I figure there are a lot of other guys on the forum that are in my boat and I like the pig hunting stories so here goes.
I started off renting a gun at the shooting range last November and from there it quickly became a hunting bug and I went on my first guided hunt and landed my first boar on good Friday. I used a Steven’s .270 caliber rifle $225 with a $40 bushnel scope all on sale from originally $450. I did the gutting myself with the guide telling me what to do and then he skinned the body while I attempted to skin the head. I never realized how quickly boar skin would dull a knife. I have basically been eating wild hog for the past month and a half and with the meat all gone it was time to book my next hog hunt.
Since then I have been searching for another guide to take me on my second hog hunt. Based on all the good news I heard from the folks here on JHO I decided to give Randy Mapel of RnJ wild hog hunts a call. The first guide I went with on good Friday was a little pricey at $900 for a weekend hunt with no lodging and I didn’t want to spend that type of money. So I called Randy and Jay at www.rnjwildhoghunts.com.
A buddy of mine who is an avid duck hunter decided he’d like to go with me pig hunting. This was my buddy’s first hog hunt and my second hog hunt. BTW, my buddy’s name is Josh (firefighter) and my name is also Josh (Chemical Engineer).
Josh and I go to RnJ on Friday afternoon and we started off sighting in our guns on at Randy’s shooting range area. With no scope adjustments required for Josh or me with respect to our guns we were off in the Jeep to glass for pigs. We quickly came across 4 or 5 pigs twenty minutes into the hunt. Josh the firefighter put a stock on the pigs but to no avail. The pigs moved approx 40 yards from where they were supposed to be and were down wind of Josh when he was prepping to take the shot. The pigs winded him and were off in an instant.
Randy quickly took me down in the Jeep to where we thought the pigs might be heading as an escape route and he was correct but the pig wasn’t cooperating and decided to stay behind the thick stuff. Finally, when the pig decided to get a move on all he would show me was his hams for a good 300 yards. Finally, the pig turned broad side but decided to do so behind a tree so we decided to let him go.
The wind really started to pick up after our first stalk so after hiking a canyon and seeing tons of sign Randy thought it would be best to glass the his hay field until last shooting light was over. No pigs were seen in the hay fields.
The next morning Josh and I woke up and three minutes later Randy and Jay were there and we were all ready to hunt. We loaded up in the Jeep and headed out to a new area. Within 10 minutes we saw a herd of pigs but we were about 10 minutes too late. The pigs were leaving Randy’s land and heading off to the neighbors land. One monster boar was a little bit slower then the rest of the heard but not slow enough and he made it to the neighbor’s property a minute too soon.
Randy decided to split us up and Josh (firefighter) went with Randy in the jeep to glass while Jay and I decided to hike some canyons and glass. About 20 minutes into my hike with Jay we heard a single shot. Jay and I looked at each other and said at the same time “pig down”.
As the story goes, Josh and Randy were driving the Jeep along and saw a large boar sitting in a saddle at the top of a canyon. Randy and Josh drove right past the boar who was smelling them and parked behing a knoll and killed the engine. Then Randy and Josh crawled on there bellies to a rock outcropping and setup to take the shot at about 100 yards. The boar was constantly trying to wind Josh and Randy and was only showing Josh his cutters. Then in one swift motion the boar went from showing his cutters to showing his hams. Josh got the OK from Randy to take the shot if the boar went broad side enough and put the shot behind the boar’s ear. Well, the boar decided to take one last sniff at Josh and Randy and turned just enough so Josh could get a shot off. It was a perfect shot right behind the ear and the boar dropped in it’s tracks.
[attachment=52264:Josh_F_best_pic.jpg]
Jay and I continued to hike and glass. We would hike down the top ridge of a canyon looking for pigs/sign and then hike over to the next canyon and repeat. On probably the third of fourth canyon Jay aka “billy goat” and I heard a pig on the other side of a juniper maybe 30 feet away to our left. Jay started to get closer to the juniper and I was right behind him. While Jay was looking for the pig I turned right and saw another pig trotting along approx 20 yards away. I un-sling my rifle and got my crosshairs lined up and whispered “Jay… Pig”. Jay took a look and said take it. When I heard Jay say take it within 1 second I shot as the pig was gaining speed. Second pig down!!!! It was a dry sow. She dropped approx 25 yards from where I stuck her considering that she no longer had lungs after my shot.
[attachment=52265:Josh_K_1.jpg]
Jay and I then dragged the pig down to the gully of the canyon and waited for Randy and Josh to finish gutting the boar and they came to the top ridge of an adjascent canyon and dropped down about 300 feet of rope. Jay tied the sow’s legs to the rope and Randy pulled the sow up the canyon with his jeep. That was easy enough!
Man, that was an awesome time and I can't wait to go again. I gotta eat my sausages quick so I can give Randy another call.
Thanks Randy and JHO for all the information and help.
