CHOPPA'S - March 16-18, report

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

OZ, I am sure you are looking forward already to your next hunt at Choppers, I have said it before that Choppers place (Wild Hog Adventures) is 4000 acers of hog heaven! after reading your story Oz it is going to make it harder to be patiant till my mothers day hunt, I am glad you got some action. walking the dozer cuts down the sides of those rolling hills is exciteing, must have your arrow knocked and ready for action their are pig tunels everywhere you never know when one might step out. thanks for sharing your story.
did anyone have any predatore encounters? what were you guys doing back at the cabin at night

? wheres the other hunter stories? did anyone get lost? wheres the dog recovery stories?.......tra

 

[One Track]

Great story Oz.

Trust me. That won't be the last time you miss with the bow. It's all part of the trials and tribs that make bowhunting so addictiing. It's brutally humbling, which makes it the perfect challenge.

 

[wyemjohnson]

keep at it Oz, sorry you weren't feelin well, but I'm sure the hog encounters brightened the days.

 

[ozstriker22]

Thanks for the positive responses! It's funny, on the way home Norb and I were discussing the hunt, and I realized that when you get sooo close to killing a Hog and DON'T get one, it makes you want to go hunting soooo much more... of course, when you shoot one, that ALSO makes you want to go hunting even more. Either way, you're guaranteed to be spending MORE time and MORE money chasing hogs!!!

On a VERY sad note... I stopped at my girlfriends house in North Park on my way home, spent the night, and when I came out in the morning.... ALL OF MY GEAR WAS STOLEN. They forced the window down, unlocked the door, and robbed me blind.

Everything's gone. My bow, gps, ZEISS bino's, knives, packs, my cammo clothes, and they even stole those bottles of Gentleman Jack Daniels and Patron. Bastards.

 

[BDB]

Great stories all. Sorry about your gear Jesse, that really sucks. Oh and Jesse, as for "not making that mistake again", I wish you luck on that brother, I still make that mistake or similar ones at times, happens to us all (or at least many of us)

Stuff just happens some times and the ole brain seems to work better AFTER the critter is long gone and you have time to analyze things. I tend to get "buck fever" no matter what the critter is. Maybe someday I'll get over it

Nah probably not......

 

[Rancho Loco]

That sucks big time, Oz..

I'm hoping insurance will cover it?

 

[Kentuck]

What about the tracking dog story? How about the one hog that was in the cooler? Need more stories!

 

[jkvshooter]

Sorry your stuff got stole, OZ. I hope you filed a report. If you didn't you still can. Same thing happened to me when I was evacuating my mom and her stuff when the "day" fire was in Lockwood Creek. State Farm covered everything.

 

[Orso]

I've got PO. Not a real bad case, but it's all freakin' over... Huevos Rancheros and the deep dark valley of death where the eye of the devil lives.... It's driving me crazy...

I can't wait to get back up to Bigtusker's Ranch and do it all over again. LOL

 

[Orso]

OZ, I'm very sorry to hear about your gear getting stolen. Maybe it's a sign that you should go Traditional... Get a bow that will kill for under $300.

 

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

Oz, if you have any problems with your insurance covering your stolen gear just let me know i would be more than happy to help by starting a donation drive to help you replace your archery equipment.........tra

 

[Franklin3]

What luck.
Sorry to hear about your losses on the gear.

Orso! what the hey are you doin in the P.O. ?

Man I hate that stuff.

Get out the prednisone.

GREAT STORIES EVERYONE!

SOUNDS LIKE YOU ALL HAD A WILD HOG ADVENTURE FOR SURE.

I know Ive been infected, spend time everyday thinking and scheming how to get back down to Choppers, When, never soon enough.., Always a great time.

 

[ozstriker22]

i MAY have been a little cockey - I'm sure I'll make that mistake again... except that I plan on using ONE pin for hogs - just follow the "keep it to twenty" rule and at least the latitude portion will be solved.

