Bowhunting For Wild Hogs - 2007
Back To Where You Were At Bowhunting.Net

2007 - A Wild Hog Bowhunt In Progress
This year we've had three months of rain. And the hogs are back.

June 5 - Fighting In The Water

I drove past the Point and hid my truck in a clump of trees 80 yards away. That's closer than I normally park but I was up-wind and wanted to see if it would be ok. It was.

While I hooked up my safety harness (Fall Guy) the mosquitos found me. Ha ha,  I was prepared and immediately clicked my Thermacell on. I made the 1st of two mental notes that I made that afternoon: that next time I'd turn the Thermacell on before I climbed the tree so it would run the bugs off even quicker.

I pulled my bow up. First I drew it, because I always do that to be sure everything is ok. Then I nocked an arrow and hung the bow on a hook. My camera was next and I took it out of the case and sat down and adjusted its settings for the lighting conditions. Soon the Thermacell was going good and the mosquitos and gnats backed off.

Grunt!

Wild hogs were coming from my right. When I saw the first one I took a pic.

A group of adults and young pigs came into my immediate area. If you've followed me on past hunts you may recall that I bring water to the Point and dump it. But so far this year lugging water has not been necessary. Our heavier than usual rain fall produced a small 8 foot pool of water that is about a foot deep. 

The hogs went straight to the water. Some drank and some rolled around in the water. You know I wanted to get a photo of that but, even though the water is three steps from my tree there are so many branches in the way I could not get a picture. So I made mental note #2: come out here with a limb cutter and clip some of those obstructing branches out of the way. Then if they do a repeat of the water bit you and I can both see it. And I may be able to video it too.

Some of the hogs finished with the water and walked closer to my tree.

A fat adult stopped 5 yards from my tree and I took its picture and slowly reached for my bow to take it off the hook. 

This group of hogs was walking along the fence at the Point. At its closest the fence is 11 yards from my treestand. A hog walked by me only a few feet from the bottom of my tree and I held up on getting my bow and took its picture -- and some more.

Below is a close up of a baby piglet. Many are born with stripes but they go away after it is weaned from the mother and becomes a shote. 

Here is a pic of two shotes walking in the knee high weeds below my tree..

More grunts ... this time from across the fence! A second hog group was coming from the opposite side.

Some of the new group shoved themselves under the bottom wire and confusion broke out. 

Two adults charged each other and quickly wound up in the water battling it out. (Gotta get that #2 tree limb cutter in here.) Other hogs joined the mix and water splashed around them.

Movement across the fence caught my attention. Thirty yards away the largest hog of the day was standing under some limbs -- watching the fight. 

Just then two fighters came out of the water and stopped in front of me near the fence. As you can see both of them are soaking wet.

Meanwhile the largest hog pushed his big body under the fence and lunged into the fight. It was definitely time to swap my Sony for the BowTech and I did.

One of the hogs ran out of the water in my direction squealing in pain. The big hog was right behind it, biting its flank. I yanked my bowstring into the stops. 

Before I could get on the big hog it circled behind me and charged into the water for round two. Seconds later the remaining three hogs had enough fighting and scattered. Their attacker stood in the water growling loudly.

The big hog took a few steps my way and I held on. He stopped when I needed two more steps out of him to get a clear shot. All the other hogs were now out in the woods road to my left and leaving the Point.

My hog turned and loudly gulped down some water. And exited through the trees to my right. I let down and swapped the BowTech for the Sony and managed one picture of the tail end of the line of hogs as they left. 

There was still an hour of daylight left.

I waited until 8:45 and drove home. Debbie was grilling extra thick buffalo burgers -- Rick Philippi gave me the buffalo meat). Those thick burgers were real tasty and all the wild hog action made me extra hungry so I ate two.

More Wild Hogs Bowhunts: | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999
Back To Where You Were At Bowhunting.Net