The hunt!

Today David and Eugen had to get up early. At 05:50h the alarm clock went off and we went to accompany Stefan on a hog hunt. On a special farm north of Cedar Key (Tiger Island Outfitters) you are allowed to hunt some pigs and take the meat with you. Stefan almost never buys meat, instead he lives on what he hunts.

After a long drive of about 3.5 hours we arrived at the area. The gate was closed and behind we saw 2 dogs running around. Not very welcome-y. But soon the guide arrived and picked us up. It turned out that the dogs are very friendly and there were even more animals, among them a emu, some turkey and a cow.

After the paper work the guide brought us with a buggy to a hunting stand where we waited for the pigs. Unfortunately in the 2.5 hours we waited, not a single hog showed up. But the guide took us then on a tour around the area, checking the sites where they normally hang out. And soon we saw the first hogs. Eugen was the first and went with a guide, selected one, kneeled and shot. A clear hit in the lungs and after a safety shot by the guide it was lying there. A real rush of adrenaline, but only because we knew it's not really a tourist attraction, but instead the meat will be used in total by Stefan.

After Eugen it was David's turn. After a short drive the guide spotted the next hog and took David with him. He saw it too, aimed and shot. Another straight hit and again, the guide set a safety shot to ensure the animal was not suffering unneededly. A few moments later it was Stefan's turn and he hit as well, completing our 3 hogs.

We returned to the camp and the guide went to pick up the hogs to gut them. With the meat in the cooler we drove back, not without getting some "Alligator Bits" along the road. These are little pieces of fried alligator (from a breeding farm). They tasted like chicken nuggets, only a bit more delicate.

After the long drive back we arrived in the hotel and could tell the others about our day. Nicole was using the day with the other kids to swim in the hotel pool, playing games with them and they also did some work on their diaries and with the homework we got from the school. For dinner we got some Taco Bell and KFC and finished the day comfortably in front of the TV.