Just got in the stand and I heard a hog squeal

[Mint]

My wife and I spent a few days at my friends house in Vero Beach Fl celebrating New Years with them. Had a great time and it was very relaxing. On the morning of the January 2nd we said are goodbyes and headed to Orlando airport. My wife was flying home to Long Island and i was meeting my buddies to start our hog hunt at Osceola Outfitters with the Kempher family. This would mark our 23rd year with only a few of the original group left and only 1/2 of the hunters still shooting traditional since old age and shoulder issues forced some to go to compound and crossbows.

Kissed my wife goodbye at the gate and headed over to meet the guys at the rental car area. Unfortunately even though we had reservations they didn't have our vehicles ready. About an hour and a half later we were on our way.  Driving to the Kempher Ranch to say Florida has changed since i first trip is an understatement. So much open land has been turned into homes and strip malls it is nearly unrecognizable.

When we got to the ranch all all the familiar sights and memories came rushing back, and it was great to see the outfitter and his two grown sons. Then we started getting ready for our evening hunt, practicing at the boar target and making sure we were all set. I decided to do a stand hunt over a feeder instead of going spot and stalking since I prefer to do that in the morning hunts. They told me the Big Pine stand would be good for the wind so off we went. On the way there I asked Sage, one of Hoppy's sons if he could cut down the palmetto's so I could see the vitals if they came in closer. Sage smiled and said he took the brush hog in there and cleared the area to the stand. To say I was pleased it was an understatement. I don't know about anyone else but having to shoot over a sea of palmettos always messed up with my instinctive judgement and had to force myself to guess the yardage.

I climbed up into the high double ladder stand and settled in. About five minutes later I heard the hog squeal loudly behind me to the right. The wind was blowing in my face slightly to the left so I said to myself, "ok so they didn't wind me and there's a good chance there is a nice boar or big sow laying down some discipline.

I had thrown out some corn just in case some hogs came in early but they waited until the feeder went off at 5pm.  I'm in a lone pine tree with no cover but it is a pretty high stand so I've never had a problem being spotted before. It's an 18 yard shot or so to right under the feeder but I always wait for the hogs to circle to get a shot at 15 yards or under. For deer I'm good to 25 yards but hogs I like them close since the kill zone is so small. After about 15 minutes I hear some rustling in the palmettos and three hogs about 65lbs come out. Now I'm itching to shoot something but i force myself to wait since i heard that squeal earlier and they is plenty of corn out. Five minutes later i hear some more rustling behind and to the right, I can see the palmettos moving and when the get close the other hogs bolt to the edge away from the feeder scared and out pops three little pigs about 25lbs each. These hogs are skittish so there is definitely a big boar around.

About five minutes later i hear crashing behind me and something big is coming in fast and I knew it was the big boy and he barreled right in not catching my wind and took over the feeder area. I say to myself, " make sure he gives you a perfect slightly turned away shot or broadside and make the shot tight up the leg. I'm shooting my 47lb Palmer and I'm pulling around 49lbs shooting Heritage 150's cut to 28" with a 50gr brass insert and 185gr Simmons Broadhead. I've got an interceptor on this arrow.

The boar takes over the feeder like they always do and is rooting right under the feeder while the other hogs make circles around him keeping their distance eating any corn left. I figure once he roots up everything in the sand under the feeder he will be gone. He gives me a slightly quartering away shot and I burned a hole in that pocket aiming low and release. The arrow hits and he bolts into the palmettos and I listen to him run and I think I hear a crash. I replay the shot and I think I might have hit him too low. I say to myself, you didn't hit the offside leg otherwise he would have broke the shaft, you might have buried into the offside shoulder which would be perfect. I text my buddies saying I hit the boar but not sure if I hit him too low or not. I decide to get down quietly and check the area of the shot and where he entered the palmettos.

[Mint]

My  view from the stand.

[Mint]

And this is what I see by where I shot him.

[Mint]

I figure that's a heart shot and the crash I heard was him hitting the end of his line. I text Sage and he tells me he will pick me up and we can start the blood trail. A blind man could have followed the blood trail through the palmettos and he was easy to find. He actually went about 80 to 100 yards and I hit him perfectly, not too low at all and took out his heart and the arrow was lodged in the off shoulder. I completely missed his shield since I hit him in the soft pocket. 

[Mint]

He ended up weighing 175lb pounds and was made into some delicious Italian sausage.

[Terry Green]

Congrats!!!

[glenbo]

Congratulations Jeff! That is a very nice hog. Hoppys is a very special place.

[Phillip Fields]

Congrats on a nice hog.

[Possum Head]

Nice shot! Congrats

[supernaut]

Congrats on a great boar!

Thanks for the excellent write up and pics. I love a good hunting story and yours was just that.