JHP Pig-O-Rama Hunt April 12-14

[Speckmisser]

Hope this doesn't sound cheesy, but for those of us heading out in May, any intel?

Were the pigs near any specific water or food sources?  How far off the road?  Anyone get maps of the area?  I'll be hunting the South side (my check was cashed last week), so any info you guys would like to provide would be welcome.  Did the guides/staff provide any info while you were there?

 

[Tonopah01]

Hook:  enjoyed reading your story about your pig.  Looks like you and Bill spent Sunday morning the way the Rifenbark clan spent Friday night -- climbing out of a canyon!  Jrifenbark [Jack] got his pig to Green Acres on Sunday and they will break it down for him.  Look forward to trying some.
I haven't yet figured out exactly how to post picts in the forum but I did post some on the website provided by my ISP so if you'd like to see your pig and some other shots, go to: http://home.earthlink.net/~nrifenbark
Great to meet you guys around the campfire.  Evan -- that washing machine tub fire ring is awesome!  Wish I'd discovered that trick 30 years ago.  By the way -- I saw that white pick up truck repeatedly and am glad those guys were successful.  Maybe I should have followed them around!

 

[songdog]

Ah... the now infamous washing machine tub fire ring.  From now on, forget the signs and stickers and look for Evan III and the tub.  Did they allow open fires?

(Edited by songdog at 9:15 am on April 16, 2002)

 

[yotegetter]

Sounds like you guys had a blast!!! Congrats on the pigs guys!

 

[Bishop]

Yes, they did allow fires in a enclosure like the famous JHP washtub.
I think our main problem was the fact that none of us had ever been there before, and the place was so big with good sign everywhere.  I probably messed up by spending too much time walking, sitting on water holes and trails.  I only saw one pig who was then spooked by a truck driving by.  Evan III left a trail he was sitting on friday evening about 10 minutes too early.  We heard a shot and walked back to see if someone got a pig.  A couple of guys were driving by and said about 30 pigs came down the trail Evan III had been sitting on.  
Saturday night a couple of the ranch staff stopped by the campfire.  They really would'nt be specific about any areas, but they said that you had to drive the ridges and cover as much area as possible.    
This trip was a learning experience, and I will probably return several more times.

 

[spectr17]

Here's some pics that Neil Rifenbark took that he wanted me to post here.

Jack Rifenbark's successful pig hunt.

Hook with his pig.

Rick Rifenbark gets the .54 cal Lyman blackpowder ready.

Group shot

There are some shots I took from the trip.

Some of the rooting under the oak trees. You couldn't find a spot anywhere on the ranch that didn't have rooting.

A saddle I watched one morning where the hogs usually moved through. I saw zip here except for cows and cow chips that I always seem to step in while glassing.

A pig bathtub (wallow). It smelled like fresh daisies of course.

Like the Bishops, I didn't see many hogs. I usually can glass up some hogs but no luck on this hunt. In fact, I just saw one group early Sunday morning that were sidehilling right toward me at about 400 yards. There were going to end up on a little bench below me at about 150 yards and there was even a faint trail to drive down to get the hog after the shot. I got a good rest behind a big oak and waited. Something told me to  turn around and there I see orange hats coming down the hill from where we had parked our two vehicles.

Who in their right mind would park right next to us and walk down the same slope, knowing they were going to walk into someone's field of fire? Bout that time an orange hat McFly idiot walked right up to just in front of me and I whistled him to a stop and indicated there was other hunters nearby. He just walked on by me and when the hogs spooked he proceeded to unload his carbine over the top of me at the hogs. Of course all he succeeded in doing with his bullet spraying was drive the hogs down into one of them god foresaken canyons. Naturally I complimented him on his shooting prowess and range estimation in between him racking each round since he was right next to me.

The ranch is a beautiful place. The hillsides are covered with oaks and open grassy areas with plenty of water for the game in the creeks and springs. You can spot and stalk or drive up a pig if you're lucky. Knowing where the pics are hanging helps to get a shot. It appeared the hogs were on the acorns but no one cut their hog's stomach open to see for sure. I think it was Hook who said there was also some green vegetation in his hog but not sure what it was. There is no alfalfa or barley planted on the ranch.

