ARTICLES
Hunting Wild Pigs with Spears
by Sharon Henson & Gene Morris

Gene Morris grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, and graduated from Memphis State College, receiving his Masters of Science degree from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. This retired Air Force Colonel has traveled the world hunting with first a gun, then bow and arrow, and today … spears. He took his first deer with a spear in 1972. Passionate about life and hunting and after putting 493 big game animals on his bow tally (making seven bow-only trips to Africa), Morris wanted more of a challenge… and has now evolved to hunt exclusively with spears. His next trip to South Africa will be in July, 2003 with spears only. The Cold Steel Boar Spears are designed for throwing from the ground, while his personal-designed razor-sharp four-bladed steel spears which are heavier are made especially to be thrown from a tree stand.

In October 2002, Gene Morris, who proclaims to be “The Greatest Living Spear Hunter In-The-World,” stated that he had “made the most stupid and tragic mistake of his life”.
While out in west Texas hunting wild pigs with his spears, he had fallen 22 feet 10 inches out of a huge and ancient oak tree. He was throwing two spears at the same time, one with each hand. Not being ambidextrous, it had taken a lot of practice to carry his normal spear hunting to this extreme. Each spear weighed 22 pounds and when Morris was ready to throw, one boar had jerked back. As he attempted to stop the two throws already-in-motion, the combined weight of the spears literally jerked the Spear Chunker right out of the high tree! He spent four days in the San Antonio hospital - the first 12 hours were spent in pain in the Emergency Room. Three ribs on his right side were fractured; he suffered multiple fractures to his left pelvic area. He was forced to live pretty much in a wheel chair for the next two months.

“It was the most stupid mistake of my life,” Morris states. Then he added that it also was the luckiest day of his life, because one of his orthopedic doctors had told him: “You know, you are supposed to be dead.” Recuperation was slow but steady. The Spear Chunker set his own strict recovery schedule and before he could again climb trees, even slipped back from using his beloved spears to “whack” an eight-pointer whitetail with his bow (out of his wheelchair).
Now, that is tenacious!

Finally, time and his physical conditioning program had him back to the trees where he again successfully speared five whitetails by the end of the 2003 season in his home state of Alabama. His trophy buck was an old 8-pointer with a broken tine, which he appropriately named “Warrior.” This nice old monarch had previously been hit by buckshot.
But now the big question remained: Could he go back to Texas - to the top of that same ol’ ancient oak that must be 300 to 500 years old and again…do his thing by throwing two spears at the same time to take two wild pigs with one throw?

SOUTH TEXAS SANCTUARY - BOWHUNTING:
There’s a small scrub oak and cactus dotted ranch located west of San Antonio called “South Texas Sanctuary-Bowhunting” which continually calls us back to hunt the abundant wild pigs. They are wild, too - trapped off area deer leases where they are considered “pests” and moved to their new home - where they are hunted.
Owners, Arlen Krueger and his father Edmund, consistently provide more than adequate numbers of the fun-to-hunt, loud squealers. Other game is also available: exotics, black buck and big curl rams. Krueger’s charges won’t break your budget, either.
In early March of this year, I returned to Arlen’s ranch, accompanied by my freelance writer/photographer friend, Sharon, to hunt pigs with spears. It was my sixth trip, her third to this “hog heaven”, but her first trip to hunt seriously - when she would kill more than one pig with a spear. This spring hunt turned out to be a really great trip - with a total of 10 pigs falling to our combined, deadly spears.

“My friends and the many hunters who have hunted with me and who know me, refer to me as “that spear chunker from Alabama”…and I now go by the name “Spear Chunker.” In fact, Morris explains that he now bills himself as “The Greatest Living Spear Hunter In The World” - as stated above.

Several years ago, Morris formed the International Spear Club and today, he remains president of the club whose dedicated purpose and goal is “to fight the ‘antis (PETA, ALF, etc., whose main goals are to stop all hunting worldwide) and to also bring all the spear hunters of the world together - united - in the war against the antis.
The main objective of this hunt was for the Spear Chunker to conquer, to climb again to the high tree stand he had built in this tall, sprawling 300 to 500-year-old oak tree and spear two pigs at the same time.

