So after washing up, cleaning up, posting pics and sharing hunting stories, it was time to get back after them for round 2 and the evening hunt! Although we can hunt at night until the end of this month with permit, I had resigned myself to be back at the house, showered up and enjoying an adult beverage before it got too late. Ah, the best laid plans...

Slipping in to the area that I was planning to hunt, I noticed movement up ahead - a quick look through the binos confirmed several velvet bucks feeding, including a really nice 9 point that's on the Hit List for this season. I was planning on backing out, as bow season is ONLY a month and a half away...but the big deer sensed something was amiss - namely the large, sweaty blob in the middle of the path and started heading my way. At a little over 50 yards, the staredown commenced. I knew he was gonna bust, so I figured I would play like it was deer season...ease the gun out of the shoulder holster - still standing. Raise the gun, still standing. Acquire sight picture - I win! He waited another couple of seconds, and took off. See you in September

I continued on into the stand and climbed up, the Thermacell providing a cloud of coverage from the skeets. I passed the time watching game, saw another hummingbird light on a limb (where's the camera?), and slowly watched the light fade from the day. I was sending a text to a member here when I heard a stick break out in the cutover...I cut my eyes to the side, and caught a glimpse of a black shape...HOG! A good size pig, partially obscured by brush, about 45 yards out, and direct down wind. And another, and another...Thank goodness I had washed all my hunting clothes at lunchtime, and had sprayed everything down as soon as I left the truck. The hogs paused, testing the wind, as they slowly approached the path.

Back into cruise control - muffs into place and switched on, the hogs cautiously enter the open. I sized them up, decided to go "big", and thumbed the hammer back...27 yards. Squeeze, squeeze - definitely gonna work on this trigger soon, squeeze...BOOM thwack. DRT - the 158gr JSP found it's mark and put the lights out quickly. I thought briefly about finding another retreating hog in the scope, but decided I had my hands full! Sorry about the blood, but it was hot, late, and wasn't time for the Glamour Photo's.


I collected my gear, went down and grabbed the sizable sow, and realized this was gonna be like a redneck version of CrossFit. Solo hunting has it's benefits, but I was getting ready to realize the drawbacks! I dragged her out to the path, went and fetched the truck. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of dealing with hogs, there's no great way to handle them. Dense and relatively compact, they don't drag like a deer and have no headgear to manuever them with. Drove in to pick her up, angled off the trail to get turned around, and immediately high-centered the truck on a 36" stump that was hidden in the high grass.

So after a fun experience that will certainly have the hunting truck in for a visit with the auto mechanic next week, I decided to "man up" and get her in the bed of the truck. I decided that the bear hug method was a last resort on a muddy, bloody, tick-covered pig. Ah ha - grab spare safety belt in the truck box, loop around her head, jump up on the tailgate, and get to lifting. Soaking wet. Back to the hunt camp to take advantage of power, water, and a gambrel to hang her.





She was just a touch bigger than the "special" boar that helped to break in the 686 this morning, and it looks like the Smith has earned a spot in the regular line-up!