Temps were in the low 40s to high 70s during the day. There was no fog to deal with on this trip but the ranch can get socked in by clouds. Hogs were active well past sunrise and well before sunset according to other hunters and Don. The 9 desert hunters were moved to the south side so there was a bit more pressure on our side then normal. You also have the other guided hog hunters and turkey hunters mixed in which can get crowded if you both want to hunt the same ridge.

Some mentioned the fall and early year hunts being a better hunt with the hogs concentrated around food more and easier to see in the snow. Rain or snow would make them steep hillsides an adventure for sure. The roads were all in good shape from being maintained by a blade.

 

[Kernhuntr]

Jeez Jesse, isn't it great when other hunters are courtious in the field? That would have really tee'd me off!!! I think it was Bishop that mentioned Cody? He's a good kid. Any of the ranch hands/guides would have said something to those morons about parking/walking in on you. With a ranch that big, there is no need for that. I've found that they are not shy about telling people what not to do. And if it was a saftey issue (?), they could possibly been banned from the ranch.

At least it sounds like you all had a good time. Those pigs are just not like others you hunt, say on the coast. There is really no way to pattern the behavior. Some of the guys that hunt on the north side on a regular basis hardly ever leave the truck. All they do is drive. It's not really my type of hunting but it sure seems productive. Another thing I've learned about that ranch is that a lot of hunters can be a good thing. It really can get them moving around, especially if you are road hunting. There is so much feed and water that they don't need to stay in any one place, or one area.

You are correct about the road conditions in the winter. They are trecherous at best, a real puckering experence to say the least. In fact only the mentally insane would try some of them.

Anyway guys, thanks for the stories.....wish we all could have been there.


Kernhuntr

 

[Hook]

nvsolitude, sorry we missed meeting you at the hunt. I hope we can meet up another time.

For those of you going out on the next couple of hunts at Tejon, Here is where I shot my hog, below Squirrel ridge (red X near the "A" in Tehachapi) . I was on the east side of the canyon and the pigs were on the west side moving south. I hope this helps.

 

[Speckmisser]

Thanks guys, that's the kind of info I've been starving for.  

I always get anxious about hunting a new area.  Seems like it takes a day or two just to get an idea where to start, and that pretty much kills a weekend.  

 

[jrifenbark]

The butcher called and the meat is ready.  My mother should be picking it up right now.  What else are mothers for??  I'd tell you all where I got my pig but I'm not really sure where I was and I think I'm repressing the memory.  I really learned a lesson about thinking of HOW I'm going to recover an animal BEFORE shooting.  In the end I'm glad I dropped the hammer.  It's nice to bring some meat home.  Thanks for putting the pictures up Jesse.  Sorry we weren't around to say goodbye. The 30-30 turned out to be a great Tejon pig gun.  It's really light and powerfull enough, I guess.  
I got lucky and took my shot within 40 yds.  Some of the pigs were within 20yds.  There was a big sow pretty close to me.  I saw that her teats were distended so I assumed that she was nursing.  When I shot the boar the pigs darted every which way and the big sow charged right at me.  Whether she charged with malice or just didn't see me I don't know but nothing puts you inthe NOW like a charging hog. At about 10 yrds (ranges are kind of fuzzy) I aimed at her and she broke to the left and down the canyon.  The pigs seemed to regroup around the fallen hog who was still squeeling.  Then they all took off down the canyon.  I shot the pig twice in the head.  Then it rolled over and expired.  

I drew my knife, flipped the pig over, realized I wasn't sure what I was doing and did my best to improvise.  Same with skinning.  I had never done any of it before but it all worked out.

I orderd roasts, shops, butterfy steaks, spicey Itialian sausage, and ribs (if he can save them).  I'll let you all know how the meat turned out.

 

[Tonopah01]

Speckmisser:  from the campsite, drive back towards the front gate.  Long before you get there you will cross under powerlines [big ones] on steel towers.  Right about there you can turn right onto powerline road if you want.  Or [better] go past the powerlines, over the cattle guard and make a right at the dirt road just past the cattleguard.  That is Squirrel Canyon road.  
Go up Squirrel Canyon road [dirt road] and you'll run into a gate.  Go through [close the gate behind you] and continue up Squirrel Canyon Road -- keeping to the right.  You'll pass an old bulldozer on your left.  About twenty yards past that is a dirt road on your left ["Bulldozer road"].  Take that if you want and it will take you up to a big ridge where you can hunt either side -- or skip bulldozer road and just keep going up Squirrel Cyn.  Have fun and be safe.  Wear some orange and be prepared to hike you a$$ off!

