Bowhunt At Texas-S Bowhunting Ranch
Ricky's Hunt | To Rick's Hunt | Day 2: Blaine's Hunt | Robert's Hunt |

After visiting with Texas-S Bowhunting Ranch owner Merle Smith Rick Philippi and I threw on our hunting clothes and hit the woods. 

Our favorite way to hunt hogs here is to check out all the blow downs and brush piles. They are one of the places where wild hogs like to sleep. They blend right in and are difficult to see. Hogs usually sleep hard, too, so when you finally see one it is very do-able to sneak up on a snoozing wild hog and get a shot. 

Meanwhile, Ricky Philippi and Blaine Cupp were a good distance behind a group of wild hogs on a pine ridge. The pines gave way to thick hard woods and the two young bowhunters eased along, trying to get within range.

Movement in a nearby brush pile caught Ricky's attention. A hog raised it's head and looked at him. Ricky froze. They each watched the other for 5 minutes. 

Less than thirty yards separated them. So Ricky slowly drew his bow. The hog held tight and Ricky aimed carefully. 

Ricky released. 

Crash! The hog jumped out of the brush and took off. Forty yards later it stumbled and went down.

Seconds later, Rick's radio came on and we heard his son Ricky tell us he'd killed a wild boar. We met Ricky and Blaine and took pictures of the dead boar.

Ricky Philippi with the first wild hog of our hunt at Texas-S Bowhunting Ranch.

So far, the hunt was off to a strong start. But we hadn't seen strong ... yet. Next Hunt, Rick & The Bad Attitude Boar.

ARRIVAL:Wild hog attack!
Four of us are bowhunting on this hunt; Rick Philippi and myself, plus college guys Blaine Cobb and Ricky Philippi. We arrived late afternoon and the owner Merle Smith told us about the last hunter James Wortham. (Here is a prior interview with Merle.)

James shot a big boar and when he recovered it he radioed Merle to come with the 4-wheeler. Unexpectedly, the hog jumped up and ran James up a tree!

Merle drove up and saw the dangerous situation and promptly drove his 4 wheeler up against the tree and James stepped off onto it. 

Woops, the hog charged the vehicle. Merle and James acted fast and stood on the racks while the boar hooked the front and back racks, trying to cut the hunters.

Merle told James, "Now would be a good time to shoot him again." 

James had been too excited to think of it. He quickly nocked an arrow and made a perfect 2 yard shot and the hog died in seconds.