Early this fall we started seeing a big white hog with black spots (Big Ugly) on our cameras. As big boar hogs tend to be, he was quite wary of different situations and changes. But his luck was about to run out.
I first saw him in person in November about 20 minutes before dark. I shot at him at 12 yards, but alas in the fading light the arrow landed a bit too far forward to make a lasting impact. It was the first time my Ramcats connected that did not result in a kill.
But not to worry! Two weeks later, he showed up again in the same spot! He seemed to know I was there and avoided the shooting lane, darting across every time. Then a sounder of sows and piglets showed up and he quickly settled into the center. I drew and sent my Easton Axis with Ramcat to his kill zone. Aggh! I underjudged and the arrow zipped into the dirt in front of him. The sounder bolted but immediately returned. And so did Big Ugly.
Another shot, another miss and Big Ugly left post haste. Game was up, but I was able to shoot a sow as a consolation prize.
We started seeing Big Ugly at the other feeders but he would only stay a day or two and split or come in the next day after midnight. Then, as fate would have it, he met with destiny on December 23.
I happened to take an extra day off between grandkids coming here for Christmas and me going to Tyler for Christmas on the 24th. When I checked my cameras on the 22nd, I discovered he came in that morning at 730 am. A rare daylight event! I told my husband, tomorrow morning, I'm shooting a big white hog.
The alarm went off 30 minutes after I got up. I was pumped excited and God woke me to have time to get ready! I arrived at the blind at 6 am and settled in with a video camera.
At 735, the squirrel under the feeder beelined to me and I looked to my left - there he was! A little patience and several deep relaxing breaths, I knew I had time for the perfect set up. 5 minutes later I was at full draw, waiting on one more step. As soon as it came, my TRU Ball HT relaxed in my hand and the Mathews Chill X spit out the Axis at 275 fps. The rest was surreal.
Review of the video indicated a slightly less than perfect shot a little far back but not by much. He dropped causing him to leap a little forward and spun away, creating the deadly angle.
I went home and grabbed my 2 Lacys - older Ace who has a UBT 1 and goofball Cowboy who is still a young dog who needs experience. I figured this would be an easy track and fun for both dogs.
We instantly found part of the arrow.
The blood track was exciting - excellent blood. Large blood clots and lots of foamy blood.
For 650 yards. Then, nothing. The wind was picking up out of the south and the temps were rising. The track entered an open field, where a 15' wide swath had been mowed. I watched the dogs closely and Ace seemed to be very serious about where he was headed. Cowboy was ... um ... well not. So I followed Ace for 400 more yards without seeing any blood. We were getting too close to the property line. He ran up the side of a stock tank and towards the north side to a pecan tree. He was on the property line so I called him back. Cowboy was ... um... playing with the wind.
We went back to the ATV and I tied Cowboy up. I put my 30-30 on the ATV thinking either that hog is dead or he's off property and I won't find him. I was partially correct. Ace and I started out on the track again, he trotted along, prancing - yes prancing like "I know where it is ... I know where it is..." We went back to the tank and I saw blood again. Crap, I should have known he was on it. He pranced around the tank to the pecan tree. Then he dropped his nose and went back to work. He beelined straight north and went off property.
--- Pause here. Some of you long time TBHers will remember my heartbreaking story about Stryker getting shot by a poacher when he picked up a track of said poacher's dead hog. I have stoutly avoided going across that property line since unless I can see the animal. But this time I assessed the risk and proceeded with caution. Ace has very good recall and if I say "wait" he will wait for me. He rarely gets more than 20 yards ahead.
So I followed him. 60 yards in he circled a big cedar tree and did a 90 degree turn suddenly, facing south. He was 5 yards, nose to nose with Big Ugly. Big Ugly was still alive. It had been 6 hours since I shot him and we had gone 1200 yards.
I ducked into the tall grass and came up with my Glock 27. Big Ugly stood up and Ace jumped out of the way. I fired one shot as he ran. He snowed plowed into the ground. Then jumped up and ran.
After I calmed Ace down from "I'm done! You shooting pistols wasn't part of this deal and I'm out of here!"
We started again. In a little bit, we found a real nice blood trail. We went about 70 yards and Ace dropped back. I got in front and said, "look, there's blood and there's blood and there, and there, and.... " Looking back at him I said to him, "that hog is right in front of me isn't he?" Ace was staring past me. I turned to look.
Big Ugly was a few yards away looking at me. He snorted and bolted away. I looked at Ace and said, "ok, we're done!" And we went back to the ATV.
The next day I went to Tyler and that night I returned home. On Saturday, my son came out and we processed and packaged his deer. We took the trimmings and bones to the stock tank to dump them. That's when we saw 200 buzzards in the pecan tree! We went around to it and about 5 yards off the original blood track was a big white and finally dead hog! While I could not weigh him, I am cleaning his skull up. His front leg was bigger around than my calf and his ears were bigger than my gloves. His cutters were 5" long. He's the biggest hog I've ever shot with my bow.
