Back from Big Boar Lodge - AWESOME!

[BT]

This is the new best of the best for the northeast over the last 5 years

Skipmaster and I will get up a full review here soon but right now I am so sore and exhausted and busted.....I just cant give a point by point as to the condition of the property or lodge.

I will say that the Owner (Mark Clark) is as top shelf a man as I have ever met in his field of endeavor
It was an absolute pleasure to share in his company and lodge.
Our Head Guide John was totally committed to client satisfaction in the field.
I could not have asked for or expected more
It was this team mentality between Mark Clark and his guide that proved to make this outing the best any of us could have anticipated
(more on that in the review)

As to the hunt (and this was a hunt! )
I haven't been in such a situation since hunting ferals in the palmetto fields of central Florida
We started out our day trying to locate the pork which to my surprise was all but absent
Seriously.....Rayzortech,skipmaster and myself later joked about the fact that we were all thinking that there were indeed few hogs to be had on this preserve..... if there were any at all

The animals were plenty cagy.....far more so than any deer in my location.
The goats (generally viewed as slow witted animals) were quick to move on when we came within bow range.
The Elk and fallow deer as well were fast to get up and out when we began to close the gap between us and them.
The only animal there which acted in a standard response to us were the buffalo.
They are just about the most brazen animals out there and could care less about people.

But..... we were after hogs.
These hogs were the A typical Russian strain with the typical demeanor
What this means is that , if you are not hunting them.....your not getting them
So hunt we did and then we hunted some more and some more
It's insane as to how a 200- 250# hog that stands 28" at the shoulder can disappear in 10" of underbrush.
Skipmaster has one on camera (one of 2) that is about 15" in front of him and all you can see in the film is a small patch of Grey hair

After a few hours we managed to kick up a couple of pigs.
Very exciting
In the cut grass they explode from under foot , giving the same kind of rush that you would get from a pheasant as it lifts off in front of you from the high grass.
The only difference is that these are not 2 pound birds that pose no threat to your health and well being

Rayzortech was the first to get an arrow off.
It had to be a rushed shot due to the fact that if you blinked , they were gone when your eye's opened back up.
Skipmaster and myself had the hands down advantage in this terrain with our recurves

Thats it for now.....I am soooo tired and I can barely keep my thoughts cogent.
More tomorrow

[Greg Krause]

I agree. I am about to pass out and am too sore to sit here much longer......an absolute amazing experience though. I did not expect an actual hunt. not like this. it was not easy. we walked at least an honest 10 miles back an forth through heavy brush, saw grass swamps and low overgrown pines. I had two chances to shoot a pig by the time 4 pm rolled around and we were hunting at 9am. with this heavy cover the hogs were in the recurve offered us a slight advantage for quick tight shooting. the hogs either moved out ahead of us and were not seen or they would hold low and tight until they exploded from the brush directly in front of you. It was quite a hunt..........more to come soon.

[BT]

So anyway....
Rayzortechs shot sent the hog off but it soon broke into a trot and disappeared into the thick pines to the east side of the property
Skipmaster had the whole thing on tape fortunately

The guide took up the blood trail but after 150 yards , it was apparent that this pig was not mortally wounded
We all fanned out and began a grid search about 40 minutes after the shot and it wasn't long before Rays pig was up and out of it's bed , charging past and between the guide and Ray
Unfortunately , the only shot in the thick stuff was as the pig came between the two of them and Ray didn't have enough cash to pay for a pig and a guide
So , once again we started griding the area , looking for the hog.

At around 1:00 we went back to the lodge to view the video footage and get a quick bite to eat.
We were hoping that it would give us a clue as to where the shot had gone
Unfortunately we never were able to determine for certain where the shot had entered
The Guide had gotten a good look at the exit side and was very sure that it was a far forward flesh wound.

