Well all, can finally say Two of us got our pigs at Vandenburg. NOBUCKEV and myself finally got ourselves a couple of pigs in Vandenburg.
After raising out of bed in San Diego at 3:00 Friday morning and heading out for Vandenburg we couldn't get there fast enough. We pulled into the gate of the base at about 8:00 (time FISH AND GAME) opens and we get our passes for a weekend of pig hunting. We hunted hard the whole day in the RIFLE areas and didn't see any pigs or sign at all. This was our third time up to the base and hadn't even shot the guns a single time. So Saturday morning we get up before light and head back out. We decide its time to drive some roads early and see what we could find. Dove, Quail (should be a great season), and deer everywhere. Can actually say the bucks on base have already started there RACKS, I know this sounds funny but we seen several from an inch to 4-5 inche growths already above there heads. But can't say we saw any pigs. Finally we come up on a young man that works on the base and we ask him if he has been seeing any pigs on base. His comments are "The pigs aren't in the rifle areas anymore, you have to get back into the shotgun/archery areas". He gave us a couple of places to look and sure enough we seen our first pig. Nice looking black sow with two pigletts. We decide to leave this pig alone and come back to this area this evening.
About 4:00 we get out to the area and decide how we will set up for the evening hunt to cover as much of the area as possible without harming each others hunt. KEV goes to one side and I go to the other side of this hill that is covers with some thick brush. Pigs come out of the brush in the evening but with the shotguns we don't have the range to cover the hole side of the hill. After about 45 minutes the wind changes on us and it will take KEV's scent right into the base of the hill as I was on the other end he decide to just come down with me. About 5:30 a single sow comes out into the opening in front of us and we decide this will be KEV's Pig so off he goes. On his stomach crawling through the weeds and sage to get to the outside of the opening. He gets within about 90 yards and the pig turns and goes back up into brush.
For the next 45 minutes or so we take turns standing up from the brush and looking out into the clearing to see if anything has come out at about every five minutes or so. Its now my turn to get up and take a look and I turn to KEV and say 2 pigs coming right at us. He is like NO WAY, I just looked. I said I'm not kidding so he decides to get up and take a look himself (I was being honest). KEV keeps asking should we take them and I said "why, they are coming closer". At this time they were about 80 yards out and getting closer. KEV than says, "Holy ######, here comes two hunters." They were right out in the open walking right at them trying to sneak up on them. KEV now has his arms in the air trying to get there attention and finally they see us and stop. By now the pigs are within 70 yards and we decide its time to take them. We both stand up and he says on three you take the big one and I'll take the small one. ONE, TWO, THREE...BANG,BANG and both pigs fall to the ground. I can't even tell you how excited both of us got. NO CHASEING or Tracking to DO. My pig was 130 and KEV's 90.
If any of you hunt this base, I recommend joining the rod and gun club. Its $35 for a year and they have one of the best cleaning stations I've ever seen and full use of the Walk in Cooler. Before I close I would just like to say CONGRATS once again to NOBUCKKEV, and thank you so much for being such a great friend.
David
P.S. Pictures will come as soon as NOBUCK gets them developed. While skinning the larger of the two pigs I found a round piece of something that looks like a plastic washer under the skin right in the middle of the back. While the individual was trying to butcher this pig for me he told me that something happened to the back strap. When looking at the back strap there was hair in it and it had healed over in the same area I found this round plastic washer looking thing. Does anyone have any ideas what this could have been. First thought of mine was a bullet but no lead present and this washer looking thing was perfectly round and sure appeared to be plastic to me. I now wish I would have kept it to find out. No arrow/brood head so I don't think it was from an archer. It would be interesting to hear what you guys think.
After raising out of bed in San Diego at 3:00 Friday morning and heading out for Vandenburg we couldn't get there fast enough. We pulled into the gate of the base at about 8:00 (time FISH AND GAME) opens and we get our passes for a weekend of pig hunting. We hunted hard the whole day in the RIFLE areas and didn't see any pigs or sign at all. This was our third time up to the base and hadn't even shot the guns a single time. So Saturday morning we get up before light and head back out. We decide its time to drive some roads early and see what we could find. Dove, Quail (should be a great season), and deer everywhere. Can actually say the bucks on base have already started there RACKS, I know this sounds funny but we seen several from an inch to 4-5 inche growths already above there heads. But can't say we saw any pigs. Finally we come up on a young man that works on the base and we ask him if he has been seeing any pigs on base. His comments are "The pigs aren't in the rifle areas anymore, you have to get back into the shotgun/archery areas". He gave us a couple of places to look and sure enough we seen our first pig. Nice looking black sow with two pigletts. We decide to leave this pig alone and come back to this area this evening.
About 4:00 we get out to the area and decide how we will set up for the evening hunt to cover as much of the area as possible without harming each others hunt. KEV goes to one side and I go to the other side of this hill that is covers with some thick brush. Pigs come out of the brush in the evening but with the shotguns we don't have the range to cover the hole side of the hill. After about 45 minutes the wind changes on us and it will take KEV's scent right into the base of the hill as I was on the other end he decide to just come down with me. About 5:30 a single sow comes out into the opening in front of us and we decide this will be KEV's Pig so off he goes. On his stomach crawling through the weeds and sage to get to the outside of the opening. He gets within about 90 yards and the pig turns and goes back up into brush.
For the next 45 minutes or so we take turns standing up from the brush and looking out into the clearing to see if anything has come out at about every five minutes or so. Its now my turn to get up and take a look and I turn to KEV and say 2 pigs coming right at us. He is like NO WAY, I just looked. I said I'm not kidding so he decides to get up and take a look himself (I was being honest). KEV keeps asking should we take them and I said "why, they are coming closer". At this time they were about 80 yards out and getting closer. KEV than says, "Holy ######, here comes two hunters." They were right out in the open walking right at them trying to sneak up on them. KEV now has his arms in the air trying to get there attention and finally they see us and stop. By now the pigs are within 70 yards and we decide its time to take them. We both stand up and he says on three you take the big one and I'll take the small one. ONE, TWO, THREE...BANG,BANG and both pigs fall to the ground. I can't even tell you how excited both of us got. NO CHASEING or Tracking to DO. My pig was 130 and KEV's 90.
If any of you hunt this base, I recommend joining the rod and gun club. Its $35 for a year and they have one of the best cleaning stations I've ever seen and full use of the Walk in Cooler. Before I close I would just like to say CONGRATS once again to NOBUCKKEV, and thank you so much for being such a great friend.
David
P.S. Pictures will come as soon as NOBUCK gets them developed. While skinning the larger of the two pigs I found a round piece of something that looks like a plastic washer under the skin right in the middle of the back. While the individual was trying to butcher this pig for me he told me that something happened to the back strap. When looking at the back strap there was hair in it and it had healed over in the same area I found this round plastic washer looking thing. Does anyone have any ideas what this could have been. First thought of mine was a bullet but no lead present and this washer looking thing was perfectly round and sure appeared to be plastic to me. I now wish I would have kept it to find out. No arrow/brood head so I don't think it was from an archer. It would be interesting to hear what you guys think.
