Pig hunt 2-28

[Jared D]

Forgot my camera in the car, but here is the story with some old archive photos. My uncle took a pic of my pig with his cell, so as soon as I get it, I will post

Sometimes I wonder why I put myself through hell to get fresh pork. I was surely thinking this the 200th time I stepped on seemingly solid mud, only to sink up to my thigh in putrid smelling marsh mud. I quickly struggled to get my leg free from the snare of suction, and pressed on. The day was perfect for hunting. I had the wind in my face; temp was in the low sixties to high fifties, and dropping quick. Not a cloud in the sky. Four of us had ventured into the woods today. Brad and Marty had dropped my uncle Darren and I off on one island, and then ran to another. The plan was to hunt until dark, then meet back at a preset rendezvous point and ride out.
Darren and I had already covered a large area to arrive to the predetermined hunting spot. We were on a second open flat that is separated by the first flat via a wide canal which is densely overgrown. The plan we came up with, was for him to climb a tree, and sit tight, while I went out into the open flat and tried to push the pigs down on him. The tree he was in was in a corner that the pigs use to get from one flat to the next, so it seemed reasonable. Wind was blowing perfectly towards that corner so he would be able to nab anything that headed off the flat we were hunting trying to cross into the other flat.
(these are archive photos I took from the same tree 3 weeks prior)


Due to rules of the hunt, we were having to use small game rifles (22 mags) or bows, and Darren wasn’t able to bring his bow down on the plane ride, making .22s the only game in town for us (Darren and I). It also meant we were going to have to be very selective on where we shot our pigs.

It was now 3:30pm; I had been hunting for 20 minutes since leaving my uncle in his sniper lair when I got the call from Brad. He had one on the ground. Alright, one knife is red! The tide had been high at around 2ish, so everything was washed clean. Any rooting I saw was fresh, and there was plenty I was coming into. Unfortunately, the high tide had further saturated the mud, making me sink well past my knees repeatedly. For sixty degree weather, I was really hot. I had moved out into the open flat to get away from my uncle, so that any pigs I happened to push would move down on him in the corner he was in. I then moved directly into the wind, and then began to fade over towards the stand of trees he was on the edge of.
(The middle of this pic is where I exited the flat)

