Just got back from a fun bowhunt at Tejon on the north side...
Left yesterday late around 1pm... with the traffic through LA I didn't get to the gate until 4:30... I was excited about this hunt, I didn't pack the rifle this time and was going to stick to the bow only. I hadn't committed to bowhunting for quite a while and over the past few trips on the south side I had a string of bad luck including two misses within 200 yards. After that last trip and missed pig at 160 yards I decided to give up the rifle and stick to what I know best! I always seem to see way more pigs and get many more opportunities when I bowhunt, for whatever reason. I think I hunt differently and better with the bow!
Anyway, I unloaded the ranger and hurried up to get ready and was hunting by 5. I decided to drive to the catskin corrals, an area I hadn't been to before, via tejon canyon. It was a long drive so I was planning on just some quick glassing on the way up so I could be at the catskins with some time to spare before dark.
Rounding the first ridge of the canyon I couldn't help myself but to stop and glass glass glass. So many pig trails on them hillsides. Sure enough not 20 minutes into the canyon I spot a group of pigs, but they're close to a mile away on the highest ridge with no road nearby. I contemplate making the hike but decide against it as going after a lone group of pigs a mile away would be committing my hunt to that one long-shot opportunity. Then I see another group, and another. All within about 500 yards of each other. No time to spare, I start my way up. I figure if I didn't find these pigs, I'd be sure to run into one eventually. About 40 minutes later I'm nearing the area I saw the first group, and run into their sign. I follow their trail about 500 yards but can't see a thing... too thick. Finally I hear a squeel about 30 yards to my left but again I can't see them. I wait it out for a while then hear them again but they're moving fast up and over an adjacent ridge. I head after them slowly, keeping my eyes and ears open for the other pigs. Down and up again over the next ridge and I'm about 1.5 miles from my vehicle, I can see it way down below. I think to myself... I hope there is a road up over this next ridge, or I am screwed if I shoot a pig.
I continue following the trail until I'm quite a ways back on the other side of tejon canyon, and it's sunset. I glass for a while but see nothing and decide to start heading back a different route and hope I run into pigs. Just then I look over my left shoulder and spot the group I was chasing (I think), about 20 of them feeding on grass in a little depression I couldn't see originally. They are around 100 yards away and I start my stalk with the wind in my favor. I get around 70 yards out when I spot 3 friggen cows right next to the pigs behind a tree, and they see me. They are getting nervous. I wait a couple minutes and get on all fours while I crawl closer to the pigs. The cows jump a few feet and the pigs get anxious, but they haven't bolted yet. Cat and mouse with the dang cows until I am at 50 yards from the pigs, and the cows are so worked up and the pigs are starting to look in my direction, getting startled then stopping and feeding again. I don't think I can get any closer. I've got about 10 minutes of shooting time left.
There's about 10 smaller pigs around 80lbs, a few sows around 130, and a couple boars, each around 150. I focus on the larger boar who is at my best guess a dead 50 yards away. I ask myself if I can make this shot and without a doubt I can, as long as I don't screw up LOL. I draw back and just then the cows bolt hard and 1/2 the pigs do as well. My boar jumps a bit but calms down, starts feeding again and turns broadside. I put the 50 yard pin on this heart and let the arrow fly.
Firenocks are cool! My arrow nock lights up a bright red as it leaves my bow and I watch excitedly as my arrow flies its arc, and lands right in the sweet spot. The nock hasn't passed through all the way, about 6 inches of the arrow is still sticking out behind the leg. The boar runs hard about 10 yards then stops, changes direction 180, then starts to run again and stumbles. He gets up and tries to run again then does a backflip about 4 feet in the air with blood spraying out both sides and a lighted arrow sticking out of him! Wish I had that on video! Was quite a sight! Pig was down within 20 yards of the shot.
I'm pumped up, counting my blessings and such.. when reality starts to set in. Its almost dark and I have at least 1.5 miles and 1200+ vertical feet (mostly downhill at least) to get this thing back to the ranger. While the adrenaline is still flowing I gut the pig in short order and start dragging. Just then another group of pigs comes up behind me and I hear them grunting... not 30 yards from me! There's some biggens in there! Not wanting to get charged I start yelling at them but they don't budge! Looking right at me and not concerned. I grab a stick and start banging it against a tree and they finally bolt. Keep dragging. Yet another group of pigs. Bang the tree... more dragging, and yet another group! This canyon is loaded! More draging.. and after 500 yards of that I am done. I'm at a really steep section of ridge and its pitch black. Decide to leave him until the morning.
I wake at 4:45am wanting to get an early start. Some OJ and crumb donuts and I am off. Start the hike up with the pack frame at around 6am. I get to the pig at around 7:30, snap a few pics and strap him up. Oh what fun! After about a mile of packing this pig whole down some nasty steep my back and legs are done so I start dragging using the packframe as a sled.. works pretty good on the steep sections! Finally at around 10 I get the pig into the ranger, head back to camp, skin him up and head out. Success!
The boar wasn't that big but as they say anthing with a bow is a trophy! 140lbs gutted is my official guess, maybe more... Cutters were around 1 and 1/2 inch. He's sure to make great sausage!
BTW Steve and Dave from JHO are also up there, hope you guys scored...
