I got 5 missed 2 and wounded and lost 2. I got bit by a tick in the neck, hunted in the rain, drank out of a puddle and got the chits, realized my boots leak and had wet feet the entire time. I had an excellent time.
Here is a long story about the hunt that I E-mailed a friend that was suppose to go;
I had a great time :0 Even though I hunted by myself, Rained all day the first day, my feet were wet the whole 4 days I was there, about killed my self dragging hogs and had to process hogs for 3 days. I got 5 hogs, wounded and lost two and missed two. That's not counting the two fetuses that dropped out of one that I shot or the other three piglets I took home ans gave away (thought about cleaning and eating them like squirrels.
The hunt went like this;
I got there Monday morning before light. It was raining but was raining when I left the house. I was hoping it would quit before it got light. I set in the car waiting for the rain to quit. I would think it was going to quit and turn on the wipers and it was still raining. It got light at 7, took a nap until 9 got gear up and ready to go rain started again. I tried again and said to heck the rain its COLD. I sat in the car for another 20 minutes and decided to get out of the truck and quit being a wimp (remember the old days I told my self when nothing would stop me from hunting).
I went walking and it was about the second puddle that I found out my boots leaked. I fond a hound bed and sat for a little bit but was to cold for setting. It started raining a little harder and I spotted a stand, I thought I might get out of the rain. When I made it to the stand, no such luck, it had no cover and couldn't even get out rain standing under it I climbed up in it to get a look of the view. From in the stand you could see down the lanes right, left and in front of you. The lanes were about 100-150 feet wide and right and left was about 600-800 yards and straight in front of you was at least about twice that much. I sat there about a half hour and watch about 6 deer in different directions ( I also seen a few deer crossing and one when I pulled in before dark). About the time I got down two big hogs ran across the path. About the time I though about shooting they were gone. They were running and about a hundred yards away.
I went down and entered the woods about were I seen the hogs enter. I figured they were miles away by now. I walked in aways and sat awhile. I heard something that sounded hogs. I thought was that my imagination, but heard it again. The grunts were about five minutes apart. I waited another 10 and decided to try my special snore grunt that works on deer and hogs (but usually run when I wake and realize that I must of been calling them in while sleeping). It worked they grunted back or at least grunted. Waited again grunted again but they wasn't getting closer. I snuck best I could ( the leaves were wet but my boots made a suction noise ever step about) back in the woods until I came to a dense thicket. I stated sneaking around it and heard them grunt again, they were close, I almost passed them. I seen black move in the woods, my heart was pounding. I froze searching ever thing black or shadow with my scope. A bout five minutes went by and seen a flash again, they were close but to dense to get a shoot or move closer. Looking there direction the wind was in my face I had a cigarette to calm down and give them time to show them self. I decided to try sneaking closer. I got about two steps and one grunted, jumped and vanished behind a tree/stump/hill/tall grass. I searched for him in my scope spotted him in the tall grass and decided to take the shot.
BANG! They jumped, grunted, squealed and started to run. One run thought about thirty feet in front of me. BANG! He didn't flinch but did run a little faster. I seen flashes of black hogs but not long enough to get a shot. There must of been about 8 or 10 of them all over a 150 lbs and pure black. I hear them crash through the brush and splash through the water and they were gone. I was very disappointed with my self and first shots. I checked for blood and decide my first shot was at a black mud/rut hole behind the grass.
As I walked away disappointed I spotted a big black hog running through that run the wrong way in the excitement and was trying to catch his buddies. BANG! He started running faster. I about cried, cussed and threw my gun. He jumped straight in the air did a couple flip-flops and dropped and died about 20 feet from where I shot him. 250 lb boar with about 1 1/2 tusks, not great tusks but a trophy too me!
I gutted him and started to drag him. The first pull he didn't budge. I had to lean in to it to get him moving. I would get about five steps and stop and catch my breath. I forced my self to get ten paces. Dragged for a while and decided to leave the hog and look for the clearing/lanes, spotted the lanes and went back to the hog and dragged again for a while. I started worring when I still didn't make it to the lanes. I left the hog again and found the lane but I was farther out on it than closer to my truck. I decided to leave my rifle on the lane and it might make dragging the hog easier. I got out on the lane and spotted three hogs down aways graising in the grass. I started to sneak along the edge and get a closer shot. I stopped and put my tree in a tree to mark the spot I came out of the woods (a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush). I got a little closer and one hit the woods. I decide to try a shot but needed a tree to lean against. I spotted a tree on the edge a little closer up. When I got to the tree there was branches in the way to get a shot. I used a branch sticking out to help me stable but not lean. I sighted in went to take the shot but the safety was on. I don't know if I cursed out loud but in stead of just taking the safety off. I raised the gun straight up and took the safety off and then got them back in my sights. When I did they were looking at me. BANG! One down one run! Back to my other hog!
I got back to my hat hung up my gun and went back for my hog I left in the woods. I got back in the woods and walked for a while and couldn't find my hog!!! I started to panic! I come across my drag trail and calmed a little bit and decide to follow it towards the lane. I found my gut pile!!! I follow it the other direction, it was going the wrong way and made a big circle:( I get lost on cloud covered days and no sun to follow and the weight of the hog pulling on my right side made me do a circle. (that's my story and I'm sticking to it) I finally made it out and came out right next to my other downed hog. About a 100 lbs baby boar.
