Tippit's Finest Hour--Story Finished

[tippit]

That full circle was evident in that Zach shot his pig out of the same stand that I got my 200#+ boar in January.  He also used my same bow.

Zach & I got his pig on the 4 wheeler.  Then used the empty corn bag to cover it so he could sit on the pig for the ride to Matt.  When we approached Matt's stand my head lights picked up an arrow lying on the trail.  He was still in his stand waiting for us.  After congratulating Zach, he had quite a story of his own!

Pigs started coming out early and in numbers.  The fist flight had about 25-30 pigs of all sizes...piglets to big boars.  He didn't think he could move and took a shot to quickly.  They scattered and he's not sure if it was the same group that came in from another direction or a different group cause there were definitely some different pigs...spotted, reds, and blacks.  This time he waited and hit a bigger pig than Zach's.  He thought it was a little back but he could see the lighted knock going straight away into the bedroom area.  Now the second guessing started even though this was only his second shot ever with a bow too!

As it started getting a little darker more pigs came in from behind him.  Now he didn't know if he was allowed to shoot another pig as he had one more arrow in his quiver.  My mistake in not thoroughly explaining that he could shoot as many as he wanted     So he decided Not to shoot but had fun seeing how much movement he could get away with in the stand.  When it got dark he even shined his high power white light on them.  They barely scattered but came right back under his tree.  He said he saw at least 75 pigs...granted some were probably the same ones but their were 4 flights of pigs to come into the stand.

Matt & Zach started looking for blood as I waited on the trail.  They picked up blood about 25 yards into the slash cut along with the fetching end of the arrow.  The lighted knock had turned off when it broke off and the white feathers were dark red.  At that point I took a compass bearing of the trail, a roll of TP, and joined them.  Benjy had showed me a neat trick to mark your trail.  Just put one square of TP down as you walked in and at all blood.  Coming out with flash lights is like following the dotted white line of the highway in a car.  I'd always use bright tape on tree limbs but he TP is much quicker and biodegradable.  In another 25 yards we found the rest of the arrow shaft covered in blood.  We had a good trail for another 50-75 yards but it was spotting less.  Then it happened...we hit the water from the heavy rain.  The depth was now increasing to the point that we were in a 2-4 inch lake and getting deeper as we proceeded.  We searched for another 1/2 hour to no avail and called it quits.  Matt was noticeable dejected but I told how proud and happy I was for both of my new hunting partners.  That was part of hunting.  There were a few "if it hadn't been" but Mother Nature wouldn't allow the hog go to waste.  I knew my Buzzards would find him.

I skinned and cleaned Zach's hog.  Half way home to Aiken we stopped in Barnwell to ice down the meat.  We got home @ midnight and Zach had to ketch a flight out in the morning.  I butcher his hog the next day and we tried some on the grill and in the crock pot...Excellent as apposed to my 200# shoe leather/sausage boy.  I also kept a bone to make him a knife from his first kill.  Thanks for comin' along on my Finest Hour ever...tippit

Notice the arrow wound, it was the same on the other side slicing the heart on the way through.

 

Butterflied ham, inner loin, back strap and femur to send to Colorado.

 

[DW]

Congratulations Jeff...I know you are proud of both of them and you should be of yourself. Great story telling and see you at Twin Oaks.

[Bowhunter4life]

Awesome all the way around Jeff!  Thanks for taking us along also!

[Thadbow]

That is a great story! Thank you for sharing!

[za_boy]

Thanks for sharing  

[Duckbutt]

Top shelf, Doc!!!

[hayslope]

   

[Guru]

Good stuff Doc!

[Benjy]

That was a great shot that Zach put on that hog!

My friend Larry Surtees told me about the TP method of trailing.

Congrats again!

Benjy

[Guru]

The toilet paper marking has been around a long time...dad showed me that one back in the late '70's...good stuff!!

[awbowman]

What a shot man!  

Like my buddy always says when we take the kids;

"And they think we just hunting" .... there is no better feeling than hunting with your kids is there Tippit??              

[kbetts]

Great story!

[Over&Under]

Good for you Doc!  Best time spent in the woods right there!

[Huntrdfk]

That's awesome Jeff!! I can only imagine the grin you must still must still have......        

David

[snakewood3]

Thanks for sharing a really neat hunt.

[Gen273]

Congrats on a great time with your family!!! and thank for the TP tip!

[tradbower]

Awsome story ,Thanks for sharing.  

[FerretWYO]

 Great Stuff. Thanks for taking the time to tell us about it.

     

[Guru]

Keep coming back to this one....So cool Doc!  

[huntingarcher]

Great stuff for sure.Looks like that Griffin has some serious pig mojo going on.