Wednesday was a day that god reserved for me to be in the swamp. You'll hear why here in minute
I went with a new guide by the name of Jimmy Roseman . Jimmy and me were made to hunt together.We have the same mentality ( no jokes please ) when it comes to hunting hogs. We like to get in the deep swamps and the wet grass. Jimmy's grin when he hears hogs lites up a swampy area like the crescent moon .
We went down on the south end of the ranch in an area that nobody had been in for over a month. It was a swampy area that had wet areas with cypress trees and upland islands with palmetto thickets immersed with Live oaks with acorns everywhere . Sorry guys but I didn't get pictures of this area and I know I can't do it justice. But picture the Dolly Sods Wilderness area in WV in swamp mode :) It is rough !!!
As soon as we shut the truck off I stepped out to take a practice shot in the dark foggy morning when an Osceola turkey gobbled down the swamp road about 300 yards , I grinned and so did Jimmy. We knew that was an Omen.
We hurried down the logging trail into the swamp and made it to water in about 20 minutes of fast walking . As it was breaking daylight we heard a Boar hog chasing another boar through the water , squealing and squalling all the way .
That's how it was the next 3 hours as we weaved amongst the palmettos and Live oak trees.Trying to get some pork .
I finally had a big gray boar come through a palmetto thicket to see what all the racket was about and I promptly missed him at a long shot of 18 yards . I had shot right over his back . Jimmy just said oh well we don't have to drag him out of here .
Anyhow total for the morning was 19 different hogs spotted , 11 Osceola turkeys and a nice 8 point at 5 yards . Of course the 1 MISSSSSSSSSSSSSS. We had walked over 3 miles according to the GPS. We headed back to camp.
After Pancakes and a short nap I spanked my buddy Dirk at a game of pine cone shooting around camp . Of course he would have a different story :)
Me and Jimmy headed to a field that was several hundred acres with 6 Cypress heads engulfed with palmetto thickets in the afternoon . After going through several of these cypress heads we came out of one to see the biggest hog either of us had ever saw on the ranch about 600 yard across the field . Hogs started pouring out of the head in the back of the last field until there was 19 hogs in this field.
1 problem ,the only thing between them and us was 600 yards of the inch long grass in this pasture. We looked the situation over and checked the wind.
The stalk was on , on the far right was a swampy area with switch grass from knee high to over our heads. We made it to the grass undetected but were still 150 yards from the spotted hog that was near 300 pounds.
We started slowly through the grass getting soaked the farther we went with black muck up to our knees and sometimes having to crawl through openings in the grass to stay undetected . Stopping frequently to check the wind and check on the hogs . During one of these rests/stops I heard a hog walking in water close by. I turned and asked Jimmy if he heard it , he said no . I raised up to peek over the grass and saw a black hog moving parallel to us headed to the same spot .
I took 5 giant steps forward when the hog went behind some tall grass, knocked an arrow and got ready . As the hog came into the opening I drew and held until she cleared the grass clump. I wanted the hog standing still but at 15 yards I would shoot walking. About the time I was to release Jimmy grunted , she stopped and the arrow smacked her in the side tight to the shoulder . I melted and Jimmy melted with a BIG GRIN on our faces . Jimmy whispered you just shot the second biggest sow I ever saw here and the other is waiting on us to stalk her in the field . We marked the spot for later tracking and continued our original stalk .
The other hogs didn't have a clue but fed back into the saw grass. As we got closer we had hogs all around us. It was getting darker as rain approached from the west . We had gone maybe 50 yards when Jimmy grabbed me and pulled down on my shoulder and said the big spotted hog was 30 yards away. When we raised back up we could see 3 hogs 2 at 15 yards and sowzilla at 30 yards . I had a decision to make , I shot a 80 pound sow through both shoulders at 13 yards .
The rain was approaching fast and we had 2 blood trails to follow .
