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Suzmar1997
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canadagoose
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It was definitely a great weekend. I didn't manage to bring one home, but I did get a pretty good introduction to hog hunting thanks to Speck's kind tutelage.
Friday night, Speck planted me next to Speckmisser Ridge and sure enough the hogs showed up. Unfortunately, it started with two wet sows with footballs scurrying around in the grass. I was maybe 25 yards from them when I figured that out, and figured it would be bad form to shoot a wet sow three feet from the head of a grazing cow.
Fortunately, I spotted some more not far away and put the sneak on them. I got close enough to whack 'em easily, but damn they were small. I hung out for a bit hoping something larger would show up, but no luck.
The little critters were moving towards me the whole time, and the closest was now about 6 feet away and still oblivious. Part of me wanted to pull the pistol and see how many of 'em I could get, but instead I kicked my foot a little. The closest one squeeled in panic, turned around, and ran head first into a log, bounced off it and followed his buddies down the mountain. Damn that was funny.
With shoot time ending, I picked up some radio chatter that Steve and Phil had both got hogs nearby and I went over to see if there was anything I could do to help. I'm still scratching my head on how I ended up down in the deepest, darkest valley in all of Tejon, holding a flashlight next to Steve while Phil skinned and quartered his hog. Ah well, it was good experience and definitely "character building". Got to bed around 12:30.
Saturday morning I went back to both those places again hoping to see hogs. Nada. Back to camp for some rest.
Saturday evening, Phil took me up to where he and Steve had been successful the night before but all the hogs we saw were on other ridges, including where I'd been the night before. With the end of shoot time rapidly approaching we started to work back the ridge to the truck and spotted 5 hogs on the other side of the draw. By moving down the hill I could close the distance to about 200 yards, but the idea of going down into that draw and back up again to get the hog, and then drag it uphill through the stream at the bottom was too much for me that night. I passed, hoping we'd see something closer on the way out or in the morning.
Sunay morning began with sitting tight on top of Geghis glassing the hillside, followed by working my way slowly down to Bear Trap. Lots of sign, but no hogs. I walked back to camp, and Phill gave me a lift up to my truck, but then offered to drop me on a dirt road going down the other side of Geghis and ending back at the paved road. There were lots of cows and a deer on the way down, but no hogs.
I needed to get back home to take care of some work on Monday, so I headed back to camp and packed up. Mulling it over, Monday's work wasn't that important compared to another chance at a hog, so I decided to stick around for the evening hunt.
Back up to the same ridge, and it was a repeat of the previous evening. All the hogs were a long way away. Towards the ned of shoot time again, Phil spotted that same group of hogs in the same place as the night before.
It was now or never, so I took the 200 yard shot. BOOM! When I focused my eyesight on the hillside again, the hogs were scurying away like mice and Phil was yelling that it hit its mark. The hog had done the stop, drop, and roll into a little patch of bushes and wasn't coming out.
I worked my way down to the bottom and back up the other side, while Phil kept his eye on the spot for about 10 minutes watching for the hog to come out. When I got over to the bushes, there was no hog in sight. I looked around for blood while Phil worked his way over. No blood, and no sign of the hog in any of the bushes in the area.
By this point, darkness had fallen and we were working by flashlight. With no sign of blood anywhere and no sign of the hog, we eventually gave up. The slide down to the bottom and the walk up the creek to the ridge would have been better with some meat on our backs, but it wasn't to be.
All in all, it was a fantastic experience and a great opportunity to meet some of you guys. I owe Phil a huge thank you for taking my under his wing on my first hog hunt. I'll definitely be back next year.
Here's a parting shot of the man himself.
Friday night, Speck planted me next to Speckmisser Ridge and sure enough the hogs showed up. Unfortunately, it started with two wet sows with footballs scurrying around in the grass. I was maybe 25 yards from them when I figured that out, and figured it would be bad form to shoot a wet sow three feet from the head of a grazing cow.
