I got a little tired of seeing the hogs coming in at night eating all of my corn so I decided to sit in my tripod and see if I could thin out the numbers a little. They were coming in pretty regular between 7 and 8 o'clock. I got in my seat at 4:30 hoping to see a deer but no luck. As the sun went down I watched the full moon come up off to my right. Looked like it was going to be a good night for hog hunting with plenty of natural light coming thanks to the lack of clouds. I wasn't in the best spot considering the wind. Well, the truth is that no place would have been good with the wind swirling around like it was.
Fast forward to 7:20 and I take a big sniff and can smell the hogs back behind me. About a minute later I hear a grunt off in the distance behind me so I get everything ready (turn on the light on my Spot Hogg and get my release on the loop). Now, I expected the hogs to come in over by my ground blind to my left about 15 yards since that's where I had seen most of the tracks leading to and from the creek behind me. Surprise - about 2 minutes later they came in directly beneath me! This was somewhat vexing as I had relieved myself from the tripod about an hour or so earlier. The first three pigs walked right through that spot and didn't miss a beat! However, once they got about 10 yards in front of me they got my scent and scattered but stayed in the area moving around a little nervously. Then one of them decided that it was time to eat so he started moving along the path from my right to left again at about 10 yards. I figured I shouldn't wait for the group to get in the feed pen because of the wind so I drew back, hit the pressure switch on the Bowlight that I borrowed from my buddy Brazos, settled the pin behind the shoulder and let it fly. What I got was the proverbial stuck pig running around squealing with the arrow stuck in him. The Nockturnal lighted nock worked like a charm so I could see everywhere that pig was moving. I look down and see a BIG porker standing right where I had shot the first one. He's standing there grunting and wondering what the heck is going on with that crazy pig, now in the feed pen. I work feverishly to get another arrow nocked and as I get my release attached that big one decided it was time to go so he took off. Dang! Oh wait... there's another one about 3 yards back up the path to my right. Sweet! I draw back, hit the light and send arrow #2 downrange. Again the Nockturnal lighted nock worked like a charm and I could see the arrow pass through the hog and come to rest on the ground as he broke off to the right toward the thicker woods and the creek. The hogs hung around for about 5 minutes back in the woods trying to make sense of it all I guess. I waited about 20 minutes just in case there was another brave one that decided to come out but no luck. It was a fun time! Unfortunately, I had left my camera back at home (that happens sometimes in the fog of war that is trying to leaving my house with a 5 year old and a 2 year old) so no LDPs - I know... no pics, didn't happen - but I'm going to try and go back out at lunch and see if I can get some pictures.
The Nockturnals worked as advertised with no failures. I would have never recovered my first arrow were it not for these lighted nocks. I found it about 40 yards away on the other side of the feedpen. The broadhead broke off at the base where the threads connect to the head and the arrow came out. I typically shoot these cheap Trophy Ridge Hematic 3 blades at hogs ($4 per) but that's the second one that has broken off at the base of the head so I might forego those in the future. The Bowlight was awesome! With the full moon I probably didn't need it but that thing totally lit up the night and the hogs had no idea I was there even though it was pretty bright at 10-12 yards. They didn't react to the red light at all. If my homemade light system doesn't work out I'm definitely going to buy one of these things. Hopefully the hogs will be back and can do it all again next week!
Fast forward to 7:20 and I take a big sniff and can smell the hogs back behind me. About a minute later I hear a grunt off in the distance behind me so I get everything ready (turn on the light on my Spot Hogg and get my release on the loop). Now, I expected the hogs to come in over by my ground blind to my left about 15 yards since that's where I had seen most of the tracks leading to and from the creek behind me. Surprise - about 2 minutes later they came in directly beneath me! This was somewhat vexing as I had relieved myself from the tripod about an hour or so earlier. The first three pigs walked right through that spot and didn't miss a beat! However, once they got about 10 yards in front of me they got my scent and scattered but stayed in the area moving around a little nervously. Then one of them decided that it was time to eat so he started moving along the path from my right to left again at about 10 yards. I figured I shouldn't wait for the group to get in the feed pen because of the wind so I drew back, hit the pressure switch on the Bowlight that I borrowed from my buddy Brazos, settled the pin behind the shoulder and let it fly. What I got was the proverbial stuck pig running around squealing with the arrow stuck in him. The Nockturnal lighted nock worked like a charm so I could see everywhere that pig was moving. I look down and see a BIG porker standing right where I had shot the first one. He's standing there grunting and wondering what the heck is going on with that crazy pig, now in the feed pen. I work feverishly to get another arrow nocked and as I get my release attached that big one decided it was time to go so he took off. Dang! Oh wait... there's another one about 3 yards back up the path to my right. Sweet! I draw back, hit the light and send arrow #2 downrange. Again the Nockturnal lighted nock worked like a charm and I could see the arrow pass through the hog and come to rest on the ground as he broke off to the right toward the thicker woods and the creek. The hogs hung around for about 5 minutes back in the woods trying to make sense of it all I guess. I waited about 20 minutes just in case there was another brave one that decided to come out but no luck. It was a fun time! Unfortunately, I had left my camera back at home (that happens sometimes in the fog of war that is trying to leaving my house with a 5 year old and a 2 year old) so no LDPs - I know... no pics, didn't happen - but I'm going to try and go back out at lunch and see if I can get some pictures.
The Nockturnals worked as advertised with no failures. I would have never recovered my first arrow were it not for these lighted nocks. I found it about 40 yards away on the other side of the feedpen. The broadhead broke off at the base where the threads connect to the head and the arrow came out. I typically shoot these cheap Trophy Ridge Hematic 3 blades at hogs ($4 per) but that's the second one that has broken off at the base of the head so I might forego those in the future. The Bowlight was awesome! With the full moon I probably didn't need it but that thing totally lit up the night and the hogs had no idea I was there even though it was pretty bright at 10-12 yards. They didn't react to the red light at all. If my homemade light system doesn't work out I'm definitely going to buy one of these things. Hopefully the hogs will be back and can do it all again next week!
Comment