[attachment=39097:attachment][attachment=39098:attachment][attachment=39099:atta
chment]
Two friends and myself spent Friday and Saturday in King City with Frank Morasci (more-ahh-she) the
fabled Dr. Death! You guys were right. He and his crew are the greatest. They were friendly, fun and
experts at what they do. We hunted with Frank and Kek.
Friday we went out to a ranch very close to the motel in King City at 3:00. Frank had to work a little later
than usual and he said that he can sometimes get a hog or two as they come up from the river into this
rancher's vinyard. All the fields that have food crops are being fitted with anti-pig fencing due to the E-coli
scare last year. Frank said they follow the fence a ways until they find a way in. We drove, walked and
glassed until sundown and didn't have any luck, but Frank shared a ton of great information that will help me
in hunts to come, as well as some great stories. We saw several deer, ducks and other wildlife including
some long legged horned pigs, but Frank said it was very expensive to shoot one of those...haha. My two
buddies were close by with Kek. At the end of Fridays hunt we were excited and happy to be there, and not
a bit disappointed. Frank gave us some ideas for restaurants and said he would meet us at 6:00 AM at
Denny's (slow! bad service. I think Mc D's would have been a better choice).
At 6, we all followed Frank to his work site and split into hunting groups. I was with Frank in Dr. Death and
my friends were with Kek. The sky was bluing up, and Frank felt we were starting a little late so we tore
through that ranch at breakneck speeds until we got to the area he wanted to hunt. We stopped at a couple
of high spots to glass the hill sides looking for pigs and pig sign. We'd drive and stop glass and drive and
stop.
About 7:15 we turned a corner and in a grassy draw we spotted 10 pigs heading down. Frank let out a
yell, told me to be ready and said we were going to get to the bottom before they did and head them off as
he punched the gas pedal to the floor. The pigs, which were out of sight below us suddenly came up our
side of the draw and we could see their backs to the left of us. Frank slammed on the breaks and
yelled, "Get 'Em!! they're coming over the hill!" I have the same truck as Frank, so my right index finger
was already on the auto unlock button and I was pushing it like a crazy man...The second my two feet hit
the gound I jacked a round into my grandfathers antique .32 Winchester Special saddle rifle, and the pigs
topped the hill we were on. They were about 60 yards off, running like crazy broadside to us. I chose the
second pig in the group, a big reddish-brown sow, and raised my rifle. At that point they started to angle
away from us...everything I was ever taught about shooting went out of my head and a silent calm
descended on me so that only myself, my rifle, and the sow existed...I lined up the shot and the black sow
next to her blocked my shot. In a heartbeat she was exposed again and I pulled (yes pulled not squeezed
lol) the trigger. I felt no recoil and barely heard the report, but I did hear a loud THWAP, as my pig went
right on going full tilt. I thought I had missed as she didn't even stagger, Frank yelled "you got her!" and I
jacked another round and fired. a clean miss...the pig was topping the hill and going over the other side
when she started a strange sideways trot; and I knew she was hit. I went toward the pig at a fast walk as
Frank let his dog go..."In case you crippled her," He said.
I topped the hill and the dogs wizzed past chasing the fleeing herd and about 25 yards down the hill lay
my big brown sow stone dead! I hit her farther back than I had wanted to, but the angle was good as it
passed right through her vitals and exited near the left shoulder. Frank radioed Kek and told him we
jumped a herd and they were coming toward him. As we took a couple of pics, we heard shots in the
distance as my buddy Dave took his pig, about a 200 lb sow as she crossed about 80 yards in front of him.
Frank gutted my sow right there because "The darned thing is too heavy to drag" He estimated my pig
at 250 lbs., but I think he was being a little generous. What I can say is that dressed out at the meat
cutters, she hung out at 157 lbs. Our biggest pig by 50 lbs.
Frank spotted another hog bedded down, on a hill a couple of ridges over and we took off to tell Kek
where it was, so he and my third friend John could go get it. They made a careful stalk of about 1/4 of a
mile through some terrible thick brush, where John took a 100 yard shot and hit the boar through the spine
and took him down. They finished him with a shot behind the ear and they started dragging him down the
small wash as Frank and I took the two trucks around to the bottom to pick them up. He was not a huge
hog by any means, but he had a real nice set of choppers on him.
Grandpa's rifle has now taken game through three generations, and Frank and Kek were awesome.
Thanks to all who recommended him. And to those of you who haven't been out with him yet...Go Now!
We are all trying to figure out how soon we can go back. Good Luck and safe hunting to you all! [C'mon
Turkey season!]
