surfdawggg
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2003
- Messages
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Just got back from a rifle hunt at Hogs Wild this weekend. Conditions were tough with the weather being rainy and very windy, but here is how it went.
Got on Jack's ranch down the road from Larry's at about 5:00 PM on Friday evening and hopped on a quad runner with "super guide" Pancho. A quick twenty minutes up the ridge and we spot a group of about 10 pigs 300 yards uphill. We stalk to about 200 yards when the wind swirls and we get busted, so no shot taken. We stalked into the scrub for about an hour, but could not find the pigs, although there was a ton of fresh scat and rootings. Spent the rest of the afternoon checking different spots around the ranch and didn't see any hogs. We did see several turkeys, about 20 deer, and more quail and dove than I can count. Sure would be nice if there was some wing shooting allowed on the ranch. The back side of the ranch is some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen. On one ridgeline known as "Buck Point" at dusk we could see highway 101 looking like a snake of light and the lights of both King City and Paso Robles.
Got up early Saturday morning and staked out a trail that leads to a small pond along a ridge line. We could hear pigs coming through the brush, and my buddy Don Martin, saw two pigs, one in the 250+ range come up another draw, we never did see them on our side. Unfortunately Don wasn't hunting on this trip, so he lived to be taken another day. Pancho and myself headed down a canyon and follwed it around the mountain through some pretty tough terrrain. We were following a trail down through the brush when we see a couple of ears poking above a slight rise about 50 yards ahead of us. While we were trying to get into position, two pigs hop up and take off away from us up the trail, but one is still bedded down. I get into position and he hops up and starts to take off away from us, but I get the 7MM mag up and touch one off. First shot entered at the right ham and slices up breaking his hip, but he is still moving down hill. One more shot to the head from about 40 yards and he is down. He was a great meat pig at about 135 lbs. We gut him and head uphill about 150 yards (not my favorite part of the hunt), and get him to the truck. Unfortunately for the other hunter in our party the only pig he saw was that evening in the pouring rain below a scrub line at about 20 yards. Eric had his scope turned up fully to 12X and as far as we can tell shot right over him.
I have to compliment, Jeremy and Pancho, our guides, for working really hard to get us the opportunities we had. They did several pushes through the thickest brush in the worst weather to try and ensure our success.
Can't wait to go back!
Almost forgot, I will post the pictures as soon as I get them loaded.
Cheers,
John
Got on Jack's ranch down the road from Larry's at about 5:00 PM on Friday evening and hopped on a quad runner with "super guide" Pancho. A quick twenty minutes up the ridge and we spot a group of about 10 pigs 300 yards uphill. We stalk to about 200 yards when the wind swirls and we get busted, so no shot taken. We stalked into the scrub for about an hour, but could not find the pigs, although there was a ton of fresh scat and rootings. Spent the rest of the afternoon checking different spots around the ranch and didn't see any hogs. We did see several turkeys, about 20 deer, and more quail and dove than I can count. Sure would be nice if there was some wing shooting allowed on the ranch. The back side of the ranch is some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen. On one ridgeline known as "Buck Point" at dusk we could see highway 101 looking like a snake of light and the lights of both King City and Paso Robles.
Got up early Saturday morning and staked out a trail that leads to a small pond along a ridge line. We could hear pigs coming through the brush, and my buddy Don Martin, saw two pigs, one in the 250+ range come up another draw, we never did see them on our side. Unfortunately Don wasn't hunting on this trip, so he lived to be taken another day. Pancho and myself headed down a canyon and follwed it around the mountain through some pretty tough terrrain. We were following a trail down through the brush when we see a couple of ears poking above a slight rise about 50 yards ahead of us. While we were trying to get into position, two pigs hop up and take off away from us up the trail, but one is still bedded down. I get into position and he hops up and starts to take off away from us, but I get the 7MM mag up and touch one off. First shot entered at the right ham and slices up breaking his hip, but he is still moving down hill. One more shot to the head from about 40 yards and he is down. He was a great meat pig at about 135 lbs. We gut him and head uphill about 150 yards (not my favorite part of the hunt), and get him to the truck. Unfortunately for the other hunter in our party the only pig he saw was that evening in the pouring rain below a scrub line at about 20 yards. Eric had his scope turned up fully to 12X and as far as we can tell shot right over him.
I have to compliment, Jeremy and Pancho, our guides, for working really hard to get us the opportunities we had. They did several pushes through the thickest brush in the worst weather to try and ensure our success.
Can't wait to go back!
Almost forgot, I will post the pictures as soon as I get them loaded.
Cheers,
John
