(http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/Dirtybird_bucket/P1030179.jpg) A beautiful sunrise right outside our rooms at the ranch. It was a joy sharing camp with everyone there. The weather was a bit rough Sunday but Monday was much better. (http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/Dirtybird_bucket/P1030151.jpg)This is some of the terrain we were going through.
I drove down from Ohio which was an adventure in itself just getting there with the conditions of the roads on the way down. But I was excited to be heading to Dallas to pick my brother Scotty up from the airport. He lives in California and we only get to hunt together a couple of times each year which we cherish and this hunt proves to be very memorable for the both of us. (http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/Dirtybird_bucket/P1030148.jpg) In the background is a little tank or water hole we found hidden in the cover which provided action for three days for us.
(http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/Dirtybird_bucket/P1030155.jpg)We were taking a break eating some lunch when we spotted a hog down by the water at the far end of the water. So we got the wind in our favor and worked are way in. I was able to have a steady wind in my face to keep from getting busted and put a good shot on this one. Perfect size for eating. (http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/Dirtybird_bucket/P1030161.jpg)This is the way we got my hog out. It was pretty far in there and without the help of my brother it would of been a lot tougher. :notworthy:
On the way out we spotted some javalina. What a neat looking animal. We were close but just not lucky enough. (http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/Dirtybird_bucket/P1030159.jpg) (http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/Dirtybird_bucket/P1030160.jpg)Scotty was within the twenty yard line without a shot opportunity, like I said close but no cigar. Mike the head of the ranch told us to try not to stare the hogs to death. :readit:
I got a catch up on some zzzz's just drove twenty three hours straight shot from Texas back home. Stopped by work to tie up some loose ends and head for home. I'll try to post some more of the action later. :campfire: :coffee:
Looks like a great trip. thanks for sharing! :archer:
Great pictures!! That first one is perfect eating size.
Hey, David, glad you got back ok. Thanks for posting the pics. It was fun to visit with you and the rest of the guys.
I hope you were able to shake that cold Colburn. It was a pleasure meeting you as well and getting to chat. I was glad to see you made it back to hunt a little.
My brother and I put a lot of miles on the legs this trip through the canyons and thickets. We had to many close calls to even recall to be honest, with a few bluff charging each of us. One sow in particular we ran into was very angry. I wish I would of have had my camera out but I think we might have seen hogzilla Thursday afternoon. :laughing: :dunno:
(http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/Dirtybird_bucket/P1030163.jpg)If you look dead center in the picture there is a nice reddish colored pig with a couple others that can't be seen. These pigs went down in a deep canyon and my brother and I got with in twenty yards after an hour and a half stalk. No shot but one of the great memories watching my brother Scotty get that close. The wind just didn't hold up and we were down there with the hogs for over fifteen minutes within that twenty yard mark. (http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/Dirtybird_bucket/P1030151.jpg)It was a straight up and down rock wall on both sides and we found and erosion ditch of sorts to slide down 400 yards or so away and sneaked in to position. What a rush!
:campfire:
Great pics. and good hunt. I used to get to hunt with my brother, but he hasn't shot a bow for a long time and probably won't start shooting again. Wish he would.
Well on are way out of this canyon we were chatting and brother happened to catch a hog moving towards us in the brush. We both loaded arrows as fast as possible. This was Wensday, extremely cold with a blustering wind. We also had a light covering of snow which was very neat. (http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/Dirtybird_bucket/P1030139-1.jpg) (http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/Dirtybird_bucket/P1030140-1.jpg)So the hog moves down towards us oblivious of our presence and at eight yards my brother whispers to me "I've got this one" :biglaugh: and the shot was off. Quartering slightly away and through both lungs. That moment made the trip for me. I was so excited because I know how hard my brother works at his job. And to share that moment made the whole trip worth it for me. (http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/Dirtybird_bucket/P1030167.jpg) (http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/Dirtybird_bucket/P1030170.jpg)
(http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/Dirtybird_bucket/P1030169.jpg)
One trick we used was to walk a drag rag of Smokey boar scent all along the wheat field and then work our way in the thick stuff and then toward evening work our way out to where we put the scent. Funny thing all my wicks were eating and disappeared.
