EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

We weren't planning on a hunt this weekend, because even though the dogs had completely recuperated from the Hunt for the Hungry, the people were still exhausted. But the R&R plans changed when Don called Saturday saying he had a new property to run and a friend from out of town who'd never gone hunting before.

Steve, Don, Eric and I met up and headed to a 1200 acre ranch in Wimberley. No one had checked the place out during daylight hours, so we followed very general directions and dropped Sadie, Lucifer, Lucy and one of the puppies near a water trough. It wasn't long before the dogs trashed, literally, leading us right to the dump. Apparently we had taken a wrong turn, so we loaded back up, got pointed down another dirt road, and found a feeder. We dropped the dogs again and took off walking.

We followed the main road into a a large pasture and did a quick loop. No pigs, but we did see some eyes up in a tree, and we were able to catch the critter in our flashlight beams. It was a ring-tailed cat. I'd never seen one before, it was really nifty looking, like a ferret with a cat's head and a coon's tail.

We finally found an even smaller road and headed into the thick cedar. The dogs bayed up almost immediately a mere 50 yards away. We walked up to find a tiny shoat that was blown up like a bowling ball. The poor thing had a cut that had turned septic and it looked absolutely awful. Steve put it out of its misery and the dogs set out again.

Soon were walking on nothing more than deer trails. Lucifer was making wide loops and Sadie was doing a great job of getting out and hunting. Then Don and Steve both heard a faint bark so we checked the GPS. Lucifer was over 300 yards out and Sadie was headed straight to him. They definitely had hogs down in a canyon, we didn't know how to get to the bay. The cedar was incredibly thick, it was pitch black, there was no real trail, plus we didn't have a catch dog. Ollie was in heat, so Steve planned to shoot over the dogs, which is fine if you can see what's going on, but not such a great plan when there is an endless wall of cedar. We slowly made our way closer and could hear a lot of grunting. The dogs either had a group or a big boar because the bay wasn't breaking. Don and I were trying to make our way into the canyon but we came to a dead end and couldn't see a way through the brush. I guess we were taking too long because suddenly Sadie showed up and made eye contact with me as if to say "Mom, I've been waiting for you, come on!" She pointed us to small hidden trail, made sure we were on our way and took off again. This isn't the first time she's come looking for me during a bay, and leaving a pig is not exactly the best quality in a hog dog, but I sure did appreciate the extra guidance.

So Don and I make it to the bay, the dogs are barking and we hear a lot of grunting, but the cedar is so thick we can't see a thing. At this point Don has his pistol drawn and I'm using him as a human shield, both of us jumping behind big branches every time we hear a hog charge. Finally we get close enough to peak through the branches and it's the craziest thing I've seen at a bay - a medium sized sow, maybe a second adult pig, and eight shoats all in a bunch. I think the flashlight shinning in her eye was the last straw for the sow, cause she broke out of the brush with Lucifer hot on her heels. Sadie and Lucy stayed with the little pigs, which were moving as a single group, just like a school of fish darting in and out of the cedar. One was pure white, like a domestic pig, and a few were white with black spots like a Dalmatian. We stood there in awe just watching. I think both the girls were confused as to what they were supposed to do with eight small hogs, but Sadie finally busted into the middle of the group and they all took off in different directions.

Sadie and Lucy ran after them, but it was so thick and there were so many shoats running in different directions that they didn't catch any. Apparently Steve had tried to shoot the sow when she ran by, but the safety was on. I guess he was lucky it was a 100 pound sow and not a 250 pound boar!

It took a while to find our way out of the canyon and back to the deer trails. The dogs were ready for water and the humans were ready for beer, so we headed back to the truck and called it a night. He didn't have a trophy boar to pose with, but I think we showed Eric a pretty interesting time :laugh:

Sounds like you had a good time anyway.  I'd have to drink a beer after that too.

Think im gonna drink one to u guys now!

Sounds like you had a good workout! We have many dry hunts over here in Europe also, each time something different happens that we can only laugh about after :).
But beeing out with the dogs is just the BEST!

good story, i am no fan of night hunting, but it is getting warmer sooo...  :-\