Joice island

[ksberry209]

Good luck guys/gals. I didn't get drawn so I guess it doesn;'t matter what I shot. But thanks for all the info on shooting slugs through a smooth bore. There is always FHL TA29 and 30 for shotguns!!

 

[AimHigh]

Called Grizzly Isle today. One of the three juniors managed to tag a piggy. Apparently, one of the adults brought along 2-4 adult buddies,did some road hunting, and pissed off the other two parties. The rules are pretty easy to follow; park in the parking lots and only ONE non hunter may accompany the hunter. So now, DFG has to baby sit the hunters, read them the rules the first morning, and probably won't let any vehicles pass the bridge. It only takes one knucklehead to screw things up.

Anyway, got the slug slinger sighted in and all my gear together. Now, just need a pig sighting. Will post results next week.

 

[buckhunter]

well a 33% success rate isn't bad so far good luck next weekend.-Dan

 

[Tom Petterson]

Aimhigh how did you do?

Got hogs?

Lets hear the story.

 

[buckhunter]

let hear it!

 

[AimHigh]

The plan was to start from the check station, hunt south around pond A, then head toward pond B. I'' attach some pic's and the first one is me standing on the bridge.

We started walking and glassing and immediately there were tracks and scat all over the levee. There was so much sign it felt like we were on a piggy farm. We were leaving tracks in the grass because there was a lot of dew but nothing fresh in front of us. One moving black spot turned out to be a feral kitty gerrr. Anyway, took us an hour to hunt around pond A and the sign got thicker and thicker. When we got across from the ranchhouse, my buddy decided to go back and move the truck to the next parking lot. I spent the next hour hunting on the west side of pond B. This is where the most sign is on the entire place. I spotted another hunter in the north end of B so I held tight just to see if anything would squirt out in front of them.

I noticed a tidal marsh behind me, west of B, that had at least six "fox holes" dug out by pigs that go in there to eat cattail roots. These holes are oft traveled and I considered going in. But you'll see by pic number two that these holes are only about 18" wide, with 24" of mud at the entrance, and they lead to 12 foot tall tules. I will tell you right now, there are several pigs that spend their days in this tidal marsh west of B. If you go in there you're a better man than I.

By buddy finally gets back to parking lot 2 and I convince him to push a section of arundo between him and me. The hope is for him to push somethin by way of course-- but he gets to me without a pig sighting. So we walked the rest of the west B levee, found some more "fox holes", and we pushed out a yote, gerrr again.

Now it's hot so we pushed the field back to the truck to get rid of some clothes. At 1030 we heard a shot. The folks we saw earlier happened across a sow that got up out of its bed to dig up something. They managed to get close enough for a shot and took a 50lb sow. Cool.

I spent an hour at parking lot 4 and did not see nearly the sign we saw across from parking lot 2. I decided 1430 to go back and patrol the half dozen blackberry laden hole entries to the tidal marsh. At 1530 I was just taking a break when I heard those unmistakable piggy sounds, walking in mud with their little grunts and squeaks. They were only 10 yards away but I couldn't see them. So I follow them until we go near one of the holes. At 7 yards I got on one knee, wind in my favor, and could hear them coming; safety off and barrel pointed at the hole.

After what seemed like the longest 30 seconds ever, I see a nose then like a flash this pig runs out, over the levee, then stops at 30 yards. I forgot how fast these things are. So now, I've got a choice -- wait for the others or take the shot (what would you do?). I took the shot but forgot to hold a little high. My slugs were dropping 3.5 inches at 30 yards. I held dead on, touched one off, and watched it run into the arundo. I then stood up to see if I could get a shot at the others. They slowly walked off and I couldn't see them. I spent 20 minutes looking and couldn't find a drop. This is where a dog might be helpful. The story ends with me not finding anything to indicate I hit the pig, and that's that. I was not able to hunt Sunday so I definately left a few for you folks.

Four tips: 1)I would only use a "pig dog" while in pursuit or another dog to help find an animal. I think a dog would just make these pigs keep running and swimming until off the island. The guy who got one had to chase his down. 2) A tall folding ladder might be a good way to make a perch from which to hunt. Those pigs were right under me and I couldn't see over the blackberries to get a shot. 3) make sure you hunt the afternoons and evenings, I think they come out early. 4) Bring some brush cutters or saws in case you shoot one in this tidal marsh. Otherwise you may not be able to get in there. I will try to attach some pic's. Good luck next weekend. There's a lot of space and I only covered about half of it.

