Strange Turkey Season, Continued…

Ahead of us, a few adult wild hogs walked out of the cedars 100 yards ahead of us. In a low voice Champ   said, “Stop.” The hogs crossed the gravel road and filed into the woods.

I stopped the pickup and Champ added, “Let me use your crossbow, it’s more powerful than mine”. In seconds he had my cocked crossbow in hand and was disappearing into the thick cedar trees.

This area was one that Champ and I knew well because of our past wild hog bow hunts there. The cedars were dense and that had created a few easy to follow trails that guided the hogs and other wild game  through the area and eventually turned downhill to the river.

Champ used the closest trail to cover distance  through the cedars, quietly and quickly, and he came out on a trail that intercepted the trails crossing the road and also followed the top edge of the hill. He heard hog grunts and moved ahead to where he thought the hogs would be.

When he saw them they were 25 yards away and Champ looked them over and saw what, in the real world, we call a “big one”. In seconds the big hog was in range and coming closer on the same trail where Champ was standing … and already taking aim. He triggered his shot.

Whack! The hog charged into the cedars and stopped for good.

I waited in my pickup for Champ to return. Daylight was fading when Champ climbed into the passenger seat and excitedly told me what had happened. I got out my spotlight and Sony camera and we walked to the hog. And it was one of those “Big Ones.”