A well thought-out hunt ended up being an over planned/expensive nature walk. Or more like a nature sit in a tree stand and watch squirrels eat corn for 8 hours a day. We must have picked the worse week ever to go down to the Cyprus Creek Hunting Lodge. And why the owner didn't tell us until we arrived that this was a bad time of year to hunt boar made me more than a little frustrated. He was sure to take the rest of the $600 that I hadn't already paid in the deposit before he relinquished this info. The accommodations and food were ok; this was my first hunting lodge experience so I can't compare to another adventure, but for the price paid, it was not worth it. Our group of eight left the lodge at 5:30AM in the pitch black of night and were driven down dirt roads until the van stopped and instructions were given on where to find the tree stand you will spend the next 5 hours in. They would pick you up one by one, and bring you back to the lodge for lunch, only to return to another part of the woods at about 4 PM to share some more intimate moments with birds and squirrels. After the sun goes down, you wait for about another hour and then you hear the van approaching in the distance. Not being able to see the ladder to your perch, or the ground beneath you, the scale down is a bit of a challenge. The eerie sound of the forest is almost defining at this point not knowing if your going to step down on top of an alligator, bob cat, coyote, or armadillo. All of which would have been free game to shoot if you even got to see one.
There were 8 people in our group and 4 other there hunting boar that weekend. No one but my Dad's cousin Todd even saw a boar the entire time we were down there. He was able to bag it, making the weekend not a complete bust. It ended up being a 136.6 lb all black (and completely muddy) boar. He ended up shooting and hitting it 3 times. One shot taking care of what would have been a delicious rack of smoked ribs. the other two went one in the neck and the other in the shoulder.
I am just glad I only had 3 hours each way invested in the trip down, unlike the rest of my family and new friends who had a 26 hour round trip journey from PA and OH. As my dad says, “that’s why they call it a hunt, and not a get.” My next trip to the woods with a gun will be a “get” or I ain’t going!!!
Todd the Champion Boar Hunter! The only one to see and kill a boar over the weekend.
This is the range next to the lodge. My dad was bummed he didn't bring his 50cal to test it out on the 4x8 sheet off plywood seen at the edge of the treeline.
Here is Todd sighting in and testing the rifle he used to get his boar. Funny, he was the only one there who wasn't able to hit the 200 yard target with his own gun??? Just kidding Todd, just a little jealous.
And fineally the group shot including Justin in his boar hunting/skateboarding Vans. Also notice my version of warm weather camo is a green t-shirt. Try to pick out the noob, if you can even see anyone else in this picture.