I went back for my rifle. I kept walking and walking and walking. Panic coming back!!! I'm on state land my someone come by and took it, but I haven't sen another person or car in the parking lot. I finally spotted the tree I leaned against and there was my gun I went back to the tree I leaned against and decided to pace it off 220 pace =220 yards. A pretty good/lucky shot for my 270 savage walmart special
I won't bore you with the two hours/mile and a half of dragging.
When home to dry cloths get batteries for the gps and my drag harness. Also quarter and store meat. I ended up deboning to take up less room and take less ice. I also got some pictures and remembered to bring the camera this time.
Day two: I got back to hunt late. Went straight to the stand,watched a bunch of does and finally seen a hog. It was on the edge and I would of had to shot threw the branches. I waited for a better shot and it hit the woods. I came back out. BANG! It jumped and staggered, turned toward the woods and stopped! BANG! It didn't fall just run in the woods:( I waited a little bit and decided to look for my hog. I went to were I shot him and he entered the woods about a 100 yds from the stand. I didn't find blood but decide to enter the woods where I thought it entered at. About the time I entered the woods he jumped up. I put the scope on him but didn't shoot. About as quick as I got my Cross hairs on him, he turn and started walking away. I only had an [censored] shot and a poor one at that. I followed him trying to get a kill shot lost him but occasionally found blood for about two hundred yards until I gave up ,the sun was going down quick.
I exited to the lanes. Before making it out I watched a couple buck for to long graising at my exit. As I entered the lanes hoping to see hogs I chased off the bucks and a few does. Making my way back with no light trying to make it out before dark.Before making it out I spotted a bid dark object in the middle of lane. I put my scope on it. It was a hog! BANG! Snorts, grunts, squeals, water splashing and brush crashing. I didn't see the but sure did here them. I could barely see the hog in the lane and couldn't see nothing in the woods. I walk up to the hog (200 lb sow). She fell where I shot her. I poked her with gun, give her a kick even felt for a pulse. I went to gut her and sliced her belly when she kicked at me. I jumped back and kicked her again, nothing. I touched her belly with the knife and she kicked again, not as bad but..... I decided to take a couple pictures give her a minute and drag her until I could get the head lights on her the gut her.
I didn't have a light, so I hung her in a tree and skinned her using my head lights. It was getting cold and I left her like that for the night. I went and set my tent up using the headlights. Had to remember/figure out how to set that dam thing up. About the time I got it set up I went to start up the truck and the battery was dead:( I give it about 10 minutes and it started up.
Day three;
Got up it was COLD! hog was about froze. It hurt my fingers quarter/deboning and getting it in the cooler and getting it on ice. I looked for the wounded hog again. and tried a few other places. Went back to the stand for evening hunt and wasn't 15 minutes and I heard some hogs walking and rutting behind me in the woods. I finally spotted one and BANG another hog down.
Day four;
Set in the stand watched a bunch of deer. I seen a group of 12. Nothing but deer
I went for a walk in the woods. Found a shed antler. Finally heard some hogs. I slowly snuck up towards them. Seen one sneaking through BANG I could hear them squealing a crashing through the brush. One come crashing through the brush towards me. It charged right at me, when it seen me I I started pointing the gun at it , it turned and run. I went to look for blood and found quit a bit. I spotted a chunk or gut or something not far away. At closer observation it was a fetus. I could still hear them and finding a lot of blood and another fetus. I spotted them but couldn't get a shot ,then hear one grunting close but quiet. I took a couple steps and spotted a baby hog in a bed with a 12 inches umbilical cord in a hog bed. I still had gunk on its eyes and ear but not from the same hog I shot. I set and waited for a while. I started tracking again a found her not far away. She was laying and raise her head to look at me and BANG shot her between the eyes. I gut her out and took a picture (almost forgot the picture).
Got her in the cooler, thought about giving up and going home.
Went back out to a dryer closer place. I wasn't far in the woods before a hog jumped up and run. It didn't go far and turned back and faced right toward me.BANG It was a straight on head shot but think I missed???? I seen black moving, It was close and little. I was a nest of eight baby hogs. I watched them for a little bit then snuck around them to look for blood. I didn't want to scatter them so mom could come back and find them if I missed. And the shot I had should of killed or missed. No blood, time to move on.
I walked around and seen more empty nest. I decide to head back to the swamp. As I was headed back down the trail watching for blood were I thought momma would of crossed A black hog grunted at me and disappeared in the woods. I thought "you female dog if you shut up and let me pass! Now I track your hind end down and shoot you and round up your babies and cut, clean and cook them like squirrels". I entered the woods, (thick, thorny, and down right nasty) I could hear several hogs grunting and walking around. I couldn't see nothing it was so thick and if I did it would be on me or I on it before I did. I stood still and got ready to shoot. I spotted one but it was about 20 lbs (good eating but not much of it) and I could hear bigger ones close by. I finally spotted one . It spotted me as I spotted it. BANG! It jumped and run. WTheck I couldn't believe it run???? There was something white where it run from. It was another baby and a couple more. I tried tracking it thought the heavy thorns found a piece of bone, rib or something but no blood. I gave up and picked up the orphans and found them a home. Funny thing the babies just lay there until you touch one. Ones squeals then the others scatter.
Well that's about it. Sorry you couldn't make it maybe next year.
and I was going to say I did it as a kid except for creeks, rivers and lakes but I still drink out of the lakes from time to time. The hunt was on state land ( that's where it is)and if you read the story and have been there you would know where it is, the stand is new to me but looked like it was there for months and state land allows stand for 72 hours so it must be long to the state. They also have a handicap stand with wheel chair access.