wyemjohnson
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Hunted the Jack Ranch this past week with a huntin buddy (Steve) from Wyoming with guide Frank Hook. We had a great hunt in all respects. Frank had done his homework and scouted before we arrived. Due to the wet spring we were not able to get into the backcountry of the ranch, but that didn't matter as the hogs were present in the flat areas and just a bit up in the hills which we could access via foot or truck. We arrived at noon and Frank took us to the new accomadations on the ranch. They have done a good job at renovating this old stage stop. The ranch house is a bit far from the road but has a full kitchen, DVD, clean beds and linens, 2 bathrooms, one working shower, 2 propane frigs, stove,range, wood burning stove, and wood fired outdoor grill. Beaware the cost to stay at the ranch house is $50 per person per day. A bit steep but I think they are trying to recoup the cost for the renovations and cleaning.
We headed out at 2:30pm and checked out some of the open pasture land on the east side of the ranch. At 4pm we spotted a group of 9 hogs in the flats. Steve's said it was just like antelope hunting, not a tree in sight! We hunkered down a fence line and got within 240 yards and wait for the pigs to clear a water tank. Steve made a great shot on this boar with 1.5" teeth. The boar ran about 40 yards and collapsed.
The pigs scattered in all directions and 7 of them ran down the fence line away from us, as we followed in the truck they ran up a canyon with a creek bed in the bottom. We headed around the canyon and up to its head and got out and waited for the group to arrive. I watched to the left and Steve and Frank watched to the right. After a few minutes a pig sticks his head out of the creek bottom to my left and is followed by the 6 others and they try to climb out. I knew the 7th one was a nice boar and took aim and with one shot to the neck it fell and did a somersault down the creek embankment and landed in the creek on top of an old steer bone pile! Was kind of cool looking, had 2" teeth and weighs in the 180-200# range. Steve's has all the photo's of this boar which I will add to this thread when he gets back to WY and sends them to me. So after 2 hours and 2 shots we had 2 meat boars down! We got them all cleaned and skinned and in the freezer and decided to try for a trophy boar the next day and do some coyote calling too. I had 1 extra tag left.
Tuesday we walked up in the western hills and had 2 close encounter's with pigs in the brush but no shots presented themselves. Up high we glassed up a lone boar down low so we headed back down the hill and picked up my bow from the truck and headed into the area looking for the boar. All 3 of us walked in and looked around and couldn't find the pig. We scratched our heads a bit and then Frank says don;t move he is right there, just 15 yards away sleeping behind a tree and bush, is facing away from me with brush in the way. We watched for 5 minutes trying to decide what to do, how to get a better angle and clear shot. the wind was blowing right in our faces. Steve got a picture of this, so you will have to wait to see the setup. These animals just have a 6th sense and it bolted out of his bed with no warning and slowly trotted off, I declined the offer to use Frank's rifle, the boar looked to be in the 250# range. After this we headed out to do some coyote calling. Man this is a blast. Frank did the calling and Steve and I were setup on either side of him and the dogs would come in fast. Steve missed one and shot this one.
We headed back to the cabin for lunch and a nap before heading out for the evening hunt. We hunted the south end of the ranch and right before dark we found a hillside full of sows with piglets, at least 5 sows with piglets and several other sows ready to burst. Was a nursery area we guess.
The next morning we headed back over to the west side early before light and waited to see if any hogs would come out of the farming fields and head up to the bedding areas in the hills. We spotted a big group of 20-30 pigs coming our way, and we dashed down a creek bed to close the distance and intercept them. All the cows in this pasture came running too, this made the pigs nervous, and they eventually ran in front of us and I had to wait for them to clear the cows and Frank picked one for me and I took a running shot only to miss behind it and they were all gone.
We took another look out toward the farming fields and another group of 15 pigs were coming. We got setup again, in the creekbed and waited. these pigs did the same as the first group, but only closer to us and there was a nice boar trailing the group. I waited for them to clear the cows and he slowed down just enough for a shot and I hit the pig a bit back and he started running fast then, missed on the 2nd shot, and fired a 3rd as he cleared the hill. We could see the bullet hit the top of the hill. Thinking this was a miss, we ran up the hill and looked over and the boar was there, with a broken front shoulder and a cow was coming up to the boar and the boar would charge the cow. Once the cow ran off we finished off the boar. That 3rd shot had glanced off the ground and hit the boar in the front shoulder saving us a long tracking job. This boar is in the same weight range as the others and had 1.75" teeth. Here are a couple of pics.
After cleaning up the hog we headed out for some more coyote calling and had a blast doing this. I missed a dog and then on the last setup for the morning had 2 coyotes come in fast, so fast we all were surprised as they were on us, I was able to take one out at 5 yards on the run. Frank was about to throw rocks at them!