 

[nvsolitude]

Nice to read all the good posts here. I'm even more sorry I didn't get to meet everyone. More good times are to come I'm sure. I sent a photo of my boar to Don Geivet to give to Barbara and also asked him to give me an idea of what he might have weighed. Here is the reply I received from him today:
"Steve:
Great picture...Great pig...I am really sorry we couldn't have given you
some help getting that one out in one piece. I have shown the picture to one
other of my guides and we both guesstimated the pig to have weighed a
minimum of 250 lb., and a sure winner to the south area $500 prize. Hope you
had a good time and we do appreciate your making the trip.
Don "

Jesse, I'll send you the picture of the boar to see if you want to post it or not. Maybe some of us could hook up for some scouting trips for blacktail this summer? Talk to you all soon. Let's make this pig hunt an annual event.
steve

 

[Rookie]

I really enjoyed this trip and especially meeting the guys in Jessie's group.  They obviously are dedicated hunters.

The Rifenbarks will probably make the April hunt an annual affair.  My guess is that hunting in May or June could get too hot.  And there is poison oak in the canyons-big time! Both pigs were taken out of the deep canyons which complicates things.  Who ever thought of using a pole to get the pig up to the top I take my hat off to. Great idea. I  want to thank nrifenbark and Jessie for putting the pictures up. They look great.

 

[Speckmisser]

Nrife,

WOW!  That's a lot more detail than I'd hoped for, but it'll certainly be useful.  Thanks!  :toast-yellow:

 

[Thonzberry]

Congrats to all you guys, sounds and looks like you all had a great time. I'm sory to miss out but, I had to work. I'll try to make the next trip out with you all.

 

[Big Bubba Daddy]

Sounds like a great time, sorry I missed it.  If anyone is considering a hunt in Central to Northern Cali, drop me a line.  I'm new at hogs but have been getting excited about my first pig hunt.  Anyone else out there prefer archery to rifles?

Congrats to rifenbark and hook on there hogs

 

[paulc]

me and my freind john were there.. we spent most of the time lost.. the only thing my buddy was supposed to do was get the maps.. i handled the applications, the gear and everything else and he was supposed to get maps.. nope.. and of course being a couple of guys we got minimal directions from cody.. got in early sat morning and got lost.. we hunted the evening and were in an area i thought was pretty good.. we wanted to get back to the same spot in the morning and you geussed it we got lost and couldnt find it till about 8:00..  we did finally meet up with some of the guys on sun morning, i wished we met up with more of the crew.. we were to busy whining to each other about our jobs.  i look forward to our next trip to tejon.

 

[Slugblaster]

I was in the front of the campsite and saw that black suv with the rack on the back go by With the hog. My partner from work and I saw lots of pigs Friday but were always on the wrong side of the canyon and too far away. Saturday morning we got a couple of young sows in the morning. We spotted 6 of them feeding on acorns while walking a road. We belly crawled about 100 yds to within 30 yds and got our 2. This poor guy walked up while we were cleaning them after about a 1.5 mile hike. He couldn't believe it. He called his partner up on 2-way radio and said "Hey these two guys shot 2 pigs 50 yds from our f#####g truck. I was home in time on Saturday to make my kids 4:30 baseball game. Sorry Imissed meeting you guys. I had the Burgundy GMC with the black canvas top.

 

[jrifenbark]

My girlfriend and I went to the supermarket today.  She bought pork.  I'm pretty sure I told her where I was this weekend.  Guess she wasn't listening.

 

[EVAN III]

  Slugbuster,
I saw your truck all weekend. Myself and bishop were in a dk. blue ford F-350 quad cab, Hook and bill were in a green 4-runner, the rifenbarks were driving Jeeps, and spectr17 was in a black K-5 Blazer. It to bad you couldn't have meet up with us. Oh well glad to hear you got yourself a pig. Maybe next time now that we know the area, well have to have a campsite picked out so we know where were camping ahead of time.

                                EVAN III