A Deep look at the Swamp: Part Duh!

[Deep C]

As todays sword trip got pushed back by a day I lumbered back to the swamp. My last visit showed me that my "A" spot was now under too much water to hold much chance at drillin something. So it was off to spot "B" which I promised I would write about.
Spot "B" is about three miles farther out on the axle eating road. Shes a completely different type place. Its a relatively dry road that I work a couple miles of on a typical day. This road is relatively untraveled but enough traffic goes down it to leave a walkable path. She twists and winds through a variety of landscapes. Sometimes you are flanked by sawgrass and deep water. Other times you get into some pines. Yet others you are suddenly in thick palmetto jungle. Along the road itself there are a number of watering holes...
I parked the tackle box and started the hike in formidable heat. The bugs were loud but here it doesn't matter as much. Spot "A" ia all about ears. "B" is more of a visual game... There is a camp site at the beinning of the trail and though I could drive in further I chose to park at the site. For some reason the animals along this stretch don't seem to be bothered by human presence not too far away. I also notice that guys tend to drive right past some very good area thinking that it couldn't be good that close to camp...

A couple hundred yards in I found a skull. Busted up pretty bad but appeared to be a small piggie... At least it was sign. A hundred yards further I started seeing tracks. Then more tracks. Both pig and deer had been on the road not long before and I started to feel good about things.
As I continued the tracks got freesher and more numerous... Then I saw it!
I have hunted this "B" spot plenty of times. I have seen a bunch of eating size pigs and a few deer through the years. This place often is quiet but has its moments. It was along this road I took a pig and a nice buck within ten minutes of each other a couple years back. Still this was something I have seen at spot "A" but never "B". A honest to goodnes set of ZILLA tracks!
ZILLA, folks is my term for a slob big bad ass full growed Boar and the four inch wide tracks indicated I was sharing swamp with one... I followed close but they left the road into the wet stuff and would re-appear back on the road down the line...

Somebody asked me in another thread if I talk to myself when working a big fish and my reply was "very little". Hunting is different... My mind is having full on conversations with itself almost non stop. Taking in all the data and processing it. Falling back on scenarios that played out in the past and dreaming of ones that havn't happened yet. The trail was harder to follow as I continued in. Other sets came and went and some signs of rooting were evident. Still not so much as one snap of a twig or a single sploosh of water.
"Come on man, where is he..."
"good stealthy approach.."
"Bullshit! That son of a ***** can hear my heart beat and my sweat hit the ground."
"You're doing just fine..."
"Bullshit. I came too far. He's gonna circle behind and screw me"
The chatter in my head grew loud. Then I heard the scratching of bark and could see the bushy tailed alarm squirrel scramble up the tree... I was busted
The nut eatin ******* seemed to holler to the entire world... "He's here! Deep C is standing right underneath me! Attention K MArt swamp dwellers we have a blue light special on SFC chick magnets on aisle one!"

I did an about face and went back near where the tracks were thickest... Along the way I noticed a game finder thread just off the path... I diverted and followed the string. Maybe find another guys wounded animal? Nope. Just a long diversion that didn't pay off.
Back on the trail I selected a big burnt palmetto in the thickest part of the jungle to use as a base. I had two clean shooting lanes down the road and a lot of brush and water to hear stuff comming.

Up and down the lanes I looked but nothing came. Quietly is stood and listened but all was quiet. Then not quite ten yards into the thick of the jungle I saw black... A lot of it!
It had never made a sound but now I had not just a pig but a ZILLA right up my ass... I looked for an opening in the thick stuff that I could shoot through and found one. I drew.
The head chatter started in earnest... First I cursed the cam on my bow for being so had to get over. Then called "here piigie" in unaudible jest. The big ******* was rooting and I got a better look. The head chatter grew real loud real quick... You know how on tv or the movies ythey get the little guys with a halo on one shoulder and one with a pitch foirk? Well it was kind of like that but with a studious sensible Deep on one shoulder and a splattered up blood thirsty on on my other.
The senible one started it off... "My my! That is certainly a big piggie. I don't think we should shoot him..."
"Horse crap! Come on Deep drill em!"
"Look at those tusks!"
"Look at them hams!"
"Don't do it Deep, Mini and Missus and Admin need you"
"Aw stop being such a pussy and prong him already..."
The decison to risk it had been made. The next cast of head characters came into play. The coach said..."Ok Deep...You've been hitting low and left on the target all week. Bring it high and right... Oh and while you're at it stop shaking, your making me sick" ...
First to cross the opening was that big menacing head. Then came shoulders any nfl player would be proud of. Then came the mid section. It was clear that he wasn't gonna quarter away and would probably if anything turn my way. The draw on the bow was wearing at me. I took the line high and right for compensation for my usual screw up...
As the string passed through the tips of my fingers it all went slow motion. It was about eight yards to contact and the shot was right on course....
"THWAKKKK!" It hit High and right. So much for dropping low left. The oinker didn't squeel . Instead let out a loud angry grunt. I could see half my carbon shaft sticking out meaning I had caught at least some gristle on the way in but I saw no blood to indicate if I pronged anything important. The pig dropped instantly and I though I had a miracle on my side. Instead it just laid on its side and did like a side ways drag to pull the shaft out... The shaft broke leaving my broad head in there and the pig stood back up trying to gnaw at the irritating "bee sting.
"Hey Deep! Wake the Hell up man... Reload and poke that bugger!"
I took it up a notch and drew my "telephone pole" class 2317 aluminimum
shaft easton tipped with a 125 grain scorpion. I knocked it, drew and sent it flying This one landed left but still high and got even more gristle. My bung puckered as the pig got pissed! The haft was again half out and the pig charged a scrub palmetto in front of it and I thanked God it wasn't me. He straighetned up and disappeared into the swamp, saving me a trip up the palm tree I was gonna use for cover.
I sat on the ground shaking and smoked a couple cigarettes gaining my composure back. I waited and went looking but no blood trail could be found. Instead I had to rely on broken branches and some painstaking ground reading where there was no ground. I did find my second busted shaft about fifty yards into the thick stuff.
I looked for hours but the heat and bugs forced me to give it up for today. As I came back out I saw another guy that looked like he was tracking. It was the guy who had the tracker thread. We got talking and from the description he had poked the same pig this morning. We shared some conversation on our way back out and agreed to meet in the morning and try and find the ZILLA again in the morn.

