Left the house at 4:45 AM, which was about an hour too late, and drove up to the dry side of Mauna Kea. Went in 13 miles on the Hunter's Road but instead of hiking down 800 feet in elevation, I found a side trail/road and drove down the 800 feet in elevation to the fence that separates the public hunting area from the Parker Ranch. Saw 4 or 5 pigs off in the distance on the drive in but didn't feel like hiking downhill to get them. The problem with hiking downhill to hunt pigs is that you have to eventually hike back uphill, usually with pork in the pack and at 7000 feet, that's a real pooper. Anyhow, drove down this rutty trail and saw a large smokey colored boar just inside the Parker Ranch. It was working its way up and I knew it would cross over onto the public property at some time, because that's where the cover is. I ate a can of pineapple, loaded my Alice pack and the Ruger 77, and sneaked down to where the boar was feeding. It was gone. I looked everywhere but nada. I glassed down along the fence line and saw two more pigs on the public side, maybe 800 yards away. Good ones, too, about 175 pounds or so. Saw another pig back uphill, smaller, about 100 pounds. I decided to try for the pair of decent pigs down the fenceline, but before starting off, I peeked over the side of an arroyo and 3 seconds later a 125 pound boar came sauntering down toward the fence. He was 25 yards away, tops, and didn't see me. My earlier thought of holding out for a monster boar flew right out the window and I sent a .300 Win Mag his way. He took off, turned quickly to look at me, and ran down the road and turned the corner and disappeared.
I couldn't believe it!! An easy shot, to say the least, and I blew it. I went down to the trail where he turned the corner and there wasn't a speck of blood anywhere. I walked back up the arroyo to where he was when I shot and there were two little jet-black piglitos going back uphill at a slow walk and another pig, probably the sow, 25 yards ahead, also going uphill at a walk. I found the place where the boar was when I shot and there was a splash of frothy blood on the grass, the size of a pie plate. I turned and followed the tracks but couldn't find any blood. The pig had left the trail and ran uphill 25 yards and apparently stopped. There was a huge pool of blood on the ground and it looked like someone had sprayed red paint on the grass for the next 25 yards. The boar was lying beneath a bush, certifiably defunct. I checked the shot and it was a perfect lung shot, taking out both lungs. That pig didn't show the slightest concern as it ran away. I could have sworn that I blew the shot. The same thing happened once at a Wilderness Unlimited ranch up near Hollister [can't remember the name of the ranch]. Same rifle, same load, same shot, same size pig. That pig walked up the creek as if nothing happened and 50 yards later collapsed, dead.
Pigs are tough, let me tell you.
I dragged the pig a total distance of 15 feet to the truck and filleted it [removing the backstraps and all the ham/loin meat without having to skin and gut it] in about 15 minutes. Figure my wife and I and some friends will get about 50 carnita tacos from this guy.
Decided to hike along the fenceline and look for Mouflon sheep. It was a tough hike, up and down a series of arroyos. Saw several more pigs on the hike, including a pair of boars that would go at least 300 pounds each. The limit is one pig per day, so they were safe. I literally could not go 10 feet in any direction anywhere without stepping in pig poop. All---I mean ALL---the larger bushes had pig beds and pig rubbing and pig digging beneath them.
I have never, ever seen so much pig sign in my life. There must be 100 pigs in 100 acres there and nobody hunts it but me.
Stepped on a hen turkey during the hike and it flew up my drawers, almost. Scared the holy beegeezums out of me. There were 7 or 8 scared little critters the size of goose eggs between my feet, little mottled downy-feathered future turkeys scooting around. I quickly left and 2 minutes later Mrs. Turk sneaks back and takes charge of her little ones. Jumped two ringneck roosters and one hen. Saw no sheep and no sheep sign.
The clouds rolled in and the temperature dropped quickly. I took off and the drive back to the highway, 14 1/2 miles, took two hours, to give you an idea of what the Hunter's Road is like.
I'll post photos as soon as I can figure out how to. I'm still using a backup camera until my good camera gets back from the Canon repair center.
Aloha for now.
I couldn't believe it!! An easy shot, to say the least, and I blew it. I went down to the trail where he turned the corner and there wasn't a speck of blood anywhere. I walked back up the arroyo to where he was when I shot and there were two little jet-black piglitos going back uphill at a slow walk and another pig, probably the sow, 25 yards ahead, also going uphill at a walk. I found the place where the boar was when I shot and there was a splash of frothy blood on the grass, the size of a pie plate. I turned and followed the tracks but couldn't find any blood. The pig had left the trail and ran uphill 25 yards and apparently stopped. There was a huge pool of blood on the ground and it looked like someone had sprayed red paint on the grass for the next 25 yards. The boar was lying beneath a bush, certifiably defunct. I checked the shot and it was a perfect lung shot, taking out both lungs. That pig didn't show the slightest concern as it ran away. I could have sworn that I blew the shot. The same thing happened once at a Wilderness Unlimited ranch up near Hollister [can't remember the name of the ranch]. Same rifle, same load, same shot, same size pig. That pig walked up the creek as if nothing happened and 50 yards later collapsed, dead.
Pigs are tough, let me tell you.
I dragged the pig a total distance of 15 feet to the truck and filleted it [removing the backstraps and all the ham/loin meat without having to skin and gut it] in about 15 minutes. Figure my wife and I and some friends will get about 50 carnita tacos from this guy.
Decided to hike along the fenceline and look for Mouflon sheep. It was a tough hike, up and down a series of arroyos. Saw several more pigs on the hike, including a pair of boars that would go at least 300 pounds each. The limit is one pig per day, so they were safe. I literally could not go 10 feet in any direction anywhere without stepping in pig poop. All---I mean ALL---the larger bushes had pig beds and pig rubbing and pig digging beneath them.
I have never, ever seen so much pig sign in my life. There must be 100 pigs in 100 acres there and nobody hunts it but me.
Stepped on a hen turkey during the hike and it flew up my drawers, almost. Scared the holy beegeezums out of me. There were 7 or 8 scared little critters the size of goose eggs between my feet, little mottled downy-feathered future turkeys scooting around. I quickly left and 2 minutes later Mrs. Turk sneaks back and takes charge of her little ones. Jumped two ringneck roosters and one hen. Saw no sheep and no sheep sign.
The clouds rolled in and the temperature dropped quickly. I took off and the drive back to the highway, 14 1/2 miles, took two hours, to give you an idea of what the Hunter's Road is like.
I'll post photos as soon as I can figure out how to. I'm still using a backup camera until my good camera gets back from the Canon repair center.
Aloha for now.
