Speckmisser
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Now an M-1 carbine wouldn't be my first choice for hogs, but I suppose that with the dogs' help, it would be plenty sufficient.
Also real curious about the statement that her M1 is a "far cry" from semiautomatic.
Anyway, read for yourself... still glad to see hunting getting some coverage in a major city paper.
****************
Going hog wild
Hunters get a taste of hunting wild hogs with the help of specially bred dogs at Little Lake Lodge near Okeechobee
BY SUSAN COCKING
scocking@herald.com
OKEECHOBEE -- Janet Kunde's first experience with wild hogs didn't go very well. She was hunting wild turkeys from a blind when a herd of the snorting, malodorous creatures came lumbering up, trapping her in her hiding place with insufficient firepower.
Kunde couldn't see the hogs, but the last thing she wanted to do was alert them to her presence, so she kept very quiet until they left.
The harrowing experience faded from memory until she and husband Cliff attended a recent hog-hunting seminar conducted by L & R High Adventure Outfitters of Miami.
'Cliff asked me if I'd like to shoot a pig, and I said, `yes,' '' Kunde said.
So the South Dade couple embarked last month for the Little Lake Lodge near Okeechobee for a guided hunt with L & R's Darrell Hazellief. The two were not looking to bag a 200-pound behemoth -- just something for the barbecue pit.
''Our goal is 60 to 80 pounds,'' Cliff Kunde told Hazellief. ``She's never shot anything bigger than a dove.''
Hazellief, a veteran Okeechobee cowboy and pig hunter, assured the Kundes that would be no problem.
THE DOGS
''But chances are, we'll have to use the dogs and they'll bay 'em up,'' he explained.
The Little Lake Lodge is proud of its hunting dogs. They are a mixed breed descended from bloodhound and bull mastiff known as Florida Cur dogs. The Curs are bred to sniff out wild hogs and catch them -- usually by the ear and sometimes even the private parts.
At Little Lake, the dogs' training is so revered that the penalty for accidentally shooting one is $2,000. That's much costlier than the $150 fee to shoot a ''meat'' hog or $275 for a trophy boar with tusks longer than two inches. So hunters are advised to be sure of their shots.
Hazellief, the Kundes and four others climbed aboard a large swamp buggy loaded with guns, refreshments and a cage holding dogs Micky and Beulah. Bumping across the 1,000-acre hunting area, the guide warned of some of the perils of hog hunting.
''The hog may run over to us, and if they have big teeth, they can cut you,'' he said. ``I've been knocked down and run over.''
In his orientation speech, Hazellief mentioned that the lodge prohibits semi-automatic weapons. That elicited a nervous glance from Janet to her gun. A far cry from a semi-automatic, hers was a World War II era M-1 Carbine.
''It's light enough that I can handle it,'' she explained.
Cliff, who wasn't planning to hunt, was packing a .44 Magnum -- ''just to back her up,'' he added.
The buggy entered an open pasture edged by palmettos, and Hazellief released the two dogs. They dashed about, sniffing the air, then disappeared into the palmettos.
THE CATCH
Moments later, the hunting party heard loud, frantic barking. As Hazellief and the Kundes leapt from the buggy, a hulking black hog that looked to be at least 200 pounds dashed out of the woods. It charged past the buggy, across the pasture, and disappeared. But the dogs continued barking from the opposite direction.
''Come on!'' Hazellief said and led the Kundes into the woods.
They arrived at a tangled palmetto stand where Micky had grabbed a snarling, grunting pig by the ear and was gamely avoiding its slashing tusks.
Hazellief called the dog off and pointed to the hog, only 10 feet away.
Janet brought the old weapon up to her shoulder, aimed and fired, hitting the hog behind the ear and killing it instantly.
The men congratulated her as she posed for photos. Hazellief figured the hog weighed about 105 pounds. He loaded it onto the buggy to be butchered at the camp.
Cliff, 57, who has retired from the Air Force several times but continues to re-up in the reserves, barbecued the hog for his ''final'' retirement party in Cocoa Beach on Sunday. The party doubled as a welcome home for fellow service members returning to Patrick Air Force Base from duty in Iraq.
