Boar Hunting with Fire Hardened Hickory SELF BOW!

This week we're back in north Florida boar hunting with the new fire hardened hickory self bow! After a full day or rain, the ground is soft and, with a little wind, the conditions for still hunting hogs is perfect. Not long after leaving the truck I find fresh hog sign and find myself stalking a big boar in the palmetto and pine scrub. I also find a huge whitetail buck that I presume someone had shot and couldn't find. This is the first bow hunting trip with the newest primitive bow. There'll be more to come so stay tuned!
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[@clayhayeshunter]

Hey folks, there's a short section of this video, around the 18:50 - 19:45 mark, where the audio drops off. I'm not sure what happened there. Anyway, for those interested, I was explaining how those little isolated ephemeral (seasonal) wetlands were vitally important to all sorts of native amphibians, and how hogs can damage those ecosystems. Feral hogs are pretty rough on the the native plants and animals and that, in large part, is why they're being trapped.

[@gafonrobert5722]

I love this video

[@ProudFudd]

Just wanted to let you know that a huge Texas hog can overturn those traps if they aren't hard staked down. I had a 400+ pounder break the weld on one, and then flip it and charge me. It took 9 rounds of .44 special/mag and 25 rounds of 9mm to kill and a full size john Deere's 5150 to lift.

[@BeckumOutdoors]

Glad you show people what really happens on most hunts. Good education for people who don't hunt or know what akerns are. That was a brute of a buck you found. Keep it going Clay.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks Thad

[@TheBowhunterinNB]

Happy birthday Clay. What better gift could a man have than a little siesta . Seeing an archer with your level of dedication still miss a shot , has helped me forgive myself for missed shots. A clean miss is a relief for every ethnical hunter . Great video thanks for sharing

[@clayhayeshunter]

It happens!

[@OutdoorsAllie]

Fun video per usual. More Florida content!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks Allie, more to come!

[@dylanwrann3135]

Have either of y’all hunted Guana in St Johns County? Also North Florida.

[@alinnimeni3789]

My respect for you ! I have hunted boars with fire weapons, crossbows or spear but never with a bow made by me.......i dont think i would be able to make it so efficient as you did, i had to buy my weapons. So hats off to you for making them and using them too....

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks Alin

[@kylefrye6265]

You have amazing style sir, and well a great ethic too! Thanks for sharing traditional bow hunting with us all! I can’t wait for spring turkey season! Happy birthday!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Bear and turkey is right around the corner!

[@muddtoe2240]

Ridiculously awesome footage of the Mississippi hog stomper. WTF? I've never seen anything like this. Awesome!

[@FizzyMcSnap]

Late happy birthday from Norway! You are a true inspiration. Wish you all the best.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks much

[@petervanderbeek9518]

Keep posting this films Clay i love it

[@stevecarlson3779]

Love your channel

[@insatiable_mind]

Another great video! I appreciate the way you explain things. Thanks Clay!

[@C-24-Brandan]

Super cool video! My bday was on the 24! Keep the awesome content coming! That deer would make a cool European Mount, he's really nice looking!

[@clayhayeshunter]

A euro mount would be nice!

[@eladiosantana3880]

Happy birthday my friend and many more and thank you for videos I really enjoy

[@justpassinthrough7]

Awesome video! I am so pumped I will be headed to FL for my first ever Hog Hunt in a week!!

[@clayhayeshunter]

nice! have fun

[@justpassinthrough7]

@Clay Hayes Going with my brother from another mother should be a blast

[@jessejohnson_tx]

Happy birthday Clay! Great video as always.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks Jesse

[@knifesharpeningnorway]

Happy birthday mate from norway. Everyone misses now and then.

[@leoanmatthew9109]

Best wishes on your birthday mate. Keep doing what you're doing. Love the video

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks Leoan

[@devinmckee5463]

Happy birthday, Mr. Hayes!

[@lobopropredatorcontrol]

Well happy getting old day stud! That bow is a beauty

[@clayhayeshunter]

thank ya

[@ronland1821]

Another cool video. I received my hoodie earlier this week. Thank you sir.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Nice, thanks much!

[@4estral]

The time you take to get different camera views and editing make these hunting videos great to watch. The audio dropped out at 19:00 right when you were explaining something that looked informative. Maybe you can go back and add captions for that minute?

[@clayhayeshunter]

Strange

[@maverick_vet]

same

[@philipsutton2316]

Sorry to see you miss that boar Clay - but nice to know that you are still human. I don't feel too bad now!

[@clayhayeshunter]

it happens!