Fortunately, I spotted some more not far away and put the sneak on them. I got close enough to whack 'em easily, but damn they were small. I hung out for a bit hoping something larger would show up, but no luck.
The little critters were moving towards me the whole time, and the closest was now about 6 feet away and still oblivious. Part of me wanted to pull the pistol and see how many of 'em I could get, but instead I kicked my foot a little. The closest one squeeled in panic, turned around, and ran head first into a log, bounced off it and followed his buddies down the mountain. Damn that was funny.
With shoot time ending, I picked up some radio chatter that Steve and Phil had both got hogs nearby and I went over to see if there was anything I could do to help. I'm still scratching my head on how I ended up down in the deepest, darkest valley in all of Tejon, holding a flashlight next to Steve while Phil skinned and quartered his hog. Ah well, it was good experience and definitely "character building". Got to bed around 12:30.
Saturday morning I went back to both those places again hoping to see hogs. Nada. Back to camp for some rest.
Saturday evening, Phil took me up to where he and Steve had been successful the night before but all the hogs we saw were on other ridges, including where I'd been the night before. With the end of shoot time rapidly approaching we started to work back the ridge to the truck and spotted 5 hogs on the other side of the draw. By moving down the hill I could close the distance to about 200 yards, but the idea of going down into that draw and back up again to get the hog, and then drag it uphill through the stream at the bottom was too much for me that night. I passed, hoping we'd see something closer on the way out or in the morning.
Sunay morning began with sitting tight on top of Geghis glassing the hillside, followed by working my way slowly down to Bear Trap. Lots of sign, but no hogs. I walked back to camp, and Phill gave me a lift up to my truck, but then offered to drop me on a dirt road going down the other side of Geghis and ending back at the paved road. There were lots of cows and a deer on the way down, but no hogs.
I needed to get back home to take care of some work on Monday, so I headed back to camp and packed up. Mulling it over, Monday's work wasn't that important compared to another chance at a hog, so I decided to stick around for the evening hunt.
Back up to the same ridge, and it was a repeat of the previous evening. All the hogs were a long way away. Towards the ned of shoot time again, Phil spotted that same group of hogs in the same place as the night before.
It was now or never, so I took the 200 yard shot. BOOM! When I focused my eyesight on the hillside again, the hogs were scurying away like mice and Phil was yelling that it hit its mark. The hog had done the stop, drop, and roll into a little patch of bushes and wasn't coming out.
I worked my way down to the bottom and back up the other side, while Phil kept his eye on the spot for about 10 minutes watching for the hog to come out. When I got over to the bushes, there was no hog in sight. I looked around for blood while Phil worked his way over. No blood, and no sign of the hog in any of the bushes in the area.
By this point, darkness had fallen and we were working by flashlight. With no sign of blood anywhere and no sign of the hog, we eventually gave up. The slide down to the bottom and the walk up the creek to the ridge would have been better with some meat on our backs, but it wasn't to be.
All in all, it was a fantastic experience and a great opportunity to meet some of you guys. I owe Phil a huge thank you for taking my under his wing on my first hog hunt. I'll definitely be back next year.
Here's a parting shot of the man himself.
jb229
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Sorry you could not connect on a Hog, thanks again for sharing your bourbon. Can't wait to go back next year. As soon as I get my pics back I will post my experience. But a HUGE thanks to Phil and Sal for helping my dad and I pack out our Hog.
Jason
Jason
THE ROMAN ARCHER
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cong
rats to everyone on their Tejon wild pig hunting adventures
great stories and photo's!..........................tra
beastslayer
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Congratulations everyone for sharing the adventures of your awesome hunts.
XD - It appears that the 100% success rate hasn't been broken yet (only the shoulder and the pinky had - LOL).
Powerman - Any report?
Pictures, pictures and more pictures please. They bring back memories of a familiar place. I'm surprised that grass is still green on that side of Tejon. The grass is brown, save some few patches, way I-5 as I saw it on my way up NorCal.
