tjhunt2 Report post Posted January 2, 2011 First just let me tell you that I have shot my share of game here in az so don't feel sorry for me. There's no pictures so most won't read this but I just don't have anything better to do, since I need rest and plenty of liquids after yesterdays pig hunt. Pigs are my favorite to hunt and eat and it's been three years now without one and my wife keeps telling me I'm know spring chicken any more and I can't do what I use to do so just suck it up and quit whining about your aches and pains. She says I have an obsession with pigs and it's going to kill me one day. I did once fall off a rock while chasing them which lead to a titanium plate holding two vertebreas in my neck, slipped off a small dirt bank after the dirt let loose under my footing causing me to knock myself out for a short period and brusing my hip to my foot thinking my hip was broke, and now this. I keep telling her not to worry I got the upper hand on them pigs. Last year opening day had me up on the mountain coughing my fool head off with the flu because I refused to stay home but just ended up elevating my sickness and wasn't able to get out much after that. My wife gets sick last week and I try and stay away from her but started getting what she had so I jumped on the antibiodics and hoped for the best. Yesterday finally arrives and I'm feeling pretty good so I drag my two nephews along and we are at our viewing spot by 8:45 and locate the pigs shortly after arriving. After watching and determing their direction of feeding I decide to make my stock and left the two boys to keep an eye on things. Because of the wind I had to circle around the area which took me an hour to get within 400yrds only to find the wind blowing not to favorable for my approach. I back out and change my angle and by the time I was within 100rds of the pigs it had taken me 2 hours. The hillside was steep with loose rocks, cacti and brush was thicker than it looked so it took me another 2 hours to close the deal to within 20yds with pigs in front of me but to much vegetation to shoot thru. It's now 2:00 and I've been frozen in that spot for 20min and find my legs beginning to shake due to the sharpness of the hillside. The pigs move out of site and my spotters tell me, thru signals, the pigs are bedded just 30 yds in front of me. I need a drink of water bad but decide I don't risk making any noise, first mistake, and after a short priod of time I have to make my next step or my legs are going to buckle. I fell alittle off balance and now have a back full of jumping cacti. Now I'm just about had it and been on this stock since 9:00. I take another step and kick out a pig I didn't know was 15yds in front of me. He takes the rest of the pigs with him and I blow on my varmit call. Two pigs come within 10yds but on the wrong side of the tree. They finally smell me and run off but I stop them with another call and one comes back and I have to shoot off balance and let an arrow fly. The string takes my varmit call out of my mouth and sends my arrow on another path other than where I aimed hitting the pig in the back leg. After all this I'm mad at myself for forcing the shot. I have my arrow and some blood and my spotters tell me I have pigs bedded 40yds below. I told them I wouldn't shoot another unless I give this blood trail my best. I sit down and find out I can hardly get my swandwich down and having trouble dringing water. I have dehydrated myself by now and think back at what my wife keeps telling me. You can't do what you use to do so why try? You guys know the answer to that one. After some time I track my pig thru a couple hundred yds and end up in a thicket that I have to crawl thru. The blood trail was getting slim and then I notice I've lost all my arrows but the one I shot the pig with and it didn't have a knock. Now I'm on my hands and knees back tracking and picking up my arrows. I finall get back and my pig had rejoined the heard and I bust them up. My spotters tell me they saw my pig and it seems just fine with a little red spot on a leg. Pigs running in every direction and I set up and blow my cottontail call and pigs running all around me. Two pigs behind me at 5yds and I can't shoot thru the stuff. Another pig charges towards me and I spook it as I try to draw my bow and send him off. More calling and in comes a few more from different directions and I'm just loosing it with excitement. I draw my bow back and I release an arrow before I get a chance to look thru the peep site and hit 10ft in front of a big bore. The rest of the pigs kept milling around but the brush was just to thick to chance a shot. It's now 5:00 and the pigs are gone and I radio my nephews I would see them in about an hour on the other side of the mountain. On my walk back I try and drink some water and it won't go down. I start choking and find myself gaging and having trouble with my breathing. Now what the heck has happened I ask myself. Try more water and get a little down but not without choking again. My throat felt like it had closed almost shut. When I get back to where the boys were to pick me up I wasn't able to talk to them. I let them drive me home and started getting a little better by the time I arrived. My wife wanted to take me to urgent care since she couldn't see an