The highlight of my week long stay was my first harvest. On day two after sitting in my tripod stand for only about an hour and half a large sow stuck her head out of the brush. I couldn't' get a clear shot, so I waited. Five minutes later I heard a lot of noise from the woods,and  all of a  sudden a huge boar came into the opening. I aimed and fired (with my Winchester 30-30) and dropped him right there! Being a first time hunter and getting a hog that size on my first shot was an incredible and I was shocked! 

One thing I found to be difficult was when you shoot a hog that weighs over 300 lbs, is getting it back to camp. My father-in-law, Bill and I tried to lift the hog onto the back of my 4-wheeler but that wasn't going to happen. I dragged it a couple of hundred yards and we found a large limb on a tree that had fallen. Bill had a great idea to throw a rope over the limb and pull the hog off the ground. Thank goodness he had a 4x4 4-wheeler. Otherwise, we would not have been able to hoist it by hand.   

The rest of the week went great. Two days later I harvested a nice doe. A lot of hogs and deer were seen that week. I had many opportunities to harvest more deer and hogs but I had enough for the freezer. The hardest decision to make was which stand to go to that day. 

Sam and James' knowledge of hunting, tracking, and wildlife in the area is great. They gave me all the knowledge and training a rookie hunter needed to have a successful trip.  

Each evening we would finish the night sitting by the campfire, telling stories of the day's hunt and the ones that got away. Everyone knows that based on the end of that sentence that some shirt tails where cut and I'm proud to say all my shirt tails are in tack. 

Having my first hunting experience at Wilderness Calls couldn't have been better. The property is beautiful and the abundance of wildlife is awesome. 

Thanks to Sam, James, and Wilderness Calls for the hospitality and an experience I will never forget. I look forward to returning, and bringing my son Jacob one day. 

Sincerely,

Mike Wittman (aka-Rookie & Hog Slayer)