Yeah, what Charlie and Dave said, this hunt is as good as it gets. Imagine about 20 guys and every one of them a fellow you would jump at the chance to spend a week hunting and sharing camp with. It is a real sensory overload in every way.

One of the campfire moments

Me and Charlie admiring a Woody Blackwell stone point.
 

One of my favorite guys that I have met over the years, Doc Springer. He's sitting in front of Robtattoo's goat skull from last TXS.  

Parental Warning!!! The following picture may not be suitable for youngsters...

Hunt it did his part to reduce the feral hog poplation on evening with a six pack masacre - not Labatt Blue, but apple in the mouth roasters. Here he points out the entry of a new 300 grn Extreme broadhead. This may be the first field test of this new point.

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Another campfire moment. Kevin Smith providing the music and the Sweat gang visiting & relaxing.

Doing his part to hold the Iowa banner high, John (MO Sherpa) did a spot and stalk and chase after a nice hog with Robert watching. The big ol' bush (John in a gillie) kept after the pig until it presented a 45 yd broadside. Robert saw John draw and release but could not see the flight of the arrow. As the pig took off, Robert gave a squeal on his varmint call to try to stop it for another shot... the hog fell dead. Gotta get one of those calls. Of course this may have had something to do with the hogs sudden expiration.

Doctor John with a good one

David has told the story of his big pig, here's a couple more hero pictures. This was one seriously mean and tough looking Russian type hog. The shield ran clear down to the back legs and was a inch thick hard grissle. A Silver Flame from a 75# Morrison longbow penetrated 12" but no exit hole. Great trophy hog Dave!!!!!!!!!!

Some folks hunt hard till the last hour of the last day. Count Mel (Irish) from KC amoung em. He and Woody score late on the last eve. Right after the photos of Dave's bruiser were taken, in pulled Knife River's truck and another round of story telling started.

 

A fine pair of Texas porkers come to the gambrel and Mel and Woody pose for the obligatory hero shot.

 

These two hogs were generously offered to me and they now reside in my freezer. The shoulders and a hunk of loin roast are on the Webber grill now. Some preliminary smoking before finishing in the oven (too cold to cook all the way outside Iowa). Thanks Mel and Woody.

Great pics everyone!

some great pics guys! already got one of the sunset ones saved as my backround    

mmm nothing like freshly killed wild meat! looks good Shaun

I told Vance I had to go home and he said
 
NONONONO!!!!

Great pics, good stories, and some great hunts!

Hope to see Texas someday!  

Might have to go do some stump shooting with Hormoan and check out his pics and hear some stories!

In review, the coolest moment of the whole hunt unfolded one night as I closed the final few yards on a nice boar. I'd been staying within 40-50 yards of this boar for over two hours and was still looking for my "gap" to seal the deal when the sun went down. I had my movie camera dialed in for the whole hunt and went to night view mode on the camera after sundown. I knew the full moon was to rise shortly and I also knew my best chance to seal the deal would be here in the moonlight.
As the moon came up in all it's orange glory I found myself easily within 20 yards of the bruiser. Suddenly he change directions and begain to come back toward me. I drew tension on the string as he inched nearer. My heartbeat was ringing in my ears and my breath grew short and erratic. Then as suddenly as the moon had risen it went dark. I looked toward the moon to see how long it would take for the cloud to pass over the moon but suddenly realized that we were in the center of a lunar eclipse, not a cloud in the sky.

I'm not sure how many times in a guys life he'll ever see a lunar eclipse but I can't imagine anything being more memorable than standing within 15 yards of a pig in the moonlight with a bow in hand when it all comes to pass. Nope, I didn't get that pig. I kept thinking that this was about to be the coolest hunt ever and then realized it was no matter if I got the hog at all. No sooner than the thought had drifted from my mind the gentle breeze shifted slightly and the boar was but a fond memory.

I didn't manage any still pics from the eclipse but I know others did. I did manage to get some great video of the pig in the moonlight just as the eclipse reaches it's pentacle. CK

Curtis...Did you happen to get a photo of that LITTLE RED TENT, standing so defiantly against the Texas Canvas      

Oh you are so cruel Vance!!!

I'm not so sure about the red tent, but I think the shower scene needs to be shared  

Now now Joe, we'll have to tell them about the time Doc heard squealin in the tent and thought it was you and Brent!

Where's Rob? He still in the loooo?

Joe you must be referring bout Mitch RIGHT      

Not until after I bear hunt with one of the principals....don't want to get anything started !