The fading winter sun sat low in the west as the first signs of the approaching twilight showed themselves as long shadows. I had been perched high in an old pine tree for the past 3 hours. Besides a rare bird or two, the only wildlife I had observed to this point was a lone whitetail doe. As evening approached I felt a sudden chill as the sun's warm rays disappeared. Glancing at my watch I was not surprised to notice that I had perhaps another 30 minutes of shooting light left.
This was my last chance, tomorrow morning I fly back to Michigan. Slowly I turned and gave the area behind me a quick glance, nothing. Then I caught some movement off to my right.
It was mid-January and I was in Texas bowhunting feral hogs with legendary hog hunter and trapper, Brian Quacca of Triple Q Outfitters. Brian, also known as "Pigman" to his friends along with his dad Tom, offer arguably the best wild hog hunting in North America. Their ranch is home to the wildest, most bad tempered hogs on this planet. Throw in some intelligence and you have the ingredients for one memorable hunt.
When I was first approached by Brian to come down and tape a segment on his ranch for LIMBSAVERS AMERICAN ARCHER TV SHOW, I was a bit hesitant. You see I have been on several hog hunts before and albeit, I always had a good time, I was not sure if I wanted to travel all the way to Texas just to hunt a hog. Brian however, quickly changed my mind with tales of 600 and 700 pound hogs with long ivory tusks protruding from their mouths.
Brian went on to explain that the feral hogs on his ranch were hogs born and raised in the wild then trapped and released on his ranch. Others still are born and reared within this hog proof fenced ranch. Brian assured me that this hunt was no cake walk and I would have to be lucky to tag a BIG pig. He went on to explain that mature feral hogs are like deer and are nocturnal. Most big hogs are shot the first half hour and last half hour of shooting light. Make one little mistake, be it noise or scent and you will never get a shot.
I spent the first 3 days hunting with Brian and his dad and saw numerous average hogs but no monster. On the morning of the third day I shot a nice 300lb. hog that as Brian put it, "That's a fair hog". But he was not even close to the size of some of the massive hogs that homesteaded this ranch. The movement off to my right stopped.
Was it a deer or a hog. If it was a hog was it a jumbo. After a few tense moments out walked not one but three Volkswagon sized hogs. I froze as did my cameraman. The hogs sniffed the air but my Scent Loc suit kept me from being detected. As they ambled by I drew my Martin Razor bow and took aim at the largest pig.
He was massive and at 20 yards looked as big as a bus. I barely felt the shot as the arrow struck home. In an instant, the pigs disappeared back into the thick tangles of brush. My bow was well equipped with LimbSavers and String Leaches and never made a sound as I shot. The arrow looked perfect, right behind the shoulder.
At dark Brian arrived to pick us up and were as excited as we were at the news of the arrowed hog. Gathering lights and our gear we took up the blood trail. The copious blood trail was easily followed and in minutes we were standing over a hill of pork on the hoof. As he admired the trophy hog Brian made an observation.
"This is the Sub" he yelled with excitement. Checking out the hog closer, his dad agreed. The "Sub" as this hog was nick-named was something of a legend on this ranch. Live trapped a few years earlier, the Sub was released on the ranch and had evaded bowhunters with almost a mythical ability until this point. After dragging the hog out and loading him, which was no small task considering this hog weighed in the area of an honest several hundred pounds, Brian started calling friends on his cell phone to report that "the Sub is dead".
Tom Nelson and cameraman Evan Pittman
Tom, cameraman Evan Pittman and the 'Sub'.
For a bit of great off season fun try a feral hog hunt in Texas. Hogs are a nuisance critter in Texas and by helping to cull their numbers bowhunters are providing a service to other native wildlife. If for no other reason, feral hogs make great table fare. What a great excuse to go bowhunting, "honey, I'm running out to get some bacon".
For a quality hunt along with an experience you will not soon forget, call Brain Quacca of Triple Q Outfitters at 254-625-3265.
