Snook384

Tried to get Dr. Dre to come up to the lease but he was feeling a little down and out after his trip to the doctor so I lost one person but Todd (T-Bare) was still up for the game. We were also aware that it was going to be cold this trip and I packed for the freezing temps. Off we went to slaughter a hog.

We arrived for the evening and proceeded to get dressed for a chilly sit. I put on a t shirt, long sleeve t shirt, another long sleeve t shirt, light sweatshirt, camo long sleeve shirt, heavy sweat shirt, then my big long sleeve camo shirt and to finish the top off one heavier sweatshirt. Bottom went with the shorts, light sweatpants, heavy sweat pants, camo coveralls, and last the giant pair of camo sweatpants. I swear I was like Ralph’s brother in the movie A Christmas Story. I CANT PUT MY ARMS DOWN! I will not need a safety harness because if I fall out I will just puff onto the ground. I went to the oaks and sat there watching cardinals piss me off by being the loudest bird on the planet. Nothing came in and the temp had dropped to the low 30s and I was shaking so hard it looked like I was dancing. On the way in Todd told me he had never seen a turkey out at my place. I found that hard to believe since they are swarming out there but ok. You already see the setup since he had four turkeys come walking down the road. He had a marginal shot so he did not take it. But he finally has seen some turkeys. We went to town for some BBQ.

Rolling back to the campsite I told Todd to lock and load because I manage to take a hog every now and then on the way in. He said “I have never seen a hog on the road”. Yep you guessed it, we round a bend and their stands a BIG hog. He hops out, I turn the truck off and then the boar did something interesting. He actually started to run at the truck. I am screaming at Todd something along the lines of “SHOOT, SHOTT, SHOOT, and SHOOT DAMMIT”. Todd squeezes the trigger and the pig rolls over like a bull being hit with a tazer. Why hogs fall this way I do not know but it is interesting to see them go rigid like they do. We walk up to the piggy and realize how big he is. He is probably the biggest hog I have ever taken. I am a fair judge of pork weight and my guess is somewhere between 250 to 300 pounds. We almost threw up while taking photos from the way he smelled. I have a lot of respect (maybe) for the guys that will actually eat one of these things. The ripe smell of this pig was just disgusting. We made some buzzards very happy. Went to sleep in 20 degree temps.

Woke up to everything being frozen and covered in ice. Why did I come to hunt???? I must be seriously retarded. When I see those guys from Michigan or some other frozen hell I must admire them in the fact they can handle this crap. I bundle up again as best I can and add the other pair of sweatpants I brought. I go to the ground blind for the morning and Todd takes the Oaks. I am sitting down there and the feeder goes off but only on kernel of corn comes out with a very loud PING! Damn thing is low on corn. I creep out of the blind and skulk over to the feeder. I grab the barrel and shake it twice to make some corn come out. OINK!! There is a pig standing 6 feet from me looking at me like “why are you messing with my food”? I try to gently grab the Thunder Chicken but my ham scoots away. I do my best Homer Simpson “DOHH!!”. But wait…I can go to the swamp stand. I go stumbling toward it in a semi hypothermic numb state. I start down the trail and get near and then I see the steam from hogs. I can hear them in there eating and squealing but the steam was the big clue. It looked like a vent on the street in New York City. I try to creep up on them but the ground is frozen and rooted up. With my catlike ninja skills I sound like I am walking on corn flakes in an empty gymnasium while wearing snowshoes. CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH, you get the idea. The pigs let out a grunt and I never got a peek. I walk the roads and see nothing. Meet up with Todd and he got blanked also. But he did freeze his butt off. Went to meet up with John (P3FE) and Meagan. Filled feeders and waited for evening hunt.

While waiting for the hunt to begin we had a deer make the mistake of walking out in front of us. I level the Thunder Chicken and it speaks. The deer flinches and I feel good about the shot. It still ran off. Not far mind you (about 60 feet) but it still ran. I have NEVER had a deer just drop like on the TV shows. They are just really tough animals. Clean it, quartered it, and packed in ice in under 30 minutes from shot to finish. Back to hunting. I went oaks because they just have to come in sometime and Todd took the swamp because it is getting hammered by the pork. I sat there watching cardinals, squirrels, mice, quail, and sparrows eat corn when all of a sudden they all HAUL but in every direction. I had a Coopers Hawk come flying in and try to grab every cardinal in there. I was of course cheering for the hawk. The sun was going down and then I hear the tell tale oink. There are about 15ish hogs hanging out by the trees and Palmettos and I cannot get a clear shot yet. I sit patiently knowing they will be coming in. Until I hear the hog dog guys coming. I swear it is happening far too much that the dogs are blowing through my stand. They are not supposed to be there. I am not sure what measures I am going to take but I am going to have to do something. The hogs hear the dogs coming and bolt. Pretty sad and I am going to eat a white dog real soon. Todd got a very nice 30ish pound roasting pig. Went home with meat to put in the freezer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glb1QJxX1vY


And now the pic.

Robert L E

Did you walk in with all of that stuff on and get sweaty? Was the wind blowing up a bit? It sounds like you layered up you clothing pretty well.

I like hunting at about 20 degrees if it is fairy calm. It is nice when the ground is frozen so I can drive on the crop fields. No trouble keeping warm.

At 30 degrees I would just wear street clothes andmy insulated bibs and M65 field jacket with liner. I would have the legs and coat zipped open while walking in with my Elmer Fudd ear flaps up and gloves off. I would only zip back up if I got cold but I would wait until I was getting cold to do it. At 30 the coat and bibs would get zipped up if I was sitting a while but the ear flaps and gloves would probably not be needed. Sweat is the enemy of keeping warm.

It sounds like you may be wearing too much cotton and clothing that you cannot open up while you are walking to your stand. Try carrying some clothes in and putting them on as you get cold. The cheap chemical hand and toe warmers last five hours or so and realy help.

It sounds like you have a great time getting after those hogs, thanks for the story. I would like to give them a try sometime but there are almost no free range pigs in Iowa.(there may be a few) They will not be allowed to get established because of the crop damage they would do and the possibility of spreading disease to confinement feeding operations.

Bob

Snook384

Come to Florida and I will put you in a stand.

jaw3

Snook384,
Your posts are very entertaining and informative. Really a HOOT!

BCarter

Hey Snook, I plan to be in Orlando, Florida in mid February 2009.

Are you anywhere near there? If not, do you know of a place near Orlando that a couple of Virginia fellows could find some hogs.

Thanks, Buddy Carter