The Buckshot35 pics: We're
scouting when we can't be there !!!
|
Close
up of a big one | June
6-8 pics at the hammer hole |
| Timm's Mar 21 Pics: Pic
#1 | Pic #2 |
My
Digital Pics: ot May
30, 13 hogs come in |
1998 was the first year we've had Wild Feral Hogs in our area. They have been gradually moving up the River for several years.
 |
My wild hog from the Feb 28, 1999 bowhunt.
 |
6:15pm The temperature is dropping, it's about 90 and falling and the breeze is cooler than that, it's a welcome break in the heat. Heck, I'm going wild hog hunting at the Hammer Hole.
Wild Hog Hunting (In Progress):
8:22pm When the light faded I got down from my tripod and walked through the thicket to the small clearing where the woods road ends. As I stepped into the clearing a group of wild hogs started into the clearing on the other side. We all stopped, 15 yards apart. More hogs filed into the road and two huge ones grunted loudly at me.
I took a few stops toward them. Two reasons: If they didn't run I would be able to get a shot at one of the big ones. And, if they decided to mess with me I would have them in the open and could see what they were doing. Grunting as they went they backed into the thick brush and ... silence! They were going to watch and wait. So I walked to the road. I could hear them crunch brush softly as I walked by their position and went toward my truck. Further on, I saw two does. (Coming in I had seen 7 does and 1 fawn.)
Wild Hog Hunting (we digress to day #1)
Wednesday, October 1, 1998 Rick Philippi was deer hunting when, surprise, the first wild hogs ever seen on our deer lease walked by Rick's tripod deer stand. Here is the scoop, in Pig Invasion.
Wild Hog Hunting (in progress)
Friday, July 9 (afternoon hunt) I settled into my tripod at the Hammer Hole. Two seconds and I was totally in the zone, savoring the sound of the birds, watching them flutter through the spaces in the thick cover. Time passed quickly. Two rabbits ran by in front of me. Trouble coming?
For sure, the unmistakable sound of wild hogs -- a lot of them, approaching behind me and on my right. A big, gray hog appeared. I tried to get it's picture but it disappeared in the cedars. A dozen or more medium sized hogs followed. Poof, the brush was alive with wild hogs of all sizes: hog ears, legs, snouts, tails and backs were as far as I could see into the brush. I snapped several digital pictures, jammed the camera in my pocket, and snapped my release on my bowstring. No hogs passed on the side where I could shoot. Then they were gone! Forty 40 to 50 wild hogs were in the group.
Saturday I downloaded the pics from the camera. No luck there, the hogs are barely recognizable shadows in the brush. But it was still my lucky day, just to be there and be a part of it.
Wild Hog Hunting (In progress, June 12)
I hunted the hogs again this afternoon. They didn't come through but I heard something behind me and this doe walked by on a nearby trail.
Wild Hog Hunting (In Progress, June 5)
(5:15pm) It's hot, in the low 90's, but the wind is gusty. John and I are good to go for this afternoons wild hog hunt at the Hammer Hole. Maybe they will show today.
(9:15pm) We got on our stands plenty early. John heard the grunting of wild hogs, but they were about 100 yds away and didn't come by us. The coyotes went off loud, in the direction of the windmill. I blew the heck out of my Javelina call but they weren't interested.
Wild Hog Hunting (In Progress, Friday, June 4)\
(5:21pm) My bud John Askew came down to bowhunt hogs. We're leaving out any minute. I've got the Buckshot35 loaded with 800 film and my digital camera. We'll see what happens today in the Hammer Hole.
(9:41pm) No hogs showed. It was a pleasant June afternoon with a nice breeze to cut the heat. After hunting we cut for the Red Barn to get there before they closed the restaurant.
Wild Hog Hunting (In Progress, Thursday June 3)
(June 3) Wednesday afternoon I sat in the ladder stand that Turtle used. He is shorter than me and I got real uncomfortable sitting there with limbs poking me in the shoulders and back of my head. So this morning I replaced it by moving my 6 foot high welded steel tripod from the Point to the Hammer Hole. It was a sure enough ordeal wrestling the heavy sucker in between all those trees and limbs but now it's good to go.
I didn't bowhunt today, instead I put up the Buckshot35 pics I just got back. We're scouting when we can't be there.
Wild Hog Hunting (In Progress, Wednesday June 2)
I sat in the ladder stand that Turtle used. He is shorter than me and I got real uncomfortable sitting there with limbs poking me in the back of the head.
Wild Hog Hunting (In Progress, Sunday May 30):
(Rick, check this out!)
