Big Boars, Bad roads, Broken Bows

[T Bone]

Here's my story:

Thursday 04/03, 0400 Get off work. Sleep an hour. On the road to Chopper's @ 0530. 4.5 hour trip turns into a 6.5 hour trip due to bad roads. There were supposed to be 5 guys going on the trip, but 3 had to back out due to work.
I meet Kurt in Hollister. He is a 1st time bowhunter. We head to Choppers and unpack. Its there that I realize I forgot a few items at home like food and camera. Chopper makes a call to his wife and she brings us some food.

Thursday evening I am hunting a ridge when I hear a pig fight about 150 yards away. I quickly close the distance to see two boars tearing each other up. One is huge, the other average. I get within 60 yards, the wind shifts and they blow out. I sit and smile about what I just saw when another boar pops up across this ravine. I draw and shoot him for 40 yards. My arrow hits below his chest. At dark I go back to the cabin and enjoy a BBQ and a warm fire.

I learn that Kurt had a boar at 15 yards but didn't get a shot.

Friday 04/04

Weather is bad. 35 degrees and raining, slushing and snowing. I put the raingear on and head out. Keys locked inside truck. I bum a ride from Kurt. Kurt is dressed for the weather. He looks like the Michelen Man, in blaze oarnge. Not exactly bowhunting clothing, but whatever. I see nothing. Everything is holed up tight.

We get back to cabin to warm up. Try to unlock truck with coat hanger. No luck. Chopper will have a friend try to slim Jim it. Choppers friend shows up, it takes him 5 seconds to get in. ??? Good deal, better than breaking a window.

I go hang a treestand where I saw the boars the night before. I'd been in the stand 15 minutes when Mr pig shows up. He stops broadside at 20 yards. I draw and touch off. Bow blows up, arrow nose dives. Pig looks at me and woofs like a dog and runs off. Bow has thrown the string. I get arrow and see the nock on the arrow split on release. In effect the bow dryfired. In 25 years of shooting bows, I've never had that happen.

I walk the Choppers Ranch shop to try and rig a bow press, but no luck. Chopper makes a couple calls and a Matthews bow shows up. Its only at 55 pounds and 27" draw. I shoot at 20 yards with my arrows and its dead on. I still have an hour of light left. I hustle to get back on stand. Mr pig comes back. He is cautious. He stands exactly where he was before. I draw and shoot. Good hit. Good blood. He made it about 70 yards before piling up. A good boar, two inch tusks about 180 pounds.

Michelen Man actually got a shot! shot under him, but he's excited about it

04/05

Its clear and cold. We see lots of turkeys but no pigs.

Overall it was a tougher hunt between the weather, bad luck (bow), and my own stupidity (car keys, forgotten food). Would I do it again? You betcha.

Thanks to Chopper in going the extra mile in getting the food, unlocking my truck, and getting me a bow to shoot.

He took extra time with Kurt on his 1st bowhunt. Even though he didn't harvest an animal, he had a good time.

Thats my story. Sorry no pics as I forgot the camera.

T Bone

 

[Elkhunter]

Pretty cool story T-Bone. Too bad you forgot the camera, but those things happen. Glad you scored and had a good time even though you had your share of downfalls.

 

[Moosie]

TYSON, Every time you go out on a hunting trip there is always a GREAT Story behind it... Sometimes it's a bit extreem, but Always GREAT !!! Besides being one of the Luckiest hunters I know, You're also one of the UNluckiest ones too

Wasn't that you that broke a bow last year hunting chasing elk ? Can ya get this one fixed OK ? Did I tell you about Warren when He bought that new $1,000 bow set up last year and he took Rhet out, and I was to his Right.. We all drew back and his went "BANG" when he released.... He was watching his kid and forgot to Knock an Arrow and let "NOTHING" fly to the target

HEHE... His bow was alright though....

Kudos on the hogs.

 

[T Bone]

Moosie,
Yep, I broke my last bow when I fell while chasing a bull. This time it doesn't appear that there is any damage to the bow. It just derailed the string. I hope.

Yet another reason to take a rifle to Alaska, vs a bow. I guess something could go wrong with a rifle as well.

Good story about Warren dry firing. Makes me laugh hard.

 

[Moosie]

HAH.. You should have seen his eyes.... He was in shock I think for about 15 seconds

He put his bow away and brought it down to Jay's to check it out.. I think the hardest thing was to tell Matt !! "YES Matt, I know I have been looking at this 1k bow for a year now... have been in to test it 11 times, and finally bought it just to Dry fire it the first time out ....." ... Heheh

I know, I'm a mean friend to laugh at him

When you coming back up to chase some Idaho critters ? What unit's ya hunting ?

Also, How many Hogs you planning to get ? I'm calling BS on ya this time because there wasn't any pictures... So go back down again next month for another hunt and bring the camera, Jen should buy that story

 

[T Bone]

Moosie,
I think I'm done with pigs until next winter unless Chopper has any "problem pigs" that need arrowed.

We'll be in town in July for Jennifer's family reunion thing. I think its up at Silver Creek Plunge so it should be easy to get out and go scout for elk.

My season isn't set yet. It depends on the sheep draws in Idaho and NV. I'm planning on drawing one or two sheep tags!

Assuming I don't draw for sheep, I'll probably bowhunt the Sawtooth zone again. Maybe come up for the deer rifle opener and do a backpack trip into no tell-um creek. Wait....I already told you where.

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 04-06-2003 09:40: Message edited by: T Bone ]</font>

 

[Moosie]

That NO-TELL-UM, is that were you slept under the tree for that toad of a buck your "BIKER" friend got?

I might be able to trech the hills in July if you don't mind someone going along. You planning to check out "OL' RELIABLE" area or are you thinknig about branching out to another spot ? We could even take another "PAN" picture.. EEEwwwww ,,, HEHE.

I'm going to be up camping on the opener as well but in a different spot, I actually want to be were the IS bucks !!!

Actually I think earlier on there is a few Awsome bucks were you're talking about but it does get hunted and it doesn't take long for the bucks to go BYE BYE. But then you hunted that later and said you had luck.. huh ?

OHHH BTW, I almost forgot... Warren got him 3 new Bikes yesterday... And not the kind ya peddle !!!! For him and the 2 boys... Can you imaging Austin on a motorbike

 

[bigtusker]

Hey Moosie, I was there, I can vouch for him, he did get a nice boar. And NO, he didn't pay me to say that, but he did pay me.

 

[schmalts]

Tbone,i hear you on the weather bro!! because i killed my second pig the night before i flew out i had to get it all prepped for the plane ride before the morning

. I skinned, quartered and cooled it out before i left for LA by 11pm, i got to LA by 3am. We drove down to LA on hwy 5 and hit a blizzard and severe ice conditions between Tejon and the pass to LA. at least 25 cars wiped out into the ditch or eachother. Glad you got your boar though!! good job

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 04-06-2003 15:38: Message edited by: schmalts ]</font>

 

[ELKCHSR]

Great job and way to go...

 

[A-con]

Way cool T, I'm glad you stuck one.
The tricker the bow, the more likly it will go south at the wrong time.

 

[T Bone]

There is something to be said for traditional archery. Less things can go wrong with the gear. I'm now considering picking up a backup bow.

T Bone

 

[Moosie]

t-bone.. I agree, there is somethingto say about the traditional bow.....15 YARDS limit