Phil seems to have not learned from his own lessons. My strategy of not shooting anyting that would call of a long and cardiac drag from those deep and dark Tejon canyons are lessons from his own experience.
XD - It appears that the 100% success rate hasn't been broken yet (only the shoulder and the pinky had - LOL).
Powerman - Any report?
Pictures, pictures and more pictures please. They bring back memories of a familiar place. I'm surprised that grass is still green on that side of Tejon. The grass is brown, save some few patches, way I-5 as I saw it on my way up NorCal.
Phil seems to have not learned from his own lessons. My strategy of not shooting anyting that would call of a long and cardiac drag from those deep and dark Tejon canyons are lessons from his own experience.
One Track
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Here are a few pics of my hog. Friday evening about 6:30, I spotted a group of hogs about a 1/2 mile down a ridge. They were feeding in some knee high grass and short sage like brush, but very close to the taller bedding brush/trees. I pulled my buddy Steve from the other side of the ridge and we started the sneak. It took about a half hour to get within 200 yds of where they were feeding. We peaked over the brush and, dang it, they were gone. I didn't think they were spooked, as we were downwind. I had Steve, who was packin' his .308 hog whacker, follow behind me. I wanted first crack with the bow. But, if they spooked, I wanted Steve to put the hammer down. I had a feeling that they were still millin’ around in the bedding area.
We worked farther down into the thick stuff. I would take five soft steps, stop, listen, and repeat. I was pretending like I was Bearclaw movin’ in on a monster bruin. Then, I saw hog ears moving my way about 60 yds out. My heart started pumpin'! I told myself, “Self, get a hold of yourself.” The hog disappeared pretty quickly in the thick stuff. I checked the wind and it was all good in the hood. I ranged a few bushes and waited. Nothing. It was pretty thick, so my release was on the string. I moved up another ten yards, and Wooooah Nelly, here they come. Black flashes through the brush. I ranged more bushes this time. 24, and 31 and 42 yd. bushes. A 60 lber. stepped out next to the 42 yd bush. I looked back at Steve, who was only five feet behind me. I whispered, "too small." He whispered, "good eatin'." I contemplated for a few minutes and just couldn’t get too stoked knowing there were two biggun’s in the area a half hour earlier. When I had almost talked myself into taking the “good eater” a bigger hog flashed in the brush. I ranged a bush where he was going to come out at 31 yards. Like a Dwight Schuh book, the hog stepped out in front of the bush and stopped broadside. I drew. I lined up the circles, I picked a spot like Cameron Hanes always suggests, I took a breath, and I squeezed slooow! The frickin’ arrow drilled this big monster hog right behind the shoulder as if it was scripted. The hog took off squeelin’ the whole way. I looked back at my homey Steve and he was all bug-eyed like a rockcod. His mouth was open and he just shook his head back and forth. He finally said, “Dude, that was so f-n bitchen.” We did a couple Yahoos and Yeehaws and some high fives, some missed high fives and I just about fell all over myself from the juices flowing through my veins. Wooo hoooo. It was awesome. I was giddy like a school girl.
When she took off after the shot, she ran through some brush and a two pieces of the arrow popped out on each side. After that, there was a blood fountain pouring from each hole, making a little red two track right to her bed. My big ole girl didn’t go 40 yds. We found her in a pig bed about 5 yds from going down the steepest nastiest mountain on the ranch. We drug her a 100 yds or so, and was able to get about 800 feet of rope on her and used the hog packin’ Ford for the rest of the haul. We guestimated her at 225 lbs. dressed out.
Big thanks to my hog packin', boar killin', home biscuit buddy Steve Kendall.