5:54pm: So far the best day of the week for wild hog hunting has been Sunday. Got my bow in the car, I'm taking a shower and heading out for the Hammer Hole.
7:20pm: Bingo, 13 wild hogs cruised right into my area. The entire group was young pigs. They rooted, fought, and chased after one another. I had my digital camera with me so I got some pics. Unfortunately I set the resolution wrong -- which means the pigs are small in the pics and when they were fighting it's just a blur, but still I got a couple of pics that show the hogs coming and then rooting around.
Wild Hog Hunting (In Progress, Sunday May 23):
It's 4:15pm and Turtle, Bryce and I are heading to our stands. It doesn't get dark until after 9:00 and that's a pretty long time to sit on a hot Texas afternoon. What the heck, it's the toll over the bowhunting bridge. And I want to see if they are coming early.
Suddenly the wild hogs were coming! Nothing else sounds like them as they move through the thick brush. Quickly I glanced at my watch, 6:55, they have been coming early. I've been getting out too late. The noise split in two groups, one moving towards Turtle's stand, the other to my left.
Turtle saw 3 hogs in the cedars, moving toward his shooting lane. He drew as two entered into the clear. A black boar presented a shot opportunity and Turtle threaded the needle. The boar bolted but dropped in 5 yards.
I heard the shot and by the sound I knew that Turtle had just become the 3rd member of the "Leon River bad boys" club. The remaining hogs scattered and disappeared. I got down and we took a few pictures and dressed the wild boar.
Wild Hog Hunting (In Progress, Saturday May 22):
I'm thinking the hogs are coming out earlier than I've been getting there to hunt. So Turtle and Bryce went out earlier today and did a long sit in the stands. Turtle was on the hammer hole stand and a coyote appeared in the thick brush and trotted by about 10 yards away. It all came down too fast for him to get a shot. No wild hogs showed.
Wild Hog Hunting (In Progress, Fri, May 21):
Turtle and Bryce arrived mid day to wild hog hunt.
(7:00pm) I didn't finish with today's web stuff so I took Turtle and Bryce out. They are on the stands right now. The place has been getting a lot of activity this week and there was fresh sign, so fresh I think it was made today. I'll pick them up a little before dark.
(9:30pm) No wild hogs this afternoon. Tomorrow's another day.
Wild Hog Hunting (In Progress, May 18): I checked the Buskshot35 and it took 17 pictures during the week. Ohhh boy, I can't wait to see what all came down that game trail it was on. I took the film to the nearest WalMart and they won't return for 2 weeks, the pics on disk take longer. I thought about driving to Dallas and getting them the same day but just didn't have the extra time.
Wild Hog Hunting (in progress, Thursday May 13):
Some folks emailed me they wanted to find the hog hunting pics faster. Here are links to the Buckshot35 pics. This is the Big Hog. These are Timm's Mar 21 Pic #1 | Pic #2. And here is a Hog I got.
Wild Hog Hunting (in progress, Thursday May 12):
Timm, I got the 5 pics back (that the Buckshot35 took when I had it on a trail by the Hammer Hole). Pic #1 was of, ah, of me -- checking to see if the red light was flashing. Three were nothing but the nearby cedar trees. But #5 was what we're looking for, a wild hog. It's close too, hehe, about 2 yards away. Hey, I'm done talking, one picture is worth a thousand words. Here ya go.
Wild Hog Hunting (in progress, Thursday May 7):
I talked to Turtle and he has two tapes that are good for calling coyotes. He and Bryce are gonna head down here next Thursday or Friday. We will hog hunt, but if we hear the coyotes we will fire up the ol' tape player and see it we can get them over our way.
Wild Hog Hunting (in progress, Thursday Apr 6): I got out earlier today than yesterday (when I spooked them going in). I still spooked a bunch of deer by the Hammer Hole. No hogs showed. But a group of coyotes sounded off very close by, whining and howling.
Wild Hog Hunting (in progress, Wednesday Apr 5): This afternoon I got ready to go out. I should not have answered the phone because we talked too long and it made me late leaving. As I neared the Hammer Hole area I spooked some deer. They snorted me and ran in the general direction of my new tripod stand. Immedeately, I heard wild hogs sound the alarm and thunder off. I set on the tripod but nothing moved.
Wild Hog Hunting (in progress, Monday May 3): Lots of wild hog sign near the Hammer Hole. Rooting and two very heavily used trails, coming from the Turkey Farm area, rather than the Hammer Hole. Last week I put a Buckshot35 game camera near the Hammer Hole. I checked Saturday and it took 5 pictures and there was fresh rooting directly in front of the camera. I removed the film and sent it off today to be developed. Also, I put a tripod stand at the intersection of two of the new trails and moved the Buskshot35 to watch the intersection of the new trails.