“It was here that I almost died - slipping and falling to the ground below,” Morris repeated.
What happened? How could he fall? How did he survive such a fall?
“All my life I have been climbing trees and never before had any mistake ever come close to costing me my life,” he said. He describes his error on that fateful hunt.
“I was attempting to spear two pigs with two spears … at the same time. This involved throwing both spears simultaneously - one from my left hand and one from my right.” The accident probably happened because I had not taken the weight of the added length of each spear (necessary to throw from this particularly high off-the-ground tree) into consideration. The added extra length of pipe handle added four additional pounds to each spear - bringing the weight of each spear to 22 pounds. The higher one is in a tree, the further the hunter must lean forward in order to throw the spear straight down. This means I was leaning over, holding 44 pounds in front of me and not wearing any safety equipment! Now, that’s a lot of weight to be holding out in front of you for very long! “

Now comes the “almost fatal” action part: “When the opportunity came - when two pigs were in position underneath me, I moved the two spears (one in each hand) off their respective nails, easing them into vertical position over the two large boars. Just as I was about to throw both spears, one of the pigs moved and I tried to follow it, and then attempted to abort the throw with my left hand. I was leaning over too far and began slipping off the seat, falling to the right and hitting a large limb of the grand old oak. It probably saved my life as it slowed my fall to the ground below.

Despite falling, I still had managed to spear the larger of the two targeted boars, which later died. What an eerie feeling - one pig squealing right there beside me - while I was lying on the ground attempting to see which of my own bones had been broken.
Arlen, the owner, later commented that the three-day heavy rain probably had helped to save my life, softening the ground where I landed. My video camera, still running, had recorded my infamous fall on film. In fact, viewing it was how I concluded that the huge bruise on my side and three broken ribs happened when I hit the limb while falling to the ground below. Another miracle: I avoided being sliced or cut by the two sharp spears as I fell out of the tree onto the ground.

After considerable time and enduring great pain, I managed to drag myself back to the ranch house some 250 yards away. The pain was intense. I had no phone and there is no phone at the ranch. I was totally by myself. (Definitely a cell phone would have been a valuable item to have and I intend to have one available each and every time I climb back up in any tree. The seat belt is now a must also.) In great pain nightlong, at daylight I managed to climb into my Chevy Blazer by improvising - utilizing the kitchen broom and mop as crutches. A woman at a nearby ranch fortunately had a cell phone to contact Arlen - who rushed over to transport me to the hospital in San Antonio approximately 50 miles away. Good thing there was no internal bleeding. I spent 4 days in the hospital in pain and for a good reason - I had three fractured ribs on my right side and a fractured pelvis on my left side. My entire right side was bruised as was my left hand. I was plenty miserable. I phoned Sharon asking her to fly out to San Antonio to drive me home. She had to drive in a horrible wind and rain storm and it was a very miserable experience with me being in agonizing pain. She also assisted me over the next couple of months until I could get around with a walker. What an experience! How very lucky I am to be alive!”

Morris is now standing once again in front of the grand old tree. Looking up, he is filled with mixed feelings - respect, mixed with some fear and apprehension. He digs deep, reaching inside for the strength and courage to conquer the tree, the situation, to master the feat of throwing two spears with two hands at the same time …once again.
“It’s a very personal challenge, and an almost indescribable feeling that I am experiencing for the first time in my life,” the Spear Chunker said. It is comforting that Sharon’s returned to Texas with him to hunt with spears and that she has a cell phone.

Morris continued his story: “Now I stand below the spreading branches of the great tree and hesitantly begin the climb - almost automatically - towards my high-in-the-air stand where tomorrow I will meet and conquer this old, but familiar challenge. Sharon was videoing my first climb into the tree and she said she could see the tears in my eyes as I installed the safety belt and spears for the next day’s hunt. It was a pretty dramatic moment.”

HOW THE SPEAR CHUNKER CAME TO BE:
Morris’ present big game spear tally sits on 124 and the list includes African game such as eland, zebra, gemsbok, blesbok and a hunt last year to Argentina added three cougars, two water buffalo, four-horned sheep and peccary and wild boars and his tally even includes two black bears from the Far North Country. He also hunts with the Cold Boar Spears which are thrown from the ground and took the American Bison, cougar and Asiatic water buffalo, and other big game with this spear.

