Tejon game cam pics

[grtwythunter]

Just in case you guys are missing the ranch already, here's some pics I pulled from my cam Thursday evening.

This one is from a spot Rancho Loco and BigDog hunted. Dave, I don't know what time you left the stand, but this guy came by just before 9pm. I wish the cam would have clicked about a second sooner. Sure looks like a big kitty tail to me.

 

[grtwythunter]

Another

 

[spectr17]

Gulp. I watched that swamp Sunday night.

We were loading a pig near there at 9:30 pm Sunday too. George's pig.

 

[grtwythunter]

Looks like a pretty good boar coming into a wallow late at night.

 

[Rancho Loco]

Yikes..Was that kitty up beartrap canyon?

 

[spectr17]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

Yikes..Was that kitty up beartrap canyon?[/b]

I picked JoeC up about 100 yards from that cam around 8:45pm. We then helped get George's pig loaded from his drag down Ghegis. I left the east end of Bear Trap at 8:30pm Sunday so I probably drove by that cat.

Damn cats, why you'd have to post that pic Scott? I won't be able to nod off up there ever again.

 

[Speckmisser]

That's right where Chris brought his pig down too... and left it overnight!

We know they're out there... kinda cool to see the proof.

By the way, Scott, I couldn't read the time stamp on that daylight shot. What time was that one taken?

 

[beastslayer]

Mountain lion in Tejon.

Yup, read about it and that's why I carry my trusty 45ACP. Now I'll be real scared since I lost it..

 

[Speckmisser]

Mon,

Now that we've seen the picture of the big kitty... maybe you can tell us the REAL story about how you came to lose your gun.

 

[SDHNTR]

Yeah really. You had every hunter on the ranch last weekend looking for it. Why not be forthright with what happened?

 

[Speckmisser]

SD,

I was just picking on him... I have heard the real story, as have several of the guys who were there. In fact, it's highlighted in his initial write-up on the JHO POR thread.

I hope no one here takes it personally that he doesn't necessarily want to share the detailed real story on the World Wide Web. It's really pretty anti-climactic anyway, after his "revision". The revision is MUCH more entertaining anyway.

Sorry if I've re-opened a closed topic.

 

[SDHNTR]

No worries. I was just curious how a man loses his pistol. They announced at the orientation that it was lost this last weekend and to keep an eye out for it. I read the initial post and I guess you had to be there. I didn't get it. No big deal, it's none of my business in the first place.

 

[beastslayer]

Speck -

Now, you have it. The full story (no Hollywood version this time). My only worry is if I will still be part of your invite after this (lol):



With the anticipated excitement of a pig hunt, I did not sleep very well despite 1:00 a.m. bedtime. I am already up and about 5:00 a.m. although I don’t intend to join the breakfast at Flying J.

I left the house about 6 a.m. anyway, thrilled that I would be able to meet and shake the hand of a hunting legend and outdoorsman par-excellence: Speckmisser. One whose place is already assured in the pantheon of all of America’s hunting greats. One who possess the spirit of the mighty mountains and wide canyons. One who can read the telltale sign from a bent blade of grass to know what animal passed the land. One who can discern the oracle of the seasons. One who converses with the great bull elk. Wild pig whisperer. Wind talker to the eagles and the hawks on the location of the prey. One who paints with all the colors of the wind… oops, not that one – that’s for Pocahontas.

Right around entering I-5, I am already trying to decide what to do in his presence. Would I bow and genuflect? Would I wash my hand afterwards in case he offered to shake my humble hand? I would not want to rub off any trace of his hunting magic on my hand, would I? Would he be offended if his shadow touches mine?

Soon enough, I met the legend. Magnificent in his cowboy hat. Standing proud and tallest among the milling throng of camouflaged hunters. All surrounding him in awe and vying to hoard the glow of reflected glory of this great man.

