I recently received a text message from a fellow Professional Bowhunter Society member, wanting to know if I was interested in going south to chase some hogs. Being recently retired and having a fairly free schedule, it took about five seconds for me to make the decision to go! I was hoping for a little get away to some warmer temperatures, a little adventure and the opportunity to chase some hogs. I ended up with a great hunt with a great group of guys who represent everything P.B.S. stands for. I always look for to these membership hunts as it allows me to interact and hunt with some serious bowhunters from across the country.
We left early morning on January 28 for the long ride down South. Jeff Holchin from North Carolina had set up the hunt as a P.B.S. members hunt on some coastal islands. He has hunted that area for a couple of years and located some areas that hold hogs. He would be transporting us to the islands with his boat and we would camp on the islands and hunt for a long weekend. This was to be the first week of hunting as Jeff had also set up for another group of P.B.S. hunters to come down the following weekend. I have hunted hogs in Florida several times in the past and really enjoy the change of pace that it affords compared to sitting in a tree stand here in the mountains.
Duane and I made it to the boat dock we were supposed to meet Jeff at and after a short wait Jeff arrived in his boat. He had already had a busy day, transporting other others, their gear along with his gear to the island. Duane and I loaded Jeff's boat with gear until it looked like an overloaded cargo barge, then tied Duane's canoe on the back and left for the camping site. After an uneventful 30 minute boat ride we arrived at the selected camping site, a patch of high ground nestled beneath some tall pines. Camp was set up, dinner was prepared and we spent some time catching up with some of the other hunters around the fire.
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The next three days were filled with the kind of adventure that I have come to expect from these membership hunts... making new friends and renewing old acquaintances, a little danger, a little difficulty, lots of opportunities, a few surprises, great fellowship and food. All shared with some of the most serious bowhunters you could hope to share a camp with. We used boats and canoes to get in the area of the hogs and then waded across muddy marsh flats in hip waders hoping to get a shot.
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I managed to work my way to within 12-15 yards of two boars fighting one morning. I was able to slip an arrow into the smaller of the two and he ran off about 30 yards and folded up. I spent the next 20 minutes trying to get a shot at the larger boar but he eventually lost interest with out cooperating and walked off. I was shoot a 63 pound Bear T/D and had a pass through with a 175 grain V.P.A. terminator.
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:campfire: you guys out did us second stringers!!
Back at camp I processed that boar and washed off the arrow I had used. It was still intact so I changed out a new broad head and stuck it back in my quiver.
That evening I located a boar out in the middle of a marsh and paralleled him for several hundred yards until we were within about 20 yards of each other. Light was fading fast as I shot him through the shoulders with the same arrow I had used to kill the other boar earlier in the day. He ran by me and ran a total of about 80 yards out into the marsh. I wasn't certain of the hit so I went back to camp to enlist some help in tracking the hog from some of the other guys.
We were delayed as we first had to retrieve one of our hunters who had gotten stuck in the mud. Planks were laid out to get to him and help him to solid ground. The mud was soft and sticky and you could be waist deep and stuck before you even knew it.
We assembled a hog recovery team and went back after my boar. The profuse blood trail was easy to follow and we soon had him dressed. On both of these hogs P.B.S. members offered to walk back to camp and then paddle a canoe up to meet me to transport them back to camp. This was a first for me as I have never used canoes to transport game. It was also a life saver as other wise I was facing a horrendous drag back to camp.
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The next morning I stayed in camp to process my boar. He was skinned and quartered and added to the cooler. I once again washed off the arrow I had used, replaced the broadhead and stuck it back in my quiver. the rest of the guys had opted to try a different area that morning and loaded up the boats for an assault. It wasn't long before I started to get photos and text messages.... they had gotten into hogs and several had been shot already.
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That evening I went back to this area with the rest of the guys. It didn't take long until we were in pigs again. I ended up in some really thick stuff with six mature hogs all within 10-15 yards of me. One of the boars turned broadside and offered a shot so I utilized the same arrow I had killed the earlier two boars with and shot him through the shoulders. He ended up taking an exit on the very trail that I was standing on. As he approached pretty quickly I opted to give him the right of way and ran off through the reeds! He only went about 30 yards total. Once again, that V.P.A. head had done a real job on the hog.
Getting this hog out of the muck and back to the boat was a chore and I appreciate the help offered by Julian, a fellow P.B.S.er. He blew off hunting for the remainder of the afternoon and helped drag this boar about 600 yards through the mud and canes and then loaded it on his boat for the ride back to camp.
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As is usually the case, the hunt and fellowship was over all too soon. It was a great time, the kind of adventure that you always hope for when you leave out on a hunt. Temperatures were a lot colder than I anticipated and maneuvering in the swamps was a lot harder. One thing that wasn't a surprise was the caliber of hunters that I shared this camp with. I have been on several of these membership hunts and on each one the guys I have met and hunted with have been some of the most serious and enjoyable hunters you could ever hope to spend time in the woods with. If you are a P.B.S. member and you've never made it to one of the membership hunts, you owe it to yourself to experience one. If you aren't a member, join up and maybe we will share a camp one day!
