THE ROMAN ARCHER
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FAST FORWARD (DAY 2)>"...........we just got done blowing out a group of pigs in the oaks and brush on a hill side on the lake, Kentucks good friend singles me that there were pigs coming our way, we stood still on a side hill pig trail with a 10% grade totaly still, my release is on the loop ready to draw and all of a sudden a group of 3 pigs are heading directly my way on the trail i am standing on, they are now only 10 feet away i draw my bow for the shot and then............."
(DAY 1) i left the house with excitement thursday morning to do my fist ever public land pig hunt at Lake Sonoma (first time there). i registered at the visitor center and then headed to the liberty glen campsite to set up for the 2 day hunt. only ten feet from my campsite it was all rooted up with a little wallow, good sign already! i had done some homework at home useing google earth to find an area and trail to hunt, it was the Ranchirita trail. so i headed out down the trail that would take me along the lake hillside for about six miles. only minutes being on the trail i already had tons of pig tracks! there were also deer tracks and yes plenty of mountian lion tracks, but the most disturbing tracks i saw were about a size 11 human bare feet prints, i am thinking bigfoot is here too!
the view is just breathtaking as you walk the trails along the lake, after 2 and 1/2 hrs later of walking the trail i ran into another hunter, we exchanged info he did not see any pigs up ahead where i was heading, so i decided to head back to camp just before dark to do some fishing for a while, no bites but it was enjoyable, went back to my camp site overlooking the whole lake , just awesome! ( i had the whole campsite to myself) set up a nice fire had some chow and enjoyed the serenity of the great outdoors, it was great!
(DAY 2) had a good nights rest, woke up at 4:45 am to get ready for the morning hunt, i would be meeting KENTUCK at 6:30 am at the boat lunch to where we would be taking his bass boat across the lake to a remote spot for some pig hunting. he showed up with a good friend of his and the 3 of us loaded up our hunting gear and headed out on the water. nevr did the boat thing for a hunt so it was very exciting as we were on route to the spot. so we arrive to the shore Kentuck lands the boat and the first thing i do is jump of the front of the boat with bow in hand and my feet sink 1 foot into the shore line, I WAS STUCK! they grab my bow and tossed a 2x4 out to step on, i pulled one foot out but the other was really stuck, he had to redrive the boat to the shore close enough to get my butt under so i got the other foot out, what a way to start! so we regrouped and found a better spot to dock.
he dropped me and his friend of and he headed down shore to another spot then we would hunt and meet up with each other later. me and his friend split up took different paths and then meet up after. 30 min. later i find a large very active wallow
so i head up a ridge that leads me to a patch of pines rocks and logs and i found a large fresh pig bedding
than there's rooting everywhere and finially i find fresh pig crap, now thats always exciting to me! so i pulled out the zip lock and filled it with the piggie dodo and put it in my pack. i headed back to the trail where i met up with my hunting partner and told him what i found, he asked if there was any fresh sign and i whipped out the zip lock and tossed it to him, and said is that fresh enough. so i took him back to where i found the wallow and bedding to show him. after that he wanted to head back the way we came but i decided to split up agian and meet back up later.
i found my awy back down the steep terrian to lake to meet up with Ketuck where the boat was docked. he was down there and decided to meet up with his friend and i hung out close to the shore waiting for action. not even 20 minutes later i hear pig squeeling and thought someone got lucky on the other side of the lake, then Kentuck shows up and tell me they busted out some pigs and his friend got a shot off and they had a pig down, Kentuck got a shot off too, so we drove the boat farther down the shore to meet up and get the pig. i think it was around a 100 pound sow, maybe bigger. then we looked hard for anysign of blood from the pig Kentuck shot at but no luck, he must of just nicked it. so we were decideing at that time if we should stay there or try a new area and we would decide to spend a little more time there. less then 20 min. Kentucks friend bust out another group in the same area they just shot the other pig, go figure! so we headed up the slope to get above the pigs for an ambush, they wanted me to get a chance to wack one, nice guys for sure!
so there we our on the side slope of the lake with a 10 % garde and the only footing i have is the fresh side hill pig trail i stood on, we were still as they spotted some hogs coming up the side of the hill, Kentucks good friend singles me that there were pigs coming our way, we stood still on a side hill pig trail with a 10 % grade totally still, my realease is on the loop ready to drawand all of a sudden a group of three pigs are heading directly my way on the trail i am standing on, they are only 10 feet away comeing towrds me, i draw my bow for the shot and then i get the single not too shoot so i let down my bow and and just watched the 3 three litte piggies head of the trail back down to the hillside on their merry little way. YES they were the cutetest little wild pigglelst i ever saw, so i let one live another day to grow up become a trophy hog to hunt.
so i have to get ready to go to work and will finish this later.
