Three Little Pigs

by Richard Houston

Pro Staff

Bowhunting North America, LLC

On Saturday the Bowhunting North America Team made their way to the Circle T Ranch in Commerce, Texas for some hog hunting.  I was asked a few weeks earlier to go along as John Shelley’s cameraman and didn’t hesitate to say yes.  As we made our way onto the property I was immediately greeted with the sense that some serious hunting takes place there.  I noticed that the lodge house is very nice and roomy, making overnight accommodations comfortable.  I also noticed that the skinning area is very well laid out. It has plenty of room and if skinning takes place at night there was ample lighting.  I was hoping that the team would be able to put the skinning area to good use.  We had planned for two evening hunts so with luck, we would get the chance.

After getting “geared up” we all loaded up and were driven to our stands.  John and I were dropped off at a couple of tri-pod stands that sat nestled in a small clump of cedar trees.  We wished James Ferguson luck as he was driven off to hunt and film by himself.  John and I got set up, clipped a few small limbs to open up site lines, and then waited for the pigs to start moving.

After about an hour of being in the stand I noticed some movement out in front of John at the tree line.  Upon further inspection I realized it was a single hog coming out into the open field approximately forty-five yards in front of John.  I quietly turned on the video camera and began following the pig.  Now normally I would have probably whispered to John that the pig was there, but in this instance I had noticed that John was glassing the area and was practically looking right at the animal.  So, assuming he was watching the pig I kept quiet and didn’t say anything.  John continued to look around and seemed to pay the hog little, if any, attention.  I thought to myself, “Wow, this guy’s a professional.  Look how calm and collected he is.  He doesn’t even act like it’s a big deal that this big pig is right in front of us!”  After a minute or so of watching the pig, John quickly swung around and whispered, “There’s a pig!” as he pointed in the direction of the hog.  I gave him a “thumbs up” and kept on filming. 

John steadied and let an arrow fly, but just missed, as the arrow possibly glanced off the top of the animal’s back hair.  I couldn’t tell at the time because I was watching through the video camera.  So after a little disappointment we continued to sit and wait for another opportunity.  Only another opportunity did not present itself.  John later told me that he had not seen the pig until it was right in front of him, due to a branch being in the way or that he’s an old fart, I’ll let you decide. 

We saw numerous large hogs, but they never came in close enough to present a shot.  We also saw several axis deer and black buck in the distance.  At one point we heard a couple of axis buck fighting on the other side of a tree line.  Right before sundown, John received a text message from James stating that he had a hog on the ground, but needed some help with the tracking and recovery.  When we lost the last bit of shooting light, we packed up the gear and waited to be picked up, only I wasn’t expecting to be picked up by all the mosquitoes!  John was prepared for the mosquitoes, but was not and man I was regretting it!  I thought I was going to be carried off!

After meeting up with James we had a short tracking job and located his hog.  It was a good looking pig. 

The next night James and I made our way back to the ranch and this time I was given the opportunity to hunt with James behind the camera.  We decided to hunt the same ladder stand that James had hunted the night before.  Our stand was back up in a tree line right off of a dirt road that the pigs used to get from one side of the property to the other. 

It had been a while since I last sat up in a stand and had the opportunity to hunt myself so to say that I was enjoying myself is quite the understatement.  At one point James saw a hog about a hundred yards down the dirt road, but it was going the opposite direction and never returned.  We later had a young fallow spike come in for a while before moving on.  As the sun was getting low and light was fading we saw three pigs come up the road and into our path.  There were two small pigs and one that was larger and obviously the leader.  The big pig came in, paused, and then snorted as he bolted away, evidently sensing our presence.  The large pig stopped about thirty yards away, but only for a second or two and then he ran off.  I never had a shot on him so I shifted my attention back to the two smaller pigs. 

I had already retrieved my bow so I drew and let one fly.  The pig dropped in his tracks as the other one took off running.  As I sat quietly in the stand soaking up the joy of a successful hunt, James reminded me that he was in fact filming and that I needed to say something.  So I gave a quick run down for the camera.  James was quick to interject that I had shot a “Six-pack pig.”  Quizzically I looked back at James and said, “What’s a six-pack pig?”.  James smirked and said, “You know, a pig that will fit inside a six pack cooler.”  I quietly laughed, but not long because I saw the second pig coming back down the road.  I pointed to the pig and told James our other little friend was back.  James swung the camera around and I knocked another arrow. 

As the pig went behind a tree I came to full draw…bad mistake.  I was at full draw for what seemed like an eternity due to the pig not offering me a shot.  Finally the pig turned broadside and I dropped him in his tracks as well.  Two pigs on the ground within four feet of each other in little less than five minutes.  I was blessed!  The pigs weren’t big, but were perfect for the smoker.

After getting picked up we headed back to the lodge where we went to work dressing the two pigs.  The Circle T Ranch has plenty to offer the bowhunter and after two great hunts I guarantee that I will be back!

This hunt was made possible in part by our sponsors:  

Mathews, Inc., The Gean-Edwards Company, Lumenok, 

Tru Fire Corp., Limbsaver,  Huntin' Hoist,  Sure Grip Gun & Bow Racks, Advantage Max-1 Camouflage, Nikon Sport Optics,  Muzzy Products Corp., Wildlife Research Center, Whitetail Pro Log, The Armory, Display It Hardwood Cases and Gator Trax Boats

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