A new challenge

[np307]

One thing that separates hunting in NC from a lot of the South is our relative absence of hogs. We have them, but not nearly as bad as many place further south. However, there are a few sections of the state that have them on public lands. These areas aren't a secret and get pretty heavy pressure. Despite that, I've got it in my mind to try to kill one of these things. There's plenty of deer in the area too and I still have 4 doe tags, so they are on the menu as well. Most of my hunting is in "mountainous" areas (the terrain is technically considered mountains even though nobody from out West would even think of them as such) so this thick river-bottom hunting is a much different endeavor. Regardless, I'm heading out now to drop the boy off and hunt a section I have only set foot on once, last week. I did find some sign and I've been figuring out a game plan. We had decent rain yesterday so I'm expecting things to be marshy and any sign to be fresh. Gonna try to bring yall along as well.

 

[LCH]

Hogs are one of my favorite animals to hunt, maybe very favorite. Nothing better than still hunting through a creek bottom tore up with hog sign.

 

[np307]

I'm about a mile in at this point. There's a reason why most people who hunt this stuff wear rubber boots. I, however, do not have a set of rubber boots without holes in them. So it's 8" treated leather boots and gaiters. This combo has served me well in snow to the top of my gaiters but is no match for actually having to submerge your feet. My socks are soaked at this point so I guess I will still hunt the whole time. It's very obvious how much the water has risen here. The creek was just a few inches deep last week and now it's over halfway up the bank. The dry area between the creek and the marsh is now holding water (thus my soaked feet). But nobody has been back here since the rain and any sign I find will be very fresh.

 

[np307]

I'm now in the heart of this hunt. I debated turning back because if I do kill something this packout is going to be bad, but I decided to push forward. Crossed a stream that was borderline too high, but I was rewarded by now getting into some flooded pines where I can move completely silently. These pines eventually open into a section of river cane and that transition is where the hog sign in the first post was taken last week. I'm hoping to slip up to that section and see whats there. The wind will be in my face the whole way.

 

[np307]

Well I'm back at the car earlier than I hoped. I ended up making a loop because I found some high ground. My theory was that with everything flooded in the bottom (the closer I got to the river the less usable the ground was) game may be bedded or traveling on that small hill. Whether that was stupid thinking or not, I'm not sure. All I know is I didn't see anything. Gonna enjoy the floorboard heat on the way home. Waterline on my pants was a couple inches above the top of my boots. Thanks for coming along.

 

[WildWill]

Much worse ways to spend the day. Thanks for sharing.