As for my gear... I filed a police report already. I'm going to the swap-meet with a can of mace this weekend.... hehehe. A year or two ago I purchased a stand alone policy from statefarm called a "Personal Articles Floater" costs me about $40 a year and covers all of my optics, including my digital camera, bino's, range finder, etc for theft and accidental breakage. My expensive stuff is covered. They wouldn't do my bow... so the bow and my basic gear will fall under my regular AAA homeowners insurance.

Orso... That's a good idea... Do you have any recommendations? After watching you guys playing around with your cute little traditional bows, I thought about getting one myself

Jesse

 

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

good deal OZ, glad your coverd, my nieghbor had his suv broken in a couple of nights ago, they took all his tools he had dark tinted windows, so i had some stuff in my suv, I took everything out, all my little outdoor goodies so they have no reason to break in, WHATS THIS WORLD COMEING TOO!................tra

 

[Metdawg44]

That sucks getting your gear stolen but it sounds like it might all work out for the most part. Getting poison oak sucks, especially on Mr. Johnson and friends. I'm not sure if I agree with Spec on getting PO for two weeks is worth a freezer full of swine. All I have to do is look at that stuff and I get it.

 

[BeachBowHunter]

Jesse, that's a bummer. However, it is fate and you are destined to make the switch to the light side! Orso, what was the weight of that Bob Lee you were thinking of selling?

I'm sitting here scratching all over too, thinking about the great hunt at Choppers. It was my first time, but definitely not the last. It is everything you could want in a hog hunt. Thanks Chopper and Mikey. I loved it.

The first night hunt, I didnt see or hear hogs but got a good feel for the ranch. It can be a little disorienting at first until you get your landmarks down. The next morning I took the high road based on a recommendation from Mikey. It was still pretty dark by the time I made it to the top of one of the hills. The top was rocky and it flattened out to a small open field with only a couple of gnarled oaks. In the dark, I could make out a single cow near the far end near an oak. I walked as quietly as I could with an arrow on my string toward the cow. She stared me down. As I looked past her, I noticed a black shape low in the grass near the edge of the field. It stood up and turned into a good sized hog. Then another one stood up nearby. They were about 40 yards out. I was out in the open with only the cow between me and the hogs. The cow must have thought I was nuts as I stood there frozen in my tracks. She moved away and the noise got the hogs' attention. Their heads picked up and they sniffed. I had the wind but I think they saw me. They turned tail and headed down the other side. I followed but didn't catch back up with them.

...aint no deer trail....

 

[BeachBowHunter]

Recognize this stuff?

The backside of this hill was a fortress of poison oak but it was an absolute hog race track too. Tons of sign and tunnels everywhere. I would return.

Yea, we had lots of "cute" trad bows hanging around....

 

[BeachBowHunter]

Chopper's cabin...

Great accomodations

Here's the view out the back, the Salinas Valley in the distant tule fog.

 

[BeachBowHunter]

That night I had an uneventful hunt. I busted some hogs hiding in the PO inside of a deep notch canyon but otherwise didn't run into any. Things got more interesting when the "hunting" was over. At last light Gunner picked me up and we headed back to the cabin. We're driving back and he says "pig!" and sure enough a nice hog, around a buck fifty or so trots across the road and drops down off the right side and stops. Gunner says, "get out and shoot him!" So I fumble for the door handle, step outside, open the rear door and pull out my bow. I'm staring at the hog the whole time and he (or she) is looking right at me. Unbelievably, as I'm nocking an arrow, the hog climbs back into the road and stands broadside! My adrenaline is off the charts at this point. I stare at his front elbow and try to concentrate...and it wasn't easy. I draw my bow, proabably over drew it, and promptly send one right over his back!

I've been replaying that shot in my mind ever since. I had that bad boy dead to rights. It was a little downhill, but our target at camp was too and I was drilling it with no problem....rrrrrrrrrrrrr! That was the same night Pops had his run in so we had lots to talk about.

 

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

BeachBowHunter thanks for sharing your wild hog adventure story and photo's! seven more weeks till our Motherday weekend hunt

at Choppers, i cant wait to get back there!..............tra