Okay, Bob has been on me to get the story up and to be quite honest, I have to be in a real writer mood to remember all the details. I always figured that pictures were best to show, along with a short story so its not huge and boring.
Originally I thought Falcon was joking with me when he told me I should load up my Jeep and come out for a hog hunt. Over a short period of time I asked him if he was serious and he said Yes.
Some time down the road I had been talking about my dad and brother and said I got invited on a hog hunt and both my dad and brothers, eyes popped out of their heads... Ask him if I can go!! Yeah, me too, I want to go! says my brother.
Floyd (Falcon) pretty much said, YES, plllllease bring them! I think he may have a hog problem? :lol:
We were supposed to get in January, but doctor appointments and then my dad taking off to Illinois for a week kind of put that on the back burner. When he came back, my step moms grand kids had gotten him sick and his cough lasted over a month and a half ( Finally eased up HUGE as I type). That once more put the hunt on hold because he could hardly talk without choking. If Floyd thought it was bad while we were at his home having dinner, he should have heard it a month before!
Talking with Floyd, he said the Mini van would be ok. Perfect! Take the 3rd row seat out and have tons of room. We packed up our two biggest coolers, waders, lawn chairs, tri pod for video camera (didn't use it) hunting boots, suite case with all of our spare clothes.
We made sure that rifles were all sighted in. My rifle was the most difficult as I only had 4 days to shoot and 2 of the days I was stuck in denver. I got my dads Winchester 3006 sighted in, he did perfect at 100 yards and then in the evening my brother sighted in his AK-47 with 124 soft points. He has a some type of russian scope on it that's like an aim point, but actually more expensive believe it or not. He can keep that AK in a 2" group at 100 yards and that "scope" has no magnification.
We decided March 6 through the 10 was perfect. Report showed no moon and light rain off and on through the days.
We left home around 6:30 pm, stopped for breakfast, gassed up and were on our way. Made a couple stops along the way for drinks and restroom breaks.
Let Floyd know when we were about 60 miles from Lawton. He called back and asked where we were and we decided it was best to get to the hotel and get checked in and changed. ( A little over a 7 hour drive)
Floyd swung by and I hitched a ride with him while my dad and brother followed us to the property that Floyd and his buddies lease.
Floyd gave us the tour and while doing so, we set traps and baited the areas.
On our last stop, we were all in his truck and I was just amazed at how pretty the area really was. You wouldn't expect someone to call Oklahoma pretty, but this part was! Nice tall trees, grass, water, rivers, you name it. What was not pretty were all the darn ticks I had on me over the 4 days of hunting LOL.
Our last trap to set, we pull up and there's a small hill on my right, tall grass and trees, a long but narrow pond/stream set up and I saw a flash of white. It took me a moment and it kicks in.... Floyd, there's hogs down there! What?... There's hogs down there! Floyd look's in the direction but due to his position is was impossible to see the spot I was looking at.
These hogs had no idea we were there. How the hell you drive up on them and they do not run? I haven't a clue. Possibly the high wind we had helped us greatly, but it was just straight up stupid luck that they were there when we got there.
Floyd tells me to go get them!
I get out of the truck as quietly as possible, grab my flintlock, prime the pan, close it and slowly sneak around the hill, working closer down to the swamp and a half sideways Y shaped tree to lean against for support.
As I worked my way down to that tree, I spotted a small 20ish pound hog looking directly at me. I remembered Floyd telling me that they have poor eye sight so I took a chance and slowly made my way to the tree I wanted to use for support.
I make it to the tree and an seriously considering shooting that tiny hog because the others have their back to me.
I wait, wait some more and they are just rooting around in the swamp, tails flicking, moving left/right, never giving me the right shot placement.
After a short while, the black hog which was second largest, moves perfectly into position. Just flat out perfect. I waited a little longer and my big fat black/white/pinkish fat hog just beautifully turns broadside and I take bead and placed the front sight right into the crease of the shoulder, set the trigger and squeezed.
BOOOOM! Huge cloud hangs around in that humid Oklahoma air, the two other pigs take off like they were shot out of a cannon and I see the top of the hog I shot. Right where she stood when I shot, she dropped like a sack of flour on the spot!
I watched and made sure she wasn't moving and after a bit, gave the fist pump and ran back to Floyd and the others at the truck so I could reload my Flintlock.
Once I was reloaded, we all quietly went down and that's when my heart sunk as we could not find her.
Floyd went in one direction, my dad and brother both went down stream and as I was walking back to the Y tree, I hugged the swamp a little closer and FINALLY saw a flash of pink!
I snuck up and from behind I could see some shallow breathing in the ribs. I moved around and closer until I could get a good look at her head and took aim and made sure she was down with a patched ball between her eyes from about 8 yards away.
I Celebrated and called everyone over, It's down! she dropped on the spot!
Shook hands with everyone and thanked Floyd about 10 times in less than a minute. Completely just in awe. Who the hell drives 7 hours across 4 states and kills a hog the same day? Stupid Luck.
She apparently had rolled onto her side while I was at the truck reloading and in the process, the grass popped up and hid her from view.
After we settled down and took in the moment and the size of the hog, Floyd and I posed for some pictures and then my brother and I drug her back to the truck and hoisted her up into the bed. Man she's a ........ Pig!
Floyd estimates her weight at about 175-200lbs. She's for sure, bigger than our average deer down here. Just ask the Freezer.
