RWGS Featured Hunts
Featured Hog Hunt -July 2009- "The Birthday Boar"
This hunt was long anticipated by three friends who decided to make good on their year old resolution to become hunters.To harvest wild food by bow or rifle was the plan.
First up, Matt H. who passed his hunter education course, got his first hunting license, pig tag, rifle & camos. He spent some time on the range sighting in and practicing with his Weatherby .300 mag that was passed down to him from a dear friend.
The quarry? Sus Scrofa, wild boar.
Matt decided to try for his first hog with his rifle to put some meat on the grill and he wanted Ted & Brett to share the experience as by-standers. Sounds like a reasonable plan. We met at mean twilight and greet each other with obvious excitement knowing this will be a memorable birthday either way it turns out. Some time was spent dressing for the occasion and loading the rifle.Amber & I talk about how to get the boys close to a group of hogs we found earlier in the week and we started out after the hogs.
I spot the hogs at about 200 yards and the hunt was on. We had a big group to get into place so we move slow and quietly. We discussed a plan to have only Matt & myself close the final gap when the time came to shoot. Our wind was good and we were quiet, but the hogs left the field for the mostly dry creek bottom and disappeared. We thought for a moment they might come back as we heard some squeals and tussling on the edge of the field. But the noises quickly got quieter and we knew they were moving on. We decided to "become the last pig" in the line and follow the hogs to wherever they were off to. They were more proficient at moving through the blackberry brush and down steep creek banks allowing them to travel quickly away. Once we made it into the creek bottom we looked for sign in the gravel and rocks. After ruling out one trail that really didn't have freshly made tracks, we moved up the creek about 70 more yards and saw many pig prints on the trail that lead up and out of the creek to the left. We started to follow the tracks. I spotted the pigs about 250 yards ahead of us in the next open grassy field. The hunt was still on and we were on their tails, running wild, doing as they were doing, cruising through the wilderness in pursuit of food. The hogs were spread out in the field still feeding and a few of them were running around and just being pigs. They really never detected us. We moved in and got to about 140 yards.
Matt, Ted, Brett & TJ & a nice California wild hog! 07 - 13 - 09 Happy Birthday to Matt !
After taking a better look at the heard, Matt sees the vey hog he had a bead on earlier and it was moving our way to some degree and wound up about 100 yards away heading from right to left at a decent walk. Matt bares down on his gun and follows the hog with the cross hairs of his scoped rifle as it came to a stop under an low-hanging Bay Laurel branch. The hog quarters away as if to move deeper into the trees. Knowing the gun hits good at 100 yards, Matt kneels and sets his rifle on his shooting stick. He clicks off his safety and settles his trigger finger in the ready position. Making sure the hog was stationary I say "when you are ready, take the shot." Matt squeezes of a clap of thunder and hogs scatter in every direction, all but one!
Matt makes a great shot on this nice hog, on his first hog hunt, on his birthday, with his two buddies Bret & Ted present on their madden voyage. After the shot Amber & the boys made their way to us as wild turkeys flushed out of the trees. The morning sun stretched a cross the hills like heavenly stage lights eliminating the scene where the dream of becoming hunters came true. It was a treat and an honor to be a part of their introduction to wild hog hunting.