“Wanting more of a challenge, I practiced from a tree in my back yard and today, have seven times been successful at hunting with two spears, thrown at the same time (one in each hand) taking two pigs at the same time! One of the seven times was the taking of two rams at the same time. I also accomplished that feat twice on this last Texas hunt,” Morris said.
This particular skill takes a lot of patience, coordination and strength but one does not necessarily have to be ambidextrous - because he is not. Weight of the spears varies - depending on how high the stand is built. In this case, it would be from a very particular tree stand built very high in the ancient oak - the near-death tree from which he had fallen on the last trip.
“I had to build the stand extra high in an effort to overcome the pigs’ keen sense of smell,” he explained.

THE HUNT:
March 2003: Doing it right! Morris challenges the grand old tree.
“Again, it was late afternoon - about 30 minutes before dusk - the perfect time for hunting wild boar. And they came!”
“Two times I had both spears off the headless nail hooks only to have the pigs move out of position and I had to return the spears to the respective hooks,” Morris recalled, his mind shifting, reviewing how these were the same set of circumstances that had caused him a devastating fall out of this same tree last fall!”
“This was my first hunt scene with all the right players - the boars, the infamous tree, my DUAL spears,” said the Spear Chunker. “Naturally, I was apprehensive, yet eager to conquer the tree and any lingering fears.”

He continues his story: “A few minutes ago, standing in front of the sprawling big tree, I indeed was more nervous than I expected - but I soon was completely focused, prepared to overcome any apprehensions about my ability to accomplish this mission. Taking my place in the stand, I checked the two spears hanging on their respective hooks. My mind raced, reviewing what must have gone wrong before …and although nervous, I just knew I could do it right this time. I also noted that this time and as I vowed to do on all other future hunts, I was tightly snugged onto the seat with a seat belt!”
The weather had cooled a little - good pig hunting conditions. Sharon, with her spear, was up in her tree stand about 200 yards distant on the other side of the stretch of scrub oaks and cedar. Nearby water holes and additional feeders with timers in the space between us were good wild boar attractors. I insisted that we put out plenty of corn - which was a sure-fire way to bring the wild pigs within spearing range.

Just before dark a large boar came into the stand to feed. I liked his looks and size. He was cautious, his snout testing the air for any scent of danger. He was joined by another boar, smaller in size, which crowded right up next to him. My heart was beating fast now; how I wanted to take them both - in one throw! However, things changed … the pigs did not cooperate much - they kept shoving, moving out of position, out-of-sync, and were too far apart for a good throw (with both spears). I remembered my old pain - the hospital in San Antonio … and I sure was not about to risk a second fall! This time I was content to wait until the pigs were in perfect position.

It was getting dark … and I was fired up, definitely in a spearing mood. It was time to make the double throw. Easing my razor-sharp spears off the hooks, I threw the two spears down full-force, hard - just back of the pig’s center. The throws were good; there was much squealing and an explosion of pigs as the others at the perimeter scattered and ran! One pig died on the spot. I climbed down and seeing the amount of dark blood on the ground, knew it was a good hit, on the biggest one, but the boar had ran off into the thick brush. I knew he was mine. Sharon and I quickly found the monster not far away. He was big and it took considerable effort by both of us to pull him up into the tree for photographs. Later, we weighed the boar in at 176 pounds. The tusks measured 1 7/8 and 1 15/16 inches. Big body, small tusks.

According to Morris, who lived in Hawaii for 15 years, the wild hogs are all called “pigs” out there. Due to habit, he still calls all porkers, hogs, boars - “pigs”.
“Once again, I (Sharon) have to admit, that the Spear Chunker knows his pigs after having tried hunting in the morning and having no luck; the pigs definitely had become mostly nocturnal, just like he said.
MY TURN (Sharon): I was secured with a belt across my lap in my tree-stand seat - comfortable and enjoying the sounds of the birds singing. I confirmed that my cell phone was in my pants pocket. The wind was right, blowing in my face.
The pigs came in right at dusk. I was nervous, but confident. I had had the best of teachers and he had instructed me just what to do. The pigs came … dozens of them crowding under my stand to chomp away at the yellow kernels of corn. At first I simply observed, checking for a young boar and picking out the right size for the barbeque grill. I took the spear off the hook - ever so carefully … holding it over the pig now … just to get the feel of its weight. (Now, this was not something I was instructed to do; I just wanted a rehearsal in my mind). I heard his words: “Remember, back of center - when his head and down and eating”. I knew I must throw hard and straight down for the best penetration. I found myself reviewing the Spear Chunker’s last minute instructions silently in my mind: “The steel spears are heavy so do not hold it too long ...”