3:30 pm Wild Hog Hunting (in progress, Sunday Apr 25):
Friday I received a Buckshot35 game camera and set it up Saturday afternoon. I want to get pics of the wild hogs. The trick is getting it on the trail they use. Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Last time I thought I did, but I didn't. Today I checked the camera and it had taken one picture.
Wild Hog Hunting (A hunt in progress - Tuesday Apr 6)
Donald Duck drove down and we turkey hunted in the late afternoon. We heard a gobbler go to roost in the area by the Pocket. I have things to do, but the Duck will be in the Pocket tomorrow morning, listening for a direction.
Wild Hog Hunting (A hunt in progress - Monday Apr 5)
9:05am Lets see, I've got my jack, two chains, a shovel, some boards to stick under the tires, that ought to do it. Good thing I kept my '83 blazer, I don't use it much anymore and it doesn't run too good, but it'll probably pull good enough to get my ford pickup out of the mudhole. We'll see.
1:41am I just got unstuck, so you can see from the time difference it wasn't that easy. You can always tell how bad you're stuck by the amount of equipment it takes to get you out, with the chain being the easiest and a tow truck with a 50 yard wench the worst. And everything in between being a lot of hard work. The chain just made things worse and bottomed me out, which also ruled out the jack, no clearance. But the shovel and boards came to the rescue. Bad luck? Nah, just part of the toll over the hunting bridge. Hey, that made me real hungry, bet the Red Barn can cure that.
Wild Hog Hunting (A hunt in progress - Apr 4)
5:35am I saw Jweber at the Horseshoe (last night) and he came over but missed the 1st left turn and drove around for an hour in the wrong place. Oh well, I am out in the country and he isn't the first one to not find where I am. Right Now it's 5:35am (best I know, every time the time changes it goofs me up) and Overall (you gotta love a lady turkey hunter) and I are going wild turkey hunting. We'll tell you what we saw, later.
(Later) Turkeys were talking, but we didn't get into them.
9:05pm Jweber made it this afternoon and we hog hunted. A gobbler roosted about 200 yards away from us and gobbled until dark. Two coyotes sounded off, they were real close, but we didn't see them. No hogs showed today. Driving in I got stuck in a mud bog and we had to walk in. I'm going to leave it until daylight. Being pretty experienced at "getting stuck" I've learned the you break a lot less stuff (meaning car parts) if you "unstick" yourself when you can see good.
Wild Hog Hunting 1999 (A hunt in progress - Fri Apr 3):
7:55pm: I talked to Jweber earlier today at the Red Barn Restaurant and he was coming to hog hunt, but he didn't make it. Robbie & I did hog hunt and saw 4 raccoons. I watched two come through the hammer hole crossing on the fence, the same place where the wild hogs come on our property. Other than that, a pleasant afternoon listening to the birds sing and owl hoot. A lone coyote howled nearby as we walked through the woods to my truck.
Wild Hog Hunting 1999 (A hunt in progress - Wed Mar 31):
7:55pm: This afternoon the wild turkeys were talking it up. A huge raccoon waddled out right by my tripod stand. It approached another raccoon, that appeared out of no where, and they had some sort of confrontation, growling and squalling at each other. At last light two wild hogs came through the fence behind me and made their way through the brush, closeby, on my right, and stopped. I could still see my green fiber optic pin but the hogs were blurry due to the declining light. I couldn't make a accurate shot so didn't shoot. They went on their way, and so did I.
5:05pm - I've been too long without enjoying an afternoon in the woods. I'm headed to hammer hole.
4:00pm - Timm's Buckshot35 pics are back. It wasn't exactly what we were looking for. Pic #1. Pic #2. So what does this mean? First, it is a fact that the hogs came through the area that night, we saw their tracks under, and hair on, the fence, and that sign was not there the day before. It had rained the preceding morning and all the old sign was washed away when we looked on Saturday before setting up the camera. Second, why didn't we get a pic of the wild hogs? Obviously the camera was working, so they used another trail.
Wild Hog Hunting 1999 (A hunt in progress - Sun Mar 21)
7:30pm - What a beautiful afternoon in the woods. A symphony of natures best. Mourning doves cooed constantly. Cardinals and songbirds called to each other. Two big cotton tails drummed with their front feet, patting and pawing the ground rapidly, first one then the other. A gobbler sounded off dozens of times, from different places in the Back 200 -- and then even more when he finally roosted. As daylight began to fail owls began hooting softly. Leaves and grass rustled as Stub and another raccoon filed by. A pack of coyotes moaned and howled in the distance as we returned to the truck. No hogs today either. But it was a very enjoyable afternoon.