I really had plenty of chances that I just didn't capitalize on. Maybe next year. But I did have some more luck on Thursday.
Congrats to both of you looks like you had a great trip.Thanks for the great pictures and story.Im headed to Texas in may cant wait.
It ought to be a real scorcher by then. I really enjoyed the cooler temps. Some of the guys will be chiming in here in the next day or two.
Gotta love Texas is the winter. Nice stuff bud!!!
:campfire:
Great hunt Dave!!! :thumbsup:
Nice story,pics,pigs and memories.
Awesome story and pictures so far and to be able to share it with your brother...it doesn't get much better than that!
Sweet........
:clapper: :clapper: Awsome pics and shooting Dave
Great story and pics..
Very nice. Story and pics where great
Very cool! That pig of your brothers looks like he has some serious cutters!
Always great to hunt with family. Brothers and bows are a good combo.
Thanks for taking us a long.
Chris
Congrats on a Great hunt with your bother.
Sweet :wavey: Thanks for sharing. :thumbsup:
very very nice , good job an great pics , thank you !
Congratulations :)
Thanks for sharing!
Margly
"Pig Gig Fever"
Nice gig guys. I thoroughly enjoyed your happy time. I'm gonna do that some day - hopefully an annual adventure. Gotta get around and see the world with bow in hand.
Thanks for sharing! :thumbsup: How did the whole group do?
Werner, some guys did get some pigs and a few didn't have to much luck. Hard to believe because my brother and I saw pigs everyday. We didn't really care what the weather was doing since we were hunting and not working.
Hi David.It was great to catch up with you again and talk in Kalamazoo.Looks like you had a great trip to Texas.I was wondering about your hunt and how the wintry weather you had to go through and endure affected your trip.Those pics tell the story.Glad you and your brother got some hogs and that you got to at least see some javelina.They are a neat,fun,little critter to hunt.They can be testy as well sometimes as my buddy Jim that sat with us at the PBS in Nashville got a close up look at their snapping teeth while on his back a few years back down on the King Ranch.Glad you had a great trip and arrived back home safely.
On Thursday my brother and I decided to come back in for lunch. This was the first time all week we actually came back to eat at camp. That morning it was really calm and stalking was tough but we still had a couple close encounters. We sneaked back to our favorite water hole, which was froze over, and as we turned to corner of some evergreens I noticed a nice size boar heading straight towards us. So we both took a couple side steps to hide in the bush. The boar came down to the water and nudged the ice on top with his nose. This is happening at twelve yards and neither one of us have a shot do to a big overhanging limb. When the hog decided that he wasn't going to get any water he had two choices. Walk past the both of us or go back the trail he came in on? Well, of course he decided to walk back the trail he came on so I quickly followed and at a little over twenty yards he turned to go back in the thick stuff. I had a spot a bit bigger than a grapefruit to shoot through so I let one go. Unfortunately my arrow nicked the top and plummeted to the earth just low. It was such a cool colored hog to. A dirty yellow with some real nice cutters.
Thanks David, a great time was had for sure.
So after my mmmmiiisssss! We headed back out and decided to head back to camp to get a bite to eat. Back at camp, Cash, our ranch guide and Barry were out driving around and saw some pigs in a field by some water tanks. They said there was a big black one in a hay pile feeding. My brother and I looked at each other and said what the heck lets go. Upon arrival we could see two groups off in the distance in the wheat. One group of twelve and another of fifteen. We had to go around two small water tanks with really tall yellow grass around them. As we rounded the corner of the first water hole a big boar jumped up out of his bed and kinda of jogged off. I went into sprint mode and ran about 400 yards to get around this guy and my brother stayed back to watch the action. I got to a point were I was up on a bank trying to catch my breath and I see my brother pointing straight down. I stand up tall and there not 25 yards was the pig standing broadside drinking water. I snuck in just a littler closer and prepare for the shot. As I stand I think he noticed me as I released and the shot was low and forward and he took off back around the lake. I stayed right behind him within 30 yards for about 200 yards. The thing is he was heading right for Scotty waiting in the tall grass so I just kept pressing the pig. As we are working are way through the tall grass I see the pig turn and Scotty shoot. The pig was running but he hit the pig a bit back and the big boar ran out and gave me a perfect 30 yard broadside shot. I made good on that opportunity and put the shot right above his front leg about 3 inches up. He fell over 5 yards from that. What a rush and once again hunting with my brother was just the cherry on the top of the sundae. (http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/Dirtybird_bucket/P1030174.jpg) (http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/Dirtybird_bucket/P1030173.jpg)
(http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx116/Dirtybird_bucket/P1030177.jpg)
I thought it would only be fitting to have both of us in one last pic for what a great time we had together. On a side note when Cash said when he saw this pig he said thats not even the one they saw by the water when him and Barry were out scouting. The picture doesn't do this big boar any justice. He has a beautiful color to him and some real nice cutters. Cash said he was really old and run down. I figured thats why I was able to run and keep up with him. Just like people, when you get older you just don't fell like running as much. I hope to be back next year and chase after hogs again.