I eventually got into position upwind of my uncle (albeit it 400 yards plus from him) and started my hook around towards him. He had just called me, and said he had grown restless, and was going to stalk up towards where I was. From his perch, he had been able to spot where I had exited the flat. I was now in a stand of dense cattails. I had entered the grass forest on one of the many 3 foot wide paths that wandered through the cattails like veracious veins on an old waitress’s leg. There were many areas of fresh rooting along the path. I wondered to myself if pigs would root this close to their beds. I also realized I was making a lot of noise due to me being over 6 foot tall, and the path being made for pigs only 3 foot tall. Regularly, I would come to an area where there was a perfect tunnel through the grass, but I would have to plow through the tangled snarl on top. Despite the loud rustling of dry cattails, I was still moving along rather quietly. Up ahead I could see the cattails form a border with some low grass and scattered cypress trees. Off to my right was a huge stand of cattails that appeared to be at least 200 yards deep and ½ mile wide. Obviously, this is where these pigs were bedding.
After a solid 30 minutes of creeping forward (probably covering 100 yards in that time) I spotted what appeared to be a large reddish stump. It was 25 feet away, but partially covered by a small area of cattails. I picked up the .22mag and peered through the scope. It appeared out of place, but after a couple minutes of watching it through my scope; I was convinced it wasn’t anything alive. I moved ahead a step, and saw something to the left of the stump move. It was reddish in color… pig maybe, or a raccoon…. I had spotted 3 coons while stalking through the open flat, and all three were very reddish in color. Maybe something in the area makes the animals red as this is near where Brad and Marty had shot two red pigs a few weeks back. Whatever it was, it had moved closer to the tall area of cattails 8 feet in front of me, which had hidden it from my view.
I stood still trying to determine my next move. A light 5-10 knot wind was blowing directly into my face, so no worries about being winded. I heard a grunt float to my ears on the gentle wind. Ok, I now knew I had a pig in front of me. Unfortunately I couldn’t see it behind the grass. I had to take a couple steps to be able to peer over the grass. I took one step, and realized that the stump had now morphed shapes. I was now looking at the broadside of a large pig. But that’s not what had moved a minute earlier, so there must be two pigs behind the veil of grass. I took one of the slowest steps in the history of the planet. Grunts were greeting my ears regularly at this point. I watched the large “stump” as it fed and rooted with its head down. I tried to make out the kill zone, the area right behind and below the ear, through the grass, but to no luck. It was completely hidden by the grass.
I took another step. SSSLLLLUUUURRRRPPPPPP. My boot made a loud suction noise as it pulled from the saturated mud. I froze. I am well under 20 feet from a large pig, and have another one hidden from my sight behind a veil of grass 5 feet wide and I just gave my self away. So I thought. The pigs never gave it a thought as they noisily gobbled up roots they had uncovered in their rooting. I placed my foot back down and slid forward a couple feet. I was now belly up to the grass veil. My feet were exposed to the pigs should they come through the tunnel of grass separating me from them. From here, I could spot the other pig. It was just past the grass, probably 10 feet from me. It was also red, and quite a bit smaller.
Then I spot another pig just past the grass to my left. I am under 20 feet away from a large red pig, and have two small red pigs 10 feet away… the one on the left is facing right at me eating. I lift the rifle and peer through the scope. The large pig is so close, he all but takes up the entire scope set on 3 power. I would catch glimpses of his ear now and again, but his head was shielded from view for the most part. The little 40 grain JHP bullet wasn’t big enough to plow through grass AND do its dirty deed, so I had no choice but wait. I could see gray mud baked onto the red pigs back appearing as stripes. The pig continued to just feed in that one spot, content on the roots.
I was mad at myself for forgetting my camera in the truck, as this was definitely a Kodak moment. My arms began to tire from holding the puny rifle up at ready for such a long time. 10 minutes pass as the pigs continue to eat, and the large one just won’t raise its head. The two little ones are so close I am not able to see them due to them being just on the other side of the grass. My cell phone keeps vibrating. Someone is trying to reach me… and though it’s set on silent, I fear that the caller will leave a message making the phone beep.
Finally the big pig takes a step forward. His head is still covered by grass, but his ear is coming into view a lot more now. I raise the rifle and flick off the safety. I need to pick my shot carefully, but I also need to be ready for the small window the pig is offering. I contemplate whistling, but decide against it. I continue to watch as the pig eats greedily. My crosshairs are set to exactly where the pig’s ear appears when he lifts his head a tad. My finger curls around the trigger…..
Seconds tick by….
A minute passes….
Finally I see the ear come up into sight. I settle the crosshair just behind it and feel the rifle recoil. Through the scope I see the pig drop to its side and give a few twitches. The other two pigs bust right off into the tall grass on my right. I hear them run 50 feet and stop. I look back to the large pig. It’s sitting like a sack of potatoes. I call my uncle to get him on the other two, then walk up and give the pig one more for good measure. Now the work begins. I drag it to the driest place I can find and set to work. With in a couple minutes I spot my uncle and get him to go after the other two. He pushes in and has the pigs dancing all around him. At one point they come right back to where I am, and start to come out, holding about 2 feet from the clearing. I have to go retrieve the pack about a mile away, so I can butcher, and pack it out. While I do that, my uncle goes after the other pigs. At one point he gets the cross hairs on one, but he wasn’t able to pick out the kill spot, so he passes. He said he could hear them really fighting hard in the dense stuff ahead of him, but eventually he comes to a canal that’s too deep for him to ford.
So why do I put myself through such hell for pig chops? Well because it allows me to see nature in its rugged beauty. It also allows me to be outside and not holed up in an office somewhere. It allows me to spend time with some of the greatest guys a man could know. And because the taste of fresh pork back strap rubbed in spices and fried is just something I can’t get enough of!

[WAHOONBOX]

I LOVE THE DIRTY DEED THING......


AND IF YOU FORGET YOUR CAMERA NEXT EPIC I WILL BRING THE DIRTY DEED DOWN SOUTH TO YA! JUST KIDDING


COOL FINAL FIX FOR ME BEFORE THE WEEKEND OF RIGGING....


THANKS FOR THE HUNT!

[Bking]

Awesome .... Box your right man I needed the fix also!

[Apex Predator]

Great story Jared! Can hardly wait until next time.

[Jared D]

Yeah Marty, was a fun hunt. I know my uncle loved it, though I think he thought I was crazy sending him into neck high cattails with only a .22 mag. At one point he had two of them within 50 feet running back and forth, and next thing I know, hes out into the open again.

My uncle and I sorta cheated using rifles. Its a bunch easier that way, though I wish I did have my bow, as it was a no brainer shot on the one I hit. I had 10 minutes plus to shoot the thing broadside at 20 feet! Oh well.

Marty, have Brad show you where I got it. I marked it on google earth!


So one more question.... how come none of my posts gets 5 stars? Brad and Marty get them..... yall are giving me a complex! (just kidding, though I do take some ribbing about that!)

[weekender]

Here's your stars, and they are well deserved, excellent read, you have talent in the excitement writing catagory for sure. We love to hunt hogs and the next best thing is reading about the hunts you guys have been taking. Thanks for sharing. We too hunted the 28th, hope to have our story up sometime tomorrrow.

[HOLWACHAGOT]

I am sorry I have not seen this post yet. If it makes you feel better, I have yet to read a report you wrote that wasn't five stars. Keep em coming Jared D. You are kickin ass and takin names.
Holwachagot