Here's some cheap cellphone pics...
Left yesterday late around 1pm... with the traffic through LA I didn't get to the gate until 4:30... I was excited about this hunt, I didn't pack the rifle this time and was going to stick to the bow only. I hadn't committed to bowhunting for quite a while and over the past few trips on the south side I had a string of bad luck including two misses within 200 yards. After that last trip and missed pig at 160 yards I decided to give up the rifle and stick to what I know best! I always seem to see way more pigs and get many more opportunities when I bowhunt, for whatever reason. I think I hunt differently and better with the bow!
Anyway, I unloaded the ranger and hurried up to get ready and was hunting by 5. I decided to drive to the catskin corrals, an area I hadn't been to before, via tejon canyon. It was a long drive so I was planning on just some quick glassing on the way up so I could be at the catskins with some time to spare before dark.
Rounding the first ridge of the canyon I couldn't help myself but to stop and glass glass glass. So many pig trails on them hillsides. Sure enough not 20 minutes into the canyon I spot a group of pigs, but they're close to a mile away on the highest ridge with no road nearby. I contemplate making the hike but decide against it as going after a lone group of pigs a mile away would be committing my hunt to that one long-shot opportunity. Then I see another group, and another. All within about 500 yards of each other. No time to spare, I start my way up. I figure if I didn't find these pigs, I'd be sure to run into one eventually. About 40 minutes later I'm nearing the area I saw the first group, and run into their sign. I follow their trail about 500 yards but can't see a thing... too thick. Finally I hear a squeel about 30 yards to my left but again I can't see them. I wait it out for a while then hear them again but they're moving fast up and over an adjacent ridge. I head after them slowly, keeping my eyes and ears open for the other pigs. Down and up again over the next ridge and I'm about 1.5 miles from my vehicle, I can see it way down below. I think to myself... I hope there is a road up over this next ridge, or I am screwed if I shoot a pig.
I continue following the trail until I'm quite a ways back on the other side of tejon canyon, and it's sunset. I glass for a while but see nothing and decide to start heading back a different route and hope I run into pigs. Just then I look over my left shoulder and spot the group I was chasing (I think), about 20 of them feeding on grass in a little depression I couldn't see originally. They are around 100 yards away and I start my stalk with the wind in my favor. I get around 70 yards out when I spot 3 friggen cows right next to the pigs behind a tree, and they see me. They are getting nervous. I wait a couple minutes and get on all fours while I crawl closer to the pigs. The cows jump a few feet and the pigs get anxious, but they haven't bolted yet. Cat and mouse with the dang cows until I am at 50 yards from the pigs, and the cows are so worked up and the pigs are starting to look in my direction, getting startled then stopping and feeding again. I don't think I can get any closer. I've got about 10 minutes of shooting time left.
There's about 10 smaller pigs around 80lbs, a few sows around 130, and a couple boars, each around 150. I focus on the larger boar who is at my best guess a dead 50 yards away. I ask myself if I can make this shot and without a doubt I can, as long as I don't screw up LOL. I draw back and just then the cows bolt hard and 1/2 the pigs do as well. My boar jumps a bit but calms down, starts feeding again and turns broadside. I put the 50 yard pin on this heart and let the arrow fly.
Firenocks are cool! My arrow nock lights up a bright red as it leaves my bow and I watch excitedly as my arrow flies its arc, and lands right in the sweet spot. The nock hasn't passed through all the way, about 6 inches of the arrow is still sticking out behind the leg. The boar runs hard about 10 yards then stops, changes direction 180, then starts to run again and stumbles. He gets up and tries to run again then does a backflip about 4 feet in the air with blood spraying out both sides and a lighted arrow sticking out of him! Wish I had that on video! Was quite a sight! Pig was down within 20 yards of the shot.
I'm pumped up, counting my blessings and such.. when reality starts to set in. Its almost dark and I have at least 1.5 miles and 1200+ vertical feet (mostly downhill at least) to get this thing back to the ranger. While the adrenaline is still flowing I gut the pig in short order and start dragging. Just then another group of pigs comes up behind me and I hear them grunting... not 30 yards from me! There's some biggens in there! Not wanting to get charged I start yelling at them but they don't budge! Looking right at me and not concerned. I grab a stick and start banging it against a tree and they finally bolt. Keep dragging. Yet another group of pigs. Bang the tree... more dragging, and yet another group! This canyon is loaded! More draging.. and after 500 yards of that I am done. I'm at a really steep section of ridge and its pitch black. Decide to leave him until the morning.
I wake at 4:45am wanting to get an early start. Some OJ and crumb donuts and I am off. Start the hike up with the pack frame at around 6am. I get to the pig at around 7:30, snap a few pics and strap him up. Oh what fun! After about a mile of packing this pig whole down some nasty steep my back and legs are done so I start dragging using the packframe as a sled.. works pretty good on the steep sections! Finally at around 10 I get the pig into the ranger, head back to camp, skin him up and head out. Success!
The boar wasn't that big but as they say anthing with a bow is a trophy! 140lbs gutted is my official guess, maybe more... Cutters were around 1 and 1/2 inch. He's sure to make great sausage!
BTW Steve and Dave from JHO are also up there, hope you guys scored...
Here's some cheap cellphone pics...
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