Ken
chment]
Two friends and myself spent Friday and Saturday in King City with Frank Morasci (more-ahh-she) the
fabled Dr. Death! You guys were right. He and his crew are the greatest. They were friendly, fun and
experts at what they do. We hunted with Frank and Kek.
Friday we went out to a ranch very close to the motel in King City at 3:00. Frank had to work a little later
than usual and he said that he can sometimes get a hog or two as they come up from the river into this
rancher's vinyard. All the fields that have food crops are being fitted with anti-pig fencing due to the E-coli
scare last year. Frank said they follow the fence a ways until they find a way in. We drove, walked and
glassed until sundown and didn't have any luck, but Frank shared a ton of great information that will help me
in hunts to come, as well as some great stories. We saw several deer, ducks and other wildlife including
some long legged horned pigs, but Frank said it was very expensive to shoot one of those...haha. My two
buddies were close by with Kek. At the end of Fridays hunt we were excited and happy to be there, and not
a bit disappointed. Frank gave us some ideas for restaurants and said he would meet us at 6:00 AM at
Denny's (slow! bad service. I think Mc D's would have been a better choice).
At 6, we all followed Frank to his work site and split into hunting groups. I was with Frank in Dr. Death and
my friends were with Kek. The sky was bluing up, and Frank felt we were starting a little late so we tore
through that ranch at breakneck speeds until we got to the area he wanted to hunt. We stopped at a couple
of high spots to glass the hill sides looking for pigs and pig sign. We'd drive and stop glass and drive and
stop.
About 7:15 we turned a corner and in a grassy draw we spotted 10 pigs heading down. Frank let out a
yell, told me to be ready and said we were going to get to the bottom before they did and head them off as
he punched the gas pedal to the floor. The pigs, which were out of sight below us suddenly came up our
side of the draw and we could see their backs to the left of us. Frank slammed on the breaks and
yelled, "Get 'Em!! they're coming over the hill!" I have the same truck as Frank, so my right index finger
was already on the auto unlock button and I was pushing it like a crazy man...The second my two feet hit
the gound I jacked a round into my grandfathers antique .32 Winchester Special saddle rifle, and the pigs
topped the hill we were on. They were about 60 yards off, running like crazy broadside to us. I chose the
second pig in the group, a big reddish-brown sow, and raised my rifle. At that point they started to angle
away from us...everything I was ever taught about shooting went out of my head and a silent calm
descended on me so that only myself, my rifle, and the sow existed...I lined up the shot and the black sow
next to her blocked my shot. In a heartbeat she was exposed again and I pulled (yes pulled not squeezed
lol) the trigger. I felt no recoil and barely heard the report, but I did hear a loud THWAP, as my pig went
right on going full tilt. I thought I had missed as she didn't even stagger, Frank yelled "you got her!" and I
jacked another round and fired. a clean miss...the pig was topping the hill and going over the other side
when she started a strange sideways trot; and I knew she was hit. I went toward the pig at a fast walk as
Frank let his dog go..."In case you crippled her," He said.
I topped the hill and the dogs wizzed past chasing the fleeing herd and about 25 yards down the hill lay
my big brown sow stone dead! I hit her farther back than I had wanted to, but the angle was good as it
passed right through her vitals and exited near the left shoulder. Frank radioed Kek and told him we
jumped a herd and they were coming toward him. As we took a couple of pics, we heard shots in the
distance as my buddy Dave took his pig, about a 200 lb sow as she crossed about 80 yards in front of him.
Frank gutted my sow right there because "The darned thing is too heavy to drag" He estimated my pig
at 250 lbs., but I think he was being a little generous. What I can say is that dressed out at the meat
cutters, she hung out at 157 lbs. Our biggest pig by 50 lbs.
Frank spotted another hog bedded down, on a hill a couple of ridges over and we took off to tell Kek
where it was, so he and my third friend John could go get it. They made a careful stalk of about 1/4 of a
mile through some terrible thick brush, where John took a 100 yard shot and hit the boar through the spine
and took him down. They finished him with a shot behind the ear and they started dragging him down the
small wash as Frank and I took the two trucks around to the bottom to pick them up. He was not a huge
hog by any means, but he had a real nice set of choppers on him.
Grandpa's rifle has now taken game through three generations, and Frank and Kek were awesome.
Thanks to all who recommended him. And to those of you who haven't been out with him yet...Go Now!
We are all trying to figure out how soon we can go back. Good Luck and safe hunting to you all! [C'mon
Turkey season!]
Ken
