February 19-21, 2010
This was a planned couple’s hunt as we were hoping that our better halves would like the place and weekend and get a better understanding as to why we like to spend as much time as we can in the woods. This weekend four couples were going to enter the woods and get each one better acquainted with nature. As my wife can no longer accompany me my daughter graciously volunteered to join me. This was her second hunting trip with me and I knew she would see a ton more game in south Texas than we did on my late Dad’s lease in north central Texas several years ago.
Guest list was Alfred and Melanie (my BIL&SIL), James and Lisa (friends from Stephenville) Eric and MaryAnn and daughter Sydney (friends from work in Houston) and my daughter Tasha and I. Melanie had to stay home at the last minute as their youngest was not recovering from an adenoids operation and had to take him back to doctor. Good news he just took a little longer to recover and is doing great.
Alfred, James and Lisa made the trip from north central Texas Thursday and were able to make the eve hunt and Lisa was able to take her first south Texas hog. James and Alfred were not as fortunate and found this to be a trend as the weekend progressed. Tasha and I did not get out of the Houston area until later Thursday afternoon and had to come into camp after dark. With the rain that has fallen over the area since December, the county road is a mess and I was concerned about getting to the front gate. As it turned out I made it all right, but it was not going to be the same going out.
Friday morning I bounced everyone out of bed about ¼ till 6, all that is except my daughter who thought I was mad to even think she was getting up that early. I got the stands assigned and transportation sorted out and off the four hunters went. As I have said many a time and I will say again, I love the morning hunt, just watching the world come alive is enough to sooth the soul. I set at my favorite stand and it was already getting light as I feed the roads and added feed around the feeders. By the time I got my truck parked and into the elevated stand I had pigs at a feeder eating the golden kernels set out before them. I settled into the stand and threw the scope onto the sounder of four sows and about 15-20 piglets. They were feeding contentedly so I waited to see if anymore would come to the other feeders before I took out one of the sows and was not disappointed. At the feeder to my right a group of young sows and boars came in and I lined up on a nice 80# eating pig and dropped him in his track. I was the only fortunate hunter that morning so we did not spend long at the cleaning rack. After breakfast I enjoyed a nice bloody Mary and cigar and set back around the campfire thinking about my bloody boots, while drinking a bloody Mary and having a bloody good time. Man life is great. About 3 pm I got the stands assigned and transportation worked out and off to the stands we went. This evening my daughter was accompanying me and I was hoping that this time we would see plenty of game. We did see some pigs and coyotes, but they were 600 to 800 yards away and just a little too far for my daughter to shoot. It was not a total loss as we saw plenty of animals and it got her fired up to close the deal on her hog when the opportunity arose. Lisa was able to contact on her second pig and Alfred and James were once again eating her dust. I do have to shed some light on Alfred’s hunt as the rock haulers from the place next door took an opportunity to take his trucks out the county road as he has not been able to haul anything out of the gravel pit they are working since December and likely ruined his hunt. This event was going to change many things for us that night and Sunday when we leave.