opening in my throat. I said give me a beer and I'll be fine. That p!ssed her of and I said don't give me that spring chicken bull sh!t either. What had happened was I got a case of uvulitis. It is caused by many different things, that you can look up for yourself on the internet, but mine was caused by dehydration and caused my uvula to swell many times bigger than normal size. I didn't know what it was untill I looked it up this morning. It's the thing hanging down in the back of your throat above your tongue. It just about completely closed off my throat from breathing and swollowing. It took about 3 hours before I could talk right again. I'm much better this morning but need some rest and plenty of liquids, I wonder if they mean beer and football, and I'll be ready for tomorrow for another bout with them pigs. Drink plenty of water and I hope someone learns from my experience with dehydration. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonecollector Report post Posted January 2, 2011 Tj sorry you didn't get your pig but it sounds like you had some excitement with a lot of pigs around you. Good to hear your doing ok. Its a good reminder to stay hydrated even though its nice and cool outside we still need to drink water. Good luck with the pigs, I didn't see anything yesterday. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jackshoe Report post Posted January 2, 2011 Good luck tomorrow Tom. Take time to drink some water or pack a little gatorade. If you get down and can't move, them pigs might take some revenge on you for all their relatives you've done in over the years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pine Donkey Report post Posted January 2, 2011 It is a special thing when the thrill of the hunt temporarily over comes the reality of aging. However, it is always temporary and the realities of life soon come crashing back. I loved your story. It brought back memories of trying to make it down a steep hillside with dislocated ribs after a fall with a heard of pigs as witness. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tommat Report post Posted January 2, 2011 I missed a pig a few years ago because I had the pig call in my mouth while at full draw trying to coax a pig out from behind a tree. It did, and as I shot the call was ripped from my mouth, shattering it, the cord it hung on about decapitated me. The arrow sunk deep into the tree, never to be extracted, and the Javelina is probably still running. I will never again go to full draw with anything in my mouth again! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHALE Report post Posted January 2, 2011 What a write up!!!! Sorry to hear no pig TJ but the visual given by you story was great. Hope you heal up and the wife eases up on you. Enjoy some beer, watch some football and go get em tomorrow never quit, good luck Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billrquimby Report post Posted January 2, 2011 Good story, TJ. It makes me want to hunt hogs again. Wish I could still draw a bow. Good luck on your next hunt. Bill Quimby Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Basser15 Report post Posted January 3, 2011 I think beer and football is always a cure for what ails you... Looking forward to some success photos from you, hopefully tomorrow Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lucky2hunt Report post Posted January 3, 2011 GOOD GREIF TJ!!!!!!! (although "give me a beer" cracked me up) Be careful out there! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeffd Report post Posted January 3, 2011 Funny stuff there TJ.At least you got into the pigs and your o.k. for another story.Good luck to you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azslim Report post Posted January 3, 2011 Yea, it's hard on us as we get older to not keep up to the standards we set when we were younger. Now I take long cuts if the walking is easier, the hills I scramble up aren't as high and boy does it take a long time to heal up nowadays. And to add insult to injury my arms are too short to read much anymore - boy did that happen in a hurry. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Browning'sCustomMeat Report post Posted January 3, 2011 Well glad you are doing better today, pretty scary stuff but beer fixes everything! hahaha! Now go get them pigs and drink some water every now and again! -Jeremy- Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs125coues Report post Posted January 3, 2011 Aww Tom sorry to hear about your outing!!! I know you will get one, just like you told me that year I got mine! Mark and I were moving this weekend and should finish this coming weekend. Give us a call if you want some help. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACW Report post Posted January 5, 2011 Sorry about the bad luck TJ. It made more an entertaining story though. Hope to see some pig pics from you soon and be carefull out there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chef Report post Posted January 5, 2011 Dang TJ! You make it sound like hunting pigs will kill ya! If the hills don't their stench will right!? Be careful out there bud & listen to Pam and drink your fluids! Good luck and I'm looking forward to your success, after all, them pigs are winning!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