[@keithmosley5002]

Happy birthday Clay

[@tonymaurice4157]

Dead Deer... Wow!! Monster for Florida! 🦌

[@peterparsons7141]

Fantastic that the black bears managed to survive the not so good old days.

[@clayhayeshunter]

There are lots of them around Florida!

[@GrumpyVet71]

Happy belated, way belated bday Clay. Interested in where you were hunting. I live in Berrydale and work on Hurlburt. I have both Blackwater and Eglin to explore/hunt. And thanks for all your videos and tutorials.

[@curtisleavoy4984]

Happy belated Birthday Clay! I Love you like.a brother I've never had and respect you like a Father O do... I noticed an ironic thing about each.othet that I've never put thought or care about but now that I do I see the similarities in interests and passions and why we do. Hello Brother that I've never had....

[@nearlynativenursery8638]

Clay that a freak-in sweet shooting water hickory, aka Carya aquatica bow. I am Now making a black locust one based on your hickory video. I am understanding the black locust is a more gentle bow to shoot? Jim Rodgers, GA

[@J00530065]

Happy Birthday, bro.

[@shiretook]

I enjoyed the neat MSU video footage! Go Dawgs! You need to come through Starkville on your way back. Let me know, and I'll put on some MS hogs.

[@clayhayeshunter]

I’ll get back up there some day.

[@randomcdude4430]

This looks like my grad school stomping ground in the Ocala National Forest. Spent many days stalking those sand logging roads for a much smaller and scalier prey. Saw plenty of deer in the longleaf pine islands and folks hog hunting out in the scrub. Watch out for the scraggly bears if you are in the Ocala, they are ornery jerks. Great video and nice bow btw. Love to see that I am not the only one that shoots pink fletching (a lesson learned from trying to locate various colors of marker flagging in the woods, orange was the worst). *Edit: Big thanks for going after these ecological nuisances! Keep wrecking hogs so that everything else has a chance to stay in balance. We should all shoot more hogs!

[@clayhayeshunter]

There’s nothing in the woods that’s pink!

[@randomcdude4430]

@@clayhayeshunter Exactly! I like to compliment with bright blue for a very unnatural color combo. Ugly and garish, but visible 😉 Always want to retrieve those arrows. No expensive littering.

[@cecilroche3363]

Happy birthday day. That's also my oldest son's birthday, he thinks you're Awesome. Keep doing what youre doing bud we love watching your videos.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks Cecil

[@sandhillssportsmen8810]

Clay, you were a beast in grad school! Not many folks will jump on a feral hog like that 😆

[@clayhayeshunter]

Haha, been doing that since I was a kid!

[@labtrainer09]

I don't know how many Clay Hayes hunts I've "joined" you on over the years, but I never, ever tire of these experiences. Thank you, as always. What happened to the audio from 18:50 to 19:45? At least on my computer, I experienced a Simon & Garfunkel "Sounds of Silence" period. I would love to have heard what you were saying and describing. Maybe add some voice-over or some captions? If I'm any indication, most of your followers will rewatch this video at some point.

[@clayhayeshunter]

No idea on the audio

[@crazycoyote1738]

Your stalking work is second to none clay, the only ones remaining hunters with this style, are the pigmy’s bushman’s in Africa. Happy birthday bro!!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks!

[@brianbaldwin3700]

That’s the way to spend a birthday!

[@AllThingsWild.]

Awesome Video Clay!!

[@ryanevans3201]

Happy birthday 🥳🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🥳🥳🎉🎉

[@TheArizonaRanger.]

Ever consider doing a basics of still hunting series for use folk who didn't grow up with hunting and don't know where to start?

[@clayhayeshunter]

I’ll get around to that someday. There’s a load of nuanced info though.

[@gafonrobert5722]

I love this video

[@beesmongeese2978]

Excellent camerawork, Clay.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks much

[@terrymattson3587]

Thanks for clarifying to us northerners what a acronyn is lol! Happy Birthday Clay

[@clayhayeshunter]

Akern!!

[@mikecham72]

I'm a transplanted Yankee in Florida. And yes, I still say Acorn!

[@chickennuggetinagutter.7864]

Happy birthday Clay.

[@manuelwebe]

Wow! Graduate in wildlife management! And in feral hog ecology! That is a big & great surprise sir! Awesome! What degree? What University? I, myself, have an MSc in wild animal health (university of London & RVC, UK) and a PhD in animal Ecology (Durham University UK). Deer ecology in Mexico. And I am a bow hunter too! Great to know that Clay. Even more respect for your humbleness & appreciation for you & your channel now Sir. Thanks for sharing!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Wildlife ecology, Mississippi State University. Undergrad at University of Florida

[@kevindice1092]

Lord, that squalling! Reminds me of not so pleasant days castrating boar shoats on the farm. We weren’t smart enough to wear hearing protection, and I’m sure we did some damage to our ears.

