It’s been a while, the early part of the year post deer season I was catching something every trip out it seemed up until mid March. Then the hogs seemed to have all migrated south or something. Last week the dogs trailed a couple but came up empty, after thinking about the area we were in I looked at the OnX map and decided to try an area that for some reason I had never stepped foot in before.
We get down there around daybreak and get to walking, this spot is surrounded by water on three sides, has a lot of tall timber and thick under story. It reminded me a lot of when I hunted in Hawaii. Right away the dogs are hustling around like they know the hogs are near, I start finding sign, rooting, beds, fresh scat. The dogs hunted out a couple times only to return, so we pressed on. The next area the dogs did the same except my youngest catahoula gyp, I see she’s at 460 then I hear her barking.
We get about half way there and the hog broke, guess she doesn’t have the experience quite yet to hold them under those circumstances. Now I’m a little frustrated, and it’s getting hot, so I go towards the creek to cool the dogs off. Well to my surprise I’ve only got two of them with me, I check the garmin and the other three are 500 yards away and showing treed. They were on the other side of the peninsula in the creek. I know it’s a good one by the way they’re barking, I get down there and they’ve got a nice boar in the branches of a dead fall tree. I go in and grab a leg, when I stick him he spins on me. Then he charges me directly, when he gets to within a couple feet I unleash my catch dog Kimber and end it. I really don’t like doing that but I don’t fancy the idea of getting cut down when I’m 3/4 of a mile from my truck by myself and no cell reception either.
I was pretty proud of those three youngsters, the two gyps and Pistol Pete with the oldest maybe being two years old and Lacy who is 10 months old. That Lacy dog is really growing on me, she goes hunting and doesn’t rely on the other dogs, comes when I tone her and has a a voice I can hear in the woods. My GoPro was dead, I rely on it to help me see all the details of what went down. Things happen so fast at the bay I don’t remember the details as well as I like to. When I get there i get to business as quick as I can without hesitation, it’s just how I’m wired I guess. Hope you guys are all doing well and keeping the dogs in the woods. I didn’t get one tick on me, Dan and Pete got a couple pokes but nothing too serious and the girls didn’t get a scratch.
