How to introduce someone to Boar/Pig hunting...

[MarinePMI]

Well Fellas,

I was approached by a young lady from work at our weekly happy hour with a comment/question.  She wants to try boar hunting.  

Here's the deal.  She's NEVER hunted before in her life, is about 4'10", and weighs maybe 85lbs(?) soaking wet.  I kinda narrowed down a rifle for her (thinking a youth Ruger77 in .243 ...maybe .223) but I'm wondering of where to go for her first hunt.  It'd probably happen later this year, early next, and I'd like to take her somewhere where the success rate is pretty high.  This being her first introduction to hunting, I don't want her to get discouraged.  

Any ideas or comments?

 

[1SoCalHunter]

It would definitely have to be a guided hunt, no question about it.  Now, just look for a good guide (there is quite a few good ones) and you should have a lot of fun.  Now, with her height and weight, it should fun to see her shooting that .243 (personally I wouldn't use the .223) that doesn't have a big kick, but to her, it would kick like a mule :smile-big-blue:
Good luck and let us know how the hunt went..

 

[gwhunter69]

MarinePMI:  Are you married? Is she?  Sounds more like she wants to get to know YOU better.  :surprised-purple: JK Anyways, I wonder if pig hunting is a little too "strenuous" for a beginning hunter.  If she is serious, then a guided hunt is probably the best bet if you can afford it...

 

[MarinePMI]

gwh69,

LOL!  Seriously, we've known each other for over four years now and are just good friends.  Strenous?  I don't think that will be a problem as she runs 3-7 miles, 2-3 times a week (if not more).  The issue will be getting her comfortable with a rifle (IMHO).  She's never really been interested in hunting (more of an adrenaline junkie. i.e. skydiving etc.).  Well someone told her about wild boar/pig hunting, and what happens if you wound one and can't run fast enough.  Needless to say, the challenge is what has gotten her attention.  Regardless of the reasoning, I'm always willing and wanting to show a prospective new hunter the joys of the hunt.  Thanks again guys.  BTW, I'm not real familiar with the hunting guides here in SoCal.  Anyone got any recommendations?

 

[gwhunter69]

MarinePMI: If she is willing to go through the procedure of getting a license here in California, then hell I say go for it.  I would not say that pig hunting is a sport for an "adrenaline junkie," because most of the time you do not seen "jack."  BUT, when you do, there is no doubt the blood is pumping hard.  I would not recommend her wounding one for the thrill of possibily being gored...LOL JK...

 

[Speckmisser]

PMI,

At first glance, I thought the same thing Rick did... she doesn't wanna hunt, she wants to get YOU in the woods!  :shades-smoke:

On a serious note...  It would definitely be your best bet to find a good guide and go that route.  From your description, she sounds like a couple of uneventful hunts might put her off the sport altogether.  Don't want that.  

Boaring Experiences has a great reputation, and one of their team posts here right regularly (or did).  Hogs Wild is another one that a lot of the guys have spoken highly of, and their reviews in CA Hog Hunter are always positive.  With a little, tiny bit of research, you can probably find a real good match.  Then just get her licensed, get her to the range, and go for it!

 

[gwhunter69]

Speckmisser: I am not entirely convinced that is still not the case, but I trust  MarinePMI read of the situation    I hope he let us know if we are right????:smile-big-blue:

(Edited by gwhunter69 at 3:08 pm on June 17, 2002)

 

[1SoCalHunter]

It sounds like it's going to be one lovely hunt...:noddin-yes:

 

[RIFLEMAN]

If she is an adrenaline junkie, she should hunt hogs with hounds and a knife or pistol.  Talk about a thrill!

 

[Speckmisser]

Hey Rifleman,

I believe it was explained to me that a knife is not legal for hunting hogs in CA.  Pistol would be interesting, as is muzzleloader.  Something where you have to get close.  For that matter, a 30-30 would be a good starter gun.  

I'm curious too, and please don't take this as confrontational... I really just want to ask someone who does it a lot.  When you are running hogs, what would be the percentage of times you actually get one of those exciting bays vs. the dogs actually catching the pig.  

I think one of those classic bays, like you see on the videos, would be pretty exciting.  But coming up to the pig, pulling the dogs off, and killing it on the ground (which was my experience) is pretty anti-climactic.  Which scenario do you find most often when you run the dogs?  

Again, not knocking the hound hunting.  I can sure understand why people love it.  Just wonder how often the hunt lives up to the advertising.  

 

[MarinePMI]

You Guys Are KILLIN" Me!!! :shake-head-blue: :toothless:

It's a good thing you guys ain't going hunting with her, she'd probably shoot you out of sheer revenge! LOL!  BTW, she read this thread yesterday and her comment was "What?  They think someone small can't handle hunting boar!?!?!  Humpf!"  I'm now curious, not with whether or not she'll bag a boar, but how big it'll be.  :gunfighter:  Heh, heh, heh...Guess we'll just have to see....

