I figured i would post some pics for some off-season viewing fix. I had to miss my first Georgia hog hunt with the PBS group because i got bit by a dog with rabies a couple of days before we left. Talk about luck. So when some guys called me and said they had saved a spot for me in their 8 man group, i did what any good redneck would do and started packing.
We hunted Creighton Island, GA. It is a 3k+ acre Island only accessible by boat. The owner of the island, Frank takes you over on a little barge and you are there for 7 days. Alot of gear goes with that, and as you can see in this pic some of the guys i was with got carried away for sure. Thankfully, they leave a tractor on the island to pull stuff to camp with.
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb428/huskyarcher/188350EF-2BA4-4AB6-AF7A-748F98B43674_zpsviksux6r.jpg) (http://s1205.photobucket.com/user/huskyarcher/media/188350EF-2BA4-4AB6-AF7A-748F98B43674_zpsviksux6r.jpg.html)
As you can see from the cases, i was surrounded by training wheels. Thats ok, i told them i was going to win the most pig award anyway. :biglaugh:
The first full day of hunting dawned beautiful (as did the rest of the week.) We took off spotting and stalking. I slipped up the west coast, and it wasnt long before i caught movement in my hawke binos. There were about 6 40#ers rooting around about 100 yds ahead of me, and the stalk was on.
They moved fast, and i struggled to keep up but i finally closed the distance. The went behind a big fallen tree's root ball and i went in for the final 10 yards. When i popped out, the were heading the other way at about 20-25 yards, when one turned quartering away i hit full draw.
The arrow hit text book. Just past mid-ship, and heading through the chest. The all scattered and he made it to a palmetto clump about 10 yards away and gave it up. I love tender meat!
I thought it was over, but as i approached the clump and my downed meat pig i heard a grunt coming from the same clump. I knew my pig was done, but i knocked another arrow anyway.
AS i got closer, one of the first pig's brothers made a break for it hauling it as fast as he could. The best part is, he decided to come out my side, and was running 10-12 yards broadside from me.
I can promise you that my Omega was faster than the pig though, my second arrow went through both of his shoulders as he ran and flattened him. That was my first running shot on a big game animal, given time to think i probably wouldnt have tried it, but i seemed to have went on auto-pilot. Either way you cut it, Dad was ecstatic when i told him i had two 40# tender pigs on the ground.
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb428/huskyarcher/4F8CEE08-41B2-4BAC-B50A-DEAFD128EFA6_zps46vlb5e7.jpg) (http://s1205.photobucket.com/user/huskyarcher/media/4F8CEE08-41B2-4BAC-B50A-DEAFD128EFA6_zps46vlb5e7.jpg.html)
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb428/huskyarcher/8D1325E6-BC01-4078-894A-2773424F1208_zpsaa9mldg8.jpg) (http://s1205.photobucket.com/user/huskyarcher/media/8D1325E6-BC01-4078-894A-2773424F1208_zpsaa9mldg8.jpg.html)
A little bit about the set-up. I posted a thread a while back about using a Wensel Woodsman with my light-weight set up. After talking to several guys i figured i would give them a try. I had a PM though, and the gracious TGer Blaino, said he was going to send me a few to try. I tried to pay him but he would hear nothing of it. I just about fell over when about 3 days later a package showed up containing 10 brand new, un-used still in the pack woodsmans showed up. Knowing The expense of these heads i again pleaded to pay but he still was persistent. Tradgang is a special place. All animals taken on this trip were with those heads, and you can bet they will be in my quiver for the rest of this year. They worked great! Thanks again Blaino.
I got those pigs worked up. This island is huge and there is no getting them back to camp. We take Mule ropes and hung them up, and packed out all the meat. I guess its like elk hunting for pigs!
I packed them back to camp, and after unloading them in the ice cooler and eating lunch, i was on the prowl again. This time i was headed up the east coast, and planned on making the 6-7 mile trip all the way around the island just to get my bearings for the week if nothing else.
I quickly found more pigs but they were a bit small and slightly too cute to shoot.
I made it all the way around the island and about 200 yards down the other side i ran into more pigs.
They were out rooting again, and heading for a impassable marsh so i again hurried to get around them.
I finally got closer and thought i had them as they kind of went into a dip, but i was i slipped closer i heard that all too familiar alert grunt they let out when theyre on to you.