[@kentonward97]

For some reason the sound cut out towards the end , excellent video

[@mab0852]

Happy birthday Clay. I'm next week, ghog day

[@Smack723]

Happy birthday and your vids are the best🎉🎉

[@williamboyd776]

Happy belated birthday Clay

[@IATowne]

Hey clay, I did my maters work on hogfish lol. Not quite the same, I think I’d rather deal with sharks than those hogs, you have skills! Were you able to get that work published. Sounds like a good read.

[@bradleyphillips7730]

Belatedly, happy birthday!

[@morganholland1354]

Awesome video!!

[@spero-15]

happy birthday uncle clay

[@clayhayeshunter]

☺️

[@scgator7434]

Your videos make me want to pull out my dad's old Kodiak Magnum and start shooting!! Keep the videos coming Clay. Also, I would love to see you do a video with " Deer Meat For Dinner" since you are both in Florida. God Bless!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Drop those guys a line and let them know!

[@bryonguenther6199]

Happy birthday!!!

[@mountainmuleman0311]

Clay I appreciate the fact that you hunt In blue jeans

[@efrainbarron1626]

Happy birthday clay

[@knolltop314]

Masters years. Good ole days, weren't they?!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Yep!

[@azzz9765]

HAPPY B-DAY

[@NathanSmith-ns4sh]

Awesome 🍻

[@user-mb4se6km5p]

Yeah buddy happy 🥳🎂

[@michaelwalling8281]

Fun video. Not a hunter but I enjoyed this. Working on a hickory self bow and trying to follow a ring. Is that possible? I have only seen you do that on osage. Thanks for signing my book.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Not easy or necessary for hickory. You’d usually just remove the bark and cambium then use the outer ring as thr back.

[@JohnsonsOutdoorAdventures]

Happy late birthday! Mine was the 31st. Great time of year ;) I need to ask you where I can get a bow that I can use this hunting season that is appropriate to bring on the "Alone" series. I've killed a lot with my compound but need to switch to recurve.

[@clayhayeshunter]

3Rivers has a good selling and knowledgeable staff.

[@wildthing3112]

For biodiversity monitoring in Canada, a pole that's painted with alternating colours is stuck in the ground 5m in front of a trail camera to help with photo analysis, like to improve size determination of animals that walk in front of the camera.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Good insight!

[@thefredkalis]

happy birthday

[@rcampbellbassac]

18:50-19:45 your audio cuts out while you are talking... Looked insightful. Happy birthday though! Love the footage from your grad research. Maybe boar riding ought to be a sport... I would have been tempted to take the antlers, tie them the top of the backpack, and crawl such that the antlers go by in frame and maybe the top of the pack, but without showing myself in front of that trail cam... lol

[@clayhayeshunter]

It'll be in the next summer X Games!

[@kingcobra0128]

Happy birthday mine's tomorrow on the 28th

[@caseysmith544]

The Buck is a fairly good one for South Dakota too if they are hunting whitetails and not Mules.

[@protouchlawncare2790]

Clay,do you carry a back weapon when your in that thick stuff,just curious,..great video, nice buck, Jeremy

[@clayhayeshunter]

No, no usually

[@dillardwinters4882]

When that hog sqeald , spot jumped up off the floor!

[@clayhayeshunter]

he's heard that!

[@westt9030]

Happy B day bro

[@kevinemard5370]

Audio cuts out at 18:50 for just about a full minute

[@dallinbagley4486]

TY for the comment, I was hoping it wasn’t just me.

[@johniswild]

Next time you visit this area, please let me know. I live about 10 miles from Titi Creek. Know this area well.

[@fallenhobbit6554]

Oh man that looks like my backyard here in Gulfport, MS.

[@clayhayeshunter]

yep, very similar.

[@jerrybroxson6226]

My friend Jody shot that buck the last Saturday of second phase , we were dog hunting and the dogs got off that buck and jumped a different one and ran it in the bay ,that’s why we ended up loosing the buck.

[@outdoorman808]

Happy Bday Clay, don't worry about the miss we all have done that. What poundage did that hickory bow end up at?

[@clayhayeshunter]

This one is in the high 50s at 29.

