I met Bump to make a round Sunday morning on a new place neither of us had hunted. We goofed around for a little while on another place down the road until the land owner was able to meet us and take us in.
We worked our way towards the woods, and when we stopped Bump's Jagd bails out of the Ranger and heads for the woods. I dumped three curs and they about tore the wire off the fence that seperates the woods from the open pasture. I looked Bump's way, and said, there's hogs in the area!
It couldn't have been a couple minutes, and we start hearing the dogs scream "Here's One!" We unload the bulldogs and head that way. I can hear some catching going on, so we cut the bulldogs out from a ways to anchor the deal. After wading some knee deep water, we finally found them caught at the other side of some CHEST deep water! Bump takes the plunge, makes the kill and drags the hog back over. I knock out the backstraps, and we hear another bay a ways down. We again wade the ditches, and get close enough to hear catching again. I again released Zeus. As we were walking to the bay through some tall grass and canes, another hog walked out in front of us. Wish I still had Zeus! As we approached the bay, I see Zeus standing about 100 yards to the left, then he kicks it in gear and goes to the dogs. Thought that was strange?? Got the second hog killed, and dogs had rolled and had another bayed. As we were walking, we went around the thicket which took us by where I had seen Zeus standing. I happened to look down, and there lays a fresh torn off hog ear! Apparently he caught a smaller one on the way, then came to the bay for catch #3.
Continued to the next bay and had a nice boar bayed that we got to see the catch. Somehow the hog came free and they ran another 20 or so yards before they got it anchored. A really good boar this time that didn't want to die. Got catchdogs off, and had another bay a pretty good ways off. As were heading to this one, another cur opens up in between us. We're about to let the bulldogs go, and it breaks and runs right by us. Another nice boar, and Sam's in hot pursuit! We wait a while, and decide to make our way back for the tracking system.
When we get back, the dogs are coming in and we waited them out. Sam came back in with three pretty good cuts...I guess that last boar had his number! Also when unloading at the trailer, I discovered Zeus had taken a really good cut on the chest right through a leg flap AND the chest part of my new Devestator vest. That things been unlucky for me since the day I bought it!! A few staples and a couple weeks and he'll be back online.
A great hunt, with good folks! Looking forward to doing it again! Not a great pic, but here's one of the boar we got with a camera-phone.
