5 am next morning: Carrying a crossbow, shooting stick and a chair I was loaded down with a hoop of gear trying to be quiet on my bike. As I got to the area I briefly turned on my green kill light and I saw that the hogs were already there and they were skittish. Trying to cut the distance to get closer to a large bush I ended pushing them off the clearing but they just walked off into the adjacent brush (not alarmed). I positioned the chair in their rootings and waited. They were really vocal squealing & fighting and walking around making quite a racquet. Man were they loud! In the moonlight I watched a single or a pair would come out in the open only to walk back in. They were nervous but I had a quartering wind keeping my scent from them.
A black one slipped in and walked past me in the moonlight but I lost it. Others were milling around right at the edge but not quite coming out. Five minutes later the one that walked past me appeared right in front of me and I turned the green light on, covering the beam to diminish the light beam, I estimated it was at 20 yards and brought the crossbow up holding the green light under the crossbow. As the illuminated red reticle sight got right behind the hog’s shoulder I opened my hand to make the beam stronger and let er rip. With a solid “whack” and it ran off squealing loudly. Moving the light around in front of me I could see hogs at the opposite end all headed for the brush. The loud squearer was squealing away but getting hoarser which I took as a great sign.
After about 20 minutes I walked up to the spot where I hit the hog and realized it was really 13 yards. Using the light I could see a large black hump ahead so I quartered it but it didn’t move.
# 3
That’s how to start a morning before you get your paper!!
Brian
