As I was walking to my stand the full moon was still high in the early morning sky.  It was light enough outside that you did not need any light to find your way.  I could not help but wonder if the pigs would still be moving when it was light enough to shoot.

It was late September and I was making this familiar walk by myself.  My son, Michael, was supposed to be hunting with me this morning, but he had been sick and when we arrived at the bunkhouse at the Diamond C Ranch he began coughing out of control.  We both decided that it would be best if he slept in and hopefully that would give his medication time to kick in so he could hunt Saturday afternoon.

It seemed like it did not take much time at all to find my way to the stand.  On this hunt, I was hunting at stand number 5.  This stand was a 4X8 platform on a 6-foot tower with two seats.  This stand was situated in a Mesquite flat overlooking a small clearing. 

Once I reached the stand, I spread some corn out on the ground and got settled into my stand.  By the time I finished setting up the camera I could hear pigs grunting all around me.  The moon was still visible when I saw two dark shadows moving at the edge of the clearing.  It was pigs!  Two 70-pound porkers were lurking on the edge of the clearing but they would not leave the cover of the Mesquite trees.  I did not want the pigs to find my corn since it was not light enough to film yet.  Luck was on my side and the two pigs turned and headed deeper into the cover.

Before the sun broke the skyline I had several more groups of pigs come by my stand but none came out into the clearing where I could get a shot.  I was enjoying the morning when I heard something running in my direction from the opposite side of the clearing.  It looked like my first two visitors were back and they found my corn! 

These two pigs were young boars in the 70-pound range.  One was black and the other was red.  I decided that I would take a shot at the first pig that offered me a good shot.  Just as I was about to zip an arrow through the red pig, they scattered!  I looked to my left and in strolled a huge chocolate Fallow buck. 

Once the two pigs realized that there was enough corn to go around they began feeding with the fallow buck.  The two pigs were eating on the move!  Finally the black pig stopped.  As soon as the black pig stopped broadsided I drew my Mathews Switchback, placed my 20-yard pin on the porker’s shoulder and sent a Wac’em tipped arrow on its way.  The Lumenok lit up and it looked like my arrow was on fire.  As soon as the arrow struck the pig, he dropped in his tracks!  That’s something you don’t see happen with archery gear very often!  It was only 7:15 AM and I had my pig on the ground! 

As I gathered up my gear to head back to camp, I was hoping Michael would be well enough to make the afternoon hunt! 

Once back at camp I learned that another hunter had stuck a 200 plus pound hog.  That just goes to show you the type of hogs that call the Diamond C home! 

With my hog on ice now I could concentrate on getting Michael to the field for the afternoon hunt.  Michael told me that he had not been coughing so we broke out his bow for some last minute practice.  It looked like Michael was ready.

I decided that we would hunt a new location so we needed to go hang a stand for me to film Michael’s hunt from.  We loaded up one of our North Star tree stands and headed out to stand 6.  This stand was in a huge Oak tree on the back of the ranch that overlooked several trails on the edge of a thicket.  In no time we had the camera stand in place and we were headed back to camp for a quick nap.

By 6:00 PM we were settled in the huge oak tree overlooking the heavily used trails.  We did not have to wait long before we had some visitors.  We passed the afternoon by watching several trophy class rams graze all around us. 

As darkness approached we had a 125-pound sow cruise by and she never offered Michael a shot.  We still had plenty of time! 

The next visitors that traveled in front of our stand were a group of 5 small pigs.  As the pigs came in, Michael was pumped.  He drew his Mathews Mustang with ease and placed his 20-yard Trophy Ridge sight pin on the brown pig.  Michael sent the arrow on its way and the shot was high.  All of the pigs headed for cover and did not give Michael a second shot. 

Just as camera light was fading, I saw movement out in front of us.  The movement I saw through the thick cover in front of us was of a massive pig.  This pig had to be well over 300 pounds but a glimpse is all I would get of this beast.  He knew something was not right, grunted and vanished in the cover.

The next morning found Michael and I back in the huge Oak tree at stand 6.  Just as the new morning was coming alive I saw movement to our left.  It was two pigs.  One of the pigs was the big sow that passed us by yesterday afternoon.

Michael was grinning from ear to ear when the pigs began feeding in front of us at 15 yards.  Michael clipped on his Tru-Fire release and started to draw.  I grabbed Michael on the shoulder and told him he could not shoot.  Michael looked at me like I had lost my mind!  I quietly told Michael it was too dark for the camera to film and he had to wait about 15 more minutes before he could shoot.  Even though Michael wanted to shoot he knew that hunting with a camera was a little different than hunting without one. 

The next 15 minutes seemed like an eternity!  As the dark image in the viewfinder of the camera became clearer and clearer I began to shake almost uncontrollably.  The large sow was still feeding out in front of Michael.  I whispered to him, “Shoot her!”  Michael whispered back, “I can’t a limb is in the way”.  I began to shake even more.  I thought I was not going to be able to hold the camera still.

Step by step the pig moved farther out into the opening.  I saw Michael start to draw his Mustang and I zoomed in on the pig as Michael’s arrow hits its mark!  The pig was quartering away and Michael’s Arrow was buried to the fletchings as the pig ran off with the Lumenok glowing!

Michael turned to me and he was all smiles!  I know the tree we were in was shaking like crazy because both of us were shaking out of control. 

After a long 45-minute wait we headed out to find Michael’s pig.  With some help from Donna and Morgan we found Michael’s pig 100 yards from the stand.  Michael’s pig tipped the scales at an even 125 pounds!  This was Michael’s largest pig to date!

James Ferguson

President

Bowhunting North America, LLC

This hunt was made possible in part by our sponsors:  

Mathews, Inc., Carbon Express,

The Gean-Edwards Company, Rynoskin, Trophy Ridge, North Starr Tree Stands, 

Shed Hunter Co., Fieldline, DoskoSport, Lumenok, Tru Fire Corp., Rocket Aeroheads, Quake Industries, 

Limbsaver, Bushnell, Huntin' Hoist, Wac'em Broadheads,, Beard Buster, The Beckham Group, Sure Grip Gun & Bow Racks

Copyright 2005, Bowhunting North America

All Rights Reserved