Overall, Frank's knowledge of the ranch is key and 2nd to none. He knows every field,ridge and how to get there and put you on the hogs. The hog population is rebuilding and can only get better this year. If you have been to the Jack Ranch before you should see it with all the green grass, wildflowers and all the ponds full of water. I'm sure there will many big hogs killed on it this year. I will try to update the thread with more pictures as I get them.
We headed out at 2:30pm and checked out some of the open pasture land on the east side of the ranch. At 4pm we spotted a group of 9 hogs in the flats. Steve's said it was just like antelope hunting, not a tree in sight! We hunkered down a fence line and got within 240 yards and wait for the pigs to clear a water tank. Steve made a great shot on this boar with 1.5" teeth. The boar ran about 40 yards and collapsed.
The pigs scattered in all directions and 7 of them ran down the fence line away from us, as we followed in the truck they ran up a canyon with a creek bed in the bottom. We headed around the canyon and up to its head and got out and waited for the group to arrive. I watched to the left and Steve and Frank watched to the right. After a few minutes a pig sticks his head out of the creek bottom to my left and is followed by the 6 others and they try to climb out. I knew the 7th one was a nice boar and took aim and with one shot to the neck it fell and did a somersault down the creek embankment and landed in the creek on top of an old steer bone pile! Was kind of cool looking, had 2" teeth and weighs in the 180-200# range. Steve's has all the photo's of this boar which I will add to this thread when he gets back to WY and sends them to me. So after 2 hours and 2 shots we had 2 meat boars down! We got them all cleaned and skinned and in the freezer and decided to try for a trophy boar the next day and do some coyote calling too. I had 1 extra tag left.
Tuesday we walked up in the western hills and had 2 close encounter's with pigs in the brush but no shots presented themselves. Up high we glassed up a lone boar down low so we headed back down the hill and picked up my bow from the truck and headed into the area looking for the boar. All 3 of us walked in and looked around and couldn't find the pig. We scratched our heads a bit and then Frank says don;t move he is right there, just 15 yards away sleeping behind a tree and bush, is facing away from me with brush in the way. We watched for 5 minutes trying to decide what to do, how to get a better angle and clear shot. the wind was blowing right in our faces. Steve got a picture of this, so you will have to wait to see the setup. These animals just have a 6th sense and it bolted out of his bed with no warning and slowly trotted off, I declined the offer to use Frank's rifle, the boar looked to be in the 250# range. After this we headed out to do some coyote calling. Man this is a blast. Frank did the calling and Steve and I were setup on either side of him and the dogs would come in fast. Steve missed one and shot this one.
We headed back to the cabin for lunch and a nap before heading out for the evening hunt. We hunted the south end of the ranch and right before dark we found a hillside full of sows with piglets, at least 5 sows with piglets and several other sows ready to burst. Was a nursery area we guess.
The next morning we headed back over to the west side early before light and waited to see if any hogs would come out of the farming fields and head up to the bedding areas in the hills. We spotted a big group of 20-30 pigs coming our way, and we dashed down a creek bed to close the distance and intercept them. All the cows in this pasture came running too, this made the pigs nervous, and they eventually ran in front of us and I had to wait for them to clear the cows and Frank picked one for me and I took a running shot only to miss behind it and they were all gone.
We took another look out toward the farming fields and another group of 15 pigs were coming. We got setup again, in the creekbed and waited. these pigs did the same as the first group, but only closer to us and there was a nice boar trailing the group. I waited for them to clear the cows and he slowed down just enough for a shot and I hit the pig a bit back and he started running fast then, missed on the 2nd shot, and fired a 3rd as he cleared the hill. We could see the bullet hit the top of the hill. Thinking this was a miss, we ran up the hill and looked over and the boar was there, with a broken front shoulder and a cow was coming up to the boar and the boar would charge the cow. Once the cow ran off we finished off the boar. That 3rd shot had glanced off the ground and hit the boar in the front shoulder saving us a long tracking job. This boar is in the same weight range as the others and had 1.75" teeth. Here are a couple of pics.
After cleaning up the hog we headed out for some more coyote calling and had a blast doing this. I missed a dog and then on the last setup for the morning had 2 coyotes come in fast, so fast we all were surprised as they were on us, I was able to take one out at 5 yards on the run. Frank was about to throw rocks at them!
Overall, Frank's knowledge of the ranch is key and 2nd to none. He knows every field,ridge and how to get there and put you on the hogs. The hog population is rebuilding and can only get better this year. If you have been to the Jack Ranch before you should see it with all the green grass, wildflowers and all the ponds full of water. I'm sure there will many big hogs killed on it this year. I will try to update the thread with more pictures as I get them.
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