The last day or hunting started with work to do. Rob, Cody and I went with Rick to pick up some bagged corn that Rick got a deal on (nearly half price). Joe went shooting with Rick's neighbor Chad and then left. The forecast was for rain, potentially heavy and Joe was not interested in sitting out during inclimate weather.
After getting the corn, we went back to the lodge for the rest of the morning and afternoon. It started to rain in the very early afternoon so we just hung out in the lodge.
Later in the afternoon Rick dropped us all off for our last afternoon of hunting. Jessie was dropped off at "the swamp" which gave her the best chance of seeing hogs. I was on NG's farm in a ground blind. Thankfully it was a box blind with a roof. Rob and Cody were on Will's farm in another box blind.
As far as ground blinds go, I really like the box blinds since I think the give the best protection from the wind and scent moving. The darkness also allows for a little more movement possible, although this shouldn't be seen as a substitute for sitting still. In this case, protection from the weather, even if limited is nice.
Rain during the afternoon was a mist to a moderate rain at times. It wouldn't have been too bad, but since hog movement was somewhat down this year the protection form rain was nice.
The box blind had a very comfortable chair in it, but it still took some time to get situated to sit still.
At one point at around 4:00 I was rearranging things in my hunting bag when I looked up and caught sight of something running across the corn pile. I'm not 100% sure what it was, but I think it was a really big coyote. Supporting this, later that evening I heard coyotes very near the stand. Part of me is afraid to believe I may have missed a chance at a big hog.
Not much else moved until just before dark when several deer came out. I watched the deer for a while, but it got darker much earlier with the rain and clouds coupled with the heavy pine trees. After dark, I quietly made my way back to the clearing to get picked up. Standing in the mist waiting for Rick, a few coyotes howled in the distance. This was followed very quickly by lots of howling and yipping very near by. It sounded like the close coyotes were very close to the blind. That howling sound of a pack of coyotes is both eerie and magical.
Nobody else had seen any hogs which means Jessie's 11 year run of getting at least one hog is broken. She wasn't happy and neither was Rick; I felt bad for Jessie (but I've been there).
Back at the lodge, we quartered up my boar and put it on ice in my cooler for the trip home.
We ate food that was left over from the week. I packed up most of my stuff to be able to leave quickly and quietly in the morning. We all booked for the same time next year. Without the plantation, this year was tougher than most, but hopefully things will get worked out in a positive direction before 2016.
Everyone turned in early since everyone was going home the next day.
I woke up a few minutes before my phone alarm went off Saturday morning. A quick shower, my last few things packed up and I was on the road by about 4:00AM - a little paranoid that I forgot something (as always).
Rain in the morning was very heavy at times but let up through the day. The mountains near the Tennessee/North Carolina border were somewhat snowy with more snow on the ground through Tennessee and most of Kentucky.
I listened tot he book Skyjack, The Hunt for D.B. Cooper by Geoffrey Gray. I've always had an interest in the Dan Cooper hijacking case. The book morphed form an interesting investigation of the November, 1971 events into his interactions with increasingly bizarre and conspiracy-oriented people. It was hard to tell from the book if his interactions with the crazies were somewhat tongue in cheek, especially since the book was read by the author. The conspiracy theories got pretty outlandish; the biggest problem with conspiracy theories is they kind of have to be all right or all wrong, there isn't much room for partial truth.
Back at home I unpacked before resting for the evening. I was able to weigh my recovered bullet form the hog at 113 grains, meaning almost 70% weight retention after an aggressive path through the animal. Fairly impressive!
A good part of Sunday was spent processing my hog into loins, steaks and burgers, ending this year's wild boar hunt.
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