Bored stiff sitting around the house so I'm going for a sit tonight with the bow again. Hogs have been at the stand site between 7:30 and 11 from Sep 1-10 so I should be good to go. We'll see. I'll try to post updates from the phone but no promises as cell service isn't the greatest at this location.

Well I am in the stand and ready. Winds seem to be right and the temp is ok. Now if the pigs cooperate.

First visitor—a young fork-horn

Good luck!

Hours ago, anything come of it?

George

Hopefully he is busy retrieving and loading up something...

Not a good night for me--first medium-large hog came in but was a bit antsy and left before giving me a good shot.

About 10 minutes later, the large horde came in and I got a medium sized pig broadside at 16 yards and let 'er rip. Got a good hit though a bit higher than I like and they left. I followed the lighted nock until at about 60 yds out it stopped. Couldn't tell if the pig was down or the arrow had been snapped off.

I was sitting waiting for my customary 15 minutes before getting down to track and was texting a buddy when I hear "CRUNCH, CRUNCH" and look up and the first big boy was back. I stashed the phone, got the bow up and drew, anchored, and waited for the shot--he turned broadside and THWACK!! Too far forward, right in the shoulder joint, and away he went, arrow waving. Got about 15' and the arrow snapped off.

The thermal scanner showed nothing in either direction. Sat for another 15 minutes, got down and started looking. No blood anywhere except on the broken-off arrow from #2. Started out along the trail towards the firs arrow and no blood. Got to the arrow--about 4-5" of it, and found a promising splash of blood on a cactus.



From that point on it was a small drip here, a slight smear there, a drip, a smear, for about 25-30 yds, and then nothing as the trail entered the mid-thigh high weeds. Used the thermal scanner for a while but nothing to be seen.

Went back to the departure path of #2 and spent 30 fruitless minutes looking and found not a spot of blood nor could find any sign with the thermal scanner.

Not a good evening from the perspective of recovery, but two of the hogs in the neighborhood horde have learned a lesson. With the big sounder back it's time to put the trap back into service.

Hoping they died rather than learned a lesson! #2's shield probably closed up around the arrow. Seen that with big bullets many a time! Tall grass, tall weeds or thick brush not something I like to walk around in. If they are not so close the buzzards mess up your feeder let em lay!!!

Not much doubt the first one is dead, but not likely the second one is. I'll take a run thru the pasture tomorrow and check the buzzards.

Leave that stick n string home
and take a rifle!
This isn't the first time you've told the
same type story.

Better luck next time.

George

Find anything, Dustoffer?

Not a thing, but as I have posted before, the property is long and narrow and it is not a great distance to the property line on either east or west, and I do not have permission to trespass.

all the more reason to use a rifle
and make head shots.

George

Maybe you will find buzzards at two locations. Be Well, Packy.

Bummer. To each his own, but this is the reason why I am reluctant to bow hunt. No big deal on hogs themselves. There will be others.
How about investing in a crossbow dusty (?) assuming of course that you were shooting a compound.

Too much of a hard-core vertical bow shooter to switch to a crossbow--though if my shoulders continue to deteriorate it is a possiblitiy. Been bow hunting since '75 and this isn't the first time I have lost an animal. It is part of it that you do your best to avoid, but if you bow hunt long enough, it is inevitable.

Dustoffer, I hear you about deteriorating shoulders. I recently bought a classic Martin Hatfield takedown recurve, 55# @ 28, 62 AMO. Can't even pull it much more than a foot without my right shoulder wanting to blow. I don't know what I was thinking when I bought it -- maybe that I was still 55 and not 67.

Bill--I still have my first recurve hanging in the garage--a Damon-Howatt Hi-Speed, 50# at 28" and I can hardly get it strung, and don't even want to think about drawing it. Back in '69 when I bought it, it was a piece of cake.

But I was at the hospital today for x-rays and have an appointment with the orthopod Monday morning. Hopefully treatment will be the steroid injection which was so good on my other shoulder and has lasted 3 years so far.

Good luck both of you guys.

I've had my R shoulder scoped three times.
Once since having them both replaced. As I
tripped over the dead foot on the L side and
caught myself on both hands. Knew when I landed
I'd torn it again and called the doc next day.

Lately the R one's been grating and making
noise others can hear again.
Just info mostly: that just because we have a shoulder replaced don't mean it's good forever and cured.

Having one scoped isn't much. IF it's popping
and giving trouble have it done and get on
with life. Usually in a sling 3 days or so.
Light duty for ten and back to it shortly
after that.

When a knee's pops and grating. That means the
ligaments torn and working thru the joint tearing up more tissue. Don't put that off!
I did for years before having them scoped. Sure
ruined the joints. Am still having problems with
this second R knee. Looking like I'll always
have knee problems.

George