[attachment=42222:attachment]
[attachment=42221:attachment]
We worked farther down into the thick stuff. I would take five soft steps, stop, listen, and repeat. I was pretending like I was Bearclaw movin’ in on a monster bruin. Then, I saw hog ears moving my way about 60 yds out. My heart started pumpin'! I told myself, “Self, get a hold of yourself.” The hog disappeared pretty quickly in the thick stuff. I checked the wind and it was all good in the hood. I ranged a few bushes and waited. Nothing. It was pretty thick, so my release was on the string. I moved up another ten yards, and Wooooah Nelly, here they come. Black flashes through the brush. I ranged more bushes this time. 24, and 31 and 42 yd. bushes. A 60 lber. stepped out next to the 42 yd bush. I looked back at Steve, who was only five feet behind me. I whispered, "too small." He whispered, "good eatin'." I contemplated for a few minutes and just couldn’t get too stoked knowing there were two biggun’s in the area a half hour earlier. When I had almost talked myself into taking the “good eater” a bigger hog flashed in the brush. I ranged a bush where he was going to come out at 31 yards. Like a Dwight Schuh book, the hog stepped out in front of the bush and stopped broadside. I drew. I lined up the circles, I picked a spot like Cameron Hanes always suggests, I took a breath, and I squeezed slooow! The frickin’ arrow drilled this big monster hog right behind the shoulder as if it was scripted. The hog took off squeelin’ the whole way. I looked back at my homey Steve and he was all bug-eyed like a rockcod. His mouth was open and he just shook his head back and forth. He finally said, “Dude, that was so f-n bitchen.” We did a couple Yahoos and Yeehaws and some high fives, some missed high fives and I just about fell all over myself from the juices flowing through my veins. Wooo hoooo. It was awesome. I was giddy like a school girl.
When she took off after the shot, she ran through some brush and a two pieces of the arrow popped out on each side. After that, there was a blood fountain pouring from each hole, making a little red two track right to her bed. My big ole girl didn’t go 40 yds. We found her in a pig bed about 5 yds from going down the steepest nastiest mountain on the ranch. We drug her a 100 yds or so, and was able to get about 800 feet of rope on her and used the hog packin’ Ford for the rest of the haul. We guestimated her at 225 lbs. dressed out.
Big thanks to my hog packin', boar killin', home biscuit buddy Steve Kendall.
[attachment=42222:attachment]
[attachment=42221:attachment]
Attachments
My Tejon hunting adventure started Fri about 3ish in the afternoon. Our fearless leader Jesse offered to show me a couple of hot spots If I would take him out to set up his camera first. Sounded good to me, so we set out to look for piggies. Heading out to Jesses spot for the camera we came across a coyote that was having a bad hair day. (Looked awful). So as we pull up to Jesses pig wallow we run into another yote. Man we should be huntin those dogs...
After Jesse sets up his camera he suggests we check out the squirrel ridge area, so off we go.
After spending a while trying to get to a road that was directly below us we finally gave up and decided to check out a spot that Jesse said the pigs used a lot to cross through the area. So we started hiking back in on one of the finger ridges, Jesse decided he would sit and watch a small saddle for a while. I continued on down the finger ridge until I could see all the way across the canyon to the paved road just below the water pipes. I sat glassing the hillsides when I spotted a pig a very long ways away. I watched as a couple more pigs came out and were just moving around the hillsides nice and slow. There was no chance of getting to these pigs, but thats when it hit me, If these pigs are out and about then other pigs are probably out and about. Thats when I got up and started covering some more ground. I followed the finger ridge all the way around to the other side and that's when I spotted several hogs feeding on the third ridge over from the one I was on. I decided there were enough hogs to share so I tried to reach Jesse on the radio, no response... too bad. He must not have heard the radio over his snoring LOL. I decided that instead of going up and down each ridge to reach the one the pigs were on I would back track to the main road and cut em off.
Well I reached the finger ridge I thought they were on but there were no pigs. Shoot.... must have been the other ridge... So I dropped down and up the other side still no pigs... I convince myself that I blew another one and start heading up towards the main road. About 200 yards from the main road I spot the pigs above me and into the wind.... perfect. So I start my sneak 100 yards 75 yards Its friday so I decide to see how close I can get 50 yards 30 yards man this is cool, they still don't see me. at about 15 to 20 yards there is a downed tree between me and the hogs. I sit down on the v shaped log and the bottom part is a perfect seat and the top part is a perfect rest. I put the cross hairs on a nice hog and squeeze the trigger. She goes about 20 yards and folds up. Got my hog.... Jesse instructed me on proper hog gutting only my 2cnd. We drug it a short distance up the hill and into the Jeep. Thanks again Jesse
Man was that easy....
