I grabbed my bow and went up to the estate where the pigs are eating and tearing up everything. I hunkered down next to the trail the pigs have been using to come down from the upper areas to the lower areas in the evening. At about 6:00 PM, a brown sow trotted past so quietly and so quickly that I couldn't even get my bow up. I followed her and she was feeding in the coffee trees 30 yards away but I made so much noise with the dry leaves underfoot that she spooked and ran. I can't understand how she made no noise at all on the same trail where I made so much noise. Oh, well.
I hunkered down again behind a lava rock wall and hoped that the big black boar would make an appearance. At 7:00 PM, 20 minutes before dark, I heard some rustling in the brush above me. I poked my head over the wall and here comes the boar, about 40 yards away in the brush. The trail forms an inverted "Y" above me but the boar always uses the trail to my right, so I drew my bow and aimed at an opening in the brush where the boar would have to pass by, maybe 15 yards away. I held for about 30 seconds and there was some rustling behind me. I slowly turned and the boar had taken the other branch of the trail. He saw me turn, snorted, and rushed back up the hill. I waited a few moments and followed. I jumped him in some tall grass and he took off, looking just like a little fat bear as he ran. I took a quick shot but missed him and he disappeared in the grass. I hunted for my arrow, found it, and hiked back down the hill.
I decided to follow a heavily-used pig trail that led downhill through the tall grass and brush. It was hard walking/crawling but only about 100 yards from my original stand. I came upon a pig bedding area about 75 feet by 30 feet, all soft dirt with poop and beds and rubbed tree trunks. Two pigs jumped up and slowly walked into the brush. It was now too dark to see my sights so they got away. This is the place that all the pigs coming downhill use as a congregation point before heading out to ruin the local landscaping. I headed back to my truck and 30 yards later jumped another herd of pigs in the tall grass [6 feet high] that were heading for the bedding area.
Tonight I'm going directly to the bedding area, figure out the wind, and hunker down in the grass and wait. I'll bet I get a good shot. Hope that big black boar shows up, although I don't look forward to dealing with him at close range in that tall grass. The grass, by the way, looks like sugar cane or tall reeds, very heavy and growing in clumps higher than my head.
The gentleman who owns the other property that I hunt on [and have taken a couple of nice pigs on] told me that his dogs have been barking right at sunset for the past few days. That means pigs so I'll head up there one evening soon. Then last night we were having a barbecue with friends and one couple told me about all the pigs that are eating up the fruit on their property and digging in the landscaping. I've seen quite a few pigs there and they invited me up anytime I want to come.
For now, I'm going to concentrate on that bedding area, because that's high adrenaline adventure. I've gotten to the point where if I don't hunt at least 3 evenings a week, I get bored and restless. I no longer have any interest in watching the 6:00 news. I'd rather be sitting absolutely still listening for the little rustle of grass or leaves that tells me a pig is heading my way.
That's it for now. I'll let you know how this evening's hunt goes. These pigs are really spooky, more so than anywhere I've ever seen, so they may beat me again, but I really think that I've got their game figured out, at least for now. We're out of pork and I want to make another 50 pounds of sweet Italian sausage in the next couple of weeks so I need to get another pig ASAP.
Aloha for now.
I hunkered down again behind a lava rock wall and hoped that the big black boar would make an appearance. At 7:00 PM, 20 minutes before dark, I heard some rustling in the brush above me. I poked my head over the wall and here comes the boar, about 40 yards away in the brush. The trail forms an inverted "Y" above me but the boar always uses the trail to my right, so I drew my bow and aimed at an opening in the brush where the boar would have to pass by, maybe 15 yards away. I held for about 30 seconds and there was some rustling behind me. I slowly turned and the boar had taken the other branch of the trail. He saw me turn, snorted, and rushed back up the hill. I waited a few moments and followed. I jumped him in some tall grass and he took off, looking just like a little fat bear as he ran. I took a quick shot but missed him and he disappeared in the grass. I hunted for my arrow, found it, and hiked back down the hill.
I decided to follow a heavily-used pig trail that led downhill through the tall grass and brush. It was hard walking/crawling but only about 100 yards from my original stand. I came upon a pig bedding area about 75 feet by 30 feet, all soft dirt with poop and beds and rubbed tree trunks. Two pigs jumped up and slowly walked into the brush. It was now too dark to see my sights so they got away. This is the place that all the pigs coming downhill use as a congregation point before heading out to ruin the local landscaping. I headed back to my truck and 30 yards later jumped another herd of pigs in the tall grass [6 feet high] that were heading for the bedding area.
Tonight I'm going directly to the bedding area, figure out the wind, and hunker down in the grass and wait. I'll bet I get a good shot. Hope that big black boar shows up, although I don't look forward to dealing with him at close range in that tall grass. The grass, by the way, looks like sugar cane or tall reeds, very heavy and growing in clumps higher than my head.
The gentleman who owns the other property that I hunt on [and have taken a couple of nice pigs on] told me that his dogs have been barking right at sunset for the past few days. That means pigs so I'll head up there one evening soon. Then last night we were having a barbecue with friends and one couple told me about all the pigs that are eating up the fruit on their property and digging in the landscaping. I've seen quite a few pigs there and they invited me up anytime I want to come.
For now, I'm going to concentrate on that bedding area, because that's high adrenaline adventure. I've gotten to the point where if I don't hunt at least 3 evenings a week, I get bored and restless. I no longer have any interest in watching the 6:00 news. I'd rather be sitting absolutely still listening for the little rustle of grass or leaves that tells me a pig is heading my way.
That's it for now. I'll let you know how this evening's hunt goes. These pigs are really spooky, more so than anywhere I've ever seen, so they may beat me again, but I really think that I've got their game figured out, at least for now. We're out of pork and I want to make another 50 pounds of sweet Italian sausage in the next couple of weeks so I need to get another pig ASAP.
Aloha for now.