:raise-eyebrow:

 

[fishhead]

The drive-by (Big Horn Ranch) in Riverside is about as close to a sure thing as you can get.  They charge an access fee of $25 and a kill fee of around $300.

We have some old guys in our club who don't get around so well any more.  When they get the itch to shoot something, that's where they go.

 

[Dakota]

Big Horn is a sure thing alright.  Domestic animals released in a pen.  I would opt for a fair chase hunt and start her right.

 

[gwhunter69]

MarinePMI: I notice she did not say anything about the "hot for your bod" comments.  LOL! At any rate, I think she misunderstood the nature of our comments in general.  It was not to say that a small person could not do or enjoy pig hunting, because they can (I am not the biggest guy inthe world).  I think what most of us were saying was that once the adrenaline stops pumping, you still have to drag that pig out of a canyon or a riverbed or worse.  It is rare that you actually shoot them on flat ground near the road.  So, if she is a true adrenaline junkie, then I wonder outloud whether or not she would enjoy it.  For me, hunting is an addiction and when I got hooked I did not want to ever give it up.  I enjoy the outdoors.  I enjoy the hiking. I enjoy the skill and thrill of the hunt.  I enjoy guns...and most of all I enjoy eating the meat.  If she enjoys all that then by all means become her hunting mentor, then marry her.  LOL!  It is rare to find a woman, who enjoys all of that.  Good Luck and give us a report of your hunt...:smile-big-blue:

 

[One Track]

It's the adrenaline that makes it possible to yank the hog out of the hell hole. You don't feel the pain until your back is back at camp.  Back being the key word.

PMIMarine:  I would be happy to guide her on a weekend campout-style hunt. I have the two-person tent, and everything.

 

[Kevin_A]

 Yall cant knife em there in California?  How about tie em and take em alive?  

 

[RIFLEMAN]

Speckmisser,

    I asked a warden some time ago about that very issue.  He said that because it is not as culturally popular here (as opposed to the South), the issue has never been addressed.  He told me that since it is not specifically prohibited in the regs and because it is not exactly a high profile or obvious method of kill, that I should be okay.  
    A .357 at point blank range against a hog in the brush while on your belly gets the blood going, let me tell you.  I frown on blackpowder or a .30-30 (my bear gun), because of the risk that the bullet would penetrate the hog and hit a dog on the other side.    
    Note that I said HOUNDS.  I know what you mean about using some shephard or pit/bulldog type dogs who dive right in for the kill, so to speak... it can be pretty anti-climactic.  Whenever my dogs have caught a hog like that, I run like heck to get it freed.  It always puts me in the worst mood because I don't like to see things end up like that.  It may sound funny, but I don't find any dignity in that at all.  I have never been interested in that kind of scenario.  I ain't in it for the kill.  I thrive on the sound of the chase, the pursuit and the bay.  In fact, I try to catch most of them alive (calf rope and duct tape) if at all possible.  Most of my hounds will not catch (thank goodness), except for the smaller sows.  I prefer it that way, as it is too hard on the dogs and my wallet to fix them up.  I do have one Plott/Cur mix that loves to grab them unfortunately.  But as I usually end up chasing boars, my dogs definitely don't have them subdued by any means...talk about exciting!  

I didn't take your questions as confrontational by any means.  In fact, I appreciate your questions.  It is perfectly understandable for any one to wonder about the appeal of using dogs when all they usually hear about is the instances where stock dogs or pit bull-types are used.  I'm not knocking that method, but it just ain't for me.  



(Edited by RIFLEMAN at 6:58 pm on June 18, 2002)

 

[Rancho Loco]

Knives or spears are a no-no in California...There's a clip from last years Big Game regs in the Hog section here.  This years regs on the web just show allowable method of take, and it doesn't say knives or spears as an allowable method.

 

[RIFLEMAN]

So I guess things have been specified in concrete after all...what a pity.  I'm not sure what their logic was in that decision.

Thanks for the headsup, Rancho Loco.  I will keep it in mind.

No, you aren't legally allowed to trap them, stick them or catch them alive here in KA.  They are defined differently than in Texas unfortunately.  

(Edited by RIFLEMAN at 11:49 pm on June 18, 2002)

 

[Rancho Loco]

<font face=arial size=1><blockquote><hr noshade size=1>So I guess things have been specified in concrete after all...what a pity.  I'm not sure what their logic was in that decision.

(Edited by RIFLEMAN at 11:49 pm on June 18, 2002)
<hr noshade size=1></blockquote></font>

I'm sure the logic has to do with the resourcefulness of humans, or the actions of people with too much time on their hands...People are always coming up with some bright idea, next thing you know you might have some people hunting pigs by dropping bricks on them from low flying airplanes....Or some other crackpot idea - and of course their reasoning would be - "DFG doesn't say you CAN'T do it that way!"  LOL.