Almost 20 years of hunting the same place and I have never once seen a hog on that land. After bouts with poachers and trespassers, my ability to hunt in there this year was on the fence. With the problems seeming to be solved, the landowner turned me loose again. I was surprised to come across hog rooting on this place, and a lot of it. I saw a nice boar (might have been this one) but didn't have my bow..as I was deer scouting before I knew there were pigs in there! I growled the alarm clock this morning but rose to my feet and readied for my morning hunt. 5 minutes in the swamp and I heard two animals walking. I slipped ahead looking for an ambush spot, assuming they were hogs. Before I could zero in on the two animals walking (which turned out later to be deer not pigs) I heard the unmistakable sounds of palmettos parting as this boar came pushing his way through. He crossed in front of me about 30 yards ahead. I confirmed good wind and gave a good quiet stalk in the damp grass. I closed the distance quickly and found him at the edge of a wallow. With him quartering hard away at about 14-15 yards, I faxed him a cane arrow from my 57# Osage bow. The arrow was tipped with an agatized FL coral point I heat treated and knapped. The shot was further back than I wanted but the arrow penetrated about half way the shaft and buried into the opposite shield. Fearing poor shot placement I grabbed another arrow and ran to cut him off to attempt a follow up shot. When I rounded a large palm, I spotted him standing at 20 yards. I lifted my bow to shoot again but before I could draw, he fell flat on his side. The single arrow brought him down in 40 or so yards. I would have boned him out on site, but I wanted to bring him home whole to show my little boy, getting him used to seeing animals come home from hunting! I did weigh him when I got home. Field dressed he weighed 120lbs, so live weight should have put him around 145-150lbs. Good way to start my season. I have some bbq pork ribs in the crock pot now.. it's a good Saturday.
