Brian S
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 17, 2001
- Messages
- 1,170
- Reaction score
- 0
Well I finally got my first pig. Hogskin and I went with guide Tom Willoughby and son Blake, first in the Paso Robles area and then San Ardo. The first night we spotted 5 pigs at the end of a barley covered ridge. We watched them for a while and walked in to the ridge above them. Blake and I walked down in on the last boar in the field and closed the gap to about 25 yards. I had put this old 2.5 power weaver scope on my 375 Marlin and it wasn't making the grade as it got darker. I took a nervous off hand shot at him and blew it, the shot went over him. Not wanting to repeat that I decided to take out my 98 mauser sporter in 30-06. It has a 50mm objective to bring in as much light as possible. I'll let Hogskin tell his story on the next pig. The following morning we had a big boar charging up the side of the road and stopped about 150 yards out at the edge of a steep gorge. I laid prone and with the bipod down I took the shot as soon as he stopped. It made a loud wooahp sound as it hit the pig. The damn thing just up and ran over the side into oblivion. No blood and we couldn't find him. Willoughby sent the dog in after him and he couldn't find him. Well I felt like crap after that, Blake said it looked like I hit him high in the toward the back. After that we hit another ranch, we had a guy with us from the day before's group. Out of 4 he was the only one that didn't get one. That wasn't for long though as we ran into a decent pig up in the steepest country I've hunted in a while. The Willoughby's are not only great pig guides but the most "no fear, balls to wall off roaders" I've run into. We shot up this ridge back that I would be worried about with my quad.
When we got to the top I saw a long line of pigs heading right to the road. We got out, took a knee and waited. The first was a big wet sow and behind her was about 10 footballs with feet. We let them pass and almost missed seeing a boar further up the road. Hogskin thought I was going to shoot and I was waiting for him. Anyways he took a shot just as it hit the brush and missed. Now on to the good part. We drove up to a San Ardo carrot farm. The farmer told Willoughby that they were hitting the field at sunset and routing the rows. After sitting 2 hours thinking he's out of his gord we get the word that the pigs are at the end of rows in the wild msutard. The wind was blowing hard and in our face as we closed to within 20-25 yards. Blake said he'd give a 3 count and then shoot at the same time. With that 2 of the six pigs toppled over. Willoughby really knows the pigs and was kept trying even with our air shots earlier.
We kept the pigs in his walk in cooler over night, now its over at Hicks meats in La Mirada.
Brian
Thats Paul "Hogskin" on the left and Me on the right.
When we got to the top I saw a long line of pigs heading right to the road. We got out, took a knee and waited. The first was a big wet sow and behind her was about 10 footballs with feet. We let them pass and almost missed seeing a boar further up the road. Hogskin thought I was going to shoot and I was waiting for him. Anyways he took a shot just as it hit the brush and missed. Now on to the good part. We drove up to a San Ardo carrot farm. The farmer told Willoughby that they were hitting the field at sunset and routing the rows. After sitting 2 hours thinking he's out of his gord we get the word that the pigs are at the end of rows in the wild msutard. The wind was blowing hard and in our face as we closed to within 20-25 yards. Blake said he'd give a 3 count and then shoot at the same time. With that 2 of the six pigs toppled over. Willoughby really knows the pigs and was kept trying even with our air shots earlier.
We kept the pigs in his walk in cooler over night, now its over at Hicks meats in La Mirada.
Brian
Thats Paul "Hogskin" on the left and Me on the right.