4:00pm - Timm & I checked his Buckshot35 game camera and it took 6 pictures last night, after we left. I can't wait to see what came by. Timm left for home and Robbie and I are hunting the Hammer Hole to see if the wild hogs show today.
2:35am - The Horseshoe was ok. Roy Robbins played, he plays all those old country tunes, ahhh, they are not my personal favorite music venue, but what the heck, his band plays them good. Several people turned out that don't usually go, Daniel & Nanette, Jerry & Judy, Bobby H, and my favorite pool shark, Melissa. We all had fun.
Tomorrow morning we check the Buckshot35 and see what came into the Hammer Hole.
Wild Hog Hunting 1999 (A hunt in progress - Sat Mar 20)
7:45pm - it gets dark later and later every day. Timm saw 6 bus does and "Stub" the raccoon. Stub and I had an encounter back during deer season when, my shot was a little off and it cut his tale clean off. Timm reports that he is none the worse for it. Robbie watched Stub and his group walk right under his tripod. It seem that everything was moving except the wild hogs. We're going to the Red Barn and then, I don't know, aww, what the heck, we'll go to the Shoe.
4:04pm - Mid afternoon Timm put up the game camera on the trail the wild hogs use. This is going to be interesting. We are leaving, now, to stand hunt at the Hammer Hole.
2:30am - darn, 2-Can Wally wasn't the band at the Backdoor tonight. Another band played the gig, but they were good too, Timm and I partied with Jamie, Angie, and Curtis. We all had fun. Rock & roll will never die, even if it is grunge rock. "Hey, go on, yea, ... and sing the blues. All you have to do is ... walk a mile in my shoes." To be continued ... Saturday night. Woops, I almost forgot, Bryce, Megan says "hi" ... to you. And asked when are you gonna come back?
Later today we will put up the camera timers and see if we can get some pic of the wild hogs.)
Wild Hog Hunting 1999 (A hunt in progress - Fri Mar 19)
This afternoon, Timm (from the Live Chat) came down to wild hog bowhunt with me. Unfortunately, he arrived to late to hunt, so we walked around a bit and saw a few deer. Timm brought two Buckshot35 Game Scouting Cameras and we will set them up tomorrow and maybe we'll be lucky and can show you some pics of the the wild hogs. Right now we are headed to the Red Barn to eat BBQ. Then we're going to see 2-Can Wally play some grunge rock.
Wild Hog Hunting 1999 (A hunt in progress - Fri Mar 19)
Today, Timm (from the Live Chat) is coming over to hunt wild hog bowhunt with me this weekend. He is bringing two Buckshot35 Game Scouting Cameras and we will see if we can show you some pics of the the Leon River Bad Boys -- that's not Timm and me, that's the wild hogs. (Timm and I are the Leon River Bad Boyz.)
Wild Hog Hunting 1999 - (In Progress Sunday - Mar 14)
8:22 pm The hogs had visited the area Friday night but not Saturday night. Turtle and Bryce hung in at the hammer hole stand. Turtle saw a doe move through and they both saw a lot of small game activity, but the wild hogs no showed. When we got to my place they loaded their stuff and headed home.
Early Sunday Morning (1:30am): We meant to party like it was 1999, and it looked like we were good to go, and we definitely had fun, just not the big time we had last night. What the heck, partying is just like hunting, sometimes it goes on, sometimes it doesn't, sometimes it's not quite either one, which was how it was last night. Anyway, we loaded up on chocolate doughnuts and now we're back at my house. Later on today we'll see how the wild hog hunting goes.
Wild Hog Hunting 1999 - (In Progress Saturday Mar 13)
Saturday morning: Last night it didn't look like Turtle and Bryce were going to party until Jamie and I kicked their butt playing pool. Then they got with it. We just got in (5:11am), so enough said. This afternoon we go back to the woods after the wild hogs.
7:37 pm The wind got up and the temperature dropped to 38 degrees. Bryce and Turtle hunted but the wild hogs didn't play this afternoon. Oh well, we're gonna eat at the Red Barn and then head for the "Shoe".
Wild Hog Hunting 1999 - (In Progress - Friday Mar 12)
Turtle, from the live chat, and a buddy are coming down to go wild hog bowhunting with me this weekend. As soon as they get here this afternoon I'll take 'em out and slam 'em down in the Hammer Hole area with the briars and rattle snakes and see what these dudes are made of. Then we're heading for the "Shoe" to party like it's 1999.
