The Island - Hunt #1

(August 6) I have to admit, I was pumped to hunt the Island. When I got home I looked at my pictures and picked out the ones I wanted to show you. By then it was time to get ready. I hopped in the shower and Scent Killer-ed myself up.

Then I got dressed, grabbed my bow and returned to the Island. I wasn't sure where to park so I pulled up under a tree at the edge of the sudan because it would help hide the vehicle. As I buckled on my release I heard the footsteps of "many" something coming through the sudan. The noise walked up directly in from of me and I heard the sound of hog squalls as the group spooked back into the sudan. (I'll have to park someplace else next time, huh.)

I sat in the ladder stand for two hours before anything happened. A hog squealed loudly several times in the direction of the river. Ten minutes later I saw 6 hogs, a large sow and 5 smaller ones, walking the perimeter, straight towards my pickup.

When they got to it they walked past and entered the sudan. As soon as they were gone I checked all around me. A good thing too! Behind me, one lone, large black hog was silently coming in my direction and would pass me on the left. I got ready to shoot.

It was easily recognizable as a boar, a big one with long white tusks showing. He was walking steadily, not slow, but not fast either. A makeable shot at close range. But he wasn't close range, the boar was in my questionable zone, 25-30 yards away. And moving too.

No. It's just not my shot.

The boar stopped and rooted at the edge of the wallow area and soon moved away and entered the sudan across from me.

A smaller boar came out of the sudan from the field and walked the far right end of the wallow. Several minutes later another black hog walked by on my left, but 60 yards away.

The light faded and the airwaves came alive with hog talk. Squeals, grunts and squalls came from the river and from all directions in the fields. There were a lot of hogs within my hearing range. But today's hunt was over, my pin had turned into a faint shadow so I got down and walked to my truck.

This was a very cool day. And it's only the beginning ...