Alrighty, got in from a great weekend, we had a lot of laughs for sure. the full moon was really messing us up i think. But we at got some action in. It didnt loose and arrow on any game until the final day...but i got plenty of shooting the final day. no misses though! I shot a raccoon through both shoulders at 8 yards but it some how had the strength to climb up a large live oak tree before dieing..so i didnt get to retrieve it because it didnt fall out. then after some talking and eating of grapefruits, Dax and I went for a little walk along the wood line. a group of little pigs jumped out of some grass and scrambled. Instinct took over without a single thought. it was definitely the hunter instinct as i drew an arrow from my quiver, nocked it, and dropped the string, all in about 10 seconds. the pig was quartering away and i was hoping to slip it in behind the last rib and up into the vitals but instead hit right on the ham and came out just behind the opposite shoulder. we gave it plenty of time, but found it dead in about 100 yards, plenty of followable blood.
I shot it with my 60# @ 25" aboriginal style Florida Pop Ash bow, Florida privet arrow and Florida chert stone point. I will be the first to admit that its not a very big pig- 30-35 pounds, but it's going to be excellent eating (tomorrow night) and it's still a stone kill with my Native Florida equipment I made, so I am more than satisfied. especially given the moon and heat conditions.
then that evening about 1\2 hour before dark, I spied ANOTHER coon walking in, it actually snooped under my stand for a little bit but i let it get out to about 6 yards before i shot. I broke one shoulder and came out the neck. It looked like the cartoons as it ran into a bush. I couldnt see the coon but the coon was roaring and the bush was shaking. then it popped out and took off through the orange grove, not wanting another blood trail, i gave it a follow up shot from behind at the base of the skull. I am about as pleased with the coon as i am with the hog..lol I shot it with the same Florida native gear i Made.
all in all, we sure had a great time. anytime in the woods with friends is bound to be a great time. Jim provides genuine hunts, they aren't the "ring the dinner bell and they come running hunts". these are real wild pigs, not stocked and fenced. He has plenty of pigs around and is a real pleasure to hunt with him. Truth be told, I am not normally a feeder hunter, but i did hunt feeders since the moon was bad for us, but when it came down to it, I did get my pig the way I wanted, on the ground and in the bush. funny how things work out the way you want them to. - Ryan