 

[AimHigh]

Here's an entrance to the tidal marsh.

 

[AimHigh]

Here's and arundo patch with an example of a bedding area and tunnel leaving it.

 

[Kentuck]

Was hoping you'd get something. At least you got a shot. When my friend got drawn the first year I tagged along and we went into a couple of those tunnels. The hair on the back of my neck was standing up the whole time. Definately not a comfortable place to be in!

3.5" drop at 30 yards! What were you shooting? I have always had good luck with slugs and smooth bores.

 

[buckhunter]

well at least ya saw some piggies...thans for the post

 

[buckhunter]

are they letting you park in other places then the check station

 

[AimHigh]

I was shooting the 2 3/4" Federal Heavy Shock, 1oz rifled slugs; with open sights. Wasn't sure if that kind of drop is normal. Wouldn't have been a big deal if I had just remembered.

They have 3 parking lots inside that you can use as long as it doesn't rain much. The lady should have a better map for you when you check in.

I forgot to mention the best part of my day. I talked by friend into pushing some arundo patches and he's on edge because there's tunnels and sign everywhere. At one point, a rooster got up at his feet quackling and I swear I heard a scream.

Good luck to you guys this weekend.

 

[Tom Petterson]

 

[muskeg]

A green shell ... for St Patties Day !!!!!

did it have Green Blood ??????

 

[buckhunter]

 

[Tom Petterson]

Story to come monday 19th

 

[Kentuck]

Looks like a dead pig to me.

 

[buckhunter]

Don't be so mean... cant wait to hear it!

 

[Tom Petterson]

Ok hear it is

I started the hunt out of parking lot 3 walked around and ran into the other hunter and his friend. I told them I had found some holes that I was going to sit at Saterday night. ( remember this for later) I walked all around the last pond and back to the parking lot where I found that the other huntes were headed to the holes I wanted to hunt that evining. OK So my dad and I left and ate lunch and looked around Grizzly island and saw some ELk. Cool

We get back and I head off to go around the first pond that I when the hunter buddy tells me that they already road there bikes that way and ther is good sign down that way. ( The regs read walking only and the bikes are only to be used to retreive your pig)

So I walk off and a ways down the road I see something that looks like a hog back. I look in the binoculars and it is a hog , well the back of a hog. The tules and weeds are so tall all I can see is the back. So I try to get a little closer and the pig starts to hear me and leave so I shot. The pig is flopping around like a fish on the bank and I think I see another pig run off but I never see it again.
[attachment=40128:attachment]
The pig was 60yards out in the mud! I walk out and see that I hit it high in the back and the slug came to rest at the back of her jaw. It was about a 120lb sow.

[attachment=40127:attachment]
[attachment=40129:attachment]
That evening the other hunters went to the holes I wanted to hunt and sat ther till dark ( the regs say shoot time is from half hour before sunrise to sunSET)

I guess they heard the pigs but they did not come out when they were there. Probably at night.

That evening I saw two little piglets still had stripes on them, but I passed. Only a two pig limt for the hunt.

The next day I hunt the morning and then run into the other hunters going to the main parking area They never saw any pigs, I tell them I got one and saw two others and we part. I went to look at the other end of the island again and all I found were alot of ticks

Then I drove back to the main parking lot at 3:00pm and thery were long gone. Since the other group of hunters never showed sat or sunday, I had the whole place to myself sunday evening. I walk out for the evening and I find another pigglet a bigger one. Since my dad was upset I had passed some great tender pig meat Sat I was going to get this one. I walked to about 35 yards form it and got down. The pig started walking twards me at 15 yards I tried for a head shot and missed.

Then it ran twards me and then away from me and I shot again and got it. a small male that will make a great dinner.

So I got to fill two tags, shoot three shots andI walked about 15 miles. Great!

Lots of ticks! Lots of old pig sign!
There are 4 parking lots you ar current ly aloud to drive to.

 

[muskeg]

Sweet !!!!!!!!!!!!