Sunday, January 15, 2017

2017 Hog Hunt Day 1 (Drive Day)

Around 2:00 AM someone outside the hotel room was making more noise than was appreciated.  Once awake, I fitfully tried to sleep but couldn't.  Free breakfast started at 6:00.  Being wide awake, I decided it wasn't worth the wait; I got up, putzed around a bit before checking out and hitting the road around 4:15.

It was dark and foggy, but I nearly had the road to myself.  Instead of taking the interstate, I jumped on to US25E.  I like this road a lot better than going to/around Knoxville, but with it being so dark and so foggy, it wasn't the scenic drive it usually is.
At one foggy point, there was a doe in the high-speed lane as I zoomed past in the right lane.  Way too close in an almost new vehicle with hundreds of more miles to go.

Time and miles past quickly.  Without free breakfast, I bought some Pop Tarts and cookies at a gas station.  They were good, but almost too much sweet...

Once in Southern South Carolina, the weather started to improve.  Fog lifted, and it got much sunnier and warmer.  Pulling into Rick's, it was almost warm enough for short!

At the lodge, I unpacked and sat around for a bit.  Rick was selling a shotgun to someone he knew who lost his while duck hunting - the situation didn't sound very good.  Then we went out to feed hog stands and grab game cameras.
At one stand, Will and I sat in the back of the Truck playing Hansel and Gretel, leaving a trail of corn to hopefully draw some pigs to a new pile that was destined for a world famous ground blind.

Back at the lodge, Rob, Jessie and Cody were there.  We all told lies for a while.
We looked at the game camera, all showed several hogs, most of the pictures being after dark.  The exception was one stand which showed many hogs starting late evening.
With the early morning and long drive, I was exhausted.  After a great meal of cubed venison and rich/mushrooms, I was done, turning in early for one of the best sleeps I've had in a while.

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