Archery wild pig
- Thread starter BigPig
- Start date
Here's the lengthy story for those who care to read it.
We split up first thing on Friday. My bro gets honors with the guide (even though this was technically an unguided hunt we did have one Tejon rep for all 11 of us to point us in the right direction), Steven, which meant I got to go along too. And Kirk jumped in too since he was odd man out without a partner. Steven sets Taylor up in a thick bottom since that was what we thought was the highest percentage spot. Steve also sends coues and his buddy Bo up a canyon nearby. Kirk and I take off with Steve once everyone is all set.
We glass a few spots with no luck. Finally we spot pigs feeding calmly and working along the spine of a finger ridge. This was PERFECT. Wind was right and all was peachy. Kirk and I haul azz over there. Kirk defers first shot honors to me as I have never bow killed a pig. We sneak in undetected as the pigs feed to us. I have one at 41 yds and quartering away. I look over at Kirk and he gives the nod. In retrospect we should have let them get closer but the wind was getting dicey and we couldn't move ahead anymore. I'm of the school of thought that you don't pass up a shot you are confident you can make, just to wait for a "better" one that may not happen.
I draw, anchor, go through my checklist, and make a nice clean release. The shot felt good. All was looking good, the arrow went exactly where my pin was, the bad thing was that the pig was no longer there when it arrived. The pig spun on me and just turned away from the arrow right before impact. Kirk pops a long arrow and no luck. We lose them and hike to the bottom to meet Steven at the truck.
Kirk runs up to the truck and says he sees more pigs up where we started from. We loop back around, park the truck and walk up that direction sneaky-like.
So we are sneaking up the road and we think the pigs are up ahead of us. We were hoping they were going to cross an open saddle. Kirk is in the lead and suddenly stops. He does the touch the ear and point into the brush thing. I look in there and can see pigs. It's thick but they are close. I can just see bits and pieces. I have a tiny, and I mean tiny, window that I might be able to sneak an arrow through if the pig in the lead continues on the trail she's on. She does and I come to draw as the head passes my window. Actually I had to thread two needles. The first was a dead overhanging limb with a 10" upside down "Y" I had to shoot through at 3 yards, and then a basketball sized opening in the live oaks at about ten yards. I had to line it all up just perfect if I was going to make this work. As the shoulder clears into the window I touch off at about 12 yards and a little downhill. Thwack! Nice sound.
It was about 15 minutes before dark and the pig was standing under a thick canopy that was surrounded by brush. I really didn't know what I had hit, other than it was a light color pig of decent size.
Kirk takes off after the rest of the herd. I step up and look under the canopy. I see my arrow stuck in the soft dirt. The Wac'em 125 blew right through. I quietly go check it. Crap! Poop! Fiddlesticks! My streak on pigs (at least the javelina "pigs" I've shot) continues. The arrow is covered in stink with very little blood. We follow the tracks 15 yards and find two good blotches of blood. I mark it and we back out. It's almost dark and we decide to come back tomorrow morning. It's plenty cool out.
Kirk never had a shot.
We hop in the truck to go pick up Tayor and get the other boyz. Unfortunately they didn't see much. On the way we run into a huge boar that ran across the road in front of us at 60 yards and cookin'. Kirk bails out and tries to run him down and Steve and I just laugh. Not a chance!
I've never had to leave an animal overnight so I was a wreck most of the night. I barely slept.
The next morning Kirk and I each drive seperate trucks and leave one at the bottom in case we find my pig. We drive to the top but decide to glass for the first hour since it's not really light enough to blood trail anyway.
We find pigs exactly where we found the first group the night before. Kirk takes off on the same stalk while I stay high to glass. The wind had totally switched 180 and the pigs fed over the top of the spine and out of sight. Gone.
Back to my pig. We hit the spot where my flagging tape is and find very little blood. There are a few sets of tracks but we figure mine out with what little blood there is. About 20 more yards and it starts bleeding pretty well. At about 40 yards we find a spot where the pig obviously fell, and there was a huge puddle and smear of blood. 10 more yards of heavy blood when I look up and there is a yellowish mass just ahead. Oh hell yeah! I'm a happy dancin and hootin and hollerin mofo. Deader than poop! She didn't make it 70 yards downhill. Took us all of 5 minutes to find her.
Checked the shot placement and it was actually primo given the circumstances. Entry right in tight to the shoulder and high from the downward angle. Exit about 6-7" behind the shoulder, but well in the ribs. No gut at all. Post mortem revealed a double lunger with two holes in and out of each lung.
So why the stink on the arrow and lack of blood? I wondered too. Ed later nailed it. I hit the esophagus. I think the fat around the exit wiped the blood off the arrow too. Regardless it was a short, albeit very strenous, drag back up to the truck. Thanks Kirk! You are a good man!
