Just got back from our trip to Hog Heaven. First off I need to thank rushlush and xroadshunter for putting the hunts in the auction and Ray for adding the extra day. You guys are GREAT! We drove down on Wednesday. So our first stop was Wiggins Hardware store to get our license. After that we were met by Stiles and taken out to camp. As the wife and I unpacked and got settled in it started pouring rain down. Then the power went out. :scared: It wasn't just dark it was REALLY dark. Is this an omen???
:campfire:
:campfire:
I know this story isn't over. Just makes more memories
Day 1- The power came back on early thurs. morning about 1:30 am. We got up and were in the woods at daylight. My wife and I started walking thru the brush about 3o yards apart. Maybe a half hour later she signaled that she heard something. It was a hog! A nice sow was working her way thru a blowdown straight toward her. Seh couldn't get a clear shot where she was so my wife took a step to the side. One more and she would be in the clear. SNAP! a twig broke. The hog put it's head up and my wife froze. Unsure where the noise came from the sow turned and made her way back thru the blowdown. By the time we worked around the other side we couldn't see the hog. :dunno: We hunted the rest of the morning but didn't see anymore hogs. Then we came back to came for some lunch and to make a gameplan for the afternoon.
Keep it coming! :campfire:
This is a good story, keep it up Mike!
I know what you mean about getting dark. I don't know if you have ever really seen dark until you have been in those swamps at night!
:campfire:
QuoteOriginally posted by Littlejake:
I know what you mean about getting dark. I don't know if you have ever really seen dark until you have been in those swamps at night!
Ever been in a south Louisiana marsh at night in the FOG and your headlight fails? Now THAT'S shut the motor off time. :banghead:
:bigsmyl:
OK so with our gameplan set we headed out. We still hunted the swamp for awhile then we heard pigs ahead of us. We decided to circle them and set up with the hope that they would continue in our direction. It worked. They kept coming our way. At about 20 yards we realized we had a problem. There was a dense patch of river cane between us. My wife and I listened while the hogs started to fight. That will get the blood pumping! All of the sudden they ran off. We don't know what happened but we headed back to camp sans pork. By the time we got back Ray and the rest of the guys were there. Time to EAT!
Great story, keep it coming. :campfire:
Here are some scenery pics.
(http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/jet26photos/2e11e22b-0027-4e2c-a7f8-d8e92b46ee95.jpg) (http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/jet26photos/1342561a-ae9f-4249-8073-7fc32abe5f65.jpg) (http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/jet26photos/164fd91d-dfaa-4fef-b586-b8bcd21621f1.jpg)
(http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/jet26photos/797b6ed6-9a86-4e06-b749-0c3a8a70278f.jpg)
Friday started out kind of slow. The weather had turned colder and was a bit windy. We decided to hunt just a little farther before lunch. It wasn't long we cut a set of fresh hog tracks. The hog seemed to be headed for the river so we followed. Out of nowhere I spotted a big blob up ahead of us....
Great story even though I know the ending.
It was great sharing camp with you and your wife.
Dave
Yeah Dave we couldn't have asked for a better group of guys to share the experience with :)
After a look through the binos I looked at my wife and she confirmed what I thought. It was a hog at 30 yards bedded in a drainage. The stalk was on! Using the wind to my advantage I kept a tree between us and closed the distance to 6-8 yards. With a quick check around the tree I drew my bow... :eek:
My shot found it's mark and this was the result.
(http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/jet26photos/13576d0f-b55f-4a76-8c0f-27d321a45d25.jpg)
You are a great storyteller Mike. You always had us on the edge of our seats in camp and now is no different. As Dave said, we really had a great group. Love to do it again next year!
Mike I'm happy to see the pigs held up there end of the bargain. Great hog!
George
Wow, nice hog! I'm gettin the itch to head south.....
Way to go Mike! And with a bow I'm sure you built.......?
Hey, Far out Brushwolf. I'll be going to Georgia soon for the Hill Gang hog hunt. You got me pumped up and ready to go with your great story telling. Would be nice to hook up with a tusker like yours. Nice hog, congrats. :thumbsup:
Nice hog Brush! Congrats
Man that's a nice hog! Great job!
Sweeeeet! Great story and hog!
Was glad to meet you and your wife! Congrats on that nice boar agian!!
Thanks for the story, congrats on the porker!
As a group we scoured Ray's property looking for hogs. Either the dry spell, or the low temps, or just dumn luck had them isolated, for the most part, down in the heavy river cane...which we found out a little too late. There were also some bachelors in the pines, but it just wasn't my time.
Here's just a couple more pics from the weekend.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g383/amzlongbow/005-4.jpg)
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g383/amzlongbow/003.jpg)
I thought this picture of brushwolf's was very telling. These drainages were not even muddy, a testament to how dry they are there.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g383/amzlongbow/011-2.jpg)
Nice hog! Thanks for sharing your hunt with us!