Back at the skinning pole Brent and Bill made quick work of that pig, had her on ice in no time... Thanks for the help you guys are pro's.. Did everything so fast forgot to stop and take pics..... I will have to take pics next week on the archery hunt....
Thanks again for a great hunt it was nice seeing the JHO crew and some new faces.
Sorry I left so early Saturday but I figured If I am going two weekends in a row I had better squeeze in some family time when available....
After Jesse sets up his camera he suggests we check out the squirrel ridge area, so off we go.
After spending a while trying to get to a road that was directly below us we finally gave up and decided to check out a spot that Jesse said the pigs used a lot to cross through the area. So we started hiking back in on one of the finger ridges, Jesse decided he would sit and watch a small saddle for a while. I continued on down the finger ridge until I could see all the way across the canyon to the paved road just below the water pipes. I sat glassing the hillsides when I spotted a pig a very long ways away. I watched as a couple more pigs came out and were just moving around the hillsides nice and slow. There was no chance of getting to these pigs, but thats when it hit me, If these pigs are out and about then other pigs are probably out and about. Thats when I got up and started covering some more ground. I followed the finger ridge all the way around to the other side and that's when I spotted several hogs feeding on the third ridge over from the one I was on. I decided there were enough hogs to share so I tried to reach Jesse on the radio, no response... too bad. He must not have heard the radio over his snoring LOL. I decided that instead of going up and down each ridge to reach the one the pigs were on I would back track to the main road and cut em off.
Well I reached the finger ridge I thought they were on but there were no pigs. Shoot.... must have been the other ridge... So I dropped down and up the other side still no pigs... I convince myself that I blew another one and start heading up towards the main road. About 200 yards from the main road I spot the pigs above me and into the wind.... perfect. So I start my sneak 100 yards 75 yards Its friday so I decide to see how close I can get 50 yards 30 yards man this is cool, they still don't see me. at about 15 to 20 yards there is a downed tree between me and the hogs. I sit down on the v shaped log and the bottom part is a perfect seat and the top part is a perfect rest. I put the cross hairs on a nice hog and squeeze the trigger. She goes about 20 yards and folds up. Got my hog.... Jesse instructed me on proper hog gutting only my 2cnd. We drug it a short distance up the hill and into the Jeep. Thanks again Jesse
Man was that easy....
Back at the skinning pole Brent and Bill made quick work of that pig, had her on ice in no time... Thanks for the help you guys are pro's.. Did everything so fast forgot to stop and take pics..... I will have to take pics next week on the archery hunt....
Thanks again for a great hunt it was nice seeing the JHO crew and some new faces.
Sorry I left so early Saturday but I figured If I am going two weekends in a row I had better squeeze in some family time when available....
One Track
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I shot her once. It wasn't a complete pass thru. There was about 6 inches sticking out each side when she spun and run. The arrow broke and both pieces fell out within two feet of each other. It bled like a stuck pig it did.
Congrats Russman!!!
Congrats Russman!!!
One Track
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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (joe90605 @ May 28 2007, 04:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
Joe,
The power of canadagoose bourbon make it disappear
Beast
hope it will last till deer season. 08 pro beast?
Phil,
Can you post the picture or email it to me thats the only thing i have.
Hey XDHunter, thanks for leaving the water and the chicken, but what happened to the carne asada dude?Unfortunately, I didn't get a pig this year, but it was still a great hunt and a good time had by all! Now I'm going to have to check out Bryson's to satisfy my pig jones![/b]
Joe,
The power of canadagoose bourbon make it disappear
Beast
hope it will last till deer season. 08 pro beast?
Phil,
Can you post the picture or email it to me thats the only thing i have.
