Kenny
19-04-07, 10:04 PM
This afternoon I lost my bowhunting 'virginity'....
I have had two previous attempts at taking a pig from a mob of 5 that had been hanging around for two weeks or so.
On my first attempt I stalked to within about 50 metres only to watch them vacate the premises post haste after the largest boar smelt me from a not so convenient swirl of wind :( I actually watched him stretch his neck out and have a real good sniff which I got a buzz out of anyway.
I saw them again the next afternoon so having not seen me they were not too spooked. I decided to have a second go at them the following afternoon......luckily they were back again but right out in the open this time with the closest cover about 100m away, with a strong breeze in my face I felt confident of getting a shot at them, at around 50m a bloody big wallaroo popped up in front of me and bolted right past the pigs...scaring them off once again.
All I could do was watch them run off, my 13 year old son was going to video me shooting my first pig from a distance and the pigs were heading straight for him, he was waving his arms around as he could see them coming. I was feeling very afraid for him as I knew how scared he would be with the old man being so far away, I made a signal as if I was firing a bow and my chest near swelled up when he hopped up on a big rock and drew his bow.........the pigs ran straight past him...but he did not fire....they didn't even see him.. .. he jumped off the rock and walked towards me. Poor little bugger was frozen on the spot, I guess that's buck fever :D He reckons he had jelly legs all the way back to the ute. And now has the biggest story to tell his mates :lol:
I must be one lucky bugger as the pigs where back again this afternoon !
They were digging on the edge of the scrub line on the side of the mountain about 100m from where they had ran 2 days before.
I had the feeling this was my last chance, the wind was right though it was getting quiet dark, I hoped there were no roos in the scrub and started a stalk along the edge towards them, they were around the corner out of my veiw and when I got to where I wanted to be, they were still digging away merrily oblivious to my presence.....now wheres the big one I thought.
It was hard to see them as the area is really rocky with depressions and wattyl clumps everywhere, all I could see were two small white ones and a small black one, I decided to be patient feeling he would show himself eventually, so sat down behind a patch of wattyl and watched them.
Then there he was...well his back anyway...right behind a rocky outcrop higher on the hill, the smaller pigs were moving towards me and were at about 25m out...perfect, but the bigger bloke was about 35......I doubted my ability at that range and having never ...shot anything..with an arrow before, except a hay bale I did not know what to expect.
I have heard the stories of pigs being rather annoyed by the stinging thing in their side and 'going off'....I even imagined the arrow may bounce off him.....I was so dry in the mouth I couldn't swallow and I wanted to cough, my heart was pounding...jeez i was freaking out :lol:
Then he showed himself, side on...clear shot so now or never... whack, I let him have one of my carbons, he spun around to face the other way and grunted...then went behind the rock again. I dunno if I missed or not ..it sounded good, like a solid hit should sound like...well.. I think.
But hey...the small ones are still in front of me, so I lined up the bigger white one and thud another arrow gone, he bolted about 5m and got all wobbly, I could see the blood on his side just before he fell over, the rest were gone now. I could hear movement high up in the scrub.
I sat back and took a breath, I don't think I had taken a breath for about a minute :lol: It was almost dark now so I thought I would walk over to the rock to try and find a blood trail from the big fella, too dark..no torch and I couldn't find the arrow, I am a bit dissapointed at possibly wounding him, so will be back there tomorrow for a search.
Grabbed the camera and sat it on a rock and posed for this pic with the small white boar. The arrow entered through the rear quarter and exited through the opposite shoulder.
I never realised digitals are a pain in the dark....maybe it's just mine but the screen would not show anything so it's not a great photo...all a bit crooked :lol:
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m224/Kennythebat_2006/DSCF0980.jpg
I used a 'dunno what make (been painted over) 60lb compound with Easton carbon 500 arrows and Outback broadheads.
cheers
KY
I have had two previous attempts at taking a pig from a mob of 5 that had been hanging around for two weeks or so.
On my first attempt I stalked to within about 50 metres only to watch them vacate the premises post haste after the largest boar smelt me from a not so convenient swirl of wind :( I actually watched him stretch his neck out and have a real good sniff which I got a buzz out of anyway.
I saw them again the next afternoon so having not seen me they were not too spooked. I decided to have a second go at them the following afternoon......luckily they were back again but right out in the open this time with the closest cover about 100m away, with a strong breeze in my face I felt confident of getting a shot at them, at around 50m a bloody big wallaroo popped up in front of me and bolted right past the pigs...scaring them off once again.
All I could do was watch them run off, my 13 year old son was going to video me shooting my first pig from a distance and the pigs were heading straight for him, he was waving his arms around as he could see them coming. I was feeling very afraid for him as I knew how scared he would be with the old man being so far away, I made a signal as if I was firing a bow and my chest near swelled up when he hopped up on a big rock and drew his bow.........the pigs ran straight past him...but he did not fire....they didn't even see him.. .. he jumped off the rock and walked towards me. Poor little bugger was frozen on the spot, I guess that's buck fever :D He reckons he had jelly legs all the way back to the ute. And now has the biggest story to tell his mates :lol:
I must be one lucky bugger as the pigs where back again this afternoon !
They were digging on the edge of the scrub line on the side of the mountain about 100m from where they had ran 2 days before.
I had the feeling this was my last chance, the wind was right though it was getting quiet dark, I hoped there were no roos in the scrub and started a stalk along the edge towards them, they were around the corner out of my veiw and when I got to where I wanted to be, they were still digging away merrily oblivious to my presence.....now wheres the big one I thought.
It was hard to see them as the area is really rocky with depressions and wattyl clumps everywhere, all I could see were two small white ones and a small black one, I decided to be patient feeling he would show himself eventually, so sat down behind a patch of wattyl and watched them.
Then there he was...well his back anyway...right behind a rocky outcrop higher on the hill, the smaller pigs were moving towards me and were at about 25m out...perfect, but the bigger bloke was about 35......I doubted my ability at that range and having never ...shot anything..with an arrow before, except a hay bale I did not know what to expect.
I have heard the stories of pigs being rather annoyed by the stinging thing in their side and 'going off'....I even imagined the arrow may bounce off him.....I was so dry in the mouth I couldn't swallow and I wanted to cough, my heart was pounding...jeez i was freaking out :lol:
Then he showed himself, side on...clear shot so now or never... whack, I let him have one of my carbons, he spun around to face the other way and grunted...then went behind the rock again. I dunno if I missed or not ..it sounded good, like a solid hit should sound like...well.. I think.
But hey...the small ones are still in front of me, so I lined up the bigger white one and thud another arrow gone, he bolted about 5m and got all wobbly, I could see the blood on his side just before he fell over, the rest were gone now. I could hear movement high up in the scrub.
I sat back and took a breath, I don't think I had taken a breath for about a minute :lol: It was almost dark now so I thought I would walk over to the rock to try and find a blood trail from the big fella, too dark..no torch and I couldn't find the arrow, I am a bit dissapointed at possibly wounding him, so will be back there tomorrow for a search.
Grabbed the camera and sat it on a rock and posed for this pic with the small white boar. The arrow entered through the rear quarter and exited through the opposite shoulder.
I never realised digitals are a pain in the dark....maybe it's just mine but the screen would not show anything so it's not a great photo...all a bit crooked :lol:
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m224/Kennythebat_2006/DSCF0980.jpg
I used a 'dunno what make (been painted over) 60lb compound with Easton carbon 500 arrows and Outback broadheads.
cheers
KY