Richmellott
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2010
- Messages
- 304
- Reaction score
- 3
After the November hunt with George Mavrakis, I was impressed with the property, and also with his professional demeanor. So, I was happy to be able to return for my January 6th hunt on Cooley Ranch. I stayed in town, as there was a deep frost, and I didn't have a tent with me (I had been visiting friends and family up and down the West Coast, up to Seattle). I also had been on the road since Christmas Eve, and it was taking its toll.
We met up in Cloverdale, and drove out to the ranch on very icy roads. We got set up with the dogs, guns, and were out of camp by daylight in three of his "bikes" (ATVs). We hunted the dogs both on top of the first ridge we went up, and at the bottom, with me in a ridgetop position. Of course, the group in the bottom is the one that hit hogs, so I had to be shuttled down the ridge, and across the valley, and then through three gates. I thought this dog hunting was supposed to be easy!
anic:
George took off his coveralls, saying it was too hot already, and that should have been a clue. He proceeded to mountain-goat it across the hill, and I was forced to follow, carrying a 1903 Savage 30-30 they loaned me. Let me just say to my credit that my pants were in the process of falling down, and my legs had rubber-like characteristics, but I made it to the dogs, to find George trying to keep them from tearing it up. I popped it, and we got an ATV to within 20 yards (which was amazing, considering we were vertical on the side of a ridge). It was 9am, and I had a meat pig, and was ready to go after another.
However, that was not to be, although we did get another chase going, and could see one of his dogs chasing three pigs on the ridge across the way. We even heard a pig squealing all the way across the valley, but by the time we got there, the dogs were working their way down the ridge, empty handed (we speculated they might have killed a small one, but we'll never know). One of the dogs kept working, and it took an hour to get her out, then we went up on the ridge, and another of the dogs was a no-show, and that went on for a while. Finally, to top off the afternoon, we were going down the ridge to look at heading home, when the ATV my namesake Rich and I were riding in gave up the ghost. Despite going and getting gas (we'd smelled both exhaust and raw fuel while it was running), we ended up having to tow it most of the way back to camp.
The pig was hanging in the shed, already field dressed, so George and David skinned it out, and finished the job of dressing it, and I packed it in my truck and skedaddled for town. It never hit higher than 50, but it was such a beautiful day, I had no complaints. I got more than I expected, considering I got a full day adventure, when I could have quit at 9am. There were some really fun moments in those Rhinos, and it made my day to be hanging out with the guys and dogs, watching them work. George could have bagged it early, but since I had two tags, and was willing to fill them both, he tried to make it happen.
I'll be back in October, dog-willing!:toast-yellow:
ps. you might have to squint a little, as the rotation of photos is not my forte, and one is upside down, and another sideways!
We met up in Cloverdale, and drove out to the ranch on very icy roads. We got set up with the dogs, guns, and were out of camp by daylight in three of his "bikes" (ATVs). We hunted the dogs both on top of the first ridge we went up, and at the bottom, with me in a ridgetop position. Of course, the group in the bottom is the one that hit hogs, so I had to be shuttled down the ridge, and across the valley, and then through three gates. I thought this dog hunting was supposed to be easy!
anic:George took off his coveralls, saying it was too hot already, and that should have been a clue. He proceeded to mountain-goat it across the hill, and I was forced to follow, carrying a 1903 Savage 30-30 they loaned me. Let me just say to my credit that my pants were in the process of falling down, and my legs had rubber-like characteristics, but I made it to the dogs, to find George trying to keep them from tearing it up. I popped it, and we got an ATV to within 20 yards (which was amazing, considering we were vertical on the side of a ridge). It was 9am, and I had a meat pig, and was ready to go after another.
However, that was not to be, although we did get another chase going, and could see one of his dogs chasing three pigs on the ridge across the way. We even heard a pig squealing all the way across the valley, but by the time we got there, the dogs were working their way down the ridge, empty handed (we speculated they might have killed a small one, but we'll never know). One of the dogs kept working, and it took an hour to get her out, then we went up on the ridge, and another of the dogs was a no-show, and that went on for a while. Finally, to top off the afternoon, we were going down the ridge to look at heading home, when the ATV my namesake Rich and I were riding in gave up the ghost. Despite going and getting gas (we'd smelled both exhaust and raw fuel while it was running), we ended up having to tow it most of the way back to camp.
The pig was hanging in the shed, already field dressed, so George and David skinned it out, and finished the job of dressing it, and I packed it in my truck and skedaddled for town. It never hit higher than 50, but it was such a beautiful day, I had no complaints. I got more than I expected, considering I got a full day adventure, when I could have quit at 9am. There were some really fun moments in those Rhinos, and it made my day to be hanging out with the guys and dogs, watching them work. George could have bagged it early, but since I had two tags, and was willing to fill them both, he tried to make it happen.
I'll be back in October, dog-willing!:toast-yellow:
ps. you might have to squint a little, as the rotation of photos is not my forte, and one is upside down, and another sideways!
Attachments
Last edited:
