White Mamba
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- Joined
- Jan 2, 2009
- Messages
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The past few weeks ive been searching hard for one more pig before seasons end at the Lake but its has been tough going from all the pressure lately. I decide to set my alarm clock for 4:15am (ouch!) and get a early start. When the alarm goes off i rise like the walking dead and lumber to my van, last nights bar adventures have taken their toll. As i sit in the van letting it warm up i get a text on my phone- pigs are gay!!, my roomate in the granny unit must not appreciate a diesel engine in the morning!
I start my hunt not to far from the Liberty glen area 1/2 hr before sunset, its a good spot, but a couple hunters who wander into the area make me decide to go elsewhere. About 730 i check out a spot Sancho gave me some intel on the other night but nothing around so I fan my search out and wander eventually not to far from No name and decide to head into one of the valleys.
On my way to the valley floor i decide to wander to some active pig beds and if i dont see anything just head home and call it a season, my 2 hrs of sleep arent cutting it. When i get to the bedding areas i start the long climb up into the brush, i follow a well worn trail and about 2/3rds the way up i hear something get up in the manzanita, I bend down quickly to see what i disturbed and my heart jumps! A gray and black sow wanders from the brush. Shes at the least 250 lbs and suddenly im wide awake again , I dont think she knows im there since shes casually walking away.
Normally when im in bedding areas i use my crossbow but this morning i have my bow and by the time i get a arrow knocked and clip in she dissapers through some brush (ARGHHH). I head up and follow her hopeing to cut her off and then i hear a snap and some movement ahead off me and slightly below. I jump up on a big boulder and scan a 30 ft section of manzinita to see which way she will go but she doesnt head out so i wait and listen. Grunt Grunt, grunt, i try and locate the sound but im not sure . I wait about five minutes as she continues to grunt and bed down. I decide to move to my right and go in through a opening, as i slowly creep down she grunts again and i see her head lying down ,ears twitching.
Slowly i try and work myself to about a twelve yard shot at her head but she gets up and moves! Busted? I wait, then a couple minutes later head back the way i came and head around the other side and down. As i round the corner I see her sleeping head faceing away, i cant believe my luck! I clip my realease in and start to draw then bam! three pigs rise up and trot away. In my excitment i didnt realize that the sleeping pig was calico and that i must have ran into another group. I wait to hear where they move off to but its quiet, i spooked them !
I head back the other way again but i dont see them so i keep going and then i see something, what is it? closer! closer! Damnn a big boulder! keep going, slowly, slowly, big boulder with a tail hanging off. Wait a second??? back up and start to draw, she moves behind some brush (Arggghhh again). I sneak down and jump onto a huge boulder to try and get a good view and thats when i hear them, their comeing back looking at their bed. I cant shoot them through the brush but after a minute they start heading my way so i draw back and hold, and hold and hold! The group stops just shy of my clear shooting lane and my arm is getting tired so i point it down but hold the draw.
After what seems like a couple minutes of holding my draw one of the pig heads into view but faceing down and walks into a little thicket, I have a ass shot but its not that great so i hold off and let my draw down. Boom! they trot down the hill, someone got spooked again! I wait and listen but nothing, then i scan the opposit side of the valley to make sure they dont leave the area,- all clear, ill come back and work em in the evening.
I hike out of the area after searching another valley and then head up to Mambas lookout to take a nap in my van. I wake up at 5pm grab my crossbow this time and head out to the same valley. I wait near the bottom on a small ridge that overllooks both sides of two valleys to check for pigs comeing into the area for water. Two hrs go by and nothing so i head along the bottom of the valley about a third of the way up the mountain .Near the end where i have to start the climb out i hear something? I stop and listen, grunts and squiells!
Slowly i make my way to the sound, Its about 7:50 and starting to turn dark in the valley. Not to far from me is a clearing and i head towards it, the sounds are moveing in that direction. I see a bunch of 70 pound pigs and some big calicos so I hide behind a big bush and start to circle closer when one of the calicos looks up at me and i freeze. Another pig draws her attention so i aim my crossbow at her , she looks back at me, then clack! I send off a bolt and hear it thunk into her, she turns screams and runs down the valley, pigs explode in every direction and i just stay hidden listening to the sow i just hit still screaming running down the valley. Its going to be a hard recovery! I wait a few more minutes and then start looking for a blood trail but i know i wont see anything from the front shoulder shot i just took. Its getting dark now and I know ill never find her at night so i call the ranger station and leave a message about comeing back on sunday with no weapons so i can look for the pig. Easter Sunday is going to be a different kind of hunt!
