Gift Hog Hunt

Returned late yesterday afternoon after our 12th annual hog hunt, 10th with Woods N Water and 6th gift hunt to a deserving Veteran. While it was a wonderful time, the weather was not kind to us this time around. Daytime temps were in the high 70s or low 80s as we took our afternoon stands sitting until well after dark (as late as 10:30 PM waiting for some hog movement). Our first evening hunt turned out to be the most successful with most everyone seeing hogs, three shots taken and 3 hogs harvested.

I hunted the same property as our guest Veteran on night one and we were joined by another participant of this year's hunt, a pilot who was actually our guest on 2016's hunt! The property was a great piece of about 1,000 acres with lots of hogs around and was the same property that our 2016 guest took his first hog on that hunt. So, he had some very pleasant memories as we pulled through the gates for our initial sit. All three of us saw hogs and I was the first to shoot, followed a bit later by our guest also shooting. Unfortunately he missed clean on his hog, while having his 7yr old son joining him in his ground blind.

The other two participants hunted a different property and one hunter saw a bunch of hogs the other saw none. My Buddy Don saw several groups of hogs come and go from the bait site, but was trying to hold out for a monster. After realizing that he was likely about to get winded and have all the hogs blow out, he drew down on a nice boar and squeezed of his shot. The boar dropped in place, with another much smaller boar also killed with the pass-thru; a two-fer.

Night two saw our guest and two hunters again on the same nice property and another hog was taken by our guest from '16, after he'd seen a bunch of hogs coming and going all evening. More hogs seen on that property that night, but no additional hogs taken. The spot I hunted with Don that night was simply "hog-less" with not so much as a grunt or squeal heard all eveing on the very still, quiet evening. We did have an unexpected bonus as we all arrived back to camp around 11:30 PM.

The owner of one of our exclusive properties (reserved for this hunt, alone) along with some close friends, had spent all afternoon and evening preparing a huge pile of BBQ for our late night dinner at camp. Two huge aluminum pans piled high with ribs, burgers, smoked sausage, chicken and pork chops were given to us for that night's dinner. We all stumbled into bed around 2 AM all nearing falling into a self-induced "meat coma".

The third night included a foray for the remaining four hunters (our special guest had to leave) into a huge swamp with more hog sign than you could imagine. While we sat with mosquitoes buzzing us for 5+ hours, only one hog was seen, and it only for mere seconds. We loaded onto a "swamp buggy" (actually a Polaris towing a trailer) for the trip out to our stands that evening deep into the huge swamp and even got stuck in the muck on the way out there. we got things sorted out and finished getting the hunters to their spots in a timely manner, by ATV alone.

My appreciation goes out once again to my good friend Blaine Burley, owner of Woods N Water, for his continued support of this gift hunt. He won't allow additional groups in our camp while we are there with our Veteran guest, allowing for a very private and personal hunt for our group. This year's guest was a former Army pilot now confined to a wheel chair, while the word "confined" doesn't really truthfully define his efforts to be all but self sufficient, there were concerns for us leading up to the hunt as to whether it would go smoothly. Due almost entirely to our guest's personal fortitude with just a little bit of assistance from his camp mates, the hunt went very smoothly and was completely enjoyed by all in attendance. As it turned out, there were three former Army pilots in attendance this year, a definite first!

Our special guest was all but floored when we presented him with his gift rifle & scope; a Browning AB3 in 7/08 topped with a Leupold VX-R 1.25-4 with Firedot Duplex reticle. While he did not connect with a boar on his hunt, he absolutely loved the rifle & scope!

As a bit of an aside, my final evening in stand (Tuesday night) was a tough one on me as I was informed as I sat there that last year's guest had had some additional set-backs and needed to have his other leg removed yesterday. The good news is that I have already heard from him early this morning with him telling me "Easy Day. Surgery went well..." I have told you guys time and time again just how tough and resilient this men are and I am so very proud to have met all of them!



Here are some random pics from the hunt and as more pics are forwarded to me, I promise to update with more.
 

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Son

Gone But Not Forgotten
Some toothy one's there. They have become a pest to many farms in SW Ga.
 

jbogg

Senior Member
Great story and pics Ed! That is a wonderful way that you are giving something back to our veterans.
 
Thanks Buddy. The hunts take a good bit of planning and even some luck to complete, but they are great times for all who participate.
 
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