Congratulations, Skyler!  Im hoping to shake your hand on it at TBOF in a few months.

Keep it coming!!!!! Thanks for sharing!!  

I saw headlights coming, and here came Ol' Shep driving right up to the stand to pick me up, little did he know he'd just parked right on top of the spot where I'd shot at the last hog.

When I got down I told everyone that was there what had just gone down.  I went over to where most of the shooting had happened and immediately found my first arrow that I'd missed with. Then a massive bloodtrail from the second try on the first hog.

I knew he was laying only 20yds away so I looked for the arrow I'd shot low with. But when I found it, I could see that I hadn't missed like I thought.

There was some blood on my arrow, and some on the ground in the direction it had gone....hmmmm.

We followed it a ways,maybe about 100yds, and it just sort of faded away, kinda like a muscle hit. Only thing I could figure was that I'd either cut it's front leg, or the very bottom of the brisket.

Either way we figured we'd give it some time and come back later with Shep's dog, "Cowboy".

So we went back to the stand to look for the last hog I'd shot at close to the stand.Someone found blood out ahead as I looked by the spot of the hit. Then, I think it was Terry that found part of my arrow, then Michael found my Snuffer!  

I'm telling you, a guy could not possibly ask for better guys to track a wounded critter with. I mean everyone in our party was phenomenal!

We followed here and there, and after maybe 75yds, SKyler found what he said looked as though the hog had laid down there.

Seconds later Michael, in a very serious stern  voice says he had the hog, but he was still alive!

I was about 10yds off the his right when I heard his words. I looked over as I nocked an arrow. Just in time to see the hog stand up with Michaels light on him.

For several tense seconds I tried to figure out a way to get an arrow in the hog.  There was no way, we were in a jungle!

But then he started to move off and was heading for a small opening about 15yds. in front of me.

Michael tracked him with his light...I drew and was about to release as he hit the opening and the light went off!

I almost released blind, knowing the hog was there, even though I couldn't see him....but I didn't.

Michael had no idea I was about to shoot, and had shut his light off as not to help spook the hog any further away.

Wow, Wow, Wow!!!!  Crazy!!

It was easy to see that the hog wasn't doing well, and was in no hurry to get out of there.

We figured he wouldn't go far. So Michael and Shep took a GPS reading on the spot and we decided it would be best to come back after dinner with some canine help. It was time to "Cowboy up"!

Before we left though, we went over to recover the first hog...

Like I said, the blood was pouring out as he ran. This was easily the best hog blood trail I have ever personally been on. Blood was immediate...
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 I wish we'd have taken more time with the photo's!  

He was a nice boar. Later on I would check him out and see that my arrow had taken him right in the "pocket" on the near side and had gone forward and up, burying into his opposite shoulder blade!

He was layed right over when the arrow struck...trying to do the "matrix move".  I was shooting out of a 8-10ft tripod and the arrrow, had it come out the other side would have exited about 6" higher on the off side!  

Again...Crazy!!

Great stories and photos

Great stories and pics, the one one animal we don't have in Ontario I would love to hunt is hogs. To me that just looks flat out fun! Well actually we can hunt wild boar on a fenced game farm but spending $2500 to hunt a fenced pig seems a little pricey.

Curt, I think in an earlier post I mistakingly wrote in congrats for you on a nice buck. (Sorry Izzy)
I really meant to congradulate Izzy then and you now for some fine shootin on several hogs.
I'm lovin this stuff, keep it coming

We ate, and loaded back up into Shep's Excursion.

Larry Surtees  and Jeff B. had asked if they could join us. You bet!

Nobody really knew what we had ahead of us...we knew the one hog wouldn't be too far away, and we figured by now it would be dead...but ya just never know.

Shep put his tracking collar on Cowboy and let him go. David would be my "light man" if the need arose.

He also said that if Cowboy found the hog alive, he'd surely bark like he's done in the past. If he was dead, he'd just kinda hang out and eat on him a bit till we got there.

As we got right to about where the GPS was telling us we'd left off and backed out...

David noticed on his monitor, that Cowboy was not far ahead circling something, but he wasn't barking...

Even though we figured it was dead, since he wasn't barking, I followed David anyway, just in case I needed to shoot again.

As we got closer, we could hear a lot of commotion under the cedars and in the briars...and it wasn't all from Cowboy!

Not only did we hear Cowboy growling, but we could also hear grunting...the hog was still very much alive!

Great stuff gents!  Looking forward to more.

Congrats on your first Mr. Skyler!

I'm gonna need some help with the rest of this one.....

Dang, decided to do a quick check before I headed off to bed, and this is where it leaves off!  Its going to be a long day till I can get home from work and check again.  Can't wait.

What a blood trail Curt!  Great stories and pictures everybody!

This is where things got real crazy...

I didn't know this at the time, but Don had been clickin' away with his camera as this adventure was coming to a climax...

David and I went around the far side of Cowboy and the hog to try to get a shot. I turned on my little red bow light, and  waded in looking for an opening. Then heard David say..."I'm not sure you're going to be able to shoot in there", and from the other side of the thicket, only ten yards away I heard..."back up, back up... he's gonna shoot!"

Remember now, we are in an ungodly thicket, and it's pitch black except for the flashlights!

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Within seconds, after David said that, and I'd gotten closer yet to the hog, maybe five yards away and I saw a small hole.

It wasn't the best shot, back by the flank, but it would be angling forward. With any wounded animal, you take whatever follow-up shot you can get...and this was getting real "hairy"!

With David's light shining on his side, I drew a big Snuffer and drove it to the fletch angling forward!

This really ticked off the hog and kicked things into overdrive! Crazy!!!

It tried to go out the other side. but this is what was waiting for him as all hell broke loose over there, just ten yards away, but I couldn't see any of it!
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That wasn't a staged photo, Don captured the moment...

I'll let the guys that were over there on that side of the thicket take over from here, then I'll post some more pictures...

Thanks for all the compliments guys! I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to share my first bow-killed deer with!  

From what I can see a person could get hurt almost as bad from the briers as they could from the pig.

I mean having to maneuver around in that stuff, in the dark, trying to avoid being hit with those cutters is going to created some blood letting...on critters other than the hog...lol

Thanks for the pictures and story.

Good job!!

God bless,Mudd

Curt, I think in an earlier post I mistakingly wrote in congrats for you on a nice buck. (Sorry Izzy)
I really meant to congradulate Izzy then and you now for some fine shootin on several hogs.
I'm lovin this stuff, keep it coming

Ok...So I've been following this since it came up and am loving the stories! Now this hunt with Curt's hog is making me want to go to Solana sooo bad.  

ARGH!!!! I need the rest of this story. Sounds like one of those perfect, crazy nights of Texas hog hunting. 3 in one sit is a ball of fun.

Congrats on the hogs, Curt,

Bisch

Sounds like another great Solana hunt.  Congrats especially to Skler on his first deer with a bow.  I am anxiously looking forward to the conclusion of Curt's tale and any others stories that are coming.

Great shot on your deer Skyler! Looks like a great time was had by all,except Curts hog.Nice shooting Curt.I am looking foward to the rest of the story.I know there is much more to come.glen

Hang on fellas, Terry and hopefully some of the others that were on that side of the fight will tell their part of this thriller!

I will also say...we were not alone...

Then I'll post what I have for pix and what I have from Don...