And when I was gassing up, something sink in on my mind. “Hey,” I told myself, “there is something wrong here.” Speckmisser, an outdoorsman? I recall Oneclearshot’s avatar. That’s the cowboy. Speckmissers’ hat does not even have a crease in them. Much less, sweat lines. “Yeah”, I added, “the handshake is firm, but there is not even a speck of dirt in his fingernails. And, that must be a surgeon’s soft hand. Ok must be a surgeon who unnecessarily operates on patient’s appendicitis to finance his safari. “Nah, not a surgeon, he does not drive a Hummer”. I told myself. “That’s it”, a light bulb clicked, “he is a bureaucrat who shuffles papers from right to left in the morning and returns them right to left in the afternoon, ad infinitum, to draw salary out of taxpayers’ largesse.” With that I started to be wary.

We hit the camp around 2pm and everyone scrambled for a good spot under the shade. I wound up downstream and parked beside Powerman (Andrew). We quickly shook hands and introduced each other. After a few minutes, a fancy Jeep Cherokee pulls up beside me and out came Jaegermiester (George) and JoeC with their blaring stereo. “Damn, college boys. Now I’m stuck between a Mariachi and a Hard Rock. This is not going well at all. I should have brought my Asian stinking food to get even.”

After setting camp, I am stoked to go. I am almost cursing everyone. Why are they wasting their time here at the camp? Well, I started to understand, Jaegermiester and JoeC looked giddy as children in a candy store but does not have the slightest idea of where to go and what to do. Powerman looks like a hunting pro, but also new as I am at Tejon. Just then, Jaegermisser approached Speckmisser asking for his territory to hunt. I almost fell off my chair laughing. “What is this some kind of a homestead grant?”, recalling the land distribution in the good ‘ol west. Speckmisser, still acting like the all knowing hunter, pulled out his map, whereupon, JoeC, Powerman and myself milled around him. Promptly, Speck liberally gave tips for the hunt and pointed out promising areas in the map. The others nod their heads taking Speck’s words hook, line and sinker while I am completely skeptical specially when he pointed to a fork on the road. I told myself, “Wow, this guy has no mercy at all. He is sending these poor newbies on a wild goose chase. That place appears he marked on the map appears to be a small town and I bet that fork on the road has a traffic light in them. Well, let them follow this “wise-hunter’s” advice. I’ll be contrarian.”

Soon enough, Jaegermisser and JocC took off in their jeep. Powerman invited me in his diesel pick-up truck for scouting. I would have begged and followed in Powerman’s coattails but I remember I was a jinx for first time hunters. After rounding out some promising areas: a wallow, some stream and ridges with heavy rooting, we returned to camp. I dozed off inside the 4runner as I barely had 3 hours of sleep the previous evening. I woke up around 4:30 p.m. which I thought would be a good start for an afternoon hunt. Keeping in mind Speck’s wild-goose-chase advice, I adopted a lazy-man’s strategy for the hunt. No glassing below the ridge. I would only shoot a pig that’s on the flat land. Or uphill when there is a chance it will roll down towards my truck. Or if it will present an easy hauling distance to a road. I deliberately avoided Speck’s township and drove all the way to the DWR Road to approach Tunis Ridge via the backdoor. I entered the most sorry looking road – or a semblance of a road – and regretted it. The 4runner almost lost power huffing and puffing as it climbed the stiff, rock-strewn trail. Hitting the top of the ridge, I saw Jaegermisser’s jeep. I told myself: “So, they saw through Speckmisser’s ruse too. Or, they must have been in the township Speck pointed out and must have been bored and frustrated when no hogs came into the traffic light junction. Ok, quick study these college boys. Their parents are not wasting their money on their tuition.”