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Looks like a great hunt, nothing better than campfires and bowhunters.
Congrats
RW
Looks like a great time was had by all. That boat is gonna need an Extreamly deep cleaning.
That place is mud, mud, and more MUD!!! I'm still cleaning it off my bows!!
Very nice.
Glad to see this story posted here. Sounds like a fantastic hunt was had by all!
PBS has had a lot of very cool things happening recently!
Good shooting Randal! Thanks for sharing. I'd like to make it on that hunt sometime.
Great Recap. I would love to get in on one of these hog hunts. Congrats on your piglets :p
We need to do it again. I just bought another shallow running assault boat. We share dinner duties and we eat well on these hunts, no need to rough it.
Great write up Randy! I was in for the second week. I couldn't make it til Thursday morning. Jeff Hulchen picked my up at the airport about 1030 am and drove me to the boat to get us to camp. We picked up Paul Ladner from an island that he was hunting. We got to camp and I met Jim and Danny Bell. We all hit it off and at 47, I was the baby of the group!! I quickly unpacked, strung up my bow had lunch and I was ready to go!!
My first assault was on "Hell Island" as it came to be known, as soon as I stepped off onto the island, I sank to my crotch in mud, I was able to move a few feet before I got REALLY stuck!! Jeff had to come to my rescue. It seemed that I expended all my energy trying to free myself. once free, I had to lay face down in the mud to catch my wind!!
Randal, thanks for sharing a great story. Sure got your moneys worth out of that arrow!
The assault on "Hell Island" I sank deep!!!
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Keep it coming Sean :thumbsup:
working into the wind I slowly made my way to the interior of the island. The island consisted of 6' reeds that were very dense. There were open spot were the hogs would wallo. I got into 3 big hogs. I would stalk to about 10 yrds, as soon as I put tension on the string, they ran off about 30 yrds, then stop and start rooting again. Then I'd get close only to have either a head on shot or no clear shot. This went on for about an hour and a half, until the hogs had enough and ran off for good. That was worth the trip right there!!
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Jimmy Bell, shot a big 200 lb sow. Everyone got into hogs that afternoon. We got Jimmys sow loaded onto the Jeff's boat and we sat down for a much needed dinner. The weather was perfect as far as I was concerned. We've had temps in the teens and single digits all winter long, so the southern nights were a refreshing break. The aching muscles set in, but it was worth it.
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The next morning we started the day off with scrambled eggs, pancakes and elk steaks....the breakfast of champions!!
My hip boots were still soaked inside, Jeff offered up is knee boots which were a size too small. But I didn't care, I wanted to hunt!!
Paul and I decided to stay on the island and hunt the dyke. It ended up being an 8 mile trek!! I really couldn't go far into the marsh with the knee boots, so I had hoped to catch a hog out on the dyke, or just off of it. No such luck!!
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Jeff asked us to be in by noon, we came staggering in at 1215!! My feet were throbbing, I had quarter sized blisters on the balls of my feet!! After lunch we all split up. Paul hunted the dyke, the Bell brothers hunted Hell Island and I hunted a hammock next to camp.
Walking on the dry island I came across a 6 or 7 ft black racer. I could hear hogs rooting in the marsh around the hammock, but none showed until just before dark. I had a few piglets come into about 5 yards from me. I decided to pass. It was still an exciting day!
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On Pauls hunt, he walked right up to a sleeping otter. He snapped this picture of it just before it woke up hissed at him and ran off.
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Wow that's awesome! Great job :clapper:
And only 1 arrow!!
Sean those are fun pics. He'll island seems like an appropriate name!
Thanks Matty!! Yea, I got stuck there 3 times!! I had the buzzards circling a few times!!!
Nice story and looks like a great hunt.
I have to go to work, I'll finish up tonight, maybe check in with my IPhone.
Would have liked to been on this one. Great job guys!
I was glad to host this hog hunt for the PBS. The membership hunts are greatly expanding these days. I have been on about a dozen such hunts all over the country in the past five years. Imagine, if you were a member of the PBS, being invited to approximately 25 different bowhunts this year, all over the country for all different kinds of animals. If you are not yet a PBS member, maybe it is time to join? There are many other benefits of joining the PBS, but fellowship with very serious bowhunters, most of whom are trad bowhunters, ranks pretty high on that list.
Here are a few photos from this particular hunt. Good food is a given on these hunts..
Here Paul is grilling some VERY fresh pork ribs...
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One morning I made eggs, pancakes and elk steaks..
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We were hunting tidal marshes that got a little muddy...