So I climbed back in my car and pointed back to Castle Deep three shafts lighter than when I came... Three you ask? Remember that bushy tailed blow hard squirrel!........... They do taste like chicken!

[Deep C]

I have some pics I'll put up when I can... Hopefully tomorrow...

[Deep C]

Well... We searched and searched. Found his tracks that were pretty fresh up the road. Looks like he even fed in the night. No blood or anything. Three broad heads in him doesn't seem to be bugging him much. The tungsten tusked one has won this battle but not the war.
That other Zilla I took a couple years back had the dent where the 12guage bounced off, a broad head, sittin there and the scars from another so this porker may make the trip with no real damage...

[Proheat]

Deep- this is a good read! I rate it 5 stars! Let us know WHEN you get him......and please show some pics! I'd like to see what type of areas you hunt in the plywood state!

[Glenn W]

You stick and string pig hunters are well, lets just say---- different.
Now, I ain't no Biologist, psychologist, or physicist.-- but I didn't fall off the turnip truck yesterday.
Them ole Boar's are meaner than shit and have very impressive dental equipment (Biology). What ever would posses a man that ain't starving, to intentionally track down one of those mangy, ornrey, bastards in a swamp in the summer is beyond me (psychology).
But if I were dumb enough to ignore Biology due to psychological reasons, I damn sure wouldn't do it with a silly ass stick and string. There is alot to be said for that Chinese invention called gunpowder and about 220 grains of lead (physics).
On the other hand, sure beats going shopping with the Mrs. or doing yard work.
Good read there Deep

[Deep C]

Glen
There is no question about chasing pigs as being borderline nuts. I personally hate the bow but it gives me three weeks to play the game without the swamp buggies, hound dogs and the good ol boys who's family trees got no branches that get the green light come gun season.
Shooting Zilla yesterday was just flat dumb. Like giant bluefin with a 50w. Could work but the odds are not good. The prongifier does a good job on the 100 class ones but the big boys with their armour shell and bad attitude really deserve more respect. Hell I know better. I bounced a 12ga slug off one a couple years back. The 06 I followed up with still didn't even make a pass through...
We tried to locate him this morn and agin this afternoon. Tracks still around but he was doing the great swamp ghost disappearing thing...

[Deep C]

A busted up piggie skull less than a couple hundred yards of the camp...

We grow grasshopper big down here. They can get so noisy hearing game can get hard...

Aha!!! A track... Must be headed the right direction...

Tracks getting clearer! This is a good thing...

Holy shit a ZILLA TRACK!!! No they don't drop money thats for size reference...

[Deep C]

Bushy tailed Blow hard sounding the alarm. Hard to see but dead center in the pic...

My burnt palm and the 8 yard "shooting lane" Zilla was calling home...

WHen we back this morn we saw that he had been feeding and rootin around like nothing was wrong..

Walking out... There is a gator laying in that little opening about dead center frame. Pretty hard to see. Nothing about this swamp jumps out and bites you until it jumps out and bites you!

Perfectly good carbon and aluminum reduced to scrap cause I mis calculated... $25 whizzed oout the windo and still no meat!

[Proheat]

Thanks Deep, even though its swamp area, its still nice looking country.
I'm taking my son out shooting this weekend to give him practice- its gonna be his first year deer hunting. He wants to use the deer rifle that my father-in-law left for him after he passed away. Its a 30-06 and my son is 13, I will see if he changes his mind after this weekend. I might have to get him something lighter.....we will see. I was thinking of videoing him, but didn't want to embarrass him if it knocks him on his can!

[Deep C]

Its hard to say... Some '06 weapons kick like a mule and others just make a lot of noise. Mine is about the same as my 12guage for kick but I can soften that up by going lighter on the grain of bullet... Cheaper lower power rounds might help too...