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Jesse's Hunting > Hunting Articles > Hunting Articles Archives > Bringing Home the Bacon with Teamwork
Bringing Home the Bacon with Teamwork
Kirk Edgerton - JHO ProStaff
- Sacramento, CA
July 04, 2006
Our 10x binoculars were straining to draw enough light in the predawn darkness, but as the black dots slowly began to materialize in the field, we knew at least four hogs that were catching their last bite of breakfast before they would disappear into the poison oaks thickets, escaping the June heat & clouds of flies. The hunt was on!
The mile jog to get down wind of the hogs was painful at best, but as hunting partner Tony Elwell and myself eased up to the last bit of brush, we couldn’t help but smile as 22 hogs were feeding and rooting less than 100 yards away.
The sun was slowly beginning to rise as one hog began his journey up hill and into cover. The hog passed broadside at 70 yards and as I looked at the gate in front of us, we realized our cover had run out. The hogs slowly began their daily procession to find their morning beds. Our only hope was to wait patiently for the entire herd to ease around the corner and then try to take one of the trailing hogs.
The pigs were very vocal and a loud squeal rang out from the other side of the brush line. I eased up for a look and was greeted with a red hog slowly working her way in our direction. Quickly clearing a small shooting lane, I told Tony to take the broadside shot at 30 yards, but his unselfish response surprised me, “let’s both shoot”. We eased our bows back, both holding our 30 yards pins low and tight to the elbow. “On 3” I said and slowly began the count. As the hog spun I could clearly see fletching from both arrows. The hog ran a short distance and was down.
The rewards of teamwork
The author and Tony Elwell with their "1-2-3 Shoot!" hogs. |
Not knowing what had just happened, the entire herd casually glanced our direction and resumed their activities. With one hog down and additional pig tags in our pocket, we waited patiently for another opportunity. Just then, a small sow made a break for cover and took all but six hogs out of the field and into the oak tangles. The remaining hogs were well out of range. We eased forward slipping around the corner spotting 3 large hogs slowly moving. As they eased their way up hill, we tried our best to find a shooting lane, but they became ghosts quickly disappearing.
Looking back at the field, hoping the last of the hogs were now making their way up hill, we saw a sow and 5 piglets trotting speedily towards the pond 200 yards away. Tony and I began our run in hopes the remaining herd would soon follow, but the sow and young only slowed at the water hole, drinking quickly. To their left a much larger and what appeared to be a boar, fed slowly, casually glancing at the 4 other hogs to his left.
The lead hog started the last of the procession and as he crossed the road only 20 yards in front of us, I whistled loudly hoping to stop the hog, but he kept moving, finally stopping only when my whistles became increasing louder. At full draw we again counted to three, sending two lethal arrows into the 150 pound sow.
Our day at Wild Hog Adventures began with eager anticipation, ending with lasting memories of an unforgettable hunt. Tony summed it up best saying, “it was the hunt every hog hunter dreams of.”
That, it was.
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