Josh
aka JK_Hog
I started off renting a gun at the shooting range last November and from there it quickly became a hunting bug and I went on my first guided hunt and landed my first boar on good Friday. I used a Steven’s .270 caliber rifle $225 with a $40 bushnel scope all on sale from originally $450. I did the gutting myself with the guide telling me what to do and then he skinned the body while I attempted to skin the head. I never realized how quickly boar skin would dull a knife. I have basically been eating wild hog for the past month and a half and with the meat all gone it was time to book my next hog hunt.
Since then I have been searching for another guide to take me on my second hog hunt. Based on all the good news I heard from the folks here on JHO I decided to give Randy Mapel of RnJ wild hog hunts a call. The first guide I went with on good Friday was a little pricey at $900 for a weekend hunt with no lodging and I didn’t want to spend that type of money. So I called Randy and Jay at www.rnjwildhoghunts.com.
A buddy of mine who is an avid duck hunter decided he’d like to go with me pig hunting. This was my buddy’s first hog hunt and my second hog hunt. BTW, my buddy’s name is Josh (firefighter) and my name is also Josh (Chemical Engineer).
Josh and I go to RnJ on Friday afternoon and we started off sighting in our guns on at Randy’s shooting range area. With no scope adjustments required for Josh or me with respect to our guns we were off in the Jeep to glass for pigs. We quickly came across 4 or 5 pigs twenty minutes into the hunt. Josh the firefighter put a stock on the pigs but to no avail. The pigs moved approx 40 yards from where they were supposed to be and were down wind of Josh when he was prepping to take the shot. The pigs winded him and were off in an instant.
Randy quickly took me down in the Jeep to where we thought the pigs might be heading as an escape route and he was correct but the pig wasn’t cooperating and decided to stay behind the thick stuff. Finally, when the pig decided to get a move on all he would show me was his hams for a good 300 yards. Finally, the pig turned broad side but decided to do so behind a tree so we decided to let him go.
The wind really started to pick up after our first stalk so after hiking a canyon and seeing tons of sign Randy thought it would be best to glass the his hay field until last shooting light was over. No pigs were seen in the hay fields.
The next morning Josh and I woke up and three minutes later Randy and Jay were there and we were all ready to hunt. We loaded up in the Jeep and headed out to a new area. Within 10 minutes we saw a herd of pigs but we were about 10 minutes too late. The pigs were leaving Randy’s land and heading off to the neighbors land. One monster boar was a little bit slower then the rest of the heard but not slow enough and he made it to the neighbor’s property a minute too soon.
Randy decided to split us up and Josh (firefighter) went with Randy in the jeep to glass while Jay and I decided to hike some canyons and glass. About 20 minutes into my hike with Jay we heard a single shot. Jay and I looked at each other and said at the same time “pig down”.
As the story goes, Josh and Randy were driving the Jeep along and saw a large boar sitting in a saddle at the top of a canyon. Randy and Josh drove right past the boar who was smelling them and parked behing a knoll and killed the engine. Then Randy and Josh crawled on there bellies to a rock outcropping and setup to take the shot at about 100 yards. The boar was constantly trying to wind Josh and Randy and was only showing Josh his cutters. Then in one swift motion the boar went from showing his cutters to showing his hams. Josh got the OK from Randy to take the shot if the boar went broad side enough and put the shot behind the boar’s ear. Well, the boar decided to take one last sniff at Josh and Randy and turned just enough so Josh could get a shot off. It was a perfect shot right behind the ear and the boar dropped in it’s tracks.
[attachment=52264:Josh_F_best_pic.jpg]
Jay and I continued to hike and glass. We would hike down the top ridge of a canyon looking for pigs/sign and then hike over to the next canyon and repeat. On probably the third of fourth canyon Jay aka “billy goat” and I heard a pig on the other side of a juniper maybe 30 feet away to our left. Jay started to get closer to the juniper and I was right behind him. While Jay was looking for the pig I turned right and saw another pig trotting along approx 20 yards away. I un-sling my rifle and got my crosshairs lined up and whispered “Jay… Pig”. Jay took a look and said take it. When I heard Jay say take it within 1 second I shot as the pig was gaining speed. Second pig down!!!! It was a dry sow. She dropped approx 25 yards from where I stuck her considering that she no longer had lungs after my shot.
[attachment=52265:Josh_K_1.jpg]
Jay and I then dragged the pig down to the gully of the canyon and waited for Randy and Josh to finish gutting the boar and they came to the top ridge of an adjascent canyon and dropped down about 300 feet of rope. Jay tied the sow’s legs to the rope and Randy pulled the sow up the canyon with his jeep. That was easy enough!
Man, that was an awesome time and I can't wait to go again. I gotta eat my sausages quick so I can give Randy another call.
Thanks Randy and JHO for all the information and help.
Josh
aka JK_Hog
