# Chattahoochee WMA Sow



## Killer Kyle (May 5, 2016)

Went to a spot yesterday afternoon where I had seen a gobbler the Tuesday before last and he was going off to roost in the evening. I went there last night to try and cut him off. Went to pass through the wildlife opening, ad when I got there, there were 50+- hogs in the field. The most hogs I have ever seen in one place at the same time. About half were piglets. One winded me, and made a nervous dash for the wood line, and panic ensued, and after a few minutes, all the hogs had made for the hills. I backed away about 100 yards down the opposite side of the ridge and ejected my Long Beard #6's, and loaded my Long Beard #4's that I carry for such a case as this.  
I took the low side of the field below the crest to go around and set up on the backside of the field where all the hogs had left. I knew they had smelled me but not seen me, and I had a pretty good feeling they'd be back, and soon. I setup close to where I thought they'd reenter the field from, put on 2 more shirts and a jacket (it got CHILLY here last night), pinched a fat dip, and waited. Maybe an hour later, I heard movement coming from off the side of the ridge. I knew it was the group. Suddenly, hogs began entering the field, but not from where I had anticipated. They were 10-20 yards out of range, and I was not going to risk a shot. I shot one in the face April 2015 with Hevi-Shot Mag Blends at 30 yds and horribly wounded it and vowed to do it right the next time, or never again at all. 
I finally got a good count of the pigs in front of me. 27 to be exact. Pigs of all colors and sizes, but mostly black. I saw a 100% blonde one, some spotted ones, lots of pure black ones, some red ones, and one really cool looking pig that was all black except for four white feet. I really wanted to shoot a nice colored one since I end up shooting black ones all the time. 
After about a half hour of having the pigs in front of me, I again hear movement to my left. I sprang up and moved maybe 10 yards to my left to close the distance a bit. Sure as clockwork, hogs were drawing near. Many. One finally came into range, and was standing at the edge of the field watching all the other hogs in the plot. I put the bead on her eye, and waited. She stood a few seconds more, and then took two steos forward. BOOOOOOMMMMMM. 
Shot her right behind the ear, and the LB #4's dropped her like a sack of bricks. Stoned. Her legs went straight and rigid. I called my friend TopherAndTick to let him know I just dropped a hog, and realized she was still twitching slightly, and almost undetected. Just to be safe, I walked over to her and put one right through the cranium. Done deed. 
I tied the back legs together, and drug her about 1 mile to the vehicle in the cold rain. Went to town, and came back up to get to work. I wasn't really prepared to kill a hog, so my fried Tracy ended up meeting me in town with a spare cooler and knife, and since I didn't have a camera, she came up and was the one who took the pic of me with the hog by the light of the car's headlamps. 
I butchered her on the spot, and managed to make it home by 12:15 p.m. after which I had to unload gear, shower, eat, and finlly crashed just before 2:00 a.m, and then my 6:00 a.m. wake up this a.m. before work. I feel exhausted, but it is worth it. This hog is being processed by myself, and donated to a Homeless Veterans shelter here in GA. They asked if I'[d be interested in donating meat because they get a lot of food donations, but most are canned food type products, frozen dinners, or easy prep stuff like hamburger helper. They never get meat, so I have committed my next several hogs to them for BBQ and ground meat. If any of you would like more info on this shelter, its operations, or how to donate food or money, please P.M. me and I will direct you to the right people. Thanks for reading, and happy hunting my friends!


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## bowhunterdavid (May 6, 2016)

congrats on a great hunt and story, that meat will feed a lot of people, sounds like you need to thin a bunch of them hogs out. Good luck.


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## Anvil Head (May 6, 2016)

That is a right heavy "gobbler" you have there. Good kill, can't take out too many of them! They are destroying a lot of natural habitat.....and stink!
Great idea to donate to Vets Shelter. Might want to put up contact info here, I'm sure others would be glad to donate.
Thanks for posting.


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## O-Country (May 6, 2016)

Way to go Kyle. You been given them pigs the devil this year and its paying off.


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## model88_308 (May 6, 2016)

Great hunt and great idea!


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## j_seph (May 6, 2016)

Congrats, but got confused...............is TopherandTick acyually a girl named Tracy


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## Buckman18 (May 6, 2016)

Good job, Killer!


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## whitetailfreak (May 6, 2016)

Good job Kyle. Congratulations.


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## Killer Kyle (May 6, 2016)

j_seph said:


> Congrats, but got confused...............is TopherandTick acyually a girl named Tracy



Have nope, TopherAndTick is a forum member here, and a friend of mine. I had been texting him about the hogs throughout the hunt, and just called him to tell him I'd gotten one. He lives in south GA. My friend Tracy lives here in Cornelia.


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## Unicoidawg (May 6, 2016)

Kyle you need to get a machine gun and go back and kill all of them things........


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## Killer Kyle (May 6, 2016)

Unicoidawg said:


> Kyle you need to get a machine gun and go back and kill all of them things........



