Blood poured down my face after the recoil of the .277 Fury chambered Sig Sauer AR I was shooting caused the thermal scope to slam into my face, leaving a gaping cut on the bridge of my nose. Sitting in the dark, I knew instantly what had happened and immediately assessed that I could breath, so my nose wasn’t broken. And I could see, so my orbital bone was intact. 

My target was a large, wild hog 70 yards away in the pitch black of night. My host, Wade Chandler, had offered me the use of his gun and, unfortunately, I was not prepared for the recoil. In my defense, I managed to follow through on the target and as the pig ran I got off two more shots. Two more cuts were added to my face — for a total of three bloody semicircles. 

We lost the hog in the dense brush and the only thing I have to show for the encounter is three cuts between my eyes. I know the scars will eventually fade, but Wade will never let me forget my amateur mistake.