Was headed out to a bow blind my bro and I setup the weekend before last and it's been corned a few times, but never hunted. He decided to go to one area of the ranch & I decided early in the morning (last minute decision) that I would sit there, but corn another ground blind first I had setup this year and had two unknown bucks fighting hard last morning hunt I sat there a week or two before.
I corned this area and moved on to the new spot where, oddly enough, I randomly get stuck in between the two spots. Pop the truck into 4WD & as I'm rocking the truck between drive and reverse trying to get out of this mess, the idea of not making it to either of the two spots before sun rise started to turn my stomach upside down and bring a cold shiver to my legs. I was too far for either of the two locations to walk with all my gear + corn & much less in one trip. The thought that my only hunt this weekend was over before it had even started had me sweating beads in no time. Then I start thinking that I could've hunted the first bow blind I had just finished corning & would not be in this position or a tower blind near camp where I had come across a group of hogs the weekend before, but passed on them since I had a prior engagement in town would have not allowed me with enough time to stick, track, clean, & process so the group of 11 with all sizes including 3-4 of the 25-40lb (my favorite size) range would remain at peace, that week & now this week. I was finally able to get out of the mess I fell in within a couple of minutes & so I headed back to the ground blind I had corned & hunted once before this season.
Turned out to be a late/dark morning so there wasn't light until about 7:05 - 7:10am and was able to get settled in by 6:45am. Almost immediately I can hear a hog crunching away at a distance, along with many deer around me. As daylight grew, the crunching got closer and at about 7:20am, a lonely boar had found his way to be at one of my two shooting lanes. Had about 3-4, 2.5 & 3.5 year old bucks, around me when all of a sudden, two of them start to duke it out between my two lanes. I could not see them fighting, but I could hear them rattling, grunting, & pushing for about 30-35 seconds before one gave in to the other and was chased off. The hog on my left shooting lane did not lift his nose above the ground. I gave it a couple of minutes to see if these young buck would draw an older buck out, but as 8am was getting near, I decided it was now or never on the hog. I studied him for a while & did not see any Russian in him and figured he was about 140 lbs at most. One hundred pounds over of what I was looking for, but this morning/afternoon I had the time I didn't with my last encounter with hogs. I range him at 22 yards and drew back. Before I can release I see with the corner of my eye a buck pop out between me & the other deer at about 8-10 yards from me on my second shooting lane to my right. This buck as well as all the deer behind him we looking my direction and as I'm holding my draw. I look back at the hog and he is now facing me. I look back at the deer and they are still looking at me or the buck in between & I'm thinking I either close my draw & run the risk of the deer busting me or hold my draw and wait as long as I can and see if I can still carry out for a good shot if only the hog will turn and turn soon.
The hog started turning to his right and finally gave me a broadside opportunity of the opposite side I originally drew back on and when he finally took that last step opening the sweet spot, I slowly began to breathe out and squeeze the trigger on my release... THWAACK!
I tried really hard to control my breathing as the deer all around just looked up while others only took a few steps with the sound. This only intensified the rush I was feeling after a long time waiting to let an arrow fly at a live target. Hog ran away grunting immediately after impact, but I did not see him cross any of the two shooting lanes. After a few seconds, all is quiet & deer were crunching away again. Two minutes later as I'm just starting to get a grip on my emotions I heard the boar from a distance grunting again for a few seconds... my heart sunk! I knew then I didn't make the heart shot I hoped & aimed for and now was hoping I made good penetration to get both lungs & low enough to pick up on a blood trail near where he stood. About 5 minutes after that, cattle rolled through and spooked all game away and was glad I took my shot when I did.
Waited about another 30 minutes before I got out and began tracking. Blood trail was excellent, found my arrow intact about 50 yards or so from where he stood covered with blood & confirmed I pierced his lungs. There he laid about another 30 yards or so from there.... Woo-hoo!!!
As I walk up to him and grab one of his legs with one hand, I couldn't move him. I looked twice and thought... oh boy... he's a little more than 140lbs! Texted my bro & glad he was there to help me load him in the truck. Thanks again brotha!
