"OFFICIAL" Granger Hog Hunting Thread

[Speedgoat]

Should have dug up some wild onions to go with it.

I keep forgetting to get some.

[ajcarricktx]

I brought some home the time before last. I need to grab some more of them. Oh and some fresh piggy too lol.

[Jspradley]

Ready to earn my Granger patch! .

...or at least attempt to!

[Speedgoat]

Do it. My stalk today was 700 yards before the shot.

[Jspradley]

I was out at Brazos Bend hiking sunday and there were wild onions everywhere. I love those things. Hopefully I'll have some piggy backstrap and wild onions this weekend.

[Jspradley]

Do it. My stalk today was 700 yards before the shot.

Wow! What range was your shot?

[NAVY CHIEF]

Here is my story:

It was a dark and stormy night . . . . . no, wait, that is the wrong story.

There I was, knee-deep in grenade pins . . . . . . . . . no, that is still the wrong story.

OK, got it now.

I hunted gate 4 this morning, approaching from the north, off of county road 349. My mountain bike made short work of the 9/10 mile from the gate to the Willis Creek treeline. I parked the bike at A on the attached photo and continued on foot. Wind was out of the SE at about 4 mph. Heavy low overcast, but the morning fog had lifted. Heavy dew made for quiet walking. It was straight up 10 am when I parked the bike.

There is a patch of trees that juts out from the main Willis creek tree line that I wanted to hunt. It is bounded on the east by an old tank and gully. I first moved to get downwind of the area, the line in yellow on the map. Then I started to hunt in earnest. My technique in this situation: look down at my feet, (to avoid stepping on twigs) take 10 steps, look up and glass for 30 seconds. Repeat.

My hunt follows the white line on the map. Things looked good right off the bat, lots of fresh rooting. When I got to B, I saw something about 50 yards away in the binoculars that had the ‘wrong’ color and texture. Watching it for another 10 seconds, it moved! It was a pig. It was just inside the treeline, where a game trail came out. (C on the map) And it was foraging, not just resting.

I put a tree between it and me and started my stalk. Pretty easy to cover the first 20 yards. Over this period, the one pig had become three. Three sows, about 100 lbs each, almost pure black. And they had moved out of the treeline and were now in the open area, still foraging.

I was closer now, the foraging pigs themselves making noises that helped cover the sound of my approach. The morning birdsong was pretty strong too, which also helped. At about 30 yards I encountered an obstacle, a mud puddle. I knew from experience it was impossible to move quietly in the mud so I shifted (and lengthened) my approach to the east. I will admit my heart was pounding pretty hard about this time.

I got to a point where I estimated the range to be 20 yards to the nearest pig. But she was moving around and at that point had her butt toward me. I waited patiently, and a minute later she slowly shifted her position, giving me a direct broadside.

I slowly went to full draw. She heard the draw, her head came up and she was looking directly at me over her left shoulder, perfectly still. I was going for a double-lung shot and put the 20 yard pin just over and centered on her forearm and . . . let the string go.

The arrow hit high but perfectly centered. It was not a pass-through; most of the arrow was sticking out her right side, but the fletching was still showing on her left side as she ran away through the elders. I could hear the arrow banging on the brush as she bolted away. I followed the game trail the pig had taken and found not a drop of blood. Not a drop. I did find my bent and bloodied arrow about 15 yards down the trail.



I went back to the scene of the crime and paced off the actual range: 15 yards. A 15 yard shot with a 20 yard pin = overshoot and no pork. I have no doubt she will live to root another day. Meanwhile back at the ranch, I need to pull out the foam block and keep practicing at different ranges. Granger does not give up her treasures easily.

And get rid of your aluminum arrows, this ain't the 80s anymore...lol

[Speedgoat]

Wow! What range was your shot?

44 yards.

[Wudstix]

And get rid of your aluminum arrows, this ain't the 80s anymore...lol

Get ya some good tapered Maple!!!!

[Jspradley]

Is the only access to the primitive campground through hiking in 3 miles or taking a boat?

Im looking at one map and there is a road to it but the site says you have to hike in...

Id rather camp out there than the main campgrounds but im not feeling a 3 mile hike every morning..

[Rat]

Is the only access to the primitive campground through hiking in 3 miles or taking a boat?

Im looking at one map and there is a road to it but the site says you have to hike in...

Id rather camp out there than the main campgrounds but im not feeling a 3 mile hike every morning..

Yes, and it's more like 4+ miles to hike in. It is easy to get there in a small boat, like a yak or canoe, from No. 7 though.

[ajcarricktx]

It's a really short paddle from number 7. I made it there and back for the GRXH. It was super easy. I will say the bank drops off quick once you're there so be careful

[Briar Friar]

Ready to earn my Granger patch! .

...or at least attempt to!

Yes! Looks like youre set for gettin'em stuck! Im tryin to find some wiggle room to come hunt and visit. I think during GRXH Wudstix made that hump from Taylor Park to PC something like 4 times in a day and a half.

Awesome kill Speegoat. The meat looked dee-licious! No more leaving GRXH...or not at least until a Brazillion people are fed...Chief needs help.

Yee Hawg!

[Jspradley]

Thanks guys! I might have to with plan B and hope there is a walk in site available in the developed campgrounds.

[Briar Friar]

Excuse me while I correct myself...Speedgoat fed a Brazillion people the first half of the GRXH Saturday...Chief fed a Brazillion people the second half of the GRXH Saturday. I tried to help and failed. Keep on keepin on.

Yee Hawg!