Landowner/cattleman just gave the go-ahead so I went ahead---hogs been regular about 7-9 PM on camera but I was in the seat at 6 just to be sure.



About 7:20 a solo boar came in--maybe 100-120 lbs. Got to the corn in the lights and I started to draw and he blew out. Came back about 10 minutes later but never presented a shot.

Then about 8:15 this horde showed up, and stuck their faces in the corn, lined up side-by side.



Got hooked up, drew, anchored, aimed and released. Away they went with the red nock headed to the NW. After 15 minutes of waiting just in case they came back, got down and couldn't find any blood. Began to walk the trail in the direction the red nock had taken and about 50 yds out I see the arrow. Walk over and pick it up and it has good red blood end to end. I looked all around it--10 yds in all directions, and still no blood. At this point, I go back to the truck and drive to the stand and get my big light. Started all over and here is what I found:









Followed the trail and the farther it went the farther it led away from the arrow! WTH? Out into the coastal and blood was very distinct on the grass, and eventually found him, probably 45 yds direct line from where he caught the arrow to where he lay, but about 70 yds of looping blood trail, and 60-70 yds from where the arrow was found.



Wound was about at the back of the rib cage and only about 2" above the bottom of his belly. Then it hit me! This boar had been behind the one I shot and caught the arrow after it came thru the first pig, stopping it from a pass-thru, and the original target ran off with the arrow in him/her.

Was back out in the pasture today cutting firewood and no signs of any buzzards or cara caras anywhere but where I dumped the hide and guts---oh well, I'll give 'em a few nights to settle back into their routine and be back in the stand.

thanks Dustoffer!

You need one of those Leupold LTO thermal units for recoveries. I picked one up a while back and like it so far. Its view is crude, but the results are good.

Last week Friday, I shot a 160 pound boar that was right on the edge of 3 trails. I was using my 6.5x30-30 AI with the XL250 green shooting light on it. He was just shy of 200 yards and about as far as that light can reach out here, but I heard the impact and knew I connected. In that spot, he was in the only opening I could shoot into and was surrounded by really thick stuff. It has always been a nightmare if they run into those thickets.

But I drove down there on the tractor, turned on the unit and immediately saw the heat source -- one that appeared to be flat and ground level.

A flashlight never would have shown him in that thick stuff.

You need to get a 45-70. Just sayin'--

My 12-ga w/3"mag #4 buckshot is a wipeout, and sniping with my .22-250 is a hoot, but nothing beats using a stick and string IMO.