Great time in Texas

[DHR]

what a great trip. This was my first texas hunt and pretty much the first time I'd travelled to hunt.  It was a great experience, and I sure hope to do it again.  I got alot out of this trip, much more than the taking of game.  the opportunity to spend time with other bowhunters is rare for me, and very much appreciated. I don't have a local club or anything and my local bowhunting friends all shoot wheels (which I'm working on changing). Most importantly I learned a ton on this trip about a kind of hunting that was totally new to me.  Like anything hog hunting has a steep learning curve, and Curtis shared his knowledge unselfishly, helping me progress rapidly along this curve.  I'd advise anybody going down there to pay attention to what he says 'cause curtis knows those hogs.

This'll give you an idea of what the ranch was like. Flat.

To see anything you had to get up high, which meant climbing a windmill, oil rig or similar manmade structure

Here we are hanging out in camp. Kirk, Doug, Bill, Dick, and Curtis I really enjoyed spending time with all of you.

I want to tell the story that goes along with this, but I better have some breakfast first and unpack a little bit.

Cheers,

Dan

[Over&Under]

   Looking good so far!

Hog hunting is a blast. I live in Texas and hunt them often on my lease. They can be a real pain during deer season but more than make up for that during the other 8 months of the year.

We will be waiting on the rest of the story behind that bloody arrow.

Bisch

[kirkwhitehead]

Dans a pedator for sure! Proud of you man. Really liked camping/ hunting with you. I'd love to get up your way sometime and see those steelhead.

Kirk

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Nice pix, Glad you had a great time.

[Littlefeather]

Musta been a real big breakfast. Common Dan, where's the story?  :D

[kirkwhitehead]

yogurt and granola I bet!

come on man!

Kirk

[DHR]

Kirk, it's a wide open offer on the steelhead fishing, let's keep in touch on it for sure.

Ok, so like i said this was a great hunt with a steep learning curve.  I'm glad I had 4 days to hunt because I pretty much needed them all.  my first opportunity came on friday afternoonwhen we spotted a group of javies near a blind i'd hunted consitently the previous two days.  Curtis dropped me off and as I was planning my strategic approach a lone javelina snuck up on me!  I hastily knocked an arrow and took a shot at nine yards the arrow zipped through him but I instantly knew the shot was high.  After an hour I took up the trail, no blood but not hard to follow, he was the javalina that was hauling a**.  eventually I spotted him in a bed and a look through the binocs confirmed a high hit.  at fifteen yards i thought i had him for sure, but the second arrow deflected, the javelina got up and walked away, and despite three return searches i never saw him again.

That brings us to saterday night.  by now i was way ready to shoot something.  Curtis dropped me off about a mile from what must have been the biggest tree in west texas, a mature cottonwood near a water hole.  we knew the pigs would be near by so a quiet approach would be crucial.  I got myself set up as queitly as possible, with the wind in my favor, carving out as small shooting hole in a mesquite bush that afforded excellent cover.  i was committed to one shooting lane.  If a pig stood in my spot, i'd get a shot, if not then too bad.  time to be patient.  Things got interesting right away with at least three coyotes making frequent appearances several times within bow range.  They were tempting targets but on this evening i wasn't shooting at anything until I had an arrow in a pig. other visitors to my set included a coopers hawk, and of all things a house cat (another very tempting target).  Well one time the hawk made a particularly raucus landing in the cottinwood, and i think it got a pig on his feet because I heard floppy ears shaking on a big head.  moments later a medium sized boar appeared, went too the water and drank, scratched on the tree, then commenced feeding in my direction this went on for at least ten minutes with the pig facing me the whole time. I was wondering if he would ever step into my shooting lane when a coyote entered the area from the opposite side.  The pig bristled up, and took two stiff legged steps toward the yote.  meanwhile I came to full draw and released.  The arrow passed cleanly through the pig, which grunted deeply, did a quick 360, stood still a moment trying to figure it all out, then dashed off.  a couple minutes later two high drawn out squeels helped confirm what I'd been hoping, that the pig was down for good.  The rest as they say, is history.  

My first pig.  Maybe after about a hundred more I'll start to scratch the itch.

[DHR]

Oh yeah,

and breakfast this mornig was a little more substantial than yogurt and granola, it did include pork tenderloins        

[Over&Under]

[kirkwhitehead]

Great pic Dan. We need to hunt together again SOON.

Give me plenty of heads up on the steelhead fishing and I'll do my best to get there.

Good job man.

Kirk

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Nice Hog

[Dick in Seattle]

Dan.... nicely told...  fabulous picture!   whole thing sure was a blast.    It's kind of hard to get excited about raking the wet leaves and getting all the laundry done now  8^)

[yellow bow]

[Chris Surtees]

   

[Guru]

Congrats! Doesn't get any better than that!

[bwana]

Great job Dan! Both on the hog and the story.
            bill

[hunt it]

Congrats on your first hog. I arrowed my first trad hog under Curtis's guidance as well! Can't wait till we get down in Feb for Sweat Hunt.

[stick_string]

Great Job!!

[BlacktailBowhunter]

Congrats Dan. That is a nice hog.

Paul