7:30 pm Turtle didn't see any wild hogs. His buddy, Bryce, heard them about 40 yards behind him. They made racket for several minutes but didn't pass where he was.
Wild Hog Hunting 1999 (in progress, March 9, 1999)
5:15pm: Yesterday lightning hit the wires to my house and it took some major electrical repairs to get it back on. The Power Company people just arrived and I have to log off until they replace the incoming wiring. Heck, there's nothing I can do for the next couple of hours. I think I'll go Wild Hog hunting.
7:05pm: A gobbler was really getting after it from its roost. Several deer were out. The geese were loudly heading north. The coyotes yapped away. But the wild hogs laid low.
Wild Hog Hunting 1999 (in progress Mar 7. 1999)
Sunday 7:02pm - Today, I put Zan Christensen (of the Hunt Recorder) to work. We walked out the pig trails and located an excellent spot to intercept them. So we put a tripod stand in one of the many clumps of cedar and young live oak trees. Then I directed Zan and he trimmed a few limbs so that I had two clear shooting lanes that should offer 10-15 yard shots. From the tripod I can see the Hammer Hole fence crossing (about 45 yds away) and I should be able to keep track of their approach.
Zan left when we finished, he wanted to be home before dark. I went to the new tripod at 4:30pm. A light rain started around 6:00. In short order it got lots worse, so I pulled up my string to lower my bow. Right then, I heard wild hog grunts. The rain didn't bother them a bit, because four hogs busted under the fence and preceded to walk right through both of my shooting lanes. But I don't shoot animals in the rain, because the chance of a poor blood trail is too high. After they were well past me I slipped down and returned to my truck.
Saturday - Today Zan and I met with Larry Anglin at HTC and discussed putting the Hunt Recorder & Records Book online. We worked on it for a few hours and nailed it. The down side is that we cut too far into the hunting time and didn't get to hunt hogs. Here's the scoop on the hog hunting so far this year: Wild Hogs '99.
Wild Hog Hunting 1999 (in progress Mar 6. 1999)
7:57pm - Nice afternoon. No hogs. Driving out we saw a nice buck and several does. Now, we're off to the Red Barn for some BBQ.
4:24pm - Zan arrived and we are heading out to the Hammer Hole to surprise the Leon River Bad Boys (the wild hogs).
12:00am - This afternoon Zan Christensen is coming up to hunt wild hogs with me and help me do a little work around the lease. Zan is the Hunting Records dude and he probably figures he's gonna harvest all my hogs and can get my hunting more organized -- he he, Zano will faint when he sees my definition of "a little work." :-)
February 28, 1999 The Wild Hogs Showed Today!
As the sun dropped slowly into the horizon and the temperature dropped immediately. In minutes I heard the unmistakable grunting of hogs. They made a bunch of racket going under the fence. They were somewhere on my left and if I was lucky they might cross in front of me. Their sound came closer. Suddenly I was aware that there was sound all around me. Bad news! I had other visitors. Cows! Several cows walked into my shooting area as the Wild Hogs got to the edge of it. The two groups of animals faced one another. (I'm thinking, "This is totally goofy, it can't be happening!") Finally I caught sight of the hogs in the brush. There were 8, all coal black. Four hogs cut along the edge of the brush and popped out right in front of the lead cow. She backed up.
Now the hogs were right where I wanted them to be. I picked out a hog, placed my pin on its vital area, and put my arrow right in the zone. All the hogs and cows scattered, except mine, it expired almost instantly. I could hear the other hogs grunting and moving in the brush. Soon they headed the fence and I moved out. As soon as I was certain all of them were gone I got down and pulled the heavy hog the short distance to the woods road, got my truck, and loaded up my ferule hog. Next, I'm going to get out of my hunting clothes and then call Jackson's Processing and get this bad boy turned into some pork sausage. Heck, it's still daylight. A perfect 10 hunt.
February 27, 1999
We hunted wild hogs at the Hammer Hole afternoon. There are two crossings and they are definitely being used by hogs. The ground and top rung of the lowest wire are all muddy (moist, fresh mud) and black hair is on the fence. But no hogs showed.
1998 Season: Here are the field notes (logs) that I posted on bowhunting.net daily during my 1998 Deer Season. They consist of the Texas Archery season in October, the Texas Regular Season November & December (during which we can bowhunt, and I do), plus a one week bowhunt at Hunting Unlimited in Brown County, IL.
Back To Where You Were
At Bowhunting.Net
1999 Bowhunts
Back To Where You
Were
Bowhunting.Net