Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/742011
S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S • 203 scrubby point, studded with the bleached and gnarled remains of ancient trees. Beyond is a long, salty swamp, and way out in the middle is a half-acre of open ground, churned black by rooting hogs. Gibbes stops in his tracks, reaches, and finds my arm. I hold my ear inches from his lips. "Cut a little to your left," he whispers. "Play the wind. Watch the eddy around that patch of pine." There is a final bit of advice. "Remember, you ain't sneaking up on deaf hogs." Indeed, I am not. I ease through terrain where a panther would make a racket. The muck in the game trail sucks and slurps at my boots. If I strike out through the tallgrass, I will make noise like wading through a pile of Venetian blinds. I compromise, keeping to the trail but stepping on dry, rooty clumps. It's like walking along a ditch, one foot on each side. But it works. Sort of. There are pigs out there, but again, I cannot see them. Some sixth sense tells them of slurping danger. They ease off into the can't see. I sneak to the edge of the clearing, hearing snorting in the thicket to my left. Then there is movement. Black on black. A 30-pound hog, too young to know about pig-slaying Gibbes McDowell, picks his way across the mud. Right out there in the open. Another follows. I turn and look at Gibbes, now 50 yards behind me. Small, I say with my hands. Then I hold up two fingers. Return sign language tells me what I need to know. The little Mauser does its job. I do not hear the quick shots, but the other pigs do. They snort and grunt in surprise. Gibbes wears a hog call around his neck. He reaches for it and blows, but it issues only a muted hiss. A bit of sawgrass? An inconvenient glob of New River mud? Gibbes pulls the call apart, quickly fiddling with it. Another hiss; another lost opportunity. The hogs mill around for a long instant, then crash off into never-neverland. We sling the pigs over our shoulders and slog toward the creekbank. There we will dress and wash them, keeping eyes peeled for cruising gators. There I will dream of glowing piles of charcoal, of heavy, sweet-rolling hickory smoke, of Carolina yellow barbeque sauce, heavy with honey and mustard. And of the tusks I did not get. Of the tusks I now know I will someday come back for. As surely as the moon pulls saltwater up into the New River marsh, something will pull me back. And I will come. n Hunting the South Land Atlanta hunter Jason Johnson took this trophy whitetail on his hunt with CCW Outfitters in western Kentucky. CCW Outfitters Located in the rolling hills of western Kentucky, CCW Outfitters is a first-class hunting lodge specializing in trophy whitetails. CCW offers both fair chase whitetail hunts on thousands of privately owned acres, as well as hunting for monster bucks within the fenced preserve just steps from the lodge. Southern hospitality and home-cooked meals await hunters upon their return from the field. Friendly guides and staff work to make your hunting experience enjoyable and relaxing. CCW offers archery, modern muzzleloader and rifle hunts. Perfect for individuals, couples, families, and small groups. Call Jason Purvis at (270) 704-5974 to discuss your next whitetail trip. Or, visit www.ccwbigbucks.com. Joshua Creek Ranch The 2016-2017 wingshooting season is underway at Joshua Creek Ranch in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. With Joshua Creek Ranch offers classic wingshooting in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. abundant rains for the last two summers, the habitat has never been better for producing another exceptional bird hunting season. The action begins in September with dove hunting and early morning quail hunts by mid-month. October marks the official opening of Joshua Creek Ranch's 26th season as one of the premier hunting lodges in the world. Specializing in upland hunts for quail, pheasants, and chukars, as well as European-style driven pheasant shoots and even decoyed mallard duck hunts, Joshua Creek Ranch is a true sportsman's paradise complemented by luxury lodging and gourmet dining. Joshua Creek Ranch is the only hunting lodge in Texas that is endorsed by both Beretta and Orvis. Call (830) 537-5090 or visit www.joshuacreek.com. A mule-drawn wagon carries wingshooters to a treasured spot in the woodlands at Pine Hill Plantation. Pine Hill Plantation Pine Hill Plantation is well known for its excellence in preserving the history, tradition, and habitat of vintage Georgia quail hunting. Lodges, Guides & Outfitters