The last couple of months I have had some great stalks on billy goats with the new Quest G5 bow.
I had also spotted some pigs in some high country with the Steiner Condor 10 x42 binoculars that I’d been trialling for a while. Unfortunately. they vanished into the thick scrub by the time I got to where I last saw them.
With some fresh wallows located lower down off that hill, I geared up for a morning stalk the next day.
I established that I was now right above the pigs’ stamping ground and seeing a lot of fresh sign when the light improved confirmed it.
Thinking I might get onto the yesterday’s pigs by surveying this area, particularly in view of the fresh sign, I gradually became a little disappointed after several bouts of intense glassing, realising that no pig was likely to show.
Perplexed, I started to move slowly down onto lower ground and was gratified to find some fresh pig diggings leading out onto some flat green country. There were some nearby stands of pig-protecting timber, so I chose a covered area to sit and began glassing once more.
Suddenly I spotted a lone pig making its way towards me along a fence line; it was a large pig, moving steadily and staying hard up against the fence.
Weighing my options, I decided not to cross over the fence as this would alert the pig of my presence. So I stayed close to the fence, partially concealed in some weak, early-morning shadows.
The Ridgeline Buffalo camo clothing no doubt kept me unseen and soon the pig was very close to me. He was by now presenting a sure shot, so I sent a three-bladed broadhead into the pig’s lungs, entering just behind his shoulder.
The (yes, I had confirmed he was a boar) boar scampered away and then stopped 30 yards off, sitting down for a second. Then he rose and and moved off again. I paused to think, then slowly commenced a pursuit.
I could see a good blood trail and soon found the boar sitting on all fours in some long grass. I was alone, so did not wish to become boar bait through rushing in.
Watching him from 30 yards for the next 15 minutes, I felt he was not done for, so I decided to stalk in cautiously to 20 paces to put the finishing arrow into him. Bringing the Quest G5 Bow to full draw, I arrowed him again low and just behind the shoulder.
At the impact, he jumped to his feet, looking straight at me. Mindful of pigs’ poor vision, I stood very still, but he wasn’t fooled and he knew my position. With malevolent intent in his look, he charged me.
Deciding to hold my position, I watched him approach and once he was very close, I moved to one side and pushed the side of his head away with the area on the bow where the bolt is that tightens the limb to adjust the draw weight of the bow.
At this, the irate boar veered away from me and he ran on for a few more yards until he collapsed.
A little shaken, I watched him lying on his side; again I watched and waited. There had been no movement from the boar for a while and I prepared to stalk in to him again.
With bow at the ready, I approached very gingerly, but soon I could see he’d expired.
Wow! That was a very, very close encounter and my adrenalin flowed freely. More to the point, I had my first bow-hunted boar and he was a thumper!
This article was first published in the September 2014 issue of Sporting Shooter magazine.
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