Pigs, pigs, pigs, and more pigs

[doccherry]

Just got home from work and a neighbor Mauka [up the mountain called]. 8 or 9 large pigs, including a monster boar, just wandered into his back yard 10 minutes ago and took up residence in an acre of ferns behind his house. I've killed boars up there before and there is a large den beneath some fallen trees. Guaranteed they're holed up there right now. I'm loading up the crossbow and my gear and picking up a buddy who has never hunted pigs before. Off to do some major damage on those swine. Will report back. 30 minutes from now I'll be sneaking through his mini-jungle and into a swarm of boars. Whoopie!!! Beats the heck out of watching Sanjaya.

Man, it's NEVER dull around here.

Aloha

 

[Nic Barca]

good luck

 

[surf n turf]

yes good luck and looking forward to hear about your success

 

[Hogfest]

Doc, I see you're online......got a story for us already or do you got some swines......or both?

 

[doccherry]

Busted!!


Pigs, pigs, and more pigs in tight jungle cover doesn't always mean pork in the pan. Lots of racket and a few grunts and a couple of squeals and all was silent with nary a shot fired. I could hear the fence "twanging" as they wiggled beneath it and the pigs were gone. Will try again later.

 

[Speckmisser]

We hate you anyway, Doc.

What kind of crossbow are you using again? I'm seriously thinking about adding one to my arsenal.

I bet it gets here faster than that damned Browning rifle!

 

[larrysogla]

SpeckM,
A crossbow is definitely a step up from a traditional bow. Your luck will definitely change with the step up. Whoohoooo for Mr. SpeckM. Blood on those mini-spears, pork on the ground, chops in the freezer and more exciting stories from our storyteller galore, Mr. SpeckM. Yup I'm already excited on the prospect of porkies being bloodied and butchered and great story telling afterwards. Go for it Mr. SpeckM. 'Nuff said.

 

[bighog]

Doc, set up a tent in you neighbors back yard and have a sleep over.......Hope you get em....

 

[larrysogla]

Doc,
You are always the source of exciting, original hunting stories....wild cattle steaks and sirloins, wild hog harvests in a neighbor's yard and this is NOT in the boonies but in a populated town, goats, sheep, game birds, wild fowls, wild hogs in 8,000 feet elevations, amazing.......just amazing. Keep on posting Doc. We luv ur stories and adventure and all your mini-disasters. Prayers for your safekeeping and good health and strength. 'Nuff said. God Bless always.

 

[doccherry]

Speckmisser:

I have a Barnett Revolution, 300+ feet per second and deadly accurate. It's great for backyard hunting, but that's it. The problem is that it is very difficult to carry around, particularly through the brush. It is heavy [much, much heavier than a traditional compound bow], it is very cumbersome [there is no way to easily sling it over your shoulder and there is no center of gravity that you can grab hold of], and it is shaped in such a way that it gets hung up on every branch, vine, and obstruction that you might encounter. Imagine having to carry a big guitar full of sand through the brush all day.

For California hunting, I'd advise against it. You can only use it during the rifle season [in Hawaii, it's illegal in all circumstances other than depredation hunting on private property] and you'll cuss the day you were born if you have to drag a deer or a pig and try to carry that darn thing at the same time. They are simply too awkward to lug around for any distance. Great for stand or blind hunting, though.

Off to Mauna Kea early tomorrow [Sunday] AM to drive way down the Hunter's Road and then hike down 800-1000 feet of elevation. That's where I saw those 17 pigs a couple weeks ago. Hope to break my losing streak. No pigs for me the last 3 hunts. There's a big empty space now on one of my freezer shelves and that is simply unacceptable.

Aloha for now.

 

[Orso]

I wonder if in that particular situation where you know where the den is if they have a common place they crawl under the fence at... Not that they escape the same way every time, but maybe you could catch one or two if you set a person at one of the escape routes.

