High adventure on the Big Island

[doccherry]

Pig alarm went off at 3 AM. I've got a cast on my right ankle so I put my loosely-laced boots over it, grabbed the crossbow, and headed for the back wall. I could hear all sorts of grunting and feeding and stomachs grumbling. I sneaked [limped] up to the 3-foot lava wall, raised the crossbow, hit the pressure switch that turns on the flashlight taped to the bow, and saw 7 or 8 adult hogs feeding beneath the monkeypod tree. One large one, grayish in the beam of the flashlight, turned broadside at 12 feet and started to run. I centered the red dot sight and pulled the trigger. No squeal, just the sounds of disappearing pigs.

It's morning now and I just went out to retrieve my arrow, assuming I missed. I found the arrow, bent and bloody, and a light blood trail leading into the tall guinea grass. I followed the trail but it went into some thick stuff so I turned around. I'm going back out with my crossbow and try to find the pig. Will post when I find it, which I think I will.

Aloha for now.

 

[doccherry]

Just got back. Here's a photo of the arrow I found in the grass [note bent tip]. Also note the cast sticking up out of my right boot. Arrow is coated with blood.

 

[doccherry]

In the photo above notice how much bigger the right boot is than the left. I walk around like Frankenstein in that thing.

Anyway, this is the guinea grass, also called elephant grass, that is thick this time of year. The blood trail leads directly into the grass. The blood trail is getting heavier as I follow it in, my crossbow ready in case the pig is alive and pissed.

 

[doccherry]

End of the trail. It's a big sow, about 150-170 pounds and really coated in a layer of thick fat. The arrow hit a bit too far back but I only had to follow the blood trail for about 100 yards. The pig never made a sound after I hit it.

Butchered out the backstraps and hams, dragged the pig back in another 200 yards or so [beyond stink range], and trudged back out. The pork is in the ice chest soaking in ice water and baking soda. I'll let the meat soak for a couple of days and then vacuum seal it.

It's great to be hunting again, even if it's only in my back yard.

Aloha for now.

 

[huntingbret]

Hmmm....I wonder what the feeling is like to have a backyard full of pigs.

 

[559hog]

Wish I had land like that .

 

[Huntr Pat]

Good job Bruce.

 

[EvBouret]

Nice one Bruce! What'd you do to your ankle?

 

[doccherry]

Ev:

Tore two ligaments and chipped a bone. I'll be hobbling for another couple of months and then will wear an ankle brace whenever I go running, hiking, or hunting. That's probably forever.

Have you done any hunting? Hear anything from Nic?

I'll be ready for another wild cattle hunt in about 3 months, I hope.

Aloha.

 

[Bulleye]

Nice going on the pig! We had a goat and a flock of turkeys the other day hanging in my dads yard in Kona. You never know what your going to find in the bushes back home. Hope your ankle heals soon.

 

[DEERSLAM]

Very nice...congrats!!

 

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

heck yeh! i wish i could be woken up at 3 am to wack a wid pig in my back yard that was tearin it up! thanks for the good story and photo's.........................tra

 

[Speckmisser]

Way to go there, Hopalong!

Don't let a little thing like a near-crippling injury slow ya down!

 

[sancho]

damn! i wish you were my uncle...or father in law. i would come over there and help you hunt...i mean rehab, get you beers and stuff.

 

[CAhntr]

Nicely done Doc! Glad to see that your bad ankle isn't slowing you down too much. Heres to a speedy recovery and a nice pig!

Eric

 

[Cold1nhand]

Great job but how did you hurt yourself to begin with?

 

[Muggs]

Congrats Doc,

Looks like good eating.

One thing bothers me though. The way I understand Hawaii's hunting laws in that there is no hunting of any kind allowed at night (1/2 hr. after sunset to 1/2 hr. before sunrise) and 3 A.M. sure falls in that slot.

Something to think about

 

[doccherry]

Muggs:

You're absolutely correct. And, crossbows can't be used for hunting nor can lights attached to weapons. But the reality is, and any Wildlife officer will affirm this, that pigs do so much damage on private property here and there are so many pigs, that a private property owner may use any means necessary to eradicate the pigs, as long as the method does not endanger the public. On public property, we all observe the rules. But on my own property, or on my neighbor's property, we can eradicate the pigs whenever and however.

To put this in perspective, my neighbor hired trappers because he has a pig problem. They trapped 53 pigs in 30 days. Now, a few months later, there are more pigs than ever. They eat our landscaping, rototill or lawns, break fences and walls, and knock down outside lighting and mailboxes [rubbing agains tthe mailbox posts]. They also get clobbered by cars, both pigs and cars being severely damaged in the process.

And to top it off, I live in a low pig impact area. The problems I have are minor compared to other friends. They have large herds of pigs on their property every day, sometimes in the middle of the day. Their dogs get killed, irrigation lines are chewed to bits, and the landscaping is destroyed. Multiply this by 10,000 times and you get an idea of the magnitude of the problem on the Big Island. The government has about 2 trappers for the entire island. They are about 10 years behind in getting to everyone who has a problem.

So, there it is. Either I go after the pigs when they are on my property destroying things, which is at night, or I sit back and let the bastards tear my property to shreds. Again, in talking with both the police and wildlife people, the attitude is to do whatever you need to do to protect your property as long as you don't endanger the public. When I shoot at the pigs with my bow or crossbow, there is about 600 yards of open space beyond the pigs, and that's loaded with guinea grass and lava rocks. I can't imagine that I'm posing a danger to any human as long as I don't use a firearm.

Aloha for now.

 

[ltdann]

I'll bite,

How's the pig alarm work?

 

[EvBouret]

I believe it's one of those sensors with a speaker inside your home? correct me if I'm wrong.

Regarding hunting at night, Doc is right. The hogs are a legitimate problem on the Big Island. The state wants them gone, but realistically they could never get rid of them. So they turn their shoulder and let us hunters eradicate as neccesary on private land. Personally, in all my years of hunting I have never been stopped, questioned or even seen a DLNR officer while hunting. That might change living on Oahu, but it seems like they just want you to be hunting, they dont care how you get them as long as you wack a few.