Pig hunt turned sheep hunt turned pig hunt on Mauna Kea

[doccherry]

I've got a story to tell, but right now I'm exhausted from hiking for 6 hours at 9000 feet. Will post story and photo as soon as I get a couple glasses of California wine in my belly and a hearty dinner. Man, I'm pooped!! The story and photo are interesting, as you shall soon see.

Aloha for now.

 

[bighog]

eh...hem.....tap.....tap....tap....tap......still waiting here!!!

 

[doccherry]

OK, here we go. Drove up to Mauna Kea at sunrise. On the way in, going through the archery area, saw a big boar out in a grassy meadow, head down, feeding. I had a rifle, so no go. Then saw a herd of 6 or 7 pigs off a couple hundred yards. Then saw another herd of a dozen or so off about 500 yards. Kept driving along the Hunter's Road until I got to the rifle area [it's about a zillion acres, 6000 feet up to about 12,000 feet elevation]. Changed into my brand new military desert boots [more on that later], put on my hunting gear, got the rifle out of the case, stuck a dozen rounds of ammo [7/08] into my pocket, and continued driving up on up to about 8000 feet. Saw some hogs way off in the distance but didn't feel like hiking in after them.

Parked the truck in a grove of pine trees at 8500 feet and hiked down toward a couple of large hills that were surrounded by large bushes. It was really tough hiking, over softball-sized lava that would roll and squiggle with every step, and much of the hike was at 45 degree angles up and down and along jagged lava ridges. Two hours later I'm a couple miles from the truck, one 16 ounce bottle of water left, and pooped. Off about 300 yards I see a black something moving through some brush. Had to be a pig since they're all black up here and the sheep are a buckskin color. I put the moves on it and got to within 100 yards. Turned out to be a pure black ram, a Mouflon with really nice horns. Had several ewes with him. I took an offhand shot and he dropped. Photo attached.

Now this guy was pretty good-sized for a Mouflon and I didn't have my backpack. I also needed water, so I field dressed it and tied a blaze-orange vest to the highest bush in the area. Off I go to where I "think" the truck is. Along the way, I take a really hard fall and the rifle scope takes a direct hit from an outcropping of jagged lava. Quiet a nick in the tube. Ummm, I wonder. Any damage? 1/2 an hour later, really pooped, I search for the grove of pine trees. There it is, all right, a mile away, uphill, and BEHIND me. I was completely turned around. I shook my head, said a few profane words, and slogged uphill for another 1/2 hour. Got to the truck, drank a bunch of water and V-8, ate some lunch, piled into the driver's seat, and slept for an hour. Then I put on my backpack, left the rifle in the truck, set the GPS this time, and headed back down. I finally made it to the area where I had shot the ram, after some backtracking and wasted steps, but couldn't find the vest in the branch. I finally spotted it through my binoc's about 400 yards away. Hiked there, butchered the ram, removed the head, loaded up the backpack, but this time, according to the GPS that I should have used from the very beginning, I figured all I had to do was go right straight uphill from there---no going around the hill and over and along all the lava ridges for an hour or more---and I'd be at my truck. Sure enough, there was the truck, a fairly easy hike. Unloaded, sat down completely exhausted, and made a mental note to go straight downhill from the pine trees next time. That area was loaded with sheep sign.

Drove down the "road" to the lower areas and spotted a pig off a few hundred yards feeding in the grass. Get out, load the Model 70, and off I go. Got to within about 125 yards, got a nice rest on a branch, and let fly. BOOM and the pig just kept feeding. Nothing happened at all. Took another shot and BOOM and lava dust flew and the pig skeedaddled. What the?? It was an easy shot and I blew it. Went back to the truck, took out a magazine, attached it to a branch, walked back 50 yards, got a good rest, took a shot, and missed the magazine entirely. Walked up to about 25 yards and repeated. Very high and to the left. Fiddled with the adjustments and now it's high and to the right. Fiddled again and now it's dead center. Took a second shot to be sure and missed the magazine entirely. Walked up to about 10 yards and the next three shots were all over the place.

Time to get a new scope.

Got home at dinner time and took off my brand new desert boots. The lug soles were almost entirely worn away. That lava just tears the heck out of them. I'll probably get a couple more hunts out of them, but that's it.

So, what began as a pig hunt became a sheep hunt and should have ended up as a pig hunt. Seems like Murphy has taken a liking to me and for some reason enjoys my company.

Aloha for now.

 

[CAhntr]

Awesome looking ram doc! Do you plan to do a mount? Thanks for the story and pics.

Eric

 

[wyemjohnson]

I'm tired just reading the post! Congrats. I liked the part about taking the nap in the truck!

 

[DEERSLAM]

Cool! Thanks for sharing Paradise.