10 Minutes and 2 hogs later we stood in the pouring rain grinning from ear to ear .
The pictures didn't come out good for the small pig but the big 240 pound sow looks good in all the rain. I tried to get Jimmy in the picture but he wouldn't have it. We had two hogs to drag 1/2 mile across a field to the fence .Again Jimmy just grinned and so did I !
(http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo359/luckyjack123/Osceolaoutfitters2011010.jpg)
Congrats on the nice hog, and good story, Thanks for sharing... :clapper:
Great story and congrats on the fun and success of this hunt!
Very nice story, and a nice pig too! Way to fill the freezer!
Jack,
Thanks for the great hunt!! You can sure tell a good story..a couple guys having a great day together. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Wow! That's a great story and picture. Way to go bud!
Bic
What a porker!!!
Wahoo!
Just the kind of great hog hunting story I needed to warm my bones and inflame my brain with thoughts of maybe getting to do one myself this coming season.( will be a 1st for me)
Thank you for sharing.
God bless,Mudd
Wonderful story! I felt as I were there with you. Nice shot on the hogs!
Great story, Nice hogs ! Your making me long for a trip south to slay some hogs man !!
Good job! And a couple of good lookin hogs.
I love these hog stories. Well done, nice picture too. :thumbsup:
Jack: Sounds like you and Jimmy had an awesome Hog hunt , congats on all the fun. Someday I need to find some Hogs too chase.
Cool Beans....
Nice! Thanks for sharing.
Congrats! Thanks for letting us come along.
Great story telling. Great pic and a fine pair of hogs.
Earl
Great story,well done 2 clean kills.
Jack,I grim me too when I see your side window!!
Congratulations Jack.
Great hunt and great story.
Thanks for sharing.
:thumbsup: Great story and for sure a great hunt, you have some fine looking pig's, well done!! :clapper: :clapper:
Thanks guys as I said the rain was pouring as we were snapping pictures I wish the picture had turned out with both hogs in it but was real blurry due to steam and rain . Were were soaked to the bone and steaming by the time we got the hogs to where we could get the truck to them.
Sometimes it is just the effort that counts , we hunted 2.5 hard days to get these hogs putting down a lot of boot rubber in the swamps and palmetto thickets .
Good huntin'
Jack
Congrats Jack on a a fine hog! I was pleasantly surprised with hunting with Jimmy also. Great guy and he really knows his stuff. Way to hang in there and capitalize on the situation as it unfolded.
Big hog.
Congratulations sir! Awesome hunt and thanks for taking us along! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
great story ! good job ! Yup, it was your day for certain.
ChuckC
Nice story and congratulations on the hogs.
Good story, very nice hog. Congrats.
Congratulations on the hog Jack! I can appreciate the Dolly Sods thickness analogy... Between the rhododendron and spruce thickets tearing at you... It must be a real jungle down there!
Great Job! Big Hog!
Congratulations
Glenn
Huge hunt & story. Thank you much for taking me along. Get a deer dolly. That hog's too big to drag.
Jack, was big Al with you guys or another group?
Cool...what a great hunt! Congratulations :clapper:
Buddy we did go get the carte , I said drag which it was but better with the carte that was about 3/4 of a mile away .
Hitman Big Al was with the group the week before.
Jack
Great story. Where were you hunting?
A good read and a giant hog!!!! Congrats on both.
:bigsmyl: :thumbsup:
Great story, congrats!
That sounds like so much fun!
Good job, Man! Congratulations!
Awesome Jack!! Congrats!! :notworthy:
Great Hogs! And story.
Maineac
I was hutning with Osceolas outfitters in Florida. I think this makes my 7th trip down to hunt . I have hunted there enough I'm getting to know the ranch pretty well .
Hi Allen
Jack
Chow time! :bigsmyl:
Nice, a really good day and story
Great story. That is one huge hog. Congrats.
Great Stuff,thanks.
Way to get em!
Holy Smokes Jack....that's one heck of a nice hog! Great story.....Tim :clapper:
Hope everyone enjoyed my stalk half as much as we did . It was special to the both of us.
great story, thanx for sharing! :thumbsup: :campfire: