**LINK TO PICS AT BOTTOM OF PAGE**
Well guys, My girlfriend and I joined my parents at the Tejon Ranch this past weekend and I shot my biggest hog to date. The consensus is that this is the largest boar (body size) that we have killed in the family. This was my first visit back to the ranch for this Explorer season and it was awesome to be back up there, I miss it all off season.
Got to Frazier Park late friday night and got a room at the Best Rest Inn. Saturday we were out at dawn looking for the piggies. We hunted all morning and didn't see any pigs (did see a coyote, some deer, and a big mountain lion). The rain damage to the roads is incredible right now. We hunted the "south" side of the ranch, at the top of the 'Vine. LOTS of the roads/trials are unpassable. Some roads that didn't look impassable, well.... lets just say thank goodness for winches and lockers.
After lunch and a rest, it was back at it on Sat. evening. Nothing all afternoon until just before dark. We had met up with my parents and we watched as my mom passed on what we all now agree was a pretty large boar... oh well, we have all season.
I had decided that Sunday would be a relaxing day, some 4-wheeling and some squirrel blasting. That didn't last. As we took a break and glassed far off hillsides I saw the monster in the pictures below. I left my girlfriend at the jeep and I put a nice long stalk on this piggy. He had no idea I was coming. I got to within 50 feet of this beast before letting him have it. Over the last few years I have killed a few hogs with my .257 Roberts, but this was my first hunt with my new .30-06. I thought I would anchor him with a perfect shot at this range so I steadied my breath and squeezed the trigger. WHACK. I knew it was a good hit but the dang pig took off... STRAIGHT DOWN HILL. Normally I have found very limited blood trails but the pigs never went to far. This time the blood trail was amazing but the pig went about 200 yards down the canyon (must have rolled part way.) We found parts of his lungs and heart at the point of impact. That .30-06 really put a big exit hole in the off side. Entered 1/2" behind the front leg and exited through opposite leg/shoulder. The heart was in two pieces in his chest and some lung matter was mush.
At the sound of my shot my girlfriend went to try to locate my folks. One wrong turn and some nasty mud and ... thank goodness for lockers. Eventually everybody was rounded up and I led my mom and dad down the valley to the pig. We had to gut this boy, then cut him in half in order to try to get back up the hill (I know the pics do not do justice to the steepness of the hill). After three solid hours of dragging first one half, then the other, up the valley we were able to hook up the 100' of winch wire, 50' tow strap, two 10' tree saver straps, and about 75 feet of rope to the pig and pull him up the rest of the way. (Thank God.)
I don't know if these pics do this pig justice, but it is huge. I think a conservative guess is 275lbs. but I am no expert. When looking at the pics, keep in mind that I am no lightweight, coming in at around 350. Nice 2-3" cutters uppper and lower. I took the head to the taxidermist today, this will be my first mount.
Thanks for reading and use caution if anyone is hitting the ranch soon as I know more rain is expected this week.
PICS HERE:
http://community.webshots.com/album/285747865xOUvSx
Well guys, My girlfriend and I joined my parents at the Tejon Ranch this past weekend and I shot my biggest hog to date. The consensus is that this is the largest boar (body size) that we have killed in the family. This was my first visit back to the ranch for this Explorer season and it was awesome to be back up there, I miss it all off season.
Got to Frazier Park late friday night and got a room at the Best Rest Inn. Saturday we were out at dawn looking for the piggies. We hunted all morning and didn't see any pigs (did see a coyote, some deer, and a big mountain lion). The rain damage to the roads is incredible right now. We hunted the "south" side of the ranch, at the top of the 'Vine. LOTS of the roads/trials are unpassable. Some roads that didn't look impassable, well.... lets just say thank goodness for winches and lockers.
After lunch and a rest, it was back at it on Sat. evening. Nothing all afternoon until just before dark. We had met up with my parents and we watched as my mom passed on what we all now agree was a pretty large boar... oh well, we have all season.
I had decided that Sunday would be a relaxing day, some 4-wheeling and some squirrel blasting. That didn't last. As we took a break and glassed far off hillsides I saw the monster in the pictures below. I left my girlfriend at the jeep and I put a nice long stalk on this piggy. He had no idea I was coming. I got to within 50 feet of this beast before letting him have it. Over the last few years I have killed a few hogs with my .257 Roberts, but this was my first hunt with my new .30-06. I thought I would anchor him with a perfect shot at this range so I steadied my breath and squeezed the trigger. WHACK. I knew it was a good hit but the dang pig took off... STRAIGHT DOWN HILL. Normally I have found very limited blood trails but the pigs never went to far. This time the blood trail was amazing but the pig went about 200 yards down the canyon (must have rolled part way.) We found parts of his lungs and heart at the point of impact. That .30-06 really put a big exit hole in the off side. Entered 1/2" behind the front leg and exited through opposite leg/shoulder. The heart was in two pieces in his chest and some lung matter was mush.
At the sound of my shot my girlfriend went to try to locate my folks. One wrong turn and some nasty mud and ... thank goodness for lockers. Eventually everybody was rounded up and I led my mom and dad down the valley to the pig. We had to gut this boy, then cut him in half in order to try to get back up the hill (I know the pics do not do justice to the steepness of the hill). After three solid hours of dragging first one half, then the other, up the valley we were able to hook up the 100' of winch wire, 50' tow strap, two 10' tree saver straps, and about 75 feet of rope to the pig and pull him up the rest of the way. (Thank God.)
I don't know if these pics do this pig justice, but it is huge. I think a conservative guess is 275lbs. but I am no expert. When looking at the pics, keep in mind that I am no lightweight, coming in at around 350. Nice 2-3" cutters uppper and lower. I took the head to the taxidermist today, this will be my first mount.
Thanks for reading and use caution if anyone is hitting the ranch soon as I know more rain is expected this week.
PICS HERE:
http://community.webshots.com/album/285747865xOUvSx
