Sunday, July 7, 2019

Hog watching!!! or That's why they call it hunting not shooting!!




Well it was time to go and put out some corn in my local hunting spot.  A neighbor related that he had seen 12 or so small hogs behind his house.  Because it was only 2min. down the road, I asked if he would mind if I tried to shoot one.  After getting the state nuisance paperwork for night hunting and a written permission slip, I went exploring in the bottom.
There is a year round branch, a pond, and open woods there.  On my initial trip in I found that the trail was down a steep hill to a questionable(as in decayed to the point of foot traffic only) bridge across the branch.  I would have to backpack the corn in.  I found a run down wooden blind to use and proceeded to dig some holes for the bait.  After a week my camera showed only a raccoon and a fox at the corn.
The woods were well rooted by the hogs , but they never seemed to go to the bait holes.  On another trip I had to brace up the roof of the blind and clear out the bugs to make it usable.  
So, on this particular day I decided to go add some more corn.  Not being too concerned about seeing these ghost hogs and to free my hands for carrying stuff, I only took my .38 Special pistol.
So, picture this.  Here's yours truly daintily crossing the rickety bridge and trying to only step on the solid boards.  It's probably a 6ft. drop to the water, but one I don't want to experience.
After crossing the creek I usually slip quietly along the trail in just in case there are actually some hogs in the woods.  Even though it is 9:30 in the morning, I'm easing along the shaded bottom, and I see movement. There are 13 or so hogs feeding in the woods in front of me.  What to do.  I have a bucket of corn in one hand and a machete in the other.  The snubnose is safely in its holster.  I now have two options.  I could drop the corn and charge in wildly swinging the machete or I could tree up and try to get a shot with the pistol.  Discretion being the better part of valor.  I decided to try to reach a tree for cover and a pistol shot.
Well, I took a half a step and hogs ran everywhere including the unseen three on the other side of the trail.
All I could do was stand there with my knickers around my ankles and watch the show.
As Rosanne Rosannadana used to say on Saturday Night Live:  "It just goes to show you.  It's always somethin'." 
From now on I will have my long shooter with me even if I have to make two trips up and down the hill.     

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