muddy_udders
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2008
- Messages
- 93
- Reaction score
- 5
First public land hog.
First archery hog.
First big game bowkill.
I have hit Lake Sonoma hard the last couple weeks and really thought it was just a matter of time.
My friend and I hunted Saturday morning out of The Skaggs Springs Vista and saw nothing. We came out around noonish because he had other stuff to do that afternoon. We were BS-ing and glassing the opposite side of the Lake, Bummer Peak peninsula, and spotted a hog that was spooked out by hikers and running accross the hill side. We watched it head into some trees and never saw it come out. There was a gully below and behind the trees and figured it could have gone down it or went out the back side where we couldn't see it.
I couldn't resist and told him I was heading over and would put the stalk on it, and that that was my pig. Gotta be positive right?
I have tried this before with Sancho and also with this same friend and it has never panned out. It seemed when we would get there the pigs would be gone and we would have no idea where they went. This time would be different my friend would wait as I drove around and would guide me to the trees then take off. I called him when I parked and grabbed my stuff and jogged to where I thought it was. I was about a mile off and did some cross country running untill I got the correct ridge. I called him back he confirmed the ridge and said he had not seen the hog leave. He then took off for home.
I rested, let the sweat dry, checked my wind, and made my move.
Nothing! Not hide nor hair.
There was a thick 30 yard diameter clump of brush behind the trees that we couldn't see from the other side and I figured the hog had to be there. It was too thick to walk in and crawling with the bow wasn't something I thought would work, so I took a rest under the trees and plotted my next move. I tried to take a nap but I suck at them. I waited and contemplated what I was going to do. About three hours passed and no hogs emerged from this brush so I figured I would throw a rock in from uphill and see if any thing ran out.
BOOM!! A whole covey of quail launched, Not what I was expecting but exciting none the less!
At this point I was pretty much done for the day, I hadn't eaten anything except snacks, I was tired and it was hot, I am almost out of water and feeling a bit beaten by the hogs yet again. I would make one last attempt and then head home. I circled the brush a couple times to spread my odor and decided to kick it around and make noise.
As I am kicking away I see movement in the tops of the brush on the other side. The pig is in here and heading out. I move back a few feet to a little knoll and watch the bushes moving accross from me.
I drew back my bow guessed the yardage and as she emerged and bolted I put her between my 40 and 50 yard pins and let my arrow fly.
Ham shot!
I am F*cked!
I flagged the last spot I saw her and called my friend back requesting help. He said it would be impossible to make it. It is 5 pm now I have 2 hours of light so I decided to start blood trailing and flagging as I went. She was spouting blood good at 40 yards and dropped into a gully with thick brush at about 60 yards.
I left her to have some time and bleed and I headed up the hill and checked my phone.
My friend called back and said he was on the way. I walked out and met him at the parking area and when we got back out there we found her in the brush in the gully. The rest was just a three hour trek with her tied to a board on our shoulders.
Awesome way spend a Saturday of firsts. :smiley_yahoo:
Thanks for reading.
Muddy
First archery hog.
First big game bowkill.
I have hit Lake Sonoma hard the last couple weeks and really thought it was just a matter of time.
My friend and I hunted Saturday morning out of The Skaggs Springs Vista and saw nothing. We came out around noonish because he had other stuff to do that afternoon. We were BS-ing and glassing the opposite side of the Lake, Bummer Peak peninsula, and spotted a hog that was spooked out by hikers and running accross the hill side. We watched it head into some trees and never saw it come out. There was a gully below and behind the trees and figured it could have gone down it or went out the back side where we couldn't see it.
I couldn't resist and told him I was heading over and would put the stalk on it, and that that was my pig. Gotta be positive right?
I have tried this before with Sancho and also with this same friend and it has never panned out. It seemed when we would get there the pigs would be gone and we would have no idea where they went. This time would be different my friend would wait as I drove around and would guide me to the trees then take off. I called him when I parked and grabbed my stuff and jogged to where I thought it was. I was about a mile off and did some cross country running untill I got the correct ridge. I called him back he confirmed the ridge and said he had not seen the hog leave. He then took off for home.
I rested, let the sweat dry, checked my wind, and made my move.
Nothing! Not hide nor hair.
There was a thick 30 yard diameter clump of brush behind the trees that we couldn't see from the other side and I figured the hog had to be there. It was too thick to walk in and crawling with the bow wasn't something I thought would work, so I took a rest under the trees and plotted my next move. I tried to take a nap but I suck at them. I waited and contemplated what I was going to do. About three hours passed and no hogs emerged from this brush so I figured I would throw a rock in from uphill and see if any thing ran out.
BOOM!! A whole covey of quail launched, Not what I was expecting but exciting none the less!
At this point I was pretty much done for the day, I hadn't eaten anything except snacks, I was tired and it was hot, I am almost out of water and feeling a bit beaten by the hogs yet again. I would make one last attempt and then head home. I circled the brush a couple times to spread my odor and decided to kick it around and make noise.
As I am kicking away I see movement in the tops of the brush on the other side. The pig is in here and heading out. I move back a few feet to a little knoll and watch the bushes moving accross from me.
I drew back my bow guessed the yardage and as she emerged and bolted I put her between my 40 and 50 yard pins and let my arrow fly.
Ham shot!
I am F*cked!
I flagged the last spot I saw her and called my friend back requesting help. He said it would be impossible to make it. It is 5 pm now I have 2 hours of light so I decided to start blood trailing and flagging as I went. She was spouting blood good at 40 yards and dropped into a gully with thick brush at about 60 yards.
I left her to have some time and bleed and I headed up the hill and checked my phone.
My friend called back and said he was on the way. I walked out and met him at the parking area and when we got back out there we found her in the brush in the gully. The rest was just a three hour trek with her tied to a board on our shoulders.
Awesome way spend a Saturday of firsts. :smiley_yahoo:
Thanks for reading.
Muddy
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