AWESOME!!!
What a pig too!! Congrats!!
QuoteOriginally posted by Pokerdaddy:
I thought this picture of brushwolf's was very telling. These drainages were not even muddy, a testament to how dry they are there.
(http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g383/amzlongbow/011-2.jpg)
I was thinking about how dry it must have been. Totally different than when I was there. Few less crocks though I bet.
Nice Hog Congrats!
Well I got my boar Fri. afternoon and after we got it back to camp we headed out for the evening hunt. No hogs that trip but we got pretty close to some deer. And the squirrels were EVERYWHERE! Made me wish I'd brought some blunts. Up and out early Sat. morning. There was frost... Almost reminded me of home. lol We hunted our way back into camp for lunch. Once we talked it over with Ray we decided to try some new ground.
Those are some nice pics Pokerdaddy. The angel is really neat.
Does your wife get a hog! I'm reaaaally wanting to do a hog hunt! You've got me salivating!
Great story tell'n and pic's.
Way to go. :clapper: :clapper:
My wife decided to take the afternoon off because she wasn't feeling well so I went to a spot I'd hunted on a previous trip. After about an hour of hunting I came up on a hog. I followed him out the flat til he disappeared in some cane. When there was no sign of him making a reappearance I backed out and went to check on the wife. She said to "Go get him" so go I went. I slipped back in to the last spot I'd seen him and listened. While I was standing there I caught a whiff of him. He must have realized I was close because he jumped up and ran a few feet into some more cane. I tried my best hog grunt to try and persuade him that I was just another hog. Boy did that fire him up! He ran over to a pine and started to rake it and the noise.... I wasn't sure whether he really liked me or if I should be looking for an escape route. As he came out of the brush facing me was on an intercept course. Things were going to get interesting. I had tension on the string and wouldn't you know... the wind shifted. He blew outta there. DARN! No hog but what a memory. That's how saturday ended.
This time around I tried to take more pics. My wife was armed with a camera as well ;)
(http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/jet26photos/b2444649-9968-4253-8bba-1be0cddd0c5d.jpg) (http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/jet26photos/b819e449-936f-446b-81f0-30a9dbcc4320.jpg)
(http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/jet26photos/144a6b49-7d27-452c-a623-ebb15b439f6a.jpg)
(http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/jet26photos/23765055-e19e-423a-896c-01406c3f18b6.jpg)
Nice hog Mike. Great story!!
Sunday morning rolled around and the wife and I went back to the same spot where I saw the boar the evening before. At maybe 8am we saw a couple of hogs bedded down at the edge of some cane. My wife started to sneak up on them. There wasn't any wind so the going was super slow. She got within 25 yards when one pig stood up. It walk over to a pine tree and started scratching. Just a little farther and she'd have a shot. I guess they had a bad vibe because the next thing we knew they were on their feet. What we thought was one or two hogs ended up being group of sows with about a half dozen piglets. One was red with black spots. As we waited to see if they would present a shot the group moved off into the cane. MAN! My wife just can't catch a break! We tried to circle them but they seemed to have vanished. No luck again. We had to head back to camp to start the 10 hour trip home by then. All in all it was a great trip! We met some real good guys, had some delicious food, and made some wonderful memories.
Wow, what a great trip!
Lord I miss that place!
Those are some pretty bows. Like I told you before.....you got some talent.
:bigsmyl:
Great hunt! Congrats on a fine weekend. I am going back to Rays in a month or so for my second trip, after getting to go last year after accepting the generous hunt offered by Terry as the winner of the contributor hunt. It's time I hope to kill my first hog :) It is a magical place :campfire:
Thanks everyone for coming along with us. I think my wife is thinking of planning a return trip. :bigsmyl:
Got any close up pics of that hogs mug? He sure looks like hes got some nice teeth.
(http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e322/rayhammond123/37323459-2731-4042-A97A-70CEE24F633D-1436-000001744DC71179.jpg)
Here is another for ya Izzy. (http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k592/jet26photos/b78c4ae0-8f39-4d7d-8e12-a317fe78351d.jpg)
Great story telling and congrats on the fine hog! Looking forward to my next trip to Rays!
Nice trophy. Great story & pic's!
Nice Hawg!
Wow, hes a nice one.
Three months and we'll be back down there. Can't wait.
Great story Mike.... A Tenley bow strikes again!!!
:campfire:
Thanks Kip. Maybe there is some mojo in them after all.
you guys are killing me i am heading down to Rays in May,time is crawling by and this isn't helping LOL.Congrats on a nice hog
Great story, Mike! That was one mean lookin' pig.
That is a Tusket!