[@marthastewart8467]

Sasquatch got that buck

[@davidpyles9572]

Where's the boys ? Like watching them go with you

[@clayhayeshunter]

They'll be in some upcoming vids

[@markbeverly7095]

Hey Clay how's it going brother? I have an issue that came up while making a hickory self bow out of green wood that i was hoping you could give me some advice on. I had my bow really close to the dimensions I wanted before fire drying/hardening and then I noticed this crack approximately 7 inches or so long running up the side of my bow. Its not on the belly or back and is running with the wood grain. I put a lot of work into it already and am disgusted after seeing the crack pop up for no apparent reason. It could have been there already since the bow has had no time to dry out any. I don't know if the tree was wind shook or what. Do you think it will cause the bow to break or what is your advice on what to do next? Thanks man

[@clayhayeshunter]

Hard to say without looking at it. I’d just get it dry then will the crack with titebond wood glue then proceed as usual.

[@pensnut08]

Is it "Kern on the cob" too?

[@MiscMitz]

👍

[@rafenatho5406]

I had no idea it froze anywhere in Florida!!

[@TheArizonaRanger.]

How good is hog eating? I suppose same question for javelina (if anyone knows) since that's what I have in AZ.

[@hughswanzy8871]

What kind of finish did you put on the hickory bow? Happy Birthday!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Several coats of spar urethane

[@dannyjacobs6734]

16:35 thing is squealing like Ned Beatty!

[@chaindrivecharlie]

Clay you ever hunt St. Marks? I use to hunt it years ago, camp at yogi bear camp ground in Panacea.

[@clayhayeshunter]

I haven't but I'd like to someday.

[@chaindrivecharlie]

@@clayhayeshunter you should hunt and camp in the oclocknee river still hunt area of apalachicola wma. You hunt the east side of the river, lots of giant white oaks! Deer, turkey and hogs, use to be slot of woodcock in there too, been along time since I hunted it though. Lot of places to hunt there buddy!

[@josephbishopbackwoodssurvi3918]

Looks like black water state forest

[@dangerousfreedom4965]

I wish you would say what county your in . Let’s go hunting I’ll film for ya

[@josegodoy9160]

Hola creo que es hermoso cazar con arco todavía no lo e hecho hace poco empecé a construir mis propios arcos , que largo tiene tu arco ???

[@christianbowyer7812]

The bow is 64 inches long, I think. About 163cm.

[@josegodoy9160]

@@christianbowyer7812 muchas gracias x tu respuesta saludos desde argentina

[@christianbowyer7812]

@@josegodoy9160 You’re welcome. Greetings from Germany, where primitive archery is booming, but no bow-hunting is allowed. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@kluper1157]

Clay do you Draw 29'' 66'' Bow ? i am 29'' 50lb ish in Draw looking for a self Hickory bow that will hold up any Idea?

[@peterparsons7141]

Does anyone know if they still have beavers in Florida ? And not the kind I’ve seen at Daytona and Ft. Lauderdale.

[@clayhayeshunter]

They’re mostly in the northern part.

[@kennymclean3222]

I really enjoy all your videos whether they are instructional or hunts. You seem to really like to stalk hunt hogs. Have you ever tried calling to them? I've got a buddy that swears that it works great.

[@clayhayeshunter]

I grunt at them sometimes if they’re spooked.

[@outdoorsman9384]

Clay, what are you using for 🏹 arrows, my man?

[@clayhayeshunter]

These are tail tapered 11/32 Doug fir shafts with 190gr meatheads on the front.

[@outdoorsman9384]

@@clayhayeshunter clay what is your total grain weight average on those and are they extremely durable for example on stump shooting

[@clayhayeshunter]

@@outdoorsman9384 Total weight is around 640gr. And yes, it's rare to break one unless you're shooting rocks.

[@skyetenn]

My birthday was january22nd as well!

[@davidhawkins6776]

Looks like eglin or somehere around yellow river. ?

[@clayhayeshunter]

🤫

[@davidhawkins6776]

@@clayhayeshunter sorry, I was just thinking out loud lol. I miss that area. Grew up in north escambia county near your parents ranch and moved to alabama a couple years ago.

[@magicdaveable]

Wow! What happened to the sound?

[@chrisbalogh2573]

Are you hunting public land or private land?

[@clayhayeshunter]

This is public

[@gud2go50]

You ever see a skunk ape or a sasquatch in your travels?

[@clayhayeshunter]

Had coffee with him just the other morning!

[@gud2go50]

@@clayhayeshunter Oh yeah! Me too! Lol.😆

[@MrMccubbins]

great vid, unfortunately audio cuts out at about 18.50