Hit The Lake Yesterday Bowhunting For Wild Pigs, But The Lake Kicked My A$$!....Photos

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

Well I am leaving state in 10 weeks and trying to get my last hunting trips in at lake Sonoma before I leave and knowing that this could be the last time hunting the lake I went all out and my body paid the price for a day out for sure. I am so beat up and recuperating now!
Woke up at 1:30 am out the door by 2:30 am for a 3 hr drive to the Yorty side of the lake through Cloverdale. I usually don't hunt the weekends because of the higher volume of foot traffic and hunters and park enthusiasts so I wanted to be on those trails before anyone else. I arrived in Cloverdale to yorty creek at 5:30 am, not a soul around dead quiet and creepy. It was still dark and first shooting light wasn't till around 7 am but it was going to take at least 60 min. Or more Just to get to the top of the mountain ridge then to drop down to Cherry Creek so I was on the trails at 6:00 am in the scary dark heading up the mountain side to the top, keep checking back over my shoulder for glowing beedy eyes of mountain lion.
Made it to the top by and dropped down to Cherry Creek ravine. It sucked once i got down to the ravine i ended up in solid poison oak and had to climb back up and ended up loosing the trail so after a few hundred ft. up i ended up struggling hard to make it up the last 60 ft of real steep mountain side and it was soft loose dirt with solid wet leaves and i was starting to slide down a little and the weight of the back pack made it hard and was stuck holding on to a tree branch ready to cry wondering what hell i was doing in this position and it was barely light out yet was so lucky to find a stick under the leaves by my foot about 4 feet long and used that to dig in and belly crawl to the top i was so fn relieved.
Actually going through my mind was the story of a hunt I did and my hunting buddy and friend Nisan aka (559hog) together and he disappeared and I found him holding on to a branch for his life on the side of a mountain and had to carefully pull him back up, that was a close one! Except no one was there to help me but the will to survive pulled me through.
So on with my journey through the ravine back to the top, man I felt beat up. I had over an hour 1/2 hike back to the flats and truck felt so relieved. Of course no piggy action so on with the journey!
So spent the whole morning on the yorty side then I drove back to Healdsburg and dry creek to the main park and stopped in and chatted with Rachel aka (VC girl) for a little bit then I went to hunt a couple areas of Rockpile but no more serious decents or accents I worked the ridge s of the trails looking for bedding spots.
Of course by early afternoon the park is buzzing with hikers , bikers, dog walkers and hunters so I tried to find areas no one would be in.
Met a few nice hunters that were sharing their hunting adventure story's of the lake and sharing info, it was all good.
I was definitely shot and ready to call it a day at the lake and headed out to see my grandson in Santa Rosa.
Well I think this will be my last lake hunt and report here in cali unless I can squeeze one last hunt in at the lake before I leave but I want to do boat in only, but I don't have a boat! If any of my good forum member hunting buddies can squeeze me in there boat for 1 last wild hunt at the lake then I am down and highly appreciated.
Other then that it's been a wild journey in my life to have the opportunity bowhunting for wild public land pigs the last few years at Lake Sonoma and i have learned so much more about myself as a bowhunter and it gave me the opportunity to use all my skills and senses as a bowhunter hunting for wild pigs
I will always have many awesome stories and memories to reflect on and good jho buddies I shared those lake hunts with will always be memorable. Thanks to everyone! Have a great day! Enjoy the photos. ..tra





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[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

More photos. ..tra
View attachment 79834 View attachment 79835 View attachment 79836

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[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

More photos, i grandson has only seen me in camo every time i vist after my hunts for his first year and the last photo is me and my grandson together, he pressed the button for our selfy photo, what a ham! ..tra


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[voidecho]

Too bad you didn't see anything. Would have been awesome to go out with a bang.

 

[Mlindsay]

Bro again you hunt harder then anyone I've ever had the Honor to hunt with. I'll make sure you and I hit the ranch one more time before you leave. Should be free the next few weekends, if not I'll tell the wife I have no choice but to hunt with you give me a call and we'll make it happen.

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[jimmmb]

Great story and pics! If I did have a boat you would be invited for sure.

 

[sancho]

I remember that Nisan thing!

Sorry you came up empty. I hoped to go today but I woke up with a crazy ankle pain. I didn't even strain it. Total mystery.


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[Live2hunt]

TRA,
Thanks for sharing all your LS outings. I know you put in lots of time and really deserve a pig. With all those scenery pics in every one of your posts, I'm beginning to think if you were out there more for the pig hunts or for the pictures.

And good luck in FL. I may visit you someday when I'm out that way chasing swamp critters.

 

[voidecho]

I remember that Nisan thing!

Sorry you came up empty. I hoped to go today but I woke up with a crazy ankle pain. I didn't even strain it. Total mystery.

I was going to ask how your trip went today.

 

[Huntr Pat]

Hunt is hunt. You cant find them on the couch.good try tra!

