Then it was back to the lodge for some down time and lunch. Sadly, it seems my cookies had gone AWOL. Subsequent conversations with SO revealed some miscommunication and the cookies were in the cupboard at home. Cookies probably count as ultra-processed, toxic food anyway...
Early afternoon came and we headed out. Denis and Claude were under the weather so it was just Gary and I. Temperatures were reasonable in the mid-40s with heavy cloud cover. But I had been freezing all day, so I was grossly overdressed in my snow suit. I was dropped off at the Carol Astor stand; after walking to it, it seemed like the first time all day I wasn't cold.
The afternoon started slowly. The stand is a ground blind made of scaffolding which is a really good idea. I played around with my zoom lens that fits over my cell phone. I really can't decide how well it works vs. just zooming in all the way with the phone. It isn't terrible, but getting a good picture takes a lot of messing around with it. It might work a little better if I took my phone case off, but that is too much hassle to try to do while hunting. Besides, the last time I tried to do so, I cracked my phone case.
I had a hard time getting settled; something just felt off as I was sitting there - something I just couldn't put my finger on. Maybe this was prescient?
Mid-afternoon three deer came out. They milled around for a couple hours. I was glad to have something to watch. A few times they nervously stared into the bush and I was hopeful something more interesting would appear, but that didn't happen.
They left for good later in the afternoon, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Usually this is good - a blessing. But not always. I was still quite unsettled.
About an hour before dark, four deer popped out between me and the corn. I was watching them when I saw a dark hog at the far end of the lane run right to left. Usually this means they are working their way toward the corn. The deer stayed put which also suggested they were nervous.
A short time later the hog popped out at the corn. Both the hog and the deer were really nervous. I had my gun up shortly after seeing the hog the first time. I waited until he was clear of the deer and tried to decide what to do. Nervous hogs flee quickly. He was quartering toward me and I put my crosshairs on the crease of his neck.
The hog dropped and flopped a couple times at the shot. Then he was up and out on three legs; I knew this was a bad sign. I heard rustling in bush to the left. I texted Rick with an update. Then it was time to second-guess ... painfully so. I should have waited; I should have head shot; I should have gone target shooting one more time; I should have...
This quickly morphed into guilt. My 2024 deer hunt ended with a bad shot from the neighbor, now I was that guy.
Rick came with some daylight left. We could easily see where the hog had bolted and we tracked him to the edge of heavy trees and brush. We found several bone fragments, but not enough blood to keep going. Hogs are very tough beasts.
Rick verbally beat me up while we picked up Gary. He had seen hogs as well, but they were well beyond the pile and he chose not to shoot (probably wisely).
We closed out the day back at the lodge. I had stuck the largest bone fragments in my pocket. I think I'll keep it as a reminder that life's lessons are unrelenting. And that every lesson I'm supposed to learn needs to be taught 1000 times and even then, I may be forever a neophyte.
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