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Matt and Cheryl decided to try a different blind for our afternoon hunt. It was identical to the blind we hunted from in the morning only on the opposite side of the ranch. The wind was swirling a little less but it was very hot - especially with four of us jammed into that blind. Patrick knew that he could only shoot a small hog. Because of his age, and size, we cranked his Bowtech Miranda down to 36lbs which was perfectly adequate for a small hog, but a larger one would be marginal. So if a big hog was all we saw, Julie would take it and Pat Jr. could get the next one. This was OK with him. But when the baby hog showed up, I don't think he was too excited about it - I mean, this was a real baby hog - the size of a football! Pat drew his bow. But the baby hog did not cooperate and turned to show Patrick his butt! Pat let the bow down gently. A second later the hogs winded us then took off. It was Pat's first time drawing on a big game animal - and he did great! A few moments later, another group of hogs came in. A large brown hog showed up and presented a close, ten-yard shot. The hog was much larger than that last baby hog and in all honesty I misjudged his size on the small side. I whispered to Patrick, "shoot when you're ready." Patrick lifted his bow and quietly nocked an arrow. The hog fed along the dirt road before presenting a good shot angle. Pat looked at me - and I nodded. He drew his bow. Pat held and waited for the perfect angle. When the hog turned, Pat shot. His Muzzy-tipped broadhead hit the hog perfect - right behind the shoulder! We couldn't believe what had just happened! Our little boy had just made his first shot on a big game animal - perfect. The hog crashed into the brush and then all went silent. Pat Jr. was nervous at first, he asked about the shot. I was a bit concerned about penetration, but position was excellent. We watched it on video before calling for Matt and Cheryl.
When they arrived they were as excited as we were. To be safe, Cheryl put her dog (Sage) on the trail but his little collar bell fell silent after only a few moments. Cheryl turned to me with a smile as wide as the Oklahoma skyline - she knew the dog had found Pat's hog. I videoed as Pat walked up to his first bowkill. After pictures, hugs, and high-fives we loaded up the hog on Matt's ATV and headed out for a celebratory dinner in town. What an absolutely thrilling hunt that was for all of us! A very special thanks to Cheryl and Matt Napper for helping to make Pat's dream come true.
Please join us in congratulating Patrick on his accomplishment!
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