we ran out of meat hooks at Wild Things last week

Red Beastmaster · December 23, 2015, 11:32:00 AM

That little knoll behind you at the weir is where my wife and I saw the 12' alligator. The swamp was flooded just like that on our visit a couple years ago.

It was right after that Andrew buried the Toyota in a ditch.

LostNation_Larry · December 23, 2015, 03:28:00 PM

I gotta know if you used any of those 100+ spined arrows I made for you?

sticksnstones · December 23, 2015, 03:47:00 PM

Here is the journal from the next day.
***
Monday December 14th 2015
Up at 7am up for a cup of coffee with Andrew at the main camp, Charlie came in just a little while later. Always good to see him and catch up, I kinda like to bend his ear about the hogs too. A man named Jay arrived at 9am as expected. He is a game warden for the state of SC, but also a biologist and lifelong outdoorsman. I like Jay a lot, super sharp guy. The four of us did a mosquito ridden three hour tour of the property and concluded with a nice lunch in camp. We talked habitat, planting, soil, and so forth for another two hours. I wasn't exactly getting ahead on my daily chores, but I think it was a very good use of time learning from his direct experiences with hogs.

Steve Angell arrived just after noon and settled in at the table and shared in the conversation. At 1:30 I grabbed Steve and we did a gator ride and collected/redeployed cameras. Pictures showed Daves Field was hit by a bunch of big hogs about 11:30pm. Pine Field was more encouraging at 6:15. Just about the last minutes of possible shooting light. Thom's Experiment didn't have a track. Yet...

3:00 we were done with all the camera business so we got on our hunting clothes and went out to sit Wild Fire and Hog Wallow. Two stands near the center of the property, but pretty close together. I figure there are hogs around and with the acorns gone they will hit one or the other.

We were in our perches by 3:45. 4:10 I spot a hairy black tail wagging behind me about 40 yards. I consider pursuit as the wind is good, but I figure they are just early for corn and wait. Feeder at 4:30, but nothing charges in. 4;51 rain drops fall and dark clouds choke out the shooting light. 5:00 I see a flashlight beam. This was my sign to go get Steve, but it was too early. Knowing Steve is a hunt-every-minute-you-can kind of guy I wonder what's up.

When I arrive he is standing on the ground about 40 yards from his stand. I ask "Rain run you off?" Steve replies "Nope, mosquitos.... Well that and the dead hog over there." Dang, he got me. Sure enough she was a beautiful sow.

I grabbed my truck and we took her to the skinning shed. Before getting started on field dressing I wanted to let Andrew know we were going to be late for dinner. Arriving at camp we met Ted and Luke who had just arrived. They were very excited and wanted to come check it out so we all headed back to the old skinning shed together. We played the weight game; I guessed 145 and the scale read 150. Not bad, wish I could do that good all the time.

Back at camp Andrew's son Stiles had arrived with his dog Tucker. It's been good emailing and talking to him these past few months as he's getting his recurve setup with new arrows, but it was really good to finally meet him face to face.

We enjoyed a spaghetti dinner with some beer and wine, then talked around the table until midnight.

Steve had a video camera on his gadget adapter so I got the video onto my laptop and we enjoyed a mini movie night of his shot. Called it a night about midnight and retired. Hopefully these guys don't snore!
***

Here is a screenshot from that movie just before he shot, he was getting stormed!

That lead sow is the one we got the extra pictures of

Steve might have a little something to say about that shot.
Thom

sticksnstones · December 23, 2015, 03:49:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by LostNation_Larry:
I gotta know if you used any of those 100+ spined arrows I made for you?

Hi Larry, I was hunting my lighter bow this hunt with carbon arrows. I have that heavy weight back now and my quiver is full and ready for my next trip!
Thom

BowHunterGA · December 23, 2015, 04:23:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by sticksnstones:

That lead sow is the one we got the extra pictures of

Steve might have a little something to say about that shot.
Thom

Thanks Thom,

Shot was at about 15 yards, steep quartering shot from about 12' high. Shot entered far back in the ribs and I was surprised when the fletchings did not disappear. She traveled about 40 - 50 yards and expired. Heavy blood trail but no exit wound. We would see why back at the skinning shed. The arrow was a 350 spine Black Eagle Outlaw tipped with a 235 grain Grizzly Kodiak. With the other components and the shaft filled with 1/4" rope the total weight is 900 grains even. I was shooting "Bona Fide", my 68" Northern Mist Classic, 73@28.

The reason there was no exit was the 235 Kodiak buried into the lower left jaw bone of the hog. Thinking back on the way she exited the clearing I think the shock just about took her out. I have never seen a hog walk away quivering but this one did all the way to the woods. The one time she stopped before entering the woods he whole body was shaking.

Post mortem:

Longbow1953 · December 23, 2015, 06:19:00 PM

Cyclic-Rivers · December 23, 2015, 09:32:00 PM

December 23, 2015, 10:08:00 PM

Awesome!

Congrats!

Can't wait for more!

Bisch

South MS Bowhunter · December 23, 2015, 10:21:00 PM

Good start Steve

wooddamon1 · December 24, 2015, 09:18:00 AM

Duker · December 24, 2015, 04:42:00 PM

Great story

Bud B. · December 24, 2015, 06:00:00 PM

Pierre Lucas · December 24, 2015, 08:01:00 PM

Outstanding...good times.

God bless,

Warden609 · December 24, 2015, 08:59:00 PM

yth-mnstr · December 24, 2015, 09:37:00 PM

Love it!

Biathlonman · December 24, 2015, 09:44:00 PM

I'll check back in February, story might be done by then.

WESTBROOK · December 24, 2015, 10:33:00 PM

Ya tellin me Andrew only has one meat hook?

23feetupandhappy · December 26, 2015, 01:29:00 AM

Really good so far!!!!

sticksnstones · December 26, 2015, 12:41:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by WESTBROOK:
Ya tellin me Andrew only has one meat hook?

Needed to take a little time to celebrate Christmas and see family I don't get to see nearly often enough.

Resuming the photo cropping and uploading for the rest of the story. There are a bunch more hooks to account for.
Thom

WESTBROOK · December 26, 2015, 01:23:00 PM

Just tuggin on your chain a little Thom :D

Hope you had a great Christmas!