but i just want to say real quick that i had the moat awesome time hunting with Kentuck and his good friend at Lake Sonoma, they have true passion for hunting wild pigs and really look forward to hunt anoter day with the both of them.
and i could of had my first public land bowkill pig for sure! i but really respected my friend single to me not to shoot and let them live to be big trophy hogs to hunt in the future!
this was a very successfull hunt for me and cant wait to get back up to Lake Sonoma for another exciting public land wild pig bowhunt! thanks for reading my story, and have a great day!...............tra
p.s. i am putting a cd together with photos of the trip and hunt to post later............tra
(DAY 1) i left the house with excitement thursday morning to do my fist ever public land pig hunt at Lake Sonoma (first time there). i registered at the visitor center and then headed to the liberty glen campsite to set up for the 2 day hunt. only ten feet from my campsite it was all rooted up with a little wallow, good sign already! i had done some homework at home useing google earth to find an area and trail to hunt, it was the Ranchirita trail. so i headed out down the trail that would take me along the lake hillside for about six miles. only minutes being on the trail i already had tons of pig tracks! there were also deer tracks and yes plenty of mountian lion tracks, but the most disturbing tracks i saw were about a size 11 human bare feet prints, i am thinking bigfoot is here too!
the view is just breathtaking as you walk the trails along the lake, after 2 and 1/2 hrs later of walking the trail i ran into another hunter, we exchanged info he did not see any pigs up ahead where i was heading, so i decided to head back to camp just before dark to do some fishing for a while, no bites but it was enjoyable, went back to my camp site overlooking the whole lake , just awesome! ( i had the whole campsite to myself) set up a nice fire had some chow and enjoyed the serenity of the great outdoors, it was great!
(DAY 2) had a good nights rest, woke up at 4:45 am to get ready for the morning hunt, i would be meeting KENTUCK at 6:30 am at the boat lunch to where we would be taking his bass boat across the lake to a remote spot for some pig hunting. he showed up with a good friend of his and the 3 of us loaded up our hunting gear and headed out on the water. nevr did the boat thing for a hunt so it was very exciting as we were on route to the spot. so we arrive to the shore Kentuck lands the boat and the first thing i do is jump of the front of the boat with bow in hand and my feet sink 1 foot into the shore line, I WAS STUCK! they grab my bow and tossed a 2x4 out to step on, i pulled one foot out but the other was really stuck, he had to redrive the boat to the shore close enough to get my butt under so i got the other foot out, what a way to start! so we regrouped and found a better spot to dock.
he dropped me and his friend of and he headed down shore to another spot then we would hunt and meet up with each other later. me and his friend split up took different paths and then meet up after. 30 min. later i find a large very active wallow
i found my awy back down the steep terrian to lake to meet up with Ketuck where the boat was docked. he was down there and decided to meet up with his friend and i hung out close to the shore waiting for action. not even 20 minutes later i hear pig squeeling and thought someone got lucky on the other side of the lake, then Kentuck shows up and tell me they busted out some pigs and his friend got a shot off and they had a pig down, Kentuck got a shot off too, so we drove the boat farther down the shore to meet up and get the pig. i think it was around a 100 pound sow, maybe bigger. then we looked hard for anysign of blood from the pig Kentuck shot at but no luck, he must of just nicked it. so we were decideing at that time if we should stay there or try a new area and we would decide to spend a little more time there. less then 20 min. Kentucks friend bust out another group in the same area they just shot the other pig, go figure! so we headed up the slope to get above the pigs for an ambush, they wanted me to get a chance to wack one, nice guys for sure!
so there we our on the side slope of the lake with a 10 % garde and the only footing i have is the fresh side hill pig trail i stood on, we were still as they spotted some hogs coming up the side of the hill, Kentucks good friend singles me that there were pigs coming our way, we stood still on a side hill pig trail with a 10 % grade totally still, my realease is on the loop ready to drawand all of a sudden a group of three pigs are heading directly my way on the trail i am standing on, they are only 10 feet away comeing towrds me, i draw my bow for the shot and then i get the single not too shoot so i let down my bow and and just watched the 3 three litte piggies head of the trail back down to the hillside on their merry little way. YES they were the cutetest little wild pigglelst i ever saw, so i let one live another day to grow up become a trophy hog to hunt.
so i have to get ready to go to work and will finish this later.
but i just want to say real quick that i had the moat awesome time hunting with Kentuck and his good friend at Lake Sonoma, they have true passion for hunting wild pigs and really look forward to hunt anoter day with the both of them.
and i could of had my first public land bowkill pig for sure! i but really respected my friend single to me not to shoot and let them live to be big trophy hogs to hunt in the future!
this was a very successfull hunt for me and cant wait to get back up to Lake Sonoma for another exciting public land wild pig bowhunt! thanks for reading my story, and have a great day!...............tra
p.s. i am putting a cd together with photos of the trip and hunt to post later............tra