Trust me brother, I sure would have if I could have. It really set an impression in my mind about the population of pigs there. There have always been lots of hogs on the WMA like there are on all the WMA's up here. I see them relatively frequently so I know there are a lot. But seeing a group that size was unreal. There were probably 25 piglets in that group or more. I thought I had overestimated the size of the group at first when they ran off, but then when 27 came back in the first group, and then that whole second group showed back up, I was like "nope, my eyes weren't playing tricks on me!"
Years ago my brother in law told me he and a friend were riding some open roads there one night and a group of hogs crossed in front of them, and he swore they thought it was like 75 hogs or so. I was like "hmmm......IIIIII don't know about that", but now I believe it could be possible. I really wish I had gotten a one with a cool color pattern because almost all that I have killed have been black. I saw one big, red one last September that I really wanted to put an arrow through, but it never came into range. Two black ones came into range instead, so they both got the arrows. I also saw a complete blonde on in the group Tuesday evening. I think that would be a really cool hog to kill too.


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## jbogg (May 6, 2016)

Congrats on a great hunt Kyle.  That explains all the hog sign all over the place.  That's amazing there were so many in one place.


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## ripplerider (May 7, 2016)

Great story Kyle. Now go kill the other 49. Cool of you to donate the meat like that.


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## Unicoidawg (May 7, 2016)

There didn't used to be hardly any on the Hooch 20yrs ago.You might here of one here or there. You can thank people for trapping and transplanting them to the mountains so they wouldn't have to drive to South Ga to run them with their dogs. It has absolutely ruint the deer hunting.


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## T-N-T (May 7, 2016)

I did get the call.  I was pretty excited for him too.  But knew that his night was just getting started.  When he said "I got one", I looked up at the sun from my porch and thought,  Uh oh....

Either way,  I know that you were pretty pumped up to kill a pig with Turkey gun, Kyle!  And I am happy for you as always.  

Tell Tracey I said she is a good woman to put up with you and drive way up there to bring coolers and ice and cameras and God knows what else all the time.   

Grats Buddy!!!


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## Killer Kyle (May 7, 2016)

Thanks ripple rider! As much as I take, its alwaws rewarding to give back. I am blessed beyond measure and all I can do is give back to the environment and people that have enriched my life.

I know what you mean about the population explosion Unicoi. When I saw 25 + piglets in the group, I thought "well, it is written in stone....no end in sight". I wish the DNR or USFS implemented a trapping program through sportsmen. It would cost little to nothing and may help curb the population a bit. I saw a USFS trap on Chattahoochee last summer with corn and a trail can on it, and thought "that piddly little trap ain't gonna do a thing. They'd he lucky to catch one or two". I talked with the USFS and they said they were trapping hogs on the region 2 wma's, but the way they were going about it was dumb. Corral trap and a feeder can trap 15 or so at a time, and they're easy to set up. They're the only way to go in my opinion.
Thanks for the kind words big C! We need to get you up here this fall again and try to get on a bear or hog. Maybe just ONCE we can get a week with decent weather while you are here. You have had some kinda luck with this flip flop mountain climate!!


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## Bucky T (May 7, 2016)

Good deal on the pig!  I've seen plenty up there myself.


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## tree cutter 08 (May 8, 2016)

Congrats kyle on another hog!  Great story also. Got a few days left to get another


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## bronco611 (May 8, 2016)

Now that is what I would call a turkey hunt!!! When the opportunity reveals itself, go for it! Nice hog Kyle.


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## Killer Kyle (May 8, 2016)

Thanks gents! I'll be in the woods for a couple days until close. Tuesday I will be in a great turkey spot on Chattahoochee....doubt any hogs will be there way up on the high ground, but I plan to hunt lower in the afternoon, and hog sign is present. I may carry my ML this weekend if I can get on good hog sign. I may end this season without a gobbler. I've had my chances at gobblers and have failed (still figuring out this mtn hunting thing), but if a chance at another hog presents itself, it will be taken. I will spend my free time this summer filming and photographing mountain hogs and bears, and hopefully will have a chance at some hogs this small game season. I suggest you guys who are not local come up and hunt. We have more hogs than hunters and I'd love to see some more of these pigs gone. It could help our local environment immensely.


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## Gerrik (May 10, 2016)

Well, you've convinced me. I was trying to decide between Chattahoochee & Blue Ridge for this fall. Im almost out of wild pork, and I miss the mountains.


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## Killer Kyle (May 11, 2016)

For all those interested in donating meat to the shelter, the website is negvs.org. 
I just toured it tonight and as beyond impressed. They are doing great things and I'm disappointed I had not heard of this sooner. They need meat to cook. They had a big walk in freezer donated and it is barren. Fill it up guys! Contact me here or visit the website and we can make it happen!


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## deerhuntingdawg (May 12, 2016)

Great Sow and story Kyle! That's a good thing you did donating that meat. Kudus!!


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## Killer Kyle (May 18, 2016)

deerhuntingdawg said:


> Great Sow and story Kyle! That's a good thing you did donating that meat. Kudus!!



Thanks DHD! You've been getting acquainted with these mountains here as of late! Been slaying the specks.....you might as well come try for some pork too!


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## shakey gizzard (May 18, 2016)

Awesome! WTG!


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