EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

I see the topic from time to time, gun or no gun. I am not writing this to sway you one way or another, but I learned a valuable lesson last Saturday and I will always carry a gun. Don't let your pride cost you!

Dropped 2 of my dogs against my will due to no sign, they made a 700yd loop and came back to 500 and bayed. We get within 150yds then walk the cd in. We got about 50-70yds from the bay and the dogs stopped barking. They came to me checked in and went back to baying... Odd I know... only this time a walking bay. We got within 15yds in the thicket and my new help hollered big hog so I sent the cd. On impact he was thrown and the hog continued walking my 2 baydogs. I see my cd wobbling clumsily to the hog so I grab him up walk him to the hog and he is pulling to get to the hog again so I let him go and he fell over. His leg was broke! With no catchdog to send and a hog walking my top 2 dogs something had to be done. My help waited till the dogs both went to the rear and he put it down. A bad situation could have gotten a lot worse with no gun and I firmly believe that's gritty dogs life was saved that day by a new helper who defied my rules. My cd now has on an external fixator and on 2 months of recovery. The hog head is in the freezer awaiting a European mount. My new view is to always carry a gun and always have it in responsible hands. It can save dogs lives as well as peoples. The hog weighed in at 315 with a 3"cutter and a 2.75" cutter.

My new help
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That's right.  I see people go without a gun or a knife.

I agree.  You never know what can happen or what you may encouner on a hunt. That is why we carry a gun and a knife. It has saved our behinds a few times.

Im always packin, just in case!

I wrote a 5 page hunt that explains my view on this....it's kinda long and detailed....long story short-I will always agree on having a gun...

As of now-all I have is a single shot 20ga...one slug at a time-the correct placement of a 20ga slug should work just fine....and I'm pretty quick on the reload...

Glad it didn't end as bad as it could have also!

Better to have it and not use or need it than need it and not have it. Saw 5 bay dogs and a cd wrecked one day. 44 mag put a stop to it. All dogs lived and still hunt. Minus the pistol and the outcome woulda been different.


Shotgun
Arkansas

I always carry my 22 mag when I go alone but as long as I bring a catch dog I don't bring it. But it is in the truck well I always have a gun in both my trucks no matter what anyway. If anything should happen I will haul a$$ back to truck an get one.

Oh and here's my boy (http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/19/epugubah.jpg)

I always have my S&W mod 66 in the truck but I realized I need to carry it. I'm built for comfort not speed haha

Yep the truck isn't at the bay. The time it takes to get to the truck and back could be way to long. In the case I mentioned above we were 400 yards in a thicket. The truck was 3 miles from the wheeler. Even in the wheeler a half mile of walking could take to long. I have a pistol on my side. If I need it I got it. If I don't oh well I had it. To each his own but I will do what I need to do to keep from loosing dogs.


Shotgun
Arkansas

I will always have mine. That sure is a good example. Best wishes on your CD's speedy recovery! Glad it wasn't anything worse than a broke leg.

Always have my springfield xd subcompact in 40 cal on me when i hunt. Usually, i'm alone and u never know WHO or WHAT you will run into on a run. Tie, stab or shoot,, but ya gotta have the equipment with u to do whats best for the situation u find yourself in

Catch Dog $100
Pistol $500
Good help Priceless!

Actaully all are pretty priceless I just always like those commercials.  ;D

Damn, I need to carry from now on!!


Sonny

I had a post a while back about what to carry and a lot of guys were saying a revolver. That's what I got, 7" barrel 45 long colt hollow points while I hunt. Devastating damage!!!

I always have my revolver in the truck but didn't carry it because I didn't trust the holster I had. I changed that last week. 1973 S&W model 66 357mag
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Always packing , 40 S&W , 24/7 hunting , sleeping , work, church , wal mart , RIGHT NOW  LOL

45LC 7" barrel arminius(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/02/u8u5avuv.jpg)
Bullet on the left is 45 ACP just to compare in size

if you hog hunt long enough at some point you will wish you had one on you...

Always carry, lot of guys swear by carrying a .22 and I've seen some awesome shots made in bay and shoot hunts with a buckmark. Sure any gun is better than none but in a situation where you need the gun I want something with a little more thump. I always carry either my .44,.357 or xd40

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been hunting 20 years never carried a gun wish i had a time or 2  could have save alot of stitches

I always have my 45. Shot a big ass boar Tuesday that had the dogo pinned on his back. We were sure glad I had my pistol.

Ruben you are exactly right!! I had to use mine on Sat!!

In 40 years of hog hunting, I have never carried a gun. If a hog can shake off the catchdog or outrun the bay dogs, he has my respect. There is always another day.
  I had some company come in to town to hunt with me & told the guys not to bring any firearms. He brought a pistol & said he never went hunting without it. I gave him a choice, come hunt with us & leave your pistol or stay at the truck. He stayed at the truck. I will never have anybody I do not know shooting around my dogs.
  We have also got in some deer leases because they know we do not carry guns. JMO.