First Hog with a bow bug

[BUFF]

The thermo cell was working over time trying to keep the swarms of mosquitoes at bay. Not a breath of wind only the sound of a single Whippoorwill broke the stillness of the dark east Texas swamp. Hearing the leaves crunching to the south I slowly stood and picked up my bow. Having spent the afternoon rigging up a new Hawglite to a strap on bow fishing mount I felt sure I had a trick for the approaching hogs.

The two 100 pounders stood for a long minute straight under the stand some 20 feet below me. When they felt the coast was clear they moved under the feeder and began to crunch corn. Waiting for the closest to turn broadside I leaned out bringing the 66# Blackwidow to half draw and pressed the button to activate the Hawglite. The bright red light blasted the darkness and much to my disappointment not only did it blind me for a second the pigs busted out like they had been shot at. After a tense minute or two the hogs moved back in and began to feed again. Having learned from my first attempt I brought the recurve to full draw and triggered the light over the top of the hogs to give my eyes a chance to adjust but once again they busted out as soon as the light touched them.

I told you that part of the story so that you could understand my desperation when five minutes later a group of ten eating sized pigs came boiling up out of the swamp in a dead run. The moon was not out yet but the last hogs had proved to not tolerate a light at all.

Reaching down I turned the switch from a spot to flood hoping not to spook this new group. The instant the light touched them pigs went every direction. Thirty seconds later one of the group growled to my right, turning as I brought the bow to full draw the light picked him up as he slowly eased away through the brush. Trying to pick a spot behind his shoulder blades in the SiFi glow of the red light, I let the string slip away.

With the recoil of the shot the light danced to my left leaving me with no idea where I had hit the hog or even if I had hit him at all.

I will confess a secret, I