hunt and hangout with them as well as some old friends. Despite the ABSOLUTE worst conditions I never heard anyone complain (except me)! They took everything in stride and made the best of it each and every day !
Day 1. Marty made it to my house around 9:45 am Sunday. We loaded a few things and headed out the wma to set up our camp. As we drove in our enthusiasm was high because a lot of the areas that was flooded last year was dry and gave us a lot better chance at seeing hogs. We knew there was a chance of rain Sunday night and Monday as well as later in the week. So we pitched out tent on high ground and covered it with a tarp in hopes we could stay dry.  
I was optimistic at best that we would stay dry but that tarp proved to be one of the best decisions we made. We ended up with somewhere around 5-6" of rain over the next  several days and the ground under and around our tent stayed completely dry the whole time!!
I had to run home and take care of a few things and wasn't there when Jon arrived that afternoon. Darren came out to hang out for a few hours with them since I wasn't coming back till Monday morning.
It began to rain that evening and rained till mid morning on Monday. And it rained HARD!!
Day 2. I met up with Marty and Jon and said a quick hello on my way back to camp. They headed up the power line while I went to camp to drop off a few things and checked out another location. I saw some good fresh sign but no hogs. Almost put my hand on this guy as w waded around a flooded area.  

[Crittergetter]

I'm starting to realize I may get some of the details out of order because my memory kind of sucks, but I'll do the best I can.
We met back at camp for a late lunch and made a plan for that evening. They went back up the power line because of all the fresh sign and I went to another area to scout it out. I walked thru some flood waters till I reached the higher ground along the river bank and worked all the drainages I could .most of the sign I was seeing was along the drainages where acorns had collected after a previous flood. I was surprised to see how many acorns we're still good this late in the year.
I worked my way back to a main trail at dusk and set up on a crossing I knew of till dark. But nothing came my way. At last light I walked back to the truck thru a area where a slough had flooded back into the trail. I saw 4 snakes in about a100 yrd stretch. I never went back to that spot!        
I don't remember what was had for dinner that night. I stayed the night but had to leave out early Tuesday am for work.
Day 3. We had a break in the weather and I had to get some stuff done before it rained again. On my way back I went by my house and grabbed my boat. Marty and Jon hunted that morning. That afternoon Me, Marty and Jon. Took the boat about 3-4 miles down river to another power line. As we walked down the line I saw a group of hogs cross about a half mile down. But when we got there I realized they was I. The other side of the old river channel. We split up and slowly worked our way back to the boat through a large expanse of woods. It was mostly dry. Marty had a close encounter with a single boar but me and jon saw nothing. In the mean time Kevin had made it to camp.  We got back a little after dark and Marty cooked dinner. Orange marmalade Salmon, potatoes, and Salad. Awesome!!  

[Crittergetter]

It started to rain again Tuesday evening.
Day 4. It rained pretty hard off and on and the wind put our tarp to the test. We awoke to some more rain and hung around camp that morning and Jon cooked breakfast with his home grown eggs, peppers, onions, mushrooms and some of Marty's smoked salmon.      all wraped up in a burrito. Awesome again!!
Here's a pasta jon made for lunch one day. I don't remember what day that was but it was some of the best pasta I've ever had!! Once again we threw in some of Marty's smoked salmon!          

[Crittergetter]

After breakfast we all took a shot from the line. (I'll let someone else explain) and got in some practice before heading out. We took the boat up river this time and focused on the area up the power line that had the most sign. By now the river had risen a LOT!!!!! We was able to drive the boat from the river to the power line and hunt from there. We all split up and tried to find some dry ground. After a couple hours I was headed back to meet Kevin at the boat. I was feeling frustrated and about 100 yrds away from the power line when chose to walk straight thru the brush instead of staying in the trail I had been following. As I entered the clearing a hog jumped up about 40 yrds away. I had walked by him/her at about 30 yrds and it stayed put until I was up wind. It ran straing into a marshy area. I didn't hear it moving any more so I circled down wind as fast and as quiet as I could. Wasn't very quiet but felt I had made up some ground so I circled into the marsh. After only a few yrds the hog unseen by me, knew I was close and bolted again. I was within 30 yrds but could get eyes on him. This time I tried to parralle him but just couldn't keep up. So I eventually headed back to meet Kevin. He had heard the commotion and he'd come to investigate.

[Crittergetter]

  We waited at the boat till Jon and Marty made their way back and exchanged info on what we'd found. Water levels were rising fast and starting to cut off the areas of interest. So we headed back to camp for lunch and hatched a plan for the evening hunt. Me Jon and Kevin opted to try hunting my feeders. So I got them set up early around 6 pm. Been having a group of good eating sized hogs comeing in early. While they hunted I ran home and took a shower, ate some dinner and got a brisquit together to smoke at camp. I picked them up after dark but unfortunately no hogs were seen. But Kevin had got a shot at a coon!  We made it back to camp around 9 and Darren was there keeping Marty company. I got the brisquit going and hit the sack! I think it rained again that night but I really don't remember.

[Crittergetter]

Day 5. Woke up early to say good by to Jon since he was leaving and I had to run to work for a few hours. I made it back to camp around mid day. I think Marty and Kevin had done some hunting while I was gone. That evening we went to try to find some dry ground. This time we drove parked the boat in the power line again and headed off into different directions. I ended up wading over my boots in several places and eventually found some dry ground.    It was only an hour or so till dark so I found a trail and just stayed there. I figured if there was anything on my island it would probably move around at dusk. But apparently my island was uninhabited except for one idiot with a bow!!  I waded back thru the water at dark and met Kevin. He had been hearing hogs somewhere along the river bank but no sightings. About 150 yrds from the boat in about 8" of water something grabbed my ankle and shoved me from behind and I went face first into the water before I had time to react! Still don't know who or what that was!    

[Crittergetter]

Well, photobucket is having issues so I'll post more tomorrow.