The end of part 1
I start my hunt not to far from the Liberty glen area 1/2 hr before sunset, its a good spot, but a couple hunters who wander into the area make me decide to go elsewhere. About 730 i check out a spot Sancho gave me some intel on the other night but nothing around so I fan my search out and wander eventually not to far from No name and decide to head into one of the valleys.
On my way to the valley floor i decide to wander to some active pig beds and if i dont see anything just head home and call it a season, my 2 hrs of sleep arent cutting it. When i get to the bedding areas i start the long climb up into the brush, i follow a well worn trail and about 2/3rds the way up i hear something get up in the manzanita, I bend down quickly to see what i disturbed and my heart jumps! A gray and black sow wanders from the brush. Shes at the least 250 lbs and suddenly im wide awake again , I dont think she knows im there since shes casually walking away.
Normally when im in bedding areas i use my crossbow but this morning i have my bow and by the time i get a arrow knocked and clip in she dissapers through some brush (ARGHHH). I head up and follow her hopeing to cut her off and then i hear a snap and some movement ahead off me and slightly below. I jump up on a big boulder and scan a 30 ft section of manzinita to see which way she will go but she doesnt head out so i wait and listen. Grunt Grunt, grunt, i try and locate the sound but im not sure . I wait about five minutes as she continues to grunt and bed down. I decide to move to my right and go in through a opening, as i slowly creep down she grunts again and i see her head lying down ,ears twitching.
Slowly i try and work myself to about a twelve yard shot at her head but she gets up and moves! Busted? I wait, then a couple minutes later head back the way i came and head around the other side and down. As i round the corner I see her sleeping head faceing away, i cant believe my luck! I clip my realease in and start to draw then bam! three pigs rise up and trot away. In my excitment i didnt realize that the sleeping pig was calico and that i must have ran into another group. I wait to hear where they move off to but its quiet, i spooked them !
I head back the other way again but i dont see them so i keep going and then i see something, what is it? closer! closer! Damnn a big boulder! keep going, slowly, slowly, big boulder with a tail hanging off. Wait a second??? back up and start to draw, she moves behind some brush (Arggghhh again). I sneak down and jump onto a huge boulder to try and get a good view and thats when i hear them, their comeing back looking at their bed. I cant shoot them through the brush but after a minute they start heading my way so i draw back and hold, and hold and hold! The group stops just shy of my clear shooting lane and my arm is getting tired so i point it down but hold the draw.
After what seems like a couple minutes of holding my draw one of the pig heads into view but faceing down and walks into a little thicket, I have a ass shot but its not that great so i hold off and let my draw down. Boom! they trot down the hill, someone got spooked again! I wait and listen but nothing, then i scan the opposit side of the valley to make sure they dont leave the area,- all clear, ill come back and work em in the evening.
I hike out of the area after searching another valley and then head up to Mambas lookout to take a nap in my van. I wake up at 5pm grab my crossbow this time and head out to the same valley. I wait near the bottom on a small ridge that overllooks both sides of two valleys to check for pigs comeing into the area for water. Two hrs go by and nothing so i head along the bottom of the valley about a third of the way up the mountain .Near the end where i have to start the climb out i hear something? I stop and listen, grunts and squiells!
Slowly i make my way to the sound, Its about 7:50 and starting to turn dark in the valley. Not to far from me is a clearing and i head towards it, the sounds are moveing in that direction. I see a bunch of 70 pound pigs and some big calicos so I hide behind a big bush and start to circle closer when one of the calicos looks up at me and i freeze. Another pig draws her attention so i aim my crossbow at her , she looks back at me, then clack! I send off a bolt and hear it thunk into her, she turns screams and runs down the valley, pigs explode in every direction and i just stay hidden listening to the sow i just hit still screaming running down the valley. Its going to be a hard recovery! I wait a few more minutes and then start looking for a blood trail but i know i wont see anything from the front shoulder shot i just took. Its getting dark now and I know ill never find her at night so i call the ranger station and leave a message about comeing back on sunday with no weapons so i can look for the pig. Easter Sunday is going to be a different kind of hunt!
The end of part 1
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