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Jeff in TX
Senior MemberJ&D Ranch - North Central TXPosts: 2,548 Senior Member
Hit my first hog with the crossbow
Waited for halftime of the Cowboys game yesterday to go bow hunting. There were two hogs under my back corner feeder munching on corn as I parked my 4-wheeler and looked through my binos. The winds were blowing hard from the south directly into my face so I knew they wouldn't wind me. I set my pack and stool down I was going to sit on in my blind and slipped into the woods. I started my stalk and I walked well worn cattle trail, got down on my hands and knees and closed to within 15 yards. I set my Primos tri-legged shooting stixs up and put the crossbow on it. First time I'd ever seen a beige (yellowish) hog. He was the smaller of the two about 150 lbs. I put the cross hair just behind his front shoulder. One small problem, I was having to shoot through a bit of tall grass, which obscured my vision to a degree but not too bad. I knew it wasn't going to do anything to the flight of the arrow as it wasn't thick. I flipped off the safety and squeezed the trigger. TWANG of the bow string and a loud THUNK! I knew I hit him.
One turned and walked west and the one I hit walked east. He walked to the other end of the food plot (30 yards) and just into the mesquite woods and stopped. I kept waiting for him to lay down. Then he'd walk a few more steps and stops for a few minutes. Finally he was 50 or so yards into the woods. I slipped across the food plot and continued to watch his stop wait and take a few steps. He never saw or winded me and I kept thinking he was going to lay down at any point. He walked over a small rise and I decided to give him 15 min. Last time I ever saw him. And no I left my binos on the 4-wheeler so I couldn't tell if the arrow was sticking out of him, but I didn't see the lime green nock when he was walking off.
Since I had been watching him walk away I didn't look for blood. When I got to the rise where he went over I didn't see any blood. I searched the whole back end of my property and never jumped him or saw any sign of him. I went back to the feeder and where he was standing and still no blood. However there was a small berm about 4' taller than his back 5 yards behind where he was standing when I shot. No arrow to be found, so I knew I'd him, not to mention I heard the THUNK! The little bit of grass and recoil from the short shot prevented me from seeing the arrow hit, but it didn't exit him.
My buddy going to come over later today and we're going to search the south section of my ranch. He was right on the border of my knot head neighbor who put the high fence up so I know he didn't cross over into his place. I'm hoping to find him today with two of us looking. If I find him I'll post some pics.
One turned and walked west and the one I hit walked east. He walked to the other end of the food plot (30 yards) and just into the mesquite woods and stopped. I kept waiting for him to lay down. Then he'd walk a few more steps and stops for a few minutes. Finally he was 50 or so yards into the woods. I slipped across the food plot and continued to watch his stop wait and take a few steps. He never saw or winded me and I kept thinking he was going to lay down at any point. He walked over a small rise and I decided to give him 15 min. Last time I ever saw him. And no I left my binos on the 4-wheeler so I couldn't tell if the arrow was sticking out of him, but I didn't see the lime green nock when he was walking off.
Since I had been watching him walk away I didn't look for blood. When I got to the rise where he went over I didn't see any blood. I searched the whole back end of my property and never jumped him or saw any sign of him. I went back to the feeder and where he was standing and still no blood. However there was a small berm about 4' taller than his back 5 yards behind where he was standing when I shot. No arrow to be found, so I knew I'd him, not to mention I heard the THUNK! The little bit of grass and recoil from the short shot prevented me from seeing the arrow hit, but it didn't exit him.
My buddy going to come over later today and we're going to search the south section of my ranch. He was right on the border of my knot head neighbor who put the high fence up so I know he didn't cross over into his place. I'm hoping to find him today with two of us looking. If I find him I'll post some pics.
Distance is not an issue, but the wind can make it interesting!
John 3: 1-21
John 3: 1-21
Replies
So it happens. They are tough critters.
D
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.... now who's bringing the hot wings? :jester:
Hopefully, your short distance shot made up for any lost velocity, but from experience I can say that it could have ended up being a low/non-lethal shot if the grass got a hold of that arrow too much.
Actually aiming behind the front shoulder but I understand your point. I thought it was a good shot and I didn't see the arrow sticking out of him. Getting ready to go do one more search!
John 3: 1-21
John 3: 1-21
It happens. Move on. Shoot another one.
:up::up:
John 3: 1-21
Don't be disheartened...
http://forums.gunsandammo.com/showthread.php?22815-(VERY)-Late-season-crossbow-hunt-success-(-in-the-name-of-history)&highlight=crossbow+deer+Six-Gun
http://forums.gunsandammo.com/showthread.php?27284-Crossbows-just-amazing&highlight=Crossbows+amazing
You land a clean hit on a deer with a crossbow, and you can expect pure devastation.
Yep, been there, I do not have the utmost confidence in my crossbow. Would rather have my compound any day.
I *used* to own a crossbow that sucked and I had no faith in: accuracy was poor and I traded it in on my current one before I ever hunted with it. The new one I own is spectacular - fast and accurate. It's the one I used in those posts. It kills them quickly, for sure.