Where are the stories and pics?

Most of crew will just have gotten home yesterday as I did. Give us a day or so to get back in service.

All totalled we had 14 Trad Gangers in camp. Five new comers and the rest vets of Sweats prior. The cold front that turned Dallas and the Pig Gig Gang white was still hovering around when we rolled into camp. We did not see any snow but the weather during daytime was colder than we'd seen in prior years.

A number of pigs/havies were sighted but only seven made it to the coolers and one that escaped.

The weather had turned alot of hogs nocturnal for whatever reason. A good number of big hogs were seen after dark. One big boar 250+ was bagged by myself on last night of hunt.

Many of good stories were told and stump shooting was a regular daily activity. The travelling bows Hope and Faith made it to camp (Thanks Mel for handling/shipping)and were shot by a number of us. Hope made meat in the very capable hand of Curtis on the last night in camp.

It was great to keep the Sweat Tradition going and share camp with great guys as always. Hopefully their stories and pictures will role out here as they all settle back into reality.

Next year boys, next year..... :D

Mel is on the tailgate waiting for you Rob!

Dang! I've only just got the dust out of my ears!

Seriously though, if Curtis'll have me back, I'd love to get back over for TXS'11. Bob & Shaun had the right idea, wish I'd thought of it sooner myself!  :D

Looking forward to the stories.....

I pulled into camp a day early having spent the previous week at Pig Gig 1 with a bunch of TradGang folks. There just had to be an improvement in the weather this week as I was dang tired of winter camping in Texas! Both the Sweat ranch near Odessa and the Gig ranch near Albany are in the same geographic part of Texas. This state is so big they have several different named areas like the Piney Woods, Big Bend, etc. This area is part of the Panhandle Plains - and yes there can be winter in the Panhandle Plains!

On my arrival day it was over 60 degrees for the first time since I entered the big state a week before. By the end of the week it would be nearly 80 with morning lows above "see your breath".

I set up my hunting spot in "Dick's Blind" where our bowyer friend from Seattle made his first trad kill a few weeks back on a javelina.

Pigs eye view of where I spent many hours guarding the corn.



And the inside look at where I sunned myself waited for little stinkers.

Dang! You mean you actually got to hunt on dry ground? That was worth the trip right there!

Looking forward to the story and pics....keep em coming y'all.    

Been wondering about you fellas and how your week turned out down there.  Looking forward to hearing all the details!

I had no daytime visitors at this spot and after the third day I spent an afternoon trying for hogs at a different one. Then on the last hunt day I tried a spot where Cado had been into javies most days. This blind was less luxurious but well placed and in the sunshine.



From 2-5 the birds entertained me and the sun finally warmed me to the core and started to color my Yankee hide a bit.



Javelina are desert dwellers and prefer a prickly pear cactus thicket, but there are fair numbers of them up into this part of Texas. I love to hunt and watch these critters - they crack me up with their cartoon like antics and movements. About 5 my patience was rewarded by a glimpse of movement behind me - a quick shot with the camera...



A small family group of three - sow and two yearlings - ran out into the sendaro and stopped. At 20 yards they offered nothing but a chance to wound more than one with a single arrow. Again, the camera seemed like the right shot.



Javies will often hang around, dart away and come back and present several shot opportunities. These little fellows had another agenda and departed without so much as a single nibble of corn or how do you do. They had not been down wind or seen me, but they were wound up about something. I feel lucky to have had a close encounter with them again this year.

I had a chance to shoot the Dryad Orion traveling bow Hope at the target butts. Fine little bow with amazing zip. CK took it to the field the last evening and ... well heck, its almost a given that a pig would fall. Heart shot short recovery.



When I got home there was a certified letter from the consulate awaiting my signature at the PO. Picked it up this morning and can now say, "My fellow Canadian Dave (huntit) Stinson." Anyway, he is a little confused about apple placement but not arrow placement. Here is his second piggy of the hunt taken the last evening.



Couple of my bestest buddies in Texas sharing the moment...

Canadian Eh! Congrats Shaun!

Curtis stuck that apple in my mouth amidst the flash blindness. It was nice to wrap up the last night with that narly old boar.

Nice work!

I gotta get there one of these day's. Look's like a ton of fun! Jason

Very pleased to See CK looking Well, how are you Bro?

Dad and I were sad to miss it, been thinking how you guys where getting on all last week.

Shaun Lovely Pics as always keep em coming, but we'r gonna have to work on your accent.. hey    

Andy,

I'll give you a call in a few days. Curtis is in camp for another two weeks then he'll be home.

Some people have some sort of special knack for killing hogs and Curtis and Dave are two of the best.
That is some fine looking pork!  

Looks like great fun.  Maybe next year.

Real nice boar, Dave.  Congrats.

Congratulations on your hawg Dave. Too bad we don't have hog hunting in Ontario!!