I got lucky again and killed first pig and made it back to the skinning shack before the other guys. We had a pot for first pig and a pot for biggest. I secured $100 with the first, and this one was pretty big too so I was starting to get a little greedy. I'll leave the end of that story for later...
The only thing disapointing about this trip is that my bro blanked again. Defenitely not any fault of his own. He just wasn't in the right place at the right time. I was bummed and he was even more so. Hang in there Bro, your time is coming and your first bowkill is going to be a hawg! Your persistence will be rewarded, guaranteed!
We split up first thing on Friday. My bro gets honors with the guide (even though this was technically an unguided hunt we did have one Tejon rep for all 11 of us to point us in the right direction), Steven, which meant I got to go along too. And Kirk jumped in too since he was odd man out without a partner. Steven sets Taylor up in a thick bottom since that was what we thought was the highest percentage spot. Steve also sends coues and his buddy Bo up a canyon nearby. Kirk and I take off with Steve once everyone is all set.
We glass a few spots with no luck. Finally we spot pigs feeding calmly and working along the spine of a finger ridge. This was PERFECT. Wind was right and all was peachy. Kirk and I haul azz over there. Kirk defers first shot honors to me as I have never bow killed a pig. We sneak in undetected as the pigs feed to us. I have one at 41 yds and quartering away. I look over at Kirk and he gives the nod. In retrospect we should have let them get closer but the wind was getting dicey and we couldn't move ahead anymore. I'm of the school of thought that you don't pass up a shot you are confident you can make, just to wait for a "better" one that may not happen.
I draw, anchor, go through my checklist, and make a nice clean release. The shot felt good. All was looking good, the arrow went exactly where my pin was, the bad thing was that the pig was no longer there when it arrived. The pig spun on me and just turned away from the arrow right before impact. Kirk pops a long arrow and no luck. We lose them and hike to the bottom to meet Steven at the truck.
Kirk runs up to the truck and says he sees more pigs up where we started from. We loop back around, park the truck and walk up that direction sneaky-like.
So we are sneaking up the road and we think the pigs are up ahead of us. We were hoping they were going to cross an open saddle. Kirk is in the lead and suddenly stops. He does the touch the ear and point into the brush thing. I look in there and can see pigs. It's thick but they are close. I can just see bits and pieces. I have a tiny, and I mean tiny, window that I might be able to sneak an arrow through if the pig in the lead continues on the trail she's on. She does and I come to draw as the head passes my window. Actually I had to thread two needles. The first was a dead overhanging limb with a 10" upside down "Y" I had to shoot through at 3 yards, and then a basketball sized opening in the live oaks at about ten yards. I had to line it all up just perfect if I was going to make this work. As the shoulder clears into the window I touch off at about 12 yards and a little downhill. Thwack! Nice sound.
It was about 15 minutes before dark and the pig was standing under a thick canopy that was surrounded by brush. I really didn't know what I had hit, other than it was a light color pig of decent size.
Kirk takes off after the rest of the herd. I step up and look under the canopy. I see my arrow stuck in the soft dirt. The Wac'em 125 blew right through. I quietly go check it. Crap! Poop! Fiddlesticks! My streak on pigs (at least the javelina "pigs" I've shot) continues. The arrow is covered in stink with very little blood. We follow the tracks 15 yards and find two good blotches of blood. I mark it and we back out. It's almost dark and we decide to come back tomorrow morning. It's plenty cool out.
Kirk never had a shot.
We hop in the truck to go pick up Tayor and get the other boyz. Unfortunately they didn't see much. On the way we run into a huge boar that ran across the road in front of us at 60 yards and cookin'. Kirk bails out and tries to run him down and Steve and I just laugh. Not a chance!
I've never had to leave an animal overnight so I was a wreck most of the night. I barely slept.
The next morning Kirk and I each drive seperate trucks and leave one at the bottom in case we find my pig. We drive to the top but decide to glass for the first hour since it's not really light enough to blood trail anyway.
We find pigs exactly where we found the first group the night before. Kirk takes off on the same stalk while I stay high to glass. The wind had totally switched 180 and the pigs fed over the top of the spine and out of sight. Gone.
Back to my pig. We hit the spot where my flagging tape is and find very little blood. There are a few sets of tracks but we figure mine out with what little blood there is. About 20 more yards and it starts bleeding pretty well. At about 40 yards we find a spot where the pig obviously fell, and there was a huge puddle and smear of blood. 10 more yards of heavy blood when I look up and there is a yellowish mass just ahead. Oh hell yeah! I'm a happy dancin and hootin and hollerin mofo. Deader than poop! She didn't make it 70 yards downhill. Took us all of 5 minutes to find her.