Over the next 3 days, we took one huge hog and two smaller 20-30lb hogs in traps.
More to come.
Originally I thought Falcon was joking with me when he told me I should load up my Jeep and come out for a hog hunt. Over a short period of time I asked him if he was serious and he said Yes.
Some time down the road I had been talking about my dad and brother and said I got invited on a hog hunt and both my dad and brothers, eyes popped out of their heads... Ask him if I can go!! Yeah, me too, I want to go! says my brother.
Floyd (Falcon) pretty much said, YES, plllllease bring them! I think he may have a hog problem? :lol:
We were supposed to get in January, but doctor appointments and then my dad taking off to Illinois for a week kind of put that on the back burner. When he came back, my step moms grand kids had gotten him sick and his cough lasted over a month and a half ( Finally eased up HUGE as I type). That once more put the hunt on hold because he could hardly talk without choking. If Floyd thought it was bad while we were at his home having dinner, he should have heard it a month before!
Talking with Floyd, he said the Mini van would be ok. Perfect! Take the 3rd row seat out and have tons of room. We packed up our two biggest coolers, waders, lawn chairs, tri pod for video camera (didn't use it) hunting boots, suite case with all of our spare clothes.
We made sure that rifles were all sighted in. My rifle was the most difficult as I only had 4 days to shoot and 2 of the days I was stuck in denver. I got my dads Winchester 3006 sighted in, he did perfect at 100 yards and then in the evening my brother sighted in his AK-47 with 124 soft points. He has a some type of russian scope on it that's like an aim point, but actually more expensive believe it or not. He can keep that AK in a 2" group at 100 yards and that "scope" has no magnification.
We decided March 6 through the 10 was perfect. Report showed no moon and light rain off and on through the days.
We left home around 6:30 pm, stopped for breakfast, gassed up and were on our way. Made a couple stops along the way for drinks and restroom breaks.
Let Floyd know when we were about 60 miles from Lawton. He called back and asked where we were and we decided it was best to get to the hotel and get checked in and changed. ( A little over a 7 hour drive)
Floyd swung by and I hitched a ride with him while my dad and brother followed us to the property that Floyd and his buddies lease.
Floyd gave us the tour and while doing so, we set traps and baited the areas.
On our last stop, we were all in his truck and I was just amazed at how pretty the area really was. You wouldn't expect someone to call Oklahoma pretty, but this part was! Nice tall trees, grass, water, rivers, you name it. What was not pretty were all the darn ticks I had on me over the 4 days of hunting LOL.
Our last trap to set, we pull up and there's a small hill on my right, tall grass and trees, a long but narrow pond/stream set up and I saw a flash of white. It took me a moment and it kicks in.... Floyd, there's hogs down there! What?... There's hogs down there! Floyd look's in the direction but due to his position is was impossible to see the spot I was looking at.
These hogs had no idea we were there. How the hell you drive up on them and they do not run? I haven't a clue. Possibly the high wind we had helped us greatly, but it was just straight up stupid luck that they were there when we got there.
Floyd tells me to go get them!
I get out of the truck as quietly as possible, grab my flintlock, prime the pan, close it and slowly sneak around the hill, working closer down to the swamp and a half sideways Y shaped tree to lean against for support.
As I worked my way down to that tree, I spotted a small 20ish pound hog looking directly at me. I remembered Floyd telling me that they have poor eye sight so I took a chance and slowly made my way to the tree I wanted to use for support.
I make it to the tree and an seriously considering shooting that tiny hog because the others have their back to me.
I wait, wait some more and they are just rooting around in the swamp, tails flicking, moving left/right, never giving me the right shot placement.
After a short while, the black hog which was second largest, moves perfectly into position. Just flat out perfect. I waited a little longer and my big fat black/white/pinkish fat hog just beautifully turns broadside and I take bead and placed the front sight right into the crease of the shoulder, set the trigger and squeezed.
BOOOOM! Huge cloud hangs around in that humid Oklahoma air, the two other pigs take off like they were shot out of a cannon and I see the top of the hog I shot. Right where she stood when I shot, she dropped like a sack of flour on the spot!
I watched and made sure she wasn't moving and after a bit, gave the fist pump and ran back to Floyd and the others at the truck so I could reload my Flintlock.
Once I was reloaded, we all quietly went down and that's when my heart sunk as we could not find her.
Floyd went in one direction, my dad and brother both went down stream and as I was walking back to the Y tree, I hugged the swamp a little closer and FINALLY saw a flash of pink!
I snuck up and from behind I could see some shallow breathing in the ribs. I moved around and closer until I could get a good look at her head and took aim and made sure she was down with a patched ball between her eyes from about 8 yards away.
I Celebrated and called everyone over, It's down! she dropped on the spot!
Shook hands with everyone and thanked Floyd about 10 times in less than a minute. Completely just in awe. Who the hell drives 7 hours across 4 states and kills a hog the same day? Stupid Luck.
She apparently had rolled onto her side while I was at the truck reloading and in the process, the grass popped up and hid her from view.
After we settled down and took in the moment and the size of the hog, Floyd and I posed for some pictures and then my brother and I drug her back to the truck and hoisted her up into the bed. Man she's a ........ Pig!
Floyd estimates her weight at about 175-200lbs. She's for sure, bigger than our average deer down here. Just ask the Freezer.
Over the next 3 days, we took one huge hog and two smaller 20-30lb hogs in traps.
More to come.
irat:
