I got a call during the week that I wouldn't have a chance to go hog hunting again in Sweeny for a couple of months due to my buddies work schedule. I couldn't quit thinking about it all week and by Thursday afternoon I had things at work where I thought I could take Friday off. My wife was a great help ingetting everything together and I hit the road for the five hour trip to Sweeny Friday morning.
I took my time getting down there because we were not going to hunt until that evening. The weather forecast was for rain, but I hoped it would be hit and miss.
I got to Sweeny about two o' clock and it was very overcast and water was standing everywhere from the prior night's storms. I wondered what I had got myself into because last visit the water and mud were tough sledding to get to the feeders to hunt.
I met up with my friend Scott and we decided to pay landowner a visit at his house and thank him for allowing us to hunt on his land. We hung out at landowner's house for a while and it actually got a little later than I liked according to the times we were seeing hogs at feeders on game cameras.
We left and drove back to Scott's house, he calls it the compound and we geared up for the hunt. We prepared for the mud by wearing rubber boots up to our knees. We debated on wearing rain gear but the temperature so high we figured sweat in rain gear or a few rain drops, six of one thing half dozen of another. We went without rain gear.
We got to the 600 acre ranch and it was barely misting when I opened up the gate. We drove down the road through the middle of the property until we got to the opening in the road where Scott knew I wanted to go to my feeder. The one I was now calling the "honey hole" after killing my first hog last time visited. I jumped out grabbed my backpack, AR10 and a folding chair. Scott drove off to his spot about three quarters of a mile away.
First step off the road heading toward the feeder is like stepping into a bar ditch. Water is pretty deep here and almost goes over top of boots. It didn't get much better after that. I couldn't believe how much more water was standing. It was going to be physically demanding for someone like me who is a least thirty pounds overweight to slog through this mire to get back there. I have got to remember to build a lighter rifle next time. It was a good 1/4 mile walk back to feeder at times the mud was ankle deep and again water up to boot tops. I was having to walk slow to keep water out of boots. This may have been my saving grace.
Seventy five yards from the feeder I see feeder and hogs! I take folding chair and use it as a brace and line up largest hog and pull trigger, click! Nothing I didn't have a round chambered, I try as quitely as possible to charge another round and line up another hot and pull trigger, nothing trigger did not reset!
Finally I remove magazine, lock back bolt, insert magazine and let bolt fly forward. I swear the hogs run off. I can't see them on 3x, so I zoom in on 9 power and I see they are still there. I sight one in and the third time is a charm.
I drop one.
IMG_0210[/url] by chris4man, on Flickr[/IMG]
IMG_0210 by chris4man, on Flickr
I walk up and check out the hog and it is a good looking sow and she is dead, so I text Scott to tell him the good news. About this time it starts thundering and lightning pretty good from the west and I don't know how much time we have before this storm hits. I wait a couple for minutes and text Scott again and still no reply. I decide I need to at least start trying to get this hog heading out to the road. I grab her by rear legs and pull her as far as I can without stopping.
Like I said earlier I am by no means in shape and this 120 sow let me know real quick. I started making small goals, pull her to the next set of trees and rest and such. I pulled until I couldn't pull anymore and went back for my rifle.
I decided at this point to go get Scott. I came to one place where the water was so wide it was a lake and this is where I saw the snakes. Black water snakes and I don't know what species. I decided against shooting at them. I knew I wouldn't hit them, probably just blow mud and water all over me. I just plowed right through them and prayed I wouldn't get bid.
I walked out to the road and decided to leave my backpack and rifle beside road. At this point the mist has turned into a rain and the thunder and lightning
from the west is now on top of me. I didn't know whether to take shelter in trees or stay on road. I didn't like either option. I started walking down the road to the east where I knew Scott would be or the truck. This when biblical rains and wind hit me from behind. Thank goodness I had my back to it. I was soaked in seconds. I kept walking and the rain and wind kept coming. The thunder and lightning just ramped up my anxiety. If that wasn't enough it started hailing! I was never so happy to wearing a ball cap. It helped with hail. I finally after what seemed like an eternity reached the truck and found a dry Scott sitting in it. He had left his cell. phone at the compound...
We went back to the opening in the woods where I left my rifle and backpack and we trudged through the mud and water and together we retrieved the sow in a hellish thunderstorm. We got back to the compound by eight and started butchering hog shortly thereafter.
IMG_0213 by chris4man, on Flickr
Chris
I took my time getting down there because we were not going to hunt until that evening. The weather forecast was for rain, but I hoped it would be hit and miss.
I got to Sweeny about two o' clock and it was very overcast and water was standing everywhere from the prior night's storms. I wondered what I had got myself into because last visit the water and mud were tough sledding to get to the feeders to hunt.
I met up with my friend Scott and we decided to pay landowner a visit at his house and thank him for allowing us to hunt on his land. We hung out at landowner's house for a while and it actually got a little later than I liked according to the times we were seeing hogs at feeders on game cameras.
We left and drove back to Scott's house, he calls it the compound and we geared up for the hunt. We prepared for the mud by wearing rubber boots up to our knees. We debated on wearing rain gear but the temperature so high we figured sweat in rain gear or a few rain drops, six of one thing half dozen of another. We went without rain gear.
We got to the 600 acre ranch and it was barely misting when I opened up the gate. We drove down the road through the middle of the property until we got to the opening in the road where Scott knew I wanted to go to my feeder. The one I was now calling the "honey hole" after killing my first hog last time visited. I jumped out grabbed my backpack, AR10 and a folding chair. Scott drove off to his spot about three quarters of a mile away.
First step off the road heading toward the feeder is like stepping into a bar ditch. Water is pretty deep here and almost goes over top of boots. It didn't get much better after that. I couldn't believe how much more water was standing. It was going to be physically demanding for someone like me who is a least thirty pounds overweight to slog through this mire to get back there. I have got to remember to build a lighter rifle next time. It was a good 1/4 mile walk back to feeder at times the mud was ankle deep and again water up to boot tops. I was having to walk slow to keep water out of boots. This may have been my saving grace.
Seventy five yards from the feeder I see feeder and hogs! I take folding chair and use it as a brace and line up largest hog and pull trigger, click! Nothing I didn't have a round chambered, I try as quitely as possible to charge another round and line up another hot and pull trigger, nothing trigger did not reset!
Finally I remove magazine, lock back bolt, insert magazine and let bolt fly forward. I swear the hogs run off. I can't see them on 3x, so I zoom in on 9 power and I see they are still there. I sight one in and the third time is a charm.
I drop one.
IMG_0210 by chris4man, on FlickrI walk up and check out the hog and it is a good looking sow and she is dead, so I text Scott to tell him the good news. About this time it starts thundering and lightning pretty good from the west and I don't know how much time we have before this storm hits. I wait a couple for minutes and text Scott again and still no reply. I decide I need to at least start trying to get this hog heading out to the road. I grab her by rear legs and pull her as far as I can without stopping.
Like I said earlier I am by no means in shape and this 120 sow let me know real quick. I started making small goals, pull her to the next set of trees and rest and such. I pulled until I couldn't pull anymore and went back for my rifle.
I decided at this point to go get Scott. I came to one place where the water was so wide it was a lake and this is where I saw the snakes. Black water snakes and I don't know what species. I decided against shooting at them. I knew I wouldn't hit them, probably just blow mud and water all over me. I just plowed right through them and prayed I wouldn't get bid.
I walked out to the road and decided to leave my backpack and rifle beside road. At this point the mist has turned into a rain and the thunder and lightning
from the west is now on top of me. I didn't know whether to take shelter in trees or stay on road. I didn't like either option. I started walking down the road to the east where I knew Scott would be or the truck. This when biblical rains and wind hit me from behind. Thank goodness I had my back to it. I was soaked in seconds. I kept walking and the rain and wind kept coming. The thunder and lightning just ramped up my anxiety. If that wasn't enough it started hailing! I was never so happy to wearing a ball cap. It helped with hail. I finally after what seemed like an eternity reached the truck and found a dry Scott sitting in it. He had left his cell. phone at the compound...
We went back to the opening in the woods where I left my rifle and backpack and we trudged through the mud and water and together we retrieved the sow in a hellish thunderstorm. We got back to the compound by eight and started butchering hog shortly thereafter.
IMG_0213 by chris4man, on FlickrChris