Eric and Mary Ann were not able to leave until late Friday so after dinner I took one of the four wheel drive trucks and met them in Dilley as his Infinity would not be able to handle the ruts in the county road. As it turns out it was fortunate that I took one of the for wheel drive trucks as the tractor rigs that left out earlier really rutted up the road and one of the bad spots was almost impossible to cross due to the hole that was bad anyway was really bad. I knew if I made it back with them to the ranch there was no way that my Nissan truck was going to make it out without dragging high center.
Saturday morning I rousted everyone out of bed and even my daughter was up and somewhat raring to go. Everyone picked a stand and transportation worked out and off we went. I set with my daughter in a ground blind and although we had plenty of deer joining us, no pigs showed up. We set there as long as I thought we could without me losing her to youth’s impatient mindset so we decided to go check some other feeders on the way back to camp. As we rounded a corner she spotted a javalina and we jumped out of the truck to see if we could get a shot. She was uncomfortable with the freehand shot so she gave me the gun and it seems I must have been uncomfortable as well because I shot way behind it as it crossed the sender. Oh well that’s hunting and she got to see her first javalina. That morning Lisa brought back in another hog and a coyote while the rest of the group went without again. Alfred and James were feeling a little anxious about getting skunked. After breakfast Alfred spent some time at the bench while Tasha and I took his golf cart for a ride. Eric and his daughter Sydney were going to take the tractor and box blade to the front gate where I was to meet them to work on the county road. As we drove around we came across some young tom turkeys and four sows and piglets. We closed the distant but the pigs were moving along the road picking up pieces of corn that drop off the feeder and never presented a clean shot for her. After they moved into the brush we headed on to the front gate where I took the tractor and Eric and the girls went in search of some pigs. It was a good thing that I worked on the road as the worst hole was about 4’ deep and ruts just along the road would have high centered me in several places. I drug as much mud and dirt into the main hole as I could and hopefully left one side smooth enough for me as long as none of the locals rutted it up to bad before we left out. My thoughts were it would have 24 hours to dry up enough to get out. The ranch road was not bad but if you’re going to travel it with a tractor and box blade it might as well be felling in ruts along the trip. When I got back to camp we ate a fabulous lunch and then got ready for the evening hunt. Stands were picked and transportation arraigned and off we went. My daughter decided the other women were hunting by them self and she felt it would increase our odds if we hunted different stands, couldn’t argue with that logic. I set her in her stand and proceeded to mine. Thank goodness her battery on her phone started wearing down because my thumbs from texting back and forth were starting to cramp. She is definitely part of the now generation, but at least I have enough patience for both of us. I finally had a sounder come out and lined up two pigs and took them out with the one shot. You know that powder primers and bullets could get in short supply again and I wanted to save ammo. Boy was I glad my daughter had her phone off because she would have not liked I shot two pigs. At least that night she had seven pigs come to her stand but as she lined up on one someone else shot and the scattered into the bush and it get to dark before they came back out. She also got the chance to experience a bob cat scream behind her. Needless to say she was glad to see my headlights coming down the road. Mary Ann also connected with a good sow and was her first hog and the first time to set in a stand by herself. Once again Alfred and James sucked hind tit and were really starting to sweat about getting skunked. We got the skinning complete and dinner finished and enjoyed setting around the campfire. I called it an early night and headed to bed.
Sunday Morning I heard a rap on the door at 5:29. Seems Eric was hell bent on waking me up after 5 years of me rapping on the door. But really, knocking on my door before my alarm goes off, does that really count? Any way, we all get up, get the stands picked, transportation arraigned and off we go. Tasha set with me for the last hunt and although we came away empty handed we had a great time and spent some quality time together. The good thing is she has agreed to join me again so maybe I have a new hunting partner for a while. James finally closed the deal on a nice sow and Eric took a 200# boar for the big pig for the weekend. We get the pigs skinned and I started quartering the other pigs shot during the weekend while the others get breakfast ready and gear gathered and put into the trucks. By 10:30 we are loaded. Adolfo the ranch hand is taking Eric and his family into town and Danny the ranch manager is headed into San Antonio to watch his daughter pay college softball. As we were not sure if my road work was going to let the two wheel drive trucks get out I was still a little apprehensive. As it turned out the 24 hours did the trick and allowed the mud hole dry enough for all of us to get out with minimum trouble. I did have to stop in Dilley and was the mud out from the wheels as I could only go about 50 MPH before the front end would nearly shake out from under the truck. Man that south Texas mud is like epoxy when it dries onto metal. All in all it was a great weekend with good friends and family. To my wife, I will miss you and I know you would have enjoyed the weekend as well and Tasha is going to make a fine huntress soon.

Bllody Boots, Bloody Mary's and a Bloody good time



My daughter Tasha



One of Lisa's pig



My 2 fer




Mary Ann's first pig. Wahoo

Eric's Boar



Just a hanging



James redemption pig.

Looks and sounds like a success on all levels.....good fer the gals!

Good job Harold, always enjoy reading your posts.

Congratulations! I havd my hogs processed by Midway in Katy. Great pan sausage!

Well done, and good on all you folks, especially your lovely daughter!