At around 1:30 we once again set out to find rays hog with the Owner Mark joining in to help out later that day.
We gridded the area as best we could 5 or 6 times (cant remember) with each time taking nearly 2 hours to complete.
The last time around I honestly thought I wouldn't make it
It was tough!
To give an idea how hard these hogs were to find , we saw a blond Russian at one point , earlier in the afternoon but near saw it again
A Blondie pig weighing perhaps 180 - 200#
We were always within sight of each other as we searched and never once did we see this Blondie after first jumping it.
That's crazy!

So.....
At quarter till dark Mark Clark sees a pig that is similar to our target animal and directs Ray to take advantage of the situation and make the shot if he can.
Mark was certain that this pig had a wound in it's forward area around the neck on what would have been the entrance side.
With only minutes to spare the Silver Flame finds it's mark and the big Boar is down for keeps after a 40 yard dash

[lockmaster]

Great writing about the hunt and the experience. I only wish I could have been there with you.

That's the kind of hunt that's enjoyable even if it is tough going.

Congrats on finishing the job Ray!!

[stilllearning]

Wow great writing BT I have a mental image of the hole thing. Very neat. I hope to see pics soon and man does it sound like you guys had a hard hunt. If you are ever up close enough and I could get there I would be one of the camera men. That would be a blast as far as I am concerned.

[BT]

Skipmaster was the next to score a shot.
We had been over the property a number of times now and it was looking bleak in terms of finding Rayzortechs hog

Each time we would make a sweep , two of us would walk an opening on either side of the thick stuff while the other two beat the brush in an attempt to rout out any hiding hogs.
It was well into mid day and it was hot enough to get the hogs bedded up till the cooler evening air arrived.
(This is typical of what hogs will do anytime the sun starts beating down.)

We had only made it perhaps 50 yards into the brush on this sweep when I saw skipmaster throw up his hand to halt me.
I didn't get it fast enough (too tired I guess) but the glare in his eye's stopped my feet fast enough
;D
I watched skipmaster slowly work around the high grass while I attempted to remain motionless.
This went on for a little while with skipmaster occasionally half drawing his bow and then letting down , moving all the while , attempting to get a better position on his target.

It looked to me as though he was just about satisfied when suddenly a group of fallow deer came bounding through the brush in front of me
The lead animal had an enormous rack and that had my attention until he crossed skipmasters path , ducking into the area where skip had been so intently observing.

At that moment I figured whatever it was , it was gone
But skipmaster quickly side stepped a few feet , drew down and let the silver flame fly.
The thud and simultaneous squeal confirmed what I was hoping for all along
The question was.....was this rays hog ?
As it turned out , it was not , but seeing as how we were well into the backside of the day , it was a perfect call to take the shot

I came around to see the hog laid out in what I imagined to be the spot where it had been standing at the time of the hit.
The silver flame had taken out the bottom of the heart and within seconds this meat hog became hog meat

[stilllearning]

This is an intense hunt and again some great story telling. You guys would be good at a camp fire.

[Greg Krause]

come on Bt tell your story! You've done such an awesome job telling about our hunts.


It was funny, because I had my hand up but it wasn't until i looked you in the eyes that you knew what I meant

I had been walking through a grassy trail and was peering into the brush to my left when i saw something that caught my eye at 20yds. It was the gray mud dried up on a pig. he was laying in a mud hole in the brush, wait......another pig is right next to him. they were both sleeping soundly and i closed my distance to about 8yds. I was creeping around trying to find an opening and what end was what. the fallow deer came blasting through and jumped the pigs.....all 3 of them. the 3rd was about 4yds from me! they trotted off but turned and came back across an opening at about 20yds. I saw one that matched the description of Rays pig and I drew as his trot slowed. I realeased and sent a silver flame through his heart. he ran another 10yds and started to stumble. I drew again and could only see the side of his head at 30yds. I released, aiming for his ear. I was about 2" off and blew through the boars neck dead center and just above the spine. It didn't hit anything vital but the pig was already falling. I truned around and BT was already standing right behind me, I had forgotten that he was even there!
Man, what a rush!

[stilllearning]

way to go skip

[SPIKER]

What, did you guys forget the camera...I knew I should have gone!

Come on with it! And what the heck happened with Ray's hog!!