For the record, my video records in MP3 which I cannot put up on YT or Rumble. I'd love to show it because there is a lot to learn here.
I first saw him in person in November about 20 minutes before dark. I shot at him at 12 yards, but alas in the fading light the arrow landed a bit too far forward to make a lasting impact. It was the first time my Ramcats connected that did not result in a kill.
But not to worry! Two weeks later, he showed up again in the same spot! He seemed to know I was there and avoided the shooting lane, darting across every time. Then a sounder of sows and piglets showed up and he quickly settled into the center. I drew and sent my Easton Axis with Ramcat to his kill zone. Aggh! I underjudged and the arrow zipped into the dirt in front of him. The sounder bolted but immediately returned. And so did Big Ugly.
Another shot, another miss and Big Ugly left post haste. Game was up, but I was able to shoot a sow as a consolation prize.
We started seeing Big Ugly at the other feeders but he would only stay a day or two and split or come in the next day after midnight. Then, as fate would have it, he met with destiny on December 23.
I happened to take an extra day off between grandkids coming here for Christmas and me going to Tyler for Christmas on the 24th. When I checked my cameras on the 22nd, I discovered he came in that morning at 730 am. A rare daylight event! I told my husband, tomorrow morning, I'm shooting a big white hog.
The alarm went off 30 minutes after I got up. I was pumped excited and God woke me to have time to get ready! I arrived at the blind at 6 am and settled in with a video camera.
At 735, the squirrel under the feeder beelined to me and I looked to my left - there he was! A little patience and several deep relaxing breaths, I knew I had time for the perfect set up. 5 minutes later I was at full draw, waiting on one more step. As soon as it came, my TRU Ball HT relaxed in my hand and the Mathews Chill X spit out the Axis at 275 fps. The rest was surreal.
Review of the video indicated a slightly less than perfect shot a little far back but not by much. He dropped causing him to leap a little forward and spun away, creating the deadly angle.
I went home and grabbed my 2 Lacys - older Ace who has a UBT 1 and goofball Cowboy who is still a young dog who needs experience. I figured this would be an easy track and fun for both dogs.
We instantly found part of the arrow.
The blood track was exciting - excellent blood. Large blood clots and lots of foamy blood.
For 650 yards. Then, nothing. The wind was picking up out of the south and the temps were rising. The track entered an open field, where a 15' wide swath had been mowed. I watched the dogs closely and Ace seemed to be very serious about where he was headed. Cowboy was ... um ... well not. So I followed Ace for 400 more yards without seeing any blood. We were getting too close to the property line. He ran up the side of a stock tank and towards the north side to a pecan tree. He was on the property line so I called him back. Cowboy was ... um... playing with the wind.
We went back to the ATV and I tied Cowboy up. I put my 30-30 on the ATV thinking either that hog is dead or he's off property and I won't find him. I was partially correct. Ace and I started out on the track again, he trotted along, prancing - yes prancing like "I know where it is ... I know where it is..." We went back to the tank and I saw blood again. Crap, I should have known he was on it. He pranced around the tank to the pecan tree. Then he dropped his nose and went back to work. He beelined straight north and went off property.
--- Pause here. Some of you long time TBHers will remember my heartbreaking story about Stryker getting shot by a poacher when he picked up a track of said poacher's dead hog. I have stoutly avoided going across that property line since unless I can see the animal. But this time I assessed the risk and proceeded with caution. Ace has very good recall and if I say "wait" he will wait for me. He rarely gets more than 20 yards ahead.
So I followed him. 60 yards in he circled a big cedar tree and did a 90 degree turn suddenly, facing south. He was 5 yards, nose to nose with Big Ugly. Big Ugly was still alive. It had been 6 hours since I shot him and we had gone 1200 yards.
I ducked into the tall grass and came up with my Glock 27. Big Ugly stood up and Ace jumped out of the way. I fired one shot as he ran. He snowed plowed into the ground. Then jumped up and ran.
After I calmed Ace down from "I'm done! You shooting pistols wasn't part of this deal and I'm out of here!"
We started again. In a little bit, we found a real nice blood trail. We went about 70 yards and Ace dropped back. I got in front and said, "look, there's blood and there's blood and there, and there, and.... " Looking back at him I said to him, "that hog is right in front of me isn't he?" Ace was staring past me. I turned to look.Big Ugly was a few yards away looking at me. He snorted and bolted away. I looked at Ace and said, "ok, we're done!" And we went back to the ATV.
The next day I went to Tyler and that night I returned home. On Saturday, my son came out and we processed and packaged his deer. We took the trimmings and bones to the stock tank to dump them. That's when we saw 200 buzzards in the pecan tree! We went around to it and about 5 yards off the original blood track was a big white and finally dead hog! While I could not weigh him, I am cleaning his skull up. His front leg was bigger around than my calf and his ears were bigger than my gloves. His cutters were 5" long. He's the biggest hog I've ever shot with my bow.
For the record, my video records in MP3 which I cannot put up on YT or Rumble. I'd love to show it because there is a lot to learn here.
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