I was able to tag along with two buddies on their archery javelina hunt even if all I could was ride around in the jeep and sit in the chair next to it and glass due to I'm still recovering from knee surgery. I have to brag though as think of the three groups of pigs we spotted that day I can claim finding two of them so I hope my presence there was worth my inconvenience. This was more of a father and son adventure than a hunting trip for me having my 6yr old in tow, but also for the other guys that had the pig tags as they to brought their sons out for the day trip.
I am only allowed to put 140 lbs of weight on my leg at the time of this photo so I'm not allowed to venture far from the jeep and even then it needed to be pretty even terrain. I'm also on blood thinners so taking a fall out in the boonies is not something I cared to do and it kept me in my chair and not exploring the hills around us, unlike my boy.
As two hunters and their boys worked up into a high glassing spot I had spotted a herd and notified them of the pigs location. I turned the binos over to my son as a huge sow javelina and her two piglets fed in the sun on the mountain side. The main herd of pigs were on the opposite side of the ridge and out of site.
The stalk that the guys had to put on took several hours and with the bitter cold out it didn't take long for my son and I to get things setup and brew up some hot cocoa.
After the pigs winded the hunters and took off it gave us a break from the spotter duties that we could have some lunch. My son was a trooper in that most of the gear needed for cocoa and lunch required him to carry from the back of the jeep over to a flat spot for us to use. Not once did he complain throughout the cold day and only once did he ask... "dad... when is it gunna be our turn to hike"? I should have got that on video to use against him in future hunts to come when he doesn't want to hike up to the coues deer glassing point.
Of course our favorite camp lunch is PB&J sandwiches.
Even though the guys never arrowed a pig, the day was a grand sucess getting our three sons out there on a hunting trip where I think they all got to see pigs, experience the joys and spoils of archery hunting. Given rifles this hunt would have had a completely different outcome and the patience the boys showed without complaint was awesome. Their sons didn't complain much either.
I think you can rate how much the little guys did by how long it takes for them to zonk out on the ride home. The two in the back of my jeep didn't last 5 mins before they were out.
I cannot wait for my HAM (handgun/archery/muzzy) tag to come around. I hope to be cleared to be able to walk around on flat ground and get to chase some pigs in the flats with my bow. If not I'll be tempted to break out the smoke pole to reach out and touch one of them on the side of a mountain. Either way I'm looking forward to another adventure with my son.
Cheers,
cmc
I am only allowed to put 140 lbs of weight on my leg at the time of this photo so I'm not allowed to venture far from the jeep and even then it needed to be pretty even terrain. I'm also on blood thinners so taking a fall out in the boonies is not something I cared to do and it kept me in my chair and not exploring the hills around us, unlike my boy.
As two hunters and their boys worked up into a high glassing spot I had spotted a herd and notified them of the pigs location. I turned the binos over to my son as a huge sow javelina and her two piglets fed in the sun on the mountain side. The main herd of pigs were on the opposite side of the ridge and out of site.
The stalk that the guys had to put on took several hours and with the bitter cold out it didn't take long for my son and I to get things setup and brew up some hot cocoa.
After the pigs winded the hunters and took off it gave us a break from the spotter duties that we could have some lunch. My son was a trooper in that most of the gear needed for cocoa and lunch required him to carry from the back of the jeep over to a flat spot for us to use. Not once did he complain throughout the cold day and only once did he ask... "dad... when is it gunna be our turn to hike"? I should have got that on video to use against him in future hunts to come when he doesn't want to hike up to the coues deer glassing point.
Of course our favorite camp lunch is PB&J sandwiches.
Even though the guys never arrowed a pig, the day was a grand sucess getting our three sons out there on a hunting trip where I think they all got to see pigs, experience the joys and spoils of archery hunting. Given rifles this hunt would have had a completely different outcome and the patience the boys showed without complaint was awesome. Their sons didn't complain much either.
I think you can rate how much the little guys did by how long it takes for them to zonk out on the ride home. The two in the back of my jeep didn't last 5 mins before they were out.
I cannot wait for my HAM (handgun/archery/muzzy) tag to come around. I hope to be cleared to be able to walk around on flat ground and get to chase some pigs in the flats with my bow. If not I'll be tempted to break out the smoke pole to reach out and touch one of them on the side of a mountain. Either way I'm looking forward to another adventure with my son.
Cheers,
cmc