Very nice picts, looks like a fun time,
Nice!!! Where is the ranch?
Congrats to you and your brother. What a great time and thanks for sharing.
If you ever get to make this hunt there are no nicer people than David (Dirtybird) and his brother Scotty to share a camp with. The last evening we hunted the same area where David got this last hog. We never saw anything until we were getting in the truck right at dark. Several hundred yards away (where we had just come from)about 30-40 hogs popped out of the brush. We tried to make it back down there but we were a bit late to the game. The last two days were pretty tough hunting because the wind was almost calm. Absolutely nothing to cover any stalking noise. But it sure was fun trying.
Congrats. You gotta like a little tracking snow from time to time.
All around great story!! Great Hunt!!
I miss the hunts with my brothers. It's great to see you and your brother out there!!
Thank you
:coffee:
Cool! We've been waiting for this. Congratulations those are some great looking hogs!
There's nothing like hog hunting!
Enjoyed the pics and story of your hunt . THANKS for sharing :campfire:
Sounds like great hunt all around. Some nice looking hogs with some great tusks. Thanks for sharing.
Great job Dbird! You and your brother could pass for some Southern Hawg hunters! Nice cutters on that boar. Look out Hogdancer these brothers can dance with the hawgs!
Great story Dave , good to see you got Scott out hunting again.
Sounds like you may need more arrows , good thing I almost have your next dozen finished.
Awesome D-Bird. That was some good reading right-there. Great pics.
Nice story and pics, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for all the kind words.
Ted your right, I'm going to need some more after that for the turkeys. :archer: :pray:
Great pics. Congrats on the hogs.
That snow even got down into our neck of the woods.
I think it's getting more frequent.
How neat to even have a brother adn then one you don't see often and get to share a hunt, A kill and build even better memories!
Grand experience! Congrats to both!
Awesome job, Dave. Congrats to Scott, as well
Great stuff lads ... Pig hunting is as good as it gets
sounds you had great time!thanks for taking us along
TTT with pig gig season coming up.
I missed this one...Simply awesome David.
Great stuff !!! :thumbsup:
Bill
Thanks that was a cool read :)
Very nice, great story and pics
Good stuff. Makes me want to go pig hunting.RC
I just saw this for the first time tonight. Good job Dave and Scotty. You were an absolute pleasure to have in camp. For those interested, the 2012 Pig-Gigs were all sold out so I haven't posted anything. As usual we've just had a couple last minute cancellations. As of tonight I have two slots open for Hunt #1 at the Lambshead Ranch on the Brazos River. But it would be the tent/camping option only as all the bunks are spoken for. I also have one slot open for Hunt #2 on the Sloan Ranch, also on the Brazos River, but that is available for either a bunk or the tent/camp option. All the info is listed on our brothersofthebow website. If anyone is interested you're welsome to email me at: barrywensel@hotmail.com. It'd make a great Christmas present for yourself. Ha. Merry Christmas to all. BW
What a hunt guys! Congrats to the both of you for sharing that together!
Excellent pics!
Just looked at this again myself, what great memories of a wonderful hunt and people to be around. I really miss that place but will be back soon.
I dont know ho w I missed this last year but what a great story and hunt.
Congrats!
I might add, I cherish the time spent with family in the field.