Lately I have been messing around with a feeder light, and this was my third night-time sit. Average temps here are 95-97 in the afternoons, so I've been hunting after dark.
I walked to my tripod at about 8 o'clock since dark rolls in about 9 these days. About 845 a big boar hog started walking toward the feeder. He strolled in broadside about 11 yards. My legs were a little shaky. I drew my bow, forgot to pick a spot, and sailed an arrow right over his back. Ugh!
I scrambled down and retreived the arrow. I took some deep breaths and reminded myself that I still had plenty of time.
9 o'clock rolled around, but the feeder light didn't come on. I investigated and walked back to the truck to get new batteries. (Note: It is difficult to remove phillips screws from a feeder light without having a phillips screwdriver).
Back in the tripod with light fully functional, I gazed at the stars and enjoyed the sounds of the night. I saw a shooting star and made a wish (to kill a hog).
A little after 10 a hog began grunting and 2 boars walked out of the shadows 20 yards away. One of these was a big pig, and I made up my mind that he was the one.
I use green LED's for my feeder light, and the light had been on the feeder for 8 nights in a row. They say that pigs don't notice the light, but that big hog wanted nothing to do with it. He would feed around the edge of the light but would never walk straight up to the well-lit area.
Finally he turned broadside at about 10 yards, and I slowly drew. I anchored and picked a spot this time. When I released I saw my lighted-nock streak straight to the pig. With a thunk and crash the pig was gone. The hit appeared too far forward, and the arrow snapped off on the feeder leg, leaving my lighted nock and a big piece of arrow laying on the ground. So much for using the lighted nock to find the hog.
I waited 15 minutes and slowly crept down to investigate the arrow. Unfortunately only 6 inches of arrow had broken off. I figured with only 6 inches of penetration, I would not be recovering this animal. My spirits were pretty low.
After getting my flashlights in order, I took up the trail. After 10 minutes of circling and looking, there it was; BLOOD!
A small splash of about 10 drops of blood was in the dry dirt. About 5 yards further there was a stripe of blood about a foot long. It looked like someone had poured blood on the ground out of a cup.
I followed this outpouring of blood for 20 yards further then found several small pools of blood with fresh dust on top of them. OH NO! I thought he must have bedded down here, and I jumped him up. For a moment I felt stupid. Six feet further lay a big dead hog. He made it about 80 yards.
This guy weighed about 200 pounds and the arrow had entered just above and forward of the elbow. When the autopsy was concluded, the Zwickey Eskimo was stuck in the off-side shoulder. The broadhead passed just above the heart through both lungs.
I began dragging him to the road but soon realized I needed a break. I decided to leave him in the brush and walk to the road. Once on the road I relocated the truck closer. Upon returning for the hog I only had one problem: I couldn't find him. After zig-zagging through the mesquites for 30 minutes I was pretty upset.
How does a man misplace a dead 200 pound hog?
As a final sweep I walked closer to the road and truck. About 30 yards from the road I found him. I had been looking much further off in the brush for 30 minutes.
After getting him loaded into the truck (which required a combination of engineering and brute strength), I chugged a 32 ounce Gatorade.
Tired, sweaty, dirty; It was awesome.
Brett
(http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t230/brettmccown/pigphotobucket.jpg)
:thumbsup: :clapper: Congrats!
Congrats! :thumbsup:
Congrats :thumbsup:
Great job,Congrats!!! :clapper:
Excellent :thumbsup:
Great!! Hunting in the dark adds another level of complexity. congrats ont he shot and recovery!
good story, very well told.
thanks!
joe
That's great! Congrats
Nice hog Brett!
Another one bites the dust! Congrats!
Good Job!!!
:clapper:
thats awesome!! :)
Congrats on the fine hog.
Congrats on the pork. Now there's only a few million left to take out.
Great story, congratulations
Awesome!
I hope to kill a hog someday. Prolly ain't gonna happen in KY though.
Sounds like a good time congrats on the big hog.
Way to go. The first of many.
Way to go sir! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Excellent job Brett :thumbsup: Thats one fine looking hog :archer2:
Congratulations on a fine hog!
Very cool.
YEP!...that is awsome, and congratts! :thumbsup:
Way to go man!
Nice porker. Congrats.
I only had one problem: I couldn't find him. After zig-zagging through the mesquites for 30 minutes I was pretty upset.
How does a man misplace a dead 200 pound hog?
Brett
(http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t230/brettmccown/pigphotobucket.jpg) [/QB][/QUOTE]
:biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh: Congratulations
Congrats on a nice hog!
That is a fine hawg!!! Congrats!! :thumbsup:
:clapper:
Nice hog,great story
great story
Great job. Night hunting is the best option when it's that hot.Congrats!
Well done!
Great recounting on the story of the hunt. :thumbsup:
Bacon and ham!
congrats, very nice hog.
Congrats! Perfect shot too!
Hey Brett,
great story, surely it must be time to fire up the pit, and roast a little.....now where did he go?? :scared: How were his teeth?? :bigsmyl:
I opted not to do a Euro mount on his head because he really had short cutters. I'll get a good mount done when I kill one with some teeth.
There is no shortage of hogs in the area I hunt.
Brett
Nice, congrats! :thumbsup: Good shootin'
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
NICE, congratulations.
Cangrats. A trophy well-earned. :clapper:
Good story and good shooting. :thumbsup:
:bigsmyl:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
:campfire:
Congrats!!!
Can't believe I just got around to seeing this. Congrats on a great hog! I imagine you won't be forgetting about this one anytime soon.
Awesome! Congrats! :thumbsup: :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Thats a nice oinker!
Congratulations on a great looking hog!
Nice story. One to remember for sure.
Good for you sir. Sounds like fun hunting after dark! Good shooting.
Congrats.Great story and nice hog
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
congrats, brett - that's just awesome sir! :thumbsup: :clapper:
:bigsmyl:
Great story, thanks for sharing. :thumbsup: