Texas Hunting Forum: Last night's hog hunt...loooong story, but good

Got a lease earlier this year. First lease ever, first season hunting ever. It was cheap, nothing spectacular. Haven't seen much on the place yet, so I asked the landowner if I could work out a deal to hunt hogs on the piece of land they keep for the family that they don't least out. Sure enough, I was in. Went out a couple weeks ago, got one of their feeders running, made a rubbing post soaked with Black Gold, etc. Set up an old tripod stand, put in a solar powered garden light, and let it lay for a couple weeks. Went out last night to hunt it. Feeder goes off at 8:00. Couple of does show up, and I watch. Actually tried to scare them off so they don't eat all the corn, but they stay put. So much for needing camo and scent killer for deer hunting. At 8:30, I hear a hog in the woods. I'm in my tripod in the middle of a field. I stick out like a sore thumb, but with the layout, it's my only option. Got my .30-06 and Mini 14 up there with me. I'm facing the feeder, and a big boar comes out to my right into the field. He sniffs, stops, walks, sniffs, stops, etc. Both my rifles are hanging on my shooting rest, and I'm facing the wrong way, so I just watch. He spooks and goes back into the woods. I take this opportunity to grab the .30, and sure enough, a monster walks out towards the feeder (different hog). I've got about 10 minutes of visibility left (my solar light needs to be pointed better), so I earhole it. Drops like a sack of potatoes. I get down quick and go to drag it away to clean it. Didn't get far, but a bit out into the open field away from the feeder. I had to stop short of where I wanted to bring him because he went about 275# easy. Had 1.5" cutters on him...first hog I've shot with cutters. I run back to the jeep and grab my bucket 'o supplies. Lay out a tarp, get my knife, strap my headlight on, and start quartering the hog in the dark. Get the hams and shoulders off and start to skin the hams. I pop to real quick when I realize there's hogs everywhere. I can make out shadows with my measly headlight, so I grab the Maglite out of the bucket and shine it. I quickly guess there's about 30 hogs all over the field, grunting, squaling, etc. I hear one behind me about 15 yards or so in the tall thistles and freak out. I drop what I'm doing and beeline back to my stand to grab the Mini. So here I am, Mini strapped to my shoulder, Buck knife in right hand, ham in left. I have to stop every few seconds to make sure they're not getting closer, but I can't make out crap. I just hear moaning and grunting all around. I realize how much of a fool I must be to be standing in the middle of a field, miles from anyone, with the only light source coming from my forehead and Maglite. I leave the front shoulders and backstraps for the yotes, and grab my hams and haul them off to the jeep, Mini still at the ready. Drop 'em off in the cooler and make my way back to the stand. Not a single hog in sight...don't even hear them. They've completely split. Grab my 06, my bucket, and drive the 30 minutes back to my lease to climb into my tent. Good dreams followed!