It was time. I picked out a pig making certain it was a boar. He was a Russian- strain black and just right for the grill. Quietly I moved the spear off the nail. The pig was consumed with eating. There were six other big boars crowded close beside him, fighting for position. There was a lot of shifting, moving pigs. Tempted to choose a big boar, I contemplated doing so…but I knew I had to test my strength - my throwing power, first. The pig was directly below. I thrust the spear down to the target. Talk about an explosion! Pigs squealing…running every which way! My pig was spinning, now running off - but the spear was still intact. He ran about 75 yards before falling just after the spear fell out on the ground. He was mine for sure. I grabbed my camera on the way down. Picking up the spear lying on the ground, I laid it across my first boar. Removing my hat, I put it on the boar’s head and snapped a photo. Cleaning the spear, I pulled the pig off to the side in some brush and climbed back into my stand. I checked my spear and it appeared to be in suitable shape to throw again.

Pretty amazing: less than one hour later, other pigs showed up to eat! It was just before dark. I rushed a little, threw down at a larger pig which ran into the thick brush adjacent to my stand and the spear was dislodged by a tree branch. Later, Gene came to help me look for my pig. I was very excited and exhibiting some cockiness after finding my pig in the dark - making it a two-pig tally for me on the first day of hunting! (Note: the Spear Chunker is an excellent tracker.) He announced that he had taken two pigs with two spears in one throw again! The second time for this trip! I am becoming somewhat accustomed to his hunting successes.

It’s a fact, I was pretty excited to have killed two pigs that same day - the small, perfect-barbeque-size boar and a large, meaty sow. And I was pretty proud of my accomplishment. A pretty good hunting trip for me; taking four pigs in all and I was ecstatic to have become a real “lady spear chunker” in my own right. This year, again under the Spear Chunker’s tutelage, I took a nice Alabama 8-point trophy buck with my bow.
No question about it - evenings were the best time to hunt. It’s when these pigs were on the move, feeding. Baiting the stands with ample corn to get the pigs “really coming in” was our priority. It worked. It was purely Texas pig heaven!

Morris and I combined, got a total of 10 pigs with spears in just four days, and returned home with several coolers full of good-eating meat…and we experienced a one-of-a-kind, exciting time hunting. The Spear Chunker AGAIN got two pigs at the same time - two times - on this trip - conquering any self -doubts/fears harbored about his once-in-a-lifetime accident. Mission accomplished! So far he has taken 44 pigs with his spears.
Sharon claims she must return to hunt the wild boar with spears again. Morris in addition to his South Africa trip, is planning another spear hunting trip for alligators - wanting to best his tally last year of 8 gators in one night in Florida.
Long Live Spear Hunting!

Contact number for Krueger’s pig hunting sanctuary:
South Texas Sanctuary
www.southtexassanctuary.com
Arlen Krueger
(210) 688-3709
Mobile (210) 422-3704.

* Photographs by freelance writer/photographer Sharon Henson (shewrite@aol.com); Phone: 228-392-1334
Fax: 228-392-0206.

Gene Morris has recently completed a book titled “Hunting with Spears” and it is now at the publishers. It is available for $25 per copy. The book is hardcover and approximately 400 pages with 115 color photos. A good read and a must for your hunting book collection!
Send copy request to: Gene Morris, 7150 Wolf Field Road, Elberta, AL 36530. Phone: 251-987-1111; Fax: 251-987-1221. Also, to join his International Spear Club, contact him at the same address. There are no dues to join as he bears all the cost; again, it his way of fighting the antis - by expanding hunting.