Starting off the year right

[bigtusker]

I met the group of hunters at the cabin Wednesday night. We planned the next mornings hunt and had a few beers.
Thursday morning started off with a bang. They saw lots of hogs and the first one was arrowed around 8 a.m. She (nice sow) traveled downhill through the thickest, nastiest brush and piled up about 100 yards from where she got hit.

No more action till late that afternoon. 1 hog hit, 3 hours of tracking into the night, he quit bleeding. The hunter went back Friday morning and jumped the boar out of his bed 30 yards from the last sign of blood. Called me and we took the dogs in. Dogs had a hell of a time locating him. I think there was just too much other hog activity in the area for the dogs.
Saturday morning started off pretty good as well. 2 guys hunting together that morning spotted a lone boar about a mile away rooting on a ridge. They made a good stalk and popped up on the ridge 40 yards from him. He didn't present a shot right away. At 60 yards, he presented a quartering away shot and the arrow entered at the back of the ribcage and exited out the back of the front shoulder on the opposite side. This boar traveled about 300 yards before he found some mud to wallow in and cool that deep burning pain he felt. They tracked blood to the wallow and he was gone. No more blood. They followed his tracks another couple hundred yards and jumped him. He took off at a good pace and began to bleed again. Tracking the last few hundred yards with good blood, they found him in a brushy creek bottom. Another arrow from 7 yards finished the job.
The first arrow was a complete pass through hitting him right through the liver and clipping 1 lung. Hogs are tough. These guys are believers now.

The last opportunity was late Saturday afternon. 1 sow at 20 yards. She had about 10 little ones with her and the hunter chose to pass on the shot for fear the piglets wouldn't survive. I credit him for this. More pigs to grow up and be hunted another day.

You can see the pics on my website.
Birds and Boars

 

[sportyg]

Congrats, That was a great hunting story.. You had some good people with you on your hunt.. Passing on that sow was a honorable thing to do..

 

[Speckmisser]

Glad to see your business is having some success, Chopper.

But I have to comment on that 60 yard shot on a moving pig. I know it probably doesn't behoove your business to gripe at your clients...especially after the fact, but that was a shot that should also have been passed.

Sorry, not looking to start something with this, but really. .. 60 yards on any game with a bow is risky. 60 yards on something as tough as a hog is just foolish. That is not commendable.

I'll say naught else.

 

[bigtusker]

I dont recall saying the pig was moving at the time. As a matter of fact, the hog was standing still, rooting. Some people are more confident and competent with their equipment than others. I have had these particular guys out 3 times and they have shown extreme skill and accuracy with their bows.

 

[sdbowyer]

I had an outfitter tell me last year that there's no need to pass on a sow with piglets becuase the piglets would make it fine. I've heard this before. Anyone else?

 

[bigtusker]

I believe it all depends on the size of the piglets. If they are little watermelon stripers, their chances of survial are slim. Of course, their chances increase the larger they are. It is not only the mothers milk that they need but the protection from predators that she provides. I have seen a pack of coyotes working a sow and her piglets trying to snatch up a little one and watched the sow turn on the coyotes.

 

[HOGHUNTER714]

I have to agree. If a bowhunter feels comfortable at shooting a hog at 60 yards with a bow and he thinks he can make a deadly shot, then go for it..I dont think its a "Shot in the dark", I have seen it done, it just depends how much you practice and how accurate you are with your equipment. Now, I wouldnt shoot a hog at 60 yards, cause I still need to work on my 40 yard pin...thats just me.

 

[QALHNTR]

Re: piglets,

Both guide services I've used told us NOT to shoot sows with a litter. They'll just end up a coyote dinner. One year a buddy shot a bedded hog. After the fact it was obvious she had little ones. We found a big nest and about 5 piglets ran out. We caught three of them. We took 'em back to the barn & put 'em in a trough. All of us tough hunters took turns feeding them milk during the night. Kinda fun. One of the hunters took them home to raise. He said he had a few acres. One died, ate one at 3 months and the third grew into the meanest son-of-a-gun in the city (so I'm told).