Passing Jaegermisser’s jeep, I reached the next ridge and stopped to walk for about 45 minutes, stopping and glassing. I went back to the truck as I was feeling cold with the wind starting to pick up. As I was pulling my military jacket in the driver’s seat, it snagged on the transmission lever while my middle finger was caught in the sleeve. I pulled harder but then the vehicle started to move forward downhill. I tried to wiggle my fingers and let go. Just then the vehicle started to move faster and I tried to run with it on the same pace. My steps began to falter as the vehicle moved faster and faster and I cannot keep up. I wagged my arm and finally the sleeve slipped off past my hand and finger. I tried to ran downhill but my knees gave way. My face hit the ground, then my shoulder and knees. I must have been knocked out for about 30 minutes. When I looked at my watch, it’s already past seven. I have blood dripping from my face. I looked around but I can’t seem to remember where I am or what I’m doing (or about to do). I can recall my name and my wife’s name but nothing else. I can’t even recall the events of the previous morning nor where I live. I sat on the grass and slowly my memory seems to return. I got back to the vehicle, wiped my bloody face and started to drive towards the camp. On the way, I met Gnn961’s hunting party who offered to drive my truck and escort me to camp. On the way down Bear Trap Canyon, we met Scottoman with his pig. I was feeling funny since I was more interested on the pig than minding my injuries.

We reached the camp past 8pm and I was about decided to check out. I was looking for my flashlight when I noticed that I lost my eyeglasses. I checked my pockets and I noticed I lost my pistol also. Instead of cleaning my wounds, I ended up watching with envy Powerman skinning his hog with smirk on his face. I can tell he is standing on clouds as his feet is barely touching the ground. Speck checked on me about 10pm and I began to regret being skeptical and suspicious of him. I even told myself, “He really got good intentions of sending us to town. He does not want anything untoward happening to us. If I only listened to his wise counsel, I would not have met this unfortunate accident. Bless the soul of this great man.” I told myself almost in prayer. Before sleeping, I told Speck, I would be checking out the next morning.”

By about 4 a.m., I heard some cooking stove banging coming from the direction of the Jeep. “Damn, these college boys. What are they smokin’? They barely slept at all.” I muttered under my breath. Always a light sleeper, I know I won’t be able to sleep anymore. So I plan to pack and have an early start going back home. I looked at my face in the mirror and noticed that my left eye is almost shut. I boiled some water and mix myself hot chocolate. Then the siren song of the woods come calling and I am too weak to resist. What pain? What aches? I even justified the banged up face with something akin to a bicycle accident, or the bruises and black eyes coming from a good free-for-all rumble – or the fraternity final initiation in college which is much worse than this. And there I was, following after Jaegermisser and JoeC into Geghus Ridge at about 4:15 a.m.

As soon as I hit flat land up the ridge, I stopped and went out of my vehicle. I walked so slowly and after about 30 minutes saw movement in the peripheral of my right eye. False alarm, it was a deer. But I was encouraged. The deer was unalarmed. If I could walk silently that way, then I am not spooking any animal, I would have a good chance of a successful stalk. I know I am kind of handicapped by the poor vision on my left eye. By 5:30 am the fog is starting to lift and I moved on to the next ridge. The fog was still a little heavy on the north side of the saddle when I spotted some movement and saw silhouette of a dark animal. I checked on the wind direction and started to walk with the wind on my face. But as soon I reached the rows of trees, I saw dead branches all over and figure I can’t hide in the fog which totally lifted. The dark animal is a hog and I started to line up my sights. The profile, while standing broadside, is less than my level of confidence which is a paper-plate target. So I pass up the shot. As soon as I put down my gun, it looked at my direction and walked fast toward the thicket of trees. I moved closer toward the direction of where the hog was going and saw another black pig. It’s the same size so I raised my gun but know beforehand that I would not even try the shot. The hog also looked on my direction. It followed the other pig into the thicket and I just thought I lost my last chance to shoot a hog. Still, I walked towards the direction of the two pigs and I saw a break on the trees and in the middle was a herd of pigs of all sizes. I stalked towards the herd in crouching painful small steps. But still the targets are too far off. Just then, the nearest pig was a spotted hog was walking broadside. I lined up my sights and noted that it has the plate-size target I am confident I can hit mortally. But then, I had the doubt whether it’s a wet sow and looked for a telltale sloping body sign. Well, it’s fat and there is no slope. I double-checked the rest of the herd as to whether there are piglets. Then I noticed the smallest two were juvenile and nearly as a tall as the first two pigs I saw. I kneel down and lined up the sights of my rifle just a little behind the front leg and let go. The pig let out a loud squeal and dropped on its knees. Then the rest of the herd froze before taking off (I remember the video and noted on my mind that indeed you can take a second shot of another pig with a lever action rifle if you have the presence of mind and a good shot). With hind legs still up, I chambered and let go my next shot farther behind the pig. It went down flat out. Just as I was approaching, it heaved and I let go of another shot. I found out in the camp when skinning that the two later shots would have been unnecessary. The first shot hit the front legs, shattered the bones, vaporized the upper half of the heart and nearly exited into the skin.

