Featured HuntTodd's cliff-side double hog day !
This hunt was amazing! Todd, who is a hard working farmer and father-to-be, had just a little time on the calendar to get out and stretch his legs. He said that if it worked out for two hogs, he would love to fill the freezer and make prosciutto. Of course our hunts are fair chase and nature dictated. There is no guarantee on if or how many hogs a hunter will get. The night before he had checked into the lodge and thought he would drive out to the ranch to get his head around the map so that the morning drive would be easier. As he arrived he saw some big hogs feeding in a field near where we would hunt the next day. He went back to his lodge and let himself get very excited about his prospects. The following morning we met and handled the necessary paper work and discussed the method of staying close to me as we put a stalk on these hogs. He said that he knew he would have some major adrenaline to deal with and that he had a propensity to rush the hunt when he gets excited. I assured him that I would be right there to calm him down if that should happen. I told him that the key to a good hunt being successful is stealth in the last 40 yards.
Off we went to where he saw the hogs the evening before. Sure enough there were fresh tracks. At first it was hard to determine where they led. But after a while we determined that they had led off into a canyon. This canyon was steep and the ground was mostly loose shale under a canopy of oaks. The conditions were perfect for hogs to bed in, but a real challenge to hunt and stalk in. We decided to first get right with the wind and make a decent. After a few corrections in the pursuit, we were able to conclude that the hogs went up the other side of the canyon, the steep side, where they must have been planning to bed. It was rough going but Todd said he was up for anything no matter the terrain. Amber was behind us with the video camera. There were moments that we thought the odds of making it into the bedding area undetected were low. Dropping into the canyon was awesome! The running water and waterfalls were beautiful. The greenery was as a rain forest should be with large ferns and ivy. Red bellied newts and mosses everywhere. The hog tracks and rooting made it clear that we were on the right path. But the steep loose hillside made things difficult. For every one step up, we would slide down two. We had to use the oak trees as hand rails to make our assent.
Once we were on the crest where hogs like to bed, we moved around the rim on the cliff-side trail. As we rounded what I thought would be the right bend, I heard a grunt. It was a low and contented grunt. I knew at that moment we had not been detected and that we in fact had made it into to the bedding area. As I peered carefully around the nearly vertical ridge I saw the back end of a hog disappear around the next nearly vertical ridge. Then there was another grunt from above me. I pulled back and turned to Todd and Amber and whispered, "I saw a hog! And I heard another one grunting. Be ready to get off the trail! If they charge on this steep ledge, they will use the trail, so pick a tree to jump to if you need to get out of the way." The tension was built and the stalk was on! Todd had his bow in hand. The plan was if the hogs offered a clear shot he would use his bow. But if distance or heavy brush came into play, I would hand him his rifle. Both weapons had not killed a hog and either would be cool to break in. Since the hogs moved only a little around the hill we moved with them being slow, quiet, and careful. I kept checking the wind with my wind powder. It was good. I noticed that Todd was starting to tremble a little as the adrenaline started flowing through him. His eyes became wide, and then his leg began to shake. We were all pumped with excitement as the hogs were very big, very close and did not know we were in there. A little further and there it was! A big gold and black hog not 20 yards above us. We were in a perfect place to be charged. Todd started to stand to draw his bow. I saw the excitement turn into heavy breathing and the leg shake amplified! Todd was jacked up to the max!! He said this would happen so I grabbed him by the arm and said, " Wait! Settle down! Sit down and enjoy the adrenaline for a bit, it will subside soon" He was great about following directions. He let himself process the wonderful effects of being close to dangerous animals. After a couple of minutes he said, "I'm good" I noticed that he had become very calm, focused and determined.
I told him to try and get a shot with an arrow, but the hogs had fed around the ridge before we could put it all together. "That's ok" I said. "They are in here for the day and they don't know we are here. That the hog may even feed around and come back into view." And that is what it did. We watched as it came back a little lower on the hill, almost level to where we were. But this time it was in the Manzanita brush and getting an arrow through would be a major luck shot. Todd elected to do the right thing and whispered in a very excited voice "Give me my rifle". As I handed him his .335 he handed me his bow. Our back-up system was in full swing. Earlier we had practiced resting the gun on my shoulders as I plugged my ears. Just in case there was nothing good to rest on. We did exactly that. No discussion, just moving with the plan. He locks on the hog and BAM!!! He dropped that hog right where it was standing. it was AWESOME!!!!!! The hog slid but only a foot as it piled up on the base of a bush. Before I could high-five him for the great shot, I see another bigger, black hog move towards us about 11 yards below us! My heart stopped for one second as I thought the charge was going to come! I pointed and said to Todd "Shoot that hog!!" Todd looks down and sees it. Instantly Todd pulls the rifle to his eye and makes an off-hand shot, right between the eyes and drops that hog too!!!! We all couldn't believe it! Amber couldn't see the lower hog and when she realized there was another hog she says "You shot two?" Todd said, "Yes I did" Amber replies "YOU ROCK!" And the jubilation was through the roof!!!! We could hear the second hog tumbling down the steep canyon wall, all the way to the bottom! As we stopped to hear where it was falling the first hog had one last kick and dislodged it's self from the base of the bush and it too started sliding and tumbling down to the canyon bottom. What a sight to see!
We knew that there would be some serious work ahead of us as both hogs were big, both hogs went to the bottom and both sides of the canyon were steep. But the thrill and success of the entire hunt was the fuel we needed to complete the job of putting these nice hogs into his truck. We literally had to ski down the hill, in the loose shale to get down to where the hogs must have gone. When we got to the bottom we realized what a great grouping Todd had made. Both hogs were within 5 yards of each other. No trailing needed. After a zesty photo shoot and recap of what we all had experienced, we dressed the hogs. Todd did one as I did the other. Amber helped with holding them during the process and in no time we had two clean hogs. The best part was the icy cold clear mountain stream that was running clear, allowed us to wash the hogs and our hands. Everything quick and clean! Perfect!
The long arduous uphill climb with hogs and gear was a test of who wants to hunt hogs. We all worked together. Todd and I each had a front leg and Amber was lifting on the back legs. We carried the first hogs a third of the way up, then we went back down for the rifle, bow, and camera gear and brought it up to where we left the first hog. Then we went down for the second hog. We repeated the process up for another third of the hill. Then being absolutely wiped out and exhausted... we hiked up too the top to plan the best way out on the canyon and went to the lodge to eat and rest for about 25 minutes. Todd called his wife and told her the good news and gave her a time frame for finishing the task and getting home. Then he brought his truck to the top of the canyon wall and once more, we went into the canyon. The final leg up the wall was great! We new we were almost done, we had rested and ate, and the reality of what we had accomplished was all we needed for energy to crest the wall with two giant hogs, all our gear and complete an experience that had made us all friends and hunting companions. We will never forget Todd and his hunt of a lifetime! He will always be welcome back to RWGS.
Congratulations Todd for getting it done the real way, and for breaking in Uncle Bill's rifle with some great shooting!
We wish the best to Todd, his wife and their new baby boy arriving in early spring 2010.
Running Wild Guide Service Featured Hunt to start the 2010-decade!
