I was slipping along a well used game trail that paralleled the creek bottom when I spotted a group of about 8 hogs. I was trying to stay on the trail because the dry leaves were like walking on post toasties. I had a good wind but I knew as soon as I stepped into the leaves they would hear me. I was just out of my comfort range as they were about 75 yards away. Good things happen to good people and I lucked out, It started to rain. The rain hitting those dry leaves sounded like a pop corn popper and I made a quick move to get 100 yards ahead of them and dropped down into the creek bottom. The rain was starting to get pretty steady when I finally saw the first one, it was about 50 yards out headed straight up the creek. I slipped the cows knee off the flintlock and quickly dumped the powder out of the pan. After slowly recharging I looked up and several of them had fed up into range, somewhere between 40 and 50 yards. A dark sow with a white sock caught my eye and I started tracking it through my sights. She was down the hill quartering away when my sub conscious put pressure on the trigger and I heard the familiar EEEEEK when the .45 caliber round ball smacked her. When the smoke cleared I could make her out laying right where she was hit. The ball had traveled through the ribs and the off side shoulder and we found it just under the skin almost as big as a quarter. I know a lot of folks hate hogs, I would to if I had a hay field they were taring up but for me, They give me something to hunt until it gets too hot to be in the woods.
