hunt blog no.1

http://vimeo.com/36880593

picture update fishing

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The Other Side Of The Boat/ Track

On the 17th of July 2011 myself and my friend Jason were Hunting our main hunting property, we had both missed shots at some wild pigs and not long after we found some pigs uprooting the dying bracken fern on the edge of some scrub.
Now over the last few years i've had some shots at pigs and i seem to have been cursed with them, often loosing them to thick vegetation or blood trails that just end even with picture perfect shots. About a month prior i had finally taken my first pig in a local state forest during a conservation hunt.
Jason gave me the nod to take the stalk on these pigs as he was keen to see me finally down one, i quickly closed the gap to 10m and waited for a shot, a big sow turned from facing me to quartering away and i drew back and the arrow flew exactly were i was holding the pig, the pig let out a squeel and ran into the thick vegetation. i turned around and Jason gave me a huge thumbs up. 


While we were waiting the 15mins before blood trailing my mind and heart started to wander to all the times i had lost pigs in very similar circumstances but i remained hopefully this time. the blood in the viney bush was good and wide "this pig can't be going far at all" we both thought. the trail led to the other side of the bush and when we emerged the mob of pigs exploded and ran off to the right while one ran off straight ahead back the direction we had parked the 4x4 and it seemed to be limping, my heart sank. had i really just pressured the fataly shot pig further? was it even the same pig? maybe im cursed with pigs? all these thoughts flooded my mind, so i prayed and suggested we go for a walk up the ridge and have a look on the way home.
not much else was happening on the ridge so i suggested we go back and belly crawl through the scrub to try and find blood. the blood trail went to the edge of the bush followed the edge for a few metres then ended.
I had spent the best part of half hour on my belly crawling through thorns and finding nothing. i said maybe it was that pig that was running funny we will just keep our eyes open on the way home. i stood up from  the ground reached down with one had to grab my bag and as i was swinging it up over my shoulder i saw something black behind me, just a log i thought, then in my head a bible verse was floating round, "cast your nets to the other side of the boat" and as i looked back over the other side there was my pig laying in the bracken fern not even 5m from me. I think i pretty much shouted I FOUND IT and Jason ran over and we got some photos. 

God never ceases to amaze me in what he can do when we pray and are obedient to his word. it says this in John 21

 "He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

   “No,” they answered.

 ⁶ He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish."

In this story the Disciples have been fishing for some time, and have had no luck and are pretty worn out, but Jesus calls out and says try the other side, and when the do they are rewarded.
I find my Hunting experience in this case to be very similar i had been searching for hours, and finding nothing, then  this verse circles my head and i look on the other side if the track and there is my pig.
It always pays to listen and to be humble to that still small voice, even when all our logic says there is no way it will be over that side.
so why not try the other side next time you are hunting or fishing?


but another cool thing is that just as we are about to give up God always seems to come through i could give you countless stories of this personally in my life.


God bless


Ben Hohnke