He turned out to weigh 200 lbs live making him without question my biggest hog harvested with archery equipment and my second hog breaking the 200 lb mark.
I corned this area and moved on to the new spot where, oddly enough, I randomly get stuck in between the two spots. Pop the truck into 4WD & as I'm rocking the truck between drive and reverse trying to get out of this mess, the idea of not making it to either of the two spots before sun rise started to turn my stomach upside down and bring a cold shiver to my legs. I was too far for either of the two locations to walk with all my gear + corn & much less in one trip. The thought that my only hunt this weekend was over before it had even started had me sweating beads in no time. Then I start thinking that I could've hunted the first bow blind I had just finished corning & would not be in this position or a tower blind near camp where I had come across a group of hogs the weekend before, but passed on them since I had a prior engagement in town would have not allowed me with enough time to stick, track, clean, & process so the group of 11 with all sizes including 3-4 of the 25-40lb (my favorite size) range would remain at peace, that week & now this week. I was finally able to get out of the mess I fell in within a couple of minutes & so I headed back to the ground blind I had corned & hunted once before this season.
Turned out to be a late/dark morning so there wasn't light until about 7:05 - 7:10am and was able to get settled in by 6:45am. Almost immediately I can hear a hog crunching away at a distance, along with many deer around me. As daylight grew, the crunching got closer and at about 7:20am, a lonely boar had found his way to be at one of my two shooting lanes. Had about 3-4, 2.5 & 3.5 year old bucks, around me when all of a sudden, two of them start to duke it out between my two lanes. I could not see them fighting, but I could hear them rattling, grunting, & pushing for about 30-35 seconds before one gave in to the other and was chased off. The hog on my left shooting lane did not lift his nose above the ground. I gave it a couple of minutes to see if these young buck would draw an older buck out, but as 8am was getting near, I decided it was now or never on the hog. I studied him for a while & did not see any Russian in him and figured he was about 140 lbs at most. One hundred pounds over of what I was looking for, but this morning/afternoon I had the time I didn't with my last encounter with hogs. I range him at 22 yards and drew back. Before I can release I see with the corner of my eye a buck pop out between me & the other deer at about 8-10 yards from me on my second shooting lane to my right. This buck as well as all the deer behind him we looking my direction and as I'm holding my draw. I look back at the hog and he is now facing me. I look back at the deer and they are still looking at me or the buck in between & I'm thinking I either close my draw & run the risk of the deer busting me or hold my draw and wait as long as I can and see if I can still carry out for a good shot if only the hog will turn and turn soon.
The hog started turning to his right and finally gave me a broadside opportunity of the opposite side I originally drew back on and when he finally took that last step opening the sweet spot, I slowly began to breathe out and squeeze the trigger on my release... THWAACK!
I tried really hard to control my breathing as the deer all around just looked up while others only took a few steps with the sound. This only intensified the rush I was feeling after a long time waiting to let an arrow fly at a live target. Hog ran away grunting immediately after impact, but I did not see him cross any of the two shooting lanes. After a few seconds, all is quiet & deer were crunching away again. Two minutes later as I'm just starting to get a grip on my emotions I heard the boar from a distance grunting again for a few seconds... my heart sunk! I knew then I didn't make the heart shot I hoped & aimed for and now was hoping I made good penetration to get both lungs & low enough to pick up on a blood trail near where he stood. About 5 minutes after that, cattle rolled through and spooked all game away and was glad I took my shot when I did.
Waited about another 30 minutes before I got out and began tracking. Blood trail was excellent, found my arrow intact about 50 yards or so from where he stood covered with blood & confirmed I pierced his lungs. There he laid about another 30 yards or so from there.... Woo-hoo!!!
As I walk up to him and grab one of his legs with one hand, I couldn't move him. I looked twice and thought... oh boy... he's a little more than 140lbs! Texted my bro & glad he was there to help me load him in the truck. Thanks again brotha!
He turned out to weigh 200 lbs live making him without question my biggest hog harvested with archery equipment and my second hog breaking the 200 lb mark.
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