 

[doccherry]

Orso:

That's a very good idea and your strategy is right on the money. Here's the problem I'm having, and I'm not trying to be sarcastic or facetious. There are so many pigs around that originally, 15 months ago, I was the proverbial Kid in a Candy Store. I hunted at every opportunity. But what I came to understand was that the true attraction of hunting---for me, at least---is being out in the middle of nowhere and becoming an active part of the ecosystem instead of just a spectator back in town watching the world go by. Hunting in somebody's backyard no longer appeals to me---it's just a job that needs to be done, and simply killing a pig has no attraction at all for me. Hunting pigs does. Sitting on my butt in the middle of a rural but still residential neighborhood and plugging pigs becomes an act of sniping and the hunting aspect, the spot and stalk and sneak through the bushes or glass the ridges or gather round the campfire or lantern light at the end of a hard day and share experiences with buddies is entirely absent in backyard hunting. Hunting hogs in somebody's backyard becomes a chore like changing a flat tire. If I set up a stand next to the entrance or exit point at the fenceline and sit, I'll get a pig. Simple as that. But the scenery and sounds are of houses and roads and road noise and barking dogs. Know what sound I like best? Silence, absolute silence, and the only place I can find that is out in the wilderness.

A friend of mine, a native Hawaiian and perhaps the best hunter I have ever met [Growing up in tough times, his family hunted for food---if they didn't get a pig or a sheep or a goat, the family didn't eat.], has watched me progress from Kid in a Candy Store to more of a selective hunter. He told me just the other day that eventually I'll switch to archery hunting for hogs, as he has done. Here's what he told me:

"You're still new at this game. You've only killed 20 or so hogs during the last year, most with a rifle. Wait until you've killed 120 with your rifle. The challenge of hunting will be gone and it's the challenge that you're hooked on. You'll switch to a bow and instead of killing 20 hogs a year you'll kill 5 or 6. You'll become a much better hunter and 5 or 6 hogs will give you a couple hundred pounds of boneless meat. Do you really need more?"

Makes a lot of sense. I think he's right, but for now I'll still use my rifle until I get closer to the 120 mark.

Will report back on tomorrow's hunt in the Middle of Nowhere up on Mauna Kea.

 

[Speckmisser]

The difference between eradication and hunting...

Doc, nothing wrong with where you're headed, but this is the whole reason I continue to say that sport hunters are not the answer to the pig overpopulation problem as I wrote in this article.

I love pig hunting. I have no doubt that most of you guys are the same way. And I'd love to have that "kid in a candy store" perspective. BUT...

Depredation and eradication are not "hunting". The challenge in depredation is finding the achilles heel and exploiting the hell out of it. Most of us would grow tired of that very quickly, and I have no doubt we'd all grow jaded and avoid that situation.

It's a catch 22, because that natural evolution of a hunter is a good thing (I think), and taking the easy way out becomes less and less an option. It reinforces the image we try to cultivate. But at the same time, when it comes to something like wild hogs (now present in as many as 43 states), our sportsman's ethic defeats the purpose of slaughtering and eradicating the invasive species.

 

[upper]

Most all hogs that are welcomed by land owners are pay to shoot.Hogs do nothing good for the range.Hogs are a tough quarry to hunt.Hogs cost ranchers millions every year.Most cattle ranchers don't want Hogs on their land.Total hog eradication is almost imposible,same with ground squirrels(even the preg. ones).You can feel comfortable hunting ANY pig and still be a hunter.Next time you go to a rancher and ask to hunt,tell him you want to get rid of all the Hogs you see,your chances of getting the O.K. will be greater.Your quest to rid the world of Hogs will never be met on this earth.You can use a rifle,bow, knife,what ever floats your boat.Hogs are the only vermin that eats good,or less would be interested.Next time you sit down with a rancher see what you can do for HIM and the Ranch. Promoting a population of Hogs will do more harm than good.Five years ago my view was the opposite.The real hunt is trying to get rid of them all (don't think it will be done).Don't get me wrong if I had a piece of land that was full of Hogs and could get good money to let hunters hunt I might do it.But rember your neibor and his wheat,he is in the AK47 how many can I get with Two clips field.Catch22 yes but just straight 22 in the head is also no meat loss. Upper

 

[Use_Enough_Gun]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (doccherry @ Apr 21 2007, 11:05 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Orso:

But what I came to understand was that the true attraction of hunting---for me, at least---is being out in the middle of nowhere and becoming an active part of the ecosystem instead of just a spectator back in town watching the world go by. Hunting in somebody's backyard no longer appeals to me---it's just a job that needs to be done, and simply killing a pig has no attraction at all for me. Hunting pigs does. Sitting on my butt in the middle of a rural but still residential neighborhood and plugging pigs becomes an act of sniping and the hunting aspect, the spot and stalk and sneak through the bushes or glass the ridges or gather round the campfire or lantern light at the end of a hard day and share experiences with buddies is entirely absent in backyard hunting. Hunting hogs in somebody's backyard becomes a chore like changing a flat tire.[/b]

Doc,



You and others have likely seen this but for those who haven't I think it's a nice summary of the stages that MOST hunters will progress through. Some do...some don't...some go from 1 to 4 or 5 directly.



In any case, here's a review of the "Five Stages of a Hunter" courtesy of California Department of Fish and Game. "California Hunter Education Manual". 1995 (revised edition). Sacramento, California. [p.8]



The 5 Stages of a Hunter


Hunters change through the years. Factors used to determine "successful hunting" change as well for each hunter. A hunter's age, role models, and his years of hunting experience affect his ideas of "success." Many hunters may fit into one of the following five groups. In 1975-1980, groups of over 1,000 hunters in Wisconsin were studied, surveyed, and written about by Professors Robert Jackson and Robert Norton, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The results of their studies form a widely accepted theory of hunter behavior and development. Where are you now? Where would you like to be?


SHOOTER STAGE
The hunter talks about satisfaction with hunting being closely tied to being able to "get shooting." Often the beginning duck hunter will relate he had an excellent day if he got in a lot of shooting. The beginning deer hunter will talk about the number of shooting opportunities. Missing game means little to hunters in this phase. A beginning hunter wants to pull the trigger and test the capability of his firearm. A hunter in this stage may be a dangerous hunting partner.



LIMITING OUT STAGE
A hunter still talks about satisfaction gained from shooting. But what seems more important is measuring success through the killing of game and the number of birds or animals shot. Limiting out, or filling a tag, is the absolute measure. Do not let your desire to limit out be stronger than the need for safe behavior at all times.



TROPHY STAGE
Satisfaction is described in terms of selectivity of game. A duck hunter might take only greenheads. A deer hunter looks for one special deer. A hunter might travel far to find a real trophy animal. Shooting opportunity and skills become less important.



METHOD STAGE
This hunter has all the special equipment. Hunting has become one of the most important things in his life. Satisfaction comes from the method that enables the hunter to take game. Taking game is important, but second to how it is taken. This hunter will study long and hard how best to pick a blind site, lay out decoys, and call in waterfowl. A deer hunter will go one on one with a white-tailed deer, studying sign, tracking, and the life habits of the deer. Often, the hunter will handicap himself by hunting only with black powder firearms or bow and arrow. Bagging game, or limiting, still is understood as being a necessary part of the hunt during this phase.


SPORTSMAN STAGE
As a hunter ages and after many years of hunting, he "mellows out." Satisfaction now can be found in the total hunting experience. Being in the field, enjoying the company of friends and family, and seeing nature outweigh the need for taking game. Not all hunters go through all the stages, or go through them in that particular order. It is also possible for hunters who pursue several species of game to be in different stages with regard to each species. Some hunters feel that role models of good sportsmen, training, or reading books or magazines helped them pass more quickly through some stages.


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Looks to me like you've made the jump to sportsman...