For the big dinner, all the war-weary soldiers had Janet Kunde and her ancient carbine to thank.
Also real curious about the statement that her M1 is a "far cry" from semiautomatic.
Anyway, read for yourself... still glad to see hunting getting some coverage in a major city paper.
****************
Going hog wild
Hunters get a taste of hunting wild hogs with the help of specially bred dogs at Little Lake Lodge near Okeechobee
BY SUSAN COCKING
scocking@herald.com
OKEECHOBEE -- Janet Kunde's first experience with wild hogs didn't go very well. She was hunting wild turkeys from a blind when a herd of the snorting, malodorous creatures came lumbering up, trapping her in her hiding place with insufficient firepower.
Kunde couldn't see the hogs, but the last thing she wanted to do was alert them to her presence, so she kept very quiet until they left.
The harrowing experience faded from memory until she and husband Cliff attended a recent hog-hunting seminar conducted by L & R High Adventure Outfitters of Miami.
'Cliff asked me if I'd like to shoot a pig, and I said, `yes,' '' Kunde said.
So the South Dade couple embarked last month for the Little Lake Lodge near Okeechobee for a guided hunt with L & R's Darrell Hazellief. The two were not looking to bag a 200-pound behemoth -- just something for the barbecue pit.
''Our goal is 60 to 80 pounds,'' Cliff Kunde told Hazellief. ``She's never shot anything bigger than a dove.''
Hazellief, a veteran Okeechobee cowboy and pig hunter, assured the Kundes that would be no problem.
THE DOGS
''But chances are, we'll have to use the dogs and they'll bay 'em up,'' he explained.
The Little Lake Lodge is proud of its hunting dogs. They are a mixed breed descended from bloodhound and bull mastiff known as Florida Cur dogs. The Curs are bred to sniff out wild hogs and catch them -- usually by the ear and sometimes even the private parts.
At Little Lake, the dogs' training is so revered that the penalty for accidentally shooting one is $2,000. That's much costlier than the $150 fee to shoot a ''meat'' hog or $275 for a trophy boar with tusks longer than two inches. So hunters are advised to be sure of their shots.
Hazellief, the Kundes and four others climbed aboard a large swamp buggy loaded with guns, refreshments and a cage holding dogs Micky and Beulah. Bumping across the 1,000-acre hunting area, the guide warned of some of the perils of hog hunting.
''The hog may run over to us, and if they have big teeth, they can cut you,'' he said. ``I've been knocked down and run over.''
In his orientation speech, Hazellief mentioned that the lodge prohibits semi-automatic weapons. That elicited a nervous glance from Janet to her gun. A far cry from a semi-automatic, hers was a World War II era M-1 Carbine.
''It's light enough that I can handle it,'' she explained.
Cliff, who wasn't planning to hunt, was packing a .44 Magnum -- ''just to back her up,'' he added.
The buggy entered an open pasture edged by palmettos, and Hazellief released the two dogs. They dashed about, sniffing the air, then disappeared into the palmettos.
THE CATCH
Moments later, the hunting party heard loud, frantic barking. As Hazellief and the Kundes leapt from the buggy, a hulking black hog that looked to be at least 200 pounds dashed out of the woods. It charged past the buggy, across the pasture, and disappeared. But the dogs continued barking from the opposite direction.
''Come on!'' Hazellief said and led the Kundes into the woods.
They arrived at a tangled palmetto stand where Micky had grabbed a snarling, grunting pig by the ear and was gamely avoiding its slashing tusks.
Hazellief called the dog off and pointed to the hog, only 10 feet away.
Janet brought the old weapon up to her shoulder, aimed and fired, hitting the hog behind the ear and killing it instantly.
The men congratulated her as she posed for photos. Hazellief figured the hog weighed about 105 pounds. He loaded it onto the buggy to be butchered at the camp.
Cliff, 57, who has retired from the Air Force several times but continues to re-up in the reserves, barbecued the hog for his ''final'' retirement party in Cocoa Beach on Sunday. The party doubled as a welcome home for fellow service members returning to Patrick Air Force Base from duty in Iraq.
For the big dinner, all the war-weary soldiers had Janet Kunde and her ancient carbine to thank.