The sow came out of the dip and hesitated, i didnt. I have really been working hard on extending my effective range, i guessed her at 35 and must have guessed right. She was quartering hard and that big heavy arrow fell right out of the sky, and into her goodies. I watched her go 20 yards, then start wobbling. Soon after the kicking stopped i walked up on my 3rd pig on the first day.
In this picture you can see how hard she was quartering. I was extremely impressed as that broadhead made it all the way to her other shoulder.
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb428/huskyarcher/A24231AE-414A-451D-9747-9A919BC44680_zpshcmros6t.jpg) (http://s1205.photobucket.com/user/huskyarcher/media/A24231AE-414A-451D-9747-9A919BC44680_zpshcmros6t.jpg.html)
I was ecstatic. This was probably the best day i have ever had in the woods. It just happened to be on Fred Bears birthday. How cool is that?
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb428/huskyarcher/BD6B33D4-9CAD-4AEC-B7DC-B7822AE1008B_zpsptfkvlty.jpg) (http://s1205.photobucket.com/user/huskyarcher/media/BD6B33D4-9CAD-4AEC-B7DC-B7822AE1008B_zpsptfkvlty.jpg.html)
As soon as this pic snapped, i realized what i was in for. I had about a 3 mile pack out in store after i got it skinned. Didnt matter i grinned the whole way.
After those 3, i decided that i would hold out for a bigger one. Despite my best efforts i couldnt come through on that. I would be scared to know how many miles i walked last week, but i can guarantee you as i am walking around today i can feel all of them.
Just because i didnt kill any more pigs didnt mean i didnt have a ball. I even found a shed from one of the million and a half deer on the island.
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb428/huskyarcher/65AD353C-56C7-4D4F-9C95-B9710F6B7894_zps8eywiney.jpg) (http://s1205.photobucket.com/user/huskyarcher/media/65AD353C-56C7-4D4F-9C95-B9710F6B7894_zps8eywiney.jpg.html)
Between hunting and packing out friends hogs, i was killed by the end of the week. Still though, a great time was had and i cant wait to go back. The group of 8 killed 15 hogs total, I still won the award for the most pigs although i had to share it with my friend Bj, who came away with the best pic of the trip, he took a selfie with a little piglet he caught as it was rooting near camp
(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb428/huskyarcher/46044399-D378-4874-9E79-52B63D212813_zpsxcjybaui.jpg) (http://s1205.photobucket.com/user/huskyarcher/media/46044399-D378-4874-9E79-52B63D212813_zpsxcjybaui.jpg.html)
I have laughed until it hurts over that pic, those two look just alike, even the hair slicked back!
Awesome, Dalton!! Always like your posts.
Jake
I hope you enjoyed the short recap of the week. This island was awesome. I would love to get together a Tradgang group or PBS group to go to this island. It is right up our alley, and if we went in deer season we would have plenty of action and blood on the ground. It is over run with deer and hogs, even big ones, i have the pics to prove it has big hogs but they were taken with wheels so i wont. Just some food for thought, i may see what can be done about that.
Anyways, only 3-4 more weeks till its time to chase over-weight chickens! Good hunting!
Dalton
Thanks for the take along, and great hunt. Congrats
Good stuff Dalton. Congrats on the hunt and I am happy you are recovering well from the dog bite.
Charlie
Congratulations, sounds like you had a great week!
As always, a good read! :thumbsup:
Excellent :clapper:
Awesome stuff, congrats on the pigs!
:clapper: :clapper:
awesome :wavey:
Congrats! That's a heck of a first day!!
:thumbsup:
Nice , your my hero :clapper:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Well done, what a great first day of bowhunting at a new area! As good a shot and hunter you are, I think you would have killed that many or more on the PBS hog hunt! That coastal hog hunting is very addictive!
Jeff, idk about that i hear Tim is a pig hog...lol. I look forward to the PBS hunt next year more so than returning to Creighton!
I could of shot more for sure but I have self control, I put Jeff W and Tim D on pigs and filmed their stalking abilities. I wanted to catch a baby alligator or a baby pig but momma wasn't to happy. Tonya warned me before I left, " do not bring anything home"
Dalton, you should of brought one of those baby pigs home.