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Matt and Tim got a little muddy also while chasing their pigs..
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However, some pigs preferred the drier piney woods..
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Looks like so much fun! I just joined PBS I am looking forward to my membership in this organization!
Jeff, I can't wait to join you next year.
I agree that one of the best benefits of PBS is the ability to meet and hunt with like-minded individuals. As you said, the PBS has at least 25 hunts planned for 2015. Everything from bear in NH to Cous deer in AZ and pretty much everything in between. I don't recall all the things being hunted, but know of bull frogs, elk, turkey, mule deer, whitetail deer, alligator, carp, and of course hogs!
We almost lost two bowhunters to the waist-deep pluf mud. This is the buzzard that began following Sean around, looking for an easy meal...
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Eventually it gave up on Sean and settled for the remains after these hunters took care of a nice hog..
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Several hunters killed either their first or best hog to date. Bob had to fight off this angry boar with his bow after the shot. We think the boar was ticked off after it caught Bob sleeping in its nest overnight...
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We were blessed with great weather, and experienced some awesome sunrises and sunsets...
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Lord willing, we'll do it again next year...
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Being a PBS member can be a little heart breaking tho....I've had to turn down a bunch of great opportunities for lack of time!!! Trying to make the most of it!! Thanks Jeff for a great hunt!!
QuoteOriginally posted by SheltonCreeker:
Looks like so much fun! I just joined PBS I am looking forward to my membership in this organization!
and we are happy you joined, Dirtnap. Looking forward to hunting with you again.
I've attended this hunt for the last few years and it just keeps getting better. Jeff does an amazing job with the logistics and scouting and the guys that show up for the hunt have all been pleasures to get to know. Looking forward to seeing a good crew come in next year. Actually, it will only be a month or so before we gather for our bi annual banquet which will be in St. Augustine in 2016. Hope many of you will join us there too!
To Randy, Bob, Ron, Jeff, Tim, Matt, and Tim....thanks for putting up with me this year. I had a blast. :thumbsup:
Looks like a really great trip!
This area can only be accessed by boat and is very difficult to hunt. You must wear hip boots or waders because of the mud that can be more than waist deep. It is loaded with gators, snakes and bugs - we hunted in colder weather, otherwise they can be unbearable. I was there this week in temps close to 70, and saw many gators and snakes; I forgot my thermocell and the skeeters and no-see-ums tore me up, plus I brought home a dozen ticks! I am a relatively new boat owner and not used to tidal rivers, especially when the tide range is 6-8 feet. The first year, I got stuck on a sand bar on a submerged tree and burned up my water pump and ruined the outboard. Very expensive lesson. The second year, I learned to be very careful where to park my boat...
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In that case, I only planned to scout an island for an hour, but one hour turned into three with several hog encounters and eventually a dead hog to cut up and pack out. The boat was taking on water in the back when I returned and was probably a half hour from being swamped. Oops.
I also had to tow out a buddy's boat last year when his outboard quit. This year the starter on my outboard acted up some and I had the only boat that week; I was worried that we would have to swim back to the boat ramp. Not fun with all the gators and snakes around.
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For the second week I even mounted a back-up outboard, to help prevent being swept out to the ocean if the primary outboard quit on me...
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I returned solo this week to hunt a new spot that I was warned could only be accessed for a very brief period during high tide. I arrived at high tide and promised myself to just look around for an hour. Well I found hogs within 10 minutes and stalked one group after another, completely losing track of time for over 3 hours. My boat was high and dry when I returned, and I had to wait for 6 hours before I could escape... :mad:
I guess if it was easy, anybody could do it. I can't wait to attend my next PBS membership hunt.
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Great Photos, I loved hearing of this adventure!
man, ive gotta make one of these hunts
I've been a PBS Associate member for over twenty years and I've never gone on one of the member hunts. Next year I've got to get my butt in gear and get on one. Looks like you guys had a blast.
Dave and Mint, check your next PBS magazine for a list of the upcoming hunts, find one you like and join the fun. Life is short, let's bowhunt! Mint, Sean B is hosting a really cool hunt right there in NY this fall.
Hey Mint, as Jeff said, I'm going to host a hunt in Andes. One of the properties I'm going to use is thT piece I gave you tips on for turkey Hunting. It should be posted in the PBS mag. Slso check out the trad bowhunters of NY page below for the one I'm doing for TBHONY
Most or all of the upcoming membership hunts can be found on the PBS Calendar on the Cyber Campfire, GA, AZ, AK, VA and a dozen other states in between.
How about Jeff just holds this Hog hunt every weekend? :thumbsup:
Charlie, I would much rather do that, than sit at this stupid office/prison and write reports. I am already suffering from withdraw symptoms and dreaming of my next hog hunt on the coast.
Sounds good Sean. I'll check that out and hopefully make it.