My biggest hog with a bow
We've had a large hog coming into our feeder for few weeks and he shows up around 4:30 - 6 every night. He was there at 3 one day last week as I drove up in my small ATV. He looked as tall and as long as the ATV -- so in my mind just as big.
I wanted my friend to shoot him for the prior 2 weeks but on Saturday morning my sister and I were talking and decided since I've had extraordinary success killing large hogs this fall - thanks to my 100 grain Ramcats. I also reasoned that when my friend comes out, there will be plenty of other large hogs to shoot.
My friend had not committed to coming out in the next few days so Saturday night I went to the stand. I had my hunting clothes hanging in the wind all day and I took a shower just before I headed out. I arrived at 445 but but confident that the warm weather would bring him in later than normal.
At 515 he started wandering in but would aggressively charge something behind him. I turned on my video camera that is on my bow. (Note to self - do not attach a camera to your bow.) He came in again and made it to the feeder but instantly charged again. I could see what it was - a deer.
As anyone who knows me can tell you, I hate hogs. He was already marked for death and him chasing a deer really lit my fire. I stood up.
He came back in and I waited for him to settle and become confident that he was alone. But he wasn't. The angel of death was watching him. (That's me.)
He turned his back to me and I drew and waited for the shot. I was so calm, so in control. He turned to the right and I had a perfect quartering away shot. I said to myself, take a deep breath, aim on the opposite leg this far up. And while I was focused on my target the arrow flew as if it was my extension, knowing it's sole purpose was to strike the heart of a beast.
Perfect heart shot!
I sat down and called my sister. We talked a few minutes and because it was still daylight and I was very confident he had not gone far with my arrow, I started tracking him. He didn't go where I thought he went. I have a bad back and a hard time seeing blood. Light was fading fast.
I circled and zig zagged a 2 acre field of dewberry vines behind me and ended up on the far side walking along a thick brush line. I started thinking, well I can come back in the daylight with Ace and find him. Just then, in the pitch dark (the moon didn't rise until 3 am) I saw my lighted nock!
I thought "YAY me! At least I can look at my arrow and decide what to do!"
As I approached it I found a lot of blood. And son of a gun - there he was! After he went down he pulled my arrow out and with his dying breath dropped it across his back legs to where my nock was sticking up! Complete arrow, and broad head in tact!
He had run into a 3" diameter tree and bent it over, putting blood 5' up on the tree! My son is 6'2".
When we got him back to the house for pictures, we weighed him and processed him. Can you believe it? The Ramcat completely severed his heart at the top! And he still ran 132 yards!!
He weighed 220 pounds - my biggest recovered bow shot hog! (I've shot bigger with my 30-30.)
I'll post the video when You Tube gets it uploaded. I'm always frustrated with how long that takes. As of the moment it says it will take 1 hour and 8 minutes. It's only a 4 minute video.
I wanted my friend to shoot him for the prior 2 weeks but on Saturday morning my sister and I were talking and decided since I've had extraordinary success killing large hogs this fall - thanks to my 100 grain Ramcats. I also reasoned that when my friend comes out, there will be plenty of other large hogs to shoot.
My friend had not committed to coming out in the next few days so Saturday night I went to the stand. I had my hunting clothes hanging in the wind all day and I took a shower just before I headed out. I arrived at 445 but but confident that the warm weather would bring him in later than normal.
At 515 he started wandering in but would aggressively charge something behind him. I turned on my video camera that is on my bow. (Note to self - do not attach a camera to your bow.) He came in again and made it to the feeder but instantly charged again. I could see what it was - a deer.
As anyone who knows me can tell you, I hate hogs. He was already marked for death and him chasing a deer really lit my fire. I stood up.
He came back in and I waited for him to settle and become confident that he was alone. But he wasn't. The angel of death was watching him. (That's me.)
He turned his back to me and I drew and waited for the shot. I was so calm, so in control. He turned to the right and I had a perfect quartering away shot. I said to myself, take a deep breath, aim on the opposite leg this far up. And while I was focused on my target the arrow flew as if it was my extension, knowing it's sole purpose was to strike the heart of a beast.
Perfect heart shot!
I sat down and called my sister. We talked a few minutes and because it was still daylight and I was very confident he had not gone far with my arrow, I started tracking him. He didn't go where I thought he went. I have a bad back and a hard time seeing blood. Light was fading fast.
I circled and zig zagged a 2 acre field of dewberry vines behind me and ended up on the far side walking along a thick brush line. I started thinking, well I can come back in the daylight with Ace and find him. Just then, in the pitch dark (the moon didn't rise until 3 am) I saw my lighted nock!
I thought "YAY me! At least I can look at my arrow and decide what to do!"
As I approached it I found a lot of blood. And son of a gun - there he was! After he went down he pulled my arrow out and with his dying breath dropped it across his back legs to where my nock was sticking up! Complete arrow, and broad head in tact!
He had run into a 3" diameter tree and bent it over, putting blood 5' up on the tree! My son is 6'2".
When we got him back to the house for pictures, we weighed him and processed him. Can you believe it? The Ramcat completely severed his heart at the top! And he still ran 132 yards!!
He weighed 220 pounds - my biggest recovered bow shot hog! (I've shot bigger with my 30-30.)
I'll post the video when You Tube gets it uploaded. I'm always frustrated with how long that takes. As of the moment it says it will take 1 hour and 8 minutes. It's only a 4 minute video.
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