 

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

thanks everyone, thanks Jimm, man I am barley recuperating I think I contracted some sort of vertigo because I am still staggering and wobbling while trying to stand up straight after climbing back up the steep side steep of the mountain yesterday for a long period of time and all the up and down steep hiking but I wanted to go all out knowing it could be one of my last physical terrain hunts here in Cali, and the view is personally awesome in my opinion and well worth the aches and pains, I haver never slipped and slidded so much and belly crawled because of the steepness for my life, I remember hanging on to that little tree out the side of the mountain in the dark trying to think how I was going to get out of this situation, so close to the top but stuck and to steep to go back down safely unless I waited till light, then it hit me I am 56 now not 26! My mistake was I haven't been to Yorty in a year and I know the up and down terrain is very physical so The night before i strapped my lightweight hiking poles to my hunting pack but that morning when I was ready head out And my Gemini side came out and said leave the poles I am in great physical shape I can handle it so I left the poles behind, WHAT A BAD DECISION THAT WAS.....so now I am paying the price..it will be a personal hunt journey I won't forget, successful or not it was pure and true bowhunting the lake.
Marvin we just rescheduled our flight to the 26 of March in stead of the 19 th. gives me one extra week but I have to have coverage for my wife and we all got to start packing soon too, but lets see if I can squeeze a session in my friend, I was thinking of calling u yesterday because u are so close to the lake and yell help but no reception where I was..lol
Thanks L2H, I personally really enjoy outdoor photo journalism and enjoy telling and sharing my bowhunting adventure stories like other hunters who have influenced me with their true passion for the outdoors through their story telling and some day i really perfect doing some bowhunting video journalism. A lot of photos I take on the way back out on my hunting trip after I have done my initial hunting game plan of attack, if I am out all day it gives me a chance to take a quick sip and breather and glass and get photos at the same time and move on I can cover a lot of ground, I have hunted with a lot with and including the lake with a lot of guys have my age and never herd a compliant yet, I really take pride in hanging in there for my age still. I enjoy being on a mountain top over looking gods country away from everyone enjoying such beauty and tranquilly well worth the climb once u reach the top!
Once I get settled down in Florida I can't wait to share my bowhunting wild hog adventures with u all then........tra

 

[thewolfman]

As always... great story and pictures...hopefully your next outing will yield a hog...

 

[flytrue]

You don't have to beat yourself up. They're nearer to you than you might think.

 

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

U know Flytrue it seem your ideas and suggestions to me seem to always indicate that bowhunting wild pigs at the lake by what u say and your photos that I should just hang out by the restrooms and road hunt pigs , it is definitely offending to me because that's the opposite of why I became a bowhunter, I live for the tuff challenges of hunting wild game animals and exploring the woods and mountain ranges and Great Lakes this state has to offer. If that's what u think it takes to be successfull bowhunter then I wouldn't waste my time bowhunting if it was that easy or by gettin lucky. It doesn't bother me if I don't succeed in whacking a pig at the lake at least i am satisfied that I am out using all my senses and knowledge as a bowhunter when exploring new territory it makes me tingle all over just to find out what's around the next bend or over the next mountain ridge or deep thick brush and woods that's what really turns me on while I am hunting. I always get super excited to hunt where I have never been before, I am a wonder and traveler for sure, I can't hang out in one place to long, but that's me and I know myself better then anyone else.
So with that being said here's what it all boils down to for me hunting the lake the last few years..........
In the last few years hunting the lake I had 2 awesome guaranteed moments where I could have whacked a pig one was on the Yorty side I was with jho forum member jndeer and we had a encounter with a group of about seven pigs all around 400-500 lbs ea. if I am lying I am dying and he was witness. I was at full draw on one of the monster pigs at less then 20 yrds and wanted my partner to get a chance at them too since he was the one to take me out there for the first time and when I looked over to nod him to get over to me I ended up loosening my holding power and the bow drew back down on me and the pigs herd it and moved on., they disappeared down the steep ravine and we never got another chance, I still kick myself in the ass for that one i just should of shot and not hesitated and i would be the king of JHO if I scored that one but I blew it and have to live with that. Lessened learned shoot first ask questions later.
Then the next opportunity was about three years ago with jho forum member Kentuck and his good friend we did the boat in to yorty had pig encounters for sure and they where witness that I could of shot a dinker there where 3 of them around 7 lbs walking right to me within 10 yards at full draw but my friend nodded to give it a free pass so I drew down and let it walk to live another day. So I don't know how many of u would pass up an guaranteed public land bow kill at the lake, but I did.
So me knowing myself that I have blown a couple of great opportunities at the lake I can't never complain or get mad, I did have the chances and blew it and if they don't come again I can live with that. At least my hunting partners i been with highly respect me for highly respecting them, my brotherhood to my bowhunting partners is more important then just thinking about myself and my needs and personal agenda as a hunter.

So what it comes down too it seems there are two different versions of bowhunting the lake sonoma for wild pigs, their are forum members who claim it's a cake walk and their are members that say it the tuffest and most difficult, really which one is it or should I say its the way one chooses to hunt the lake and pursue wild pigs.......tra

 

[sancho]

i waved at 4 game cameras this past sat. some wonderful hiding spots..big, rutted, well used trails. 3 of them were very close proximity to people areas..very close.

i need to go and buy a few..i have a few good hiding spots in mind. i hope a few photo captures of myself make it onto this forum

i think i have a slightly torn achilles..i am sitting on my ass for the time being. i hiked hard on sat, and sunday..i mountain biked like a madman. i think i tore something. ice and Aleve..better today..but i cant see myself going out at all this week. i did however bino a wonderful spot. shhhh..i saw things.

 

[JustGuy]

TRA, Very respectable.
And we need to remember, hunting is not Safeway shopping, which make is greater experience.

 

[sancho]

Nick. I'd like to show you a spot. Since your moving and I can swear you to silence. I'll brings bible you can swear over


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[flytrue]

I'm not saying they're easy to kill because they're near roads. I hunted a spot with great sign and proof of them being there because of the camera and yet didn't see one, much less shoot at one, in two days of trying. To take one here is an accomplishment, period.