Checked the shot placement and it was actually primo given the circumstances. Entry right in tight to the shoulder and high from the downward angle. Exit about 6-7" behind the shoulder, but well in the ribs. No gut at all. Post mortem revealed a double lunger with two holes in and out of each lung.
So why the stink on the arrow and lack of blood? I wondered too. Ed later nailed it. I hit the esophagus. I think the fat around the exit wiped the blood off the arrow too. Regardless it was a short, albeit very strenous, drag back up to the truck. Thanks Kirk! You are a good man!
I got lucky again and killed first pig and made it back to the skinning shack before the other guys. We had a pot for first pig and a pot for biggest. I secured $100 with the first, and this one was pretty big too so I was starting to get a little greedy. I'll leave the end of that story for later...
The only thing disapointing about this trip is that my bro blanked again. Defenitely not any fault of his own. He just wasn't in the right place at the right time. I was bummed and he was even more so. Hang in there Bro, your time is coming and your first bowkill is going to be a hawg! Your persistence will be rewarded, guaranteed!
S
slider
Guest
Nice Hog!!! Congrats
E
elkaddiction
Guest
I've become quite addicted to chasing Wilburs each February. Its the best way I know to get rid cabin fever. There's nothing like leaving a cold snowy winter in the Rockies to enjoy Texas weather for 3 or 4 days! Best part is both of my sons have taken their first animals on this hunt. I love hearing Wilburs squeal!
BOWUNTR
Active Member
- Messages
- 399
N
Naildriver
Guest
Killing pigs with a bow gives you a sense of great accomplishment,doesnt it? Congrats
A
archerman
Guest
That's one big pig! Congrats!
Are they draw only, otc.....what? How much is NR license and tag? Is it good eating? Where abouts in CA do you hunt them? The javelina here really aren't that great to eat.
Archerman - Archery hunting addict!
Are they draw only, otc.....what? How much is NR license and tag? Is it good eating? Where abouts in CA do you hunt them? The javelina here really aren't that great to eat.
Archerman - Archery hunting addict!
G
Gus05
Guest
LAST EDITED ON Apr-10-07 AT 11:50AM (MST)[p]Great pic! I've hunted Tejon several times. Steven was with us a few months ago but had to leave half way through for a trade show. Do you have a diamond package or was this a ham-slam or something similar?
I was talking with Lana just yesterday.
We have an elk there hunt this fall, been waiting for 4 years! Best place to hunt hogs in the west hands down. It's more like a muley hunt!
Did you guys see any elk still packing?
My first bow kill was a Tejon hog, great fun.
I was talking with Lana just yesterday.
We have an elk there hunt this fall, been waiting for 4 years! Best place to hunt hogs in the west hands down. It's more like a muley hunt!
Did you guys see any elk still packing?
My first bow kill was a Tejon hog, great fun.
G
Gus05
Guest
LAST EDITED ON Apr-10-07 AT 11:49AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Apr-10-07 AT 11:48?AM (MST)
LAST EDITED ON Apr-10-07 AT 11:46?AM (MST)
>That's one big pig! Congrats!
>Are they draw only, otc.....what? How
>much is NR license and
>tag? Is it good eating?
>Where abouts in CA do
>you hunt them? The
>javelina here really aren't that
>great to eat.
>Archerman - Archery hunting addict!
The NR license is 140ish and a pig tag is 20 or 30 bucks. This is a private ranch (like 200,ooo acres) and you can hunt one hog for 400 bucks or a guided 2 day is 900. It's gorgeous country and definitely a challenge. Call Lana if your interested (661) 663-4210 and tell her Tye sent ya!
Tejon is just outside of Lebec, Ca. (Ft. Tejon) in between Bakersfield and L.A..
Yes, They are great eating, but we turn most of it into sausage and chorizo. The sausage we make with Mitch Litch (sp?). We've shot 23 pigs from Tejon in the last 4 years and eaten every last sausage patty!
LAST EDITED ON Apr-10-07 AT 11:46?AM (MST)
>That's one big pig! Congrats!
>Are they draw only, otc.....what? How
>much is NR license and
>tag? Is it good eating?
>Where abouts in CA do
>you hunt them? The
>javelina here really aren't that
>great to eat.
>Archerman - Archery hunting addict!
The NR license is 140ish and a pig tag is 20 or 30 bucks. This is a private ranch (like 200,ooo acres) and you can hunt one hog for 400 bucks or a guided 2 day is 900. It's gorgeous country and definitely a challenge. Call Lana if your interested (661) 663-4210 and tell her Tye sent ya!
Tejon is just outside of Lebec, Ca. (Ft. Tejon) in between Bakersfield and L.A..
Yes, They are great eating, but we turn most of it into sausage and chorizo. The sausage we make with Mitch Litch (sp?). We've shot 23 pigs from Tejon in the last 4 years and eaten every last sausage patty!