To cut the story short, Gnn961 hunting party, helped me dragged my hog into the 4runner. I can barely move it where it went down and I have to gut it and remove a lot of belly fat and all the guts on site for me to be able to roll it into the toboggan.

At camp, I was a proud lot in the skinning pole although I had to stare to keep my eyes focused so as not to cut myself. When the adrenaline is beginning to wear off, I started feeling more aches and pains. By the early evening of Saturday, the pain is beginning to be unbearable and I was twice tempted to take Hronk’s offer of beer. Figuring I had to check in myself straight to the hospital, I offered my pork to BigDog’s hunting party.

Reaching home, my wife wept when she saw me on the door. That’s when I realized how beat up I am. I took a quick shower and howled in pain as the hot water and soap hit my skin. I can’t wear a shirt so I decided to just lie in the bed first before going to the hospital.

Then the memory of the camaraderie of camp, the first sight of a hog, the pig standing in the mist, a perfect stalk, the well-placed shot and I’m off into dreamland of another Tejon hunt.

 

[beastslayer]

SDHNTR,

Thanks for looking out for my pistol. I really like that gun. I was even very confident that I have intended to use it at Tejon if shot opportunity is at 50 yards or less. I can hit 6 out 7 inside a plate size target at 50 yards.

Now you get the whole story.

Again, congratulations!

 

[XDHUNTER]

I knew it....!!!!!!!!!!!! the first one is a barbershop story (kwentong barbero) sorry about your bad experience , any time you want to come back to tejon or need a partner give me a call, and sorry you did not bring any of your pig home if you want i still have half of my pig from my last hunt. no charge.

 

[Eric Mayer]

Beastslayer,

Did you ever find your gun? If not, shoot myself or grtwythunter an email and we might be able to track it down on one of our ground squirrel hunts (we both have Explorer passes).

Eric

 

[spectr17]

Hey, one of the guys on our team lost an GAU-5 (M-16) in South Carolina near Savannah way back when. Both the FBI AND our brass gave birth over losing it. They spent days with a magnetron sweeping the river looking for it. Never found it either. Somewhere in the silt deposits in the ocean it lies.

Guns do get lost.

 

[grtwythunter]

Yep Rancho, that kitty was in Beartrap. That cam was set up on the wallows in the swamp.

Speck, the daylight pic was snapped at 5:32 on the 16th. I got 6 photos of that group and they spent over a minute in front of the camera. What a bunch of hams.

Beastslayer, like Eric said, we'd be happy to look for your gun if you want to give us the locale. I'm at the ranch at least once a week. I have a metal detector too.

Scott

 

[beastslayer]

XDHUNTER and Eric M,

Appreciate that you are still giving me hope that the gun can be found. I was driving along Tunis Ridge (coming uphill from DWR Road) when I had an accident. I can't pin down exactly where since I tried to retrace my steps Saturday afternoon. I just remembered a series of fences on my left side while traversing the road. My accident happened, however, way past those fences.

Thanks a lot for the efforts and hope for your success both in hunting and finding the pistol. It's stainless flat finish and the grass where it fell are not too tall, so at some point it will shine out (keeping my fingers crossed).

Best regards,

Mon

 

[beastslayer]

Oops! I mixed up the names.

Grtwythunter - Thanks for the offer. I'll appreciate if you can keep an eye for it.

XDHUNTER - I presume you are a kabayan. Maraming salamat for the offer! Maybe we can partake of your harvest with San Mig Pale Pilsen sometime. Where did you get your pig? Can we hear the story? And, some pictures too.

Mon