Just got back from a nice guided hunt. Went with Scott, a friend of mine, and his dad. We stayed at the south lodge. Nice weather for pig hunting. A little cool and nice strong winds. This only my second hunt at the ranch. Both of them guided. I have hunted with Ron both times. He is a great guide and I enjoy hunting with him. We hunted a loop north of the large water pipes that cross the valley. Steep country. Scott spotted the first pigs that evening two sows with piglets across the valley at 275 yards. We watched them mowing down the tall grass and then settle down to nurse the piglets. We left them alone looking for something without piglets. With the wind howling the pigs could not hear us coming. We rounded a bend on top and there on the side hill were a group of about 8 sows feeding around 6pm. They did not even know we were there. Scott's dad Ray was the first on the ticket to take a shot. He is 74 years old but still willing and able. He set up on a fallen tree and took a nice sow at 170 yards, nice neck shot. The pigs starts rolling way down the hill and there is no way to stop it. At the shot the others all start running in different directions. It was fun to watch them. One of them not knowing where the shot was coming from crested the hill at a dead run right at me. Ron was standing near by saying, "take the shot!" I was asking is it a good pig and he says yes. By this time it was almost on us. I was set up for 200 yard shots with the rifle and all I could see was its head and ears above the tall grass. I put the cross hairs a little low and let it go. Ron asks did I hit it. I said yes it is rollin down the hill the join the other pig. I start running down the hill to catch up with the pig not knowing where I had hit it. I crest the hill where I can see down to the bottom and see a pig struggling so I cap it off. At that time I hear a squeal more to the right down the bottom of the valley. Once I get down there I notice another pig down but trying to get down the valley further. Ron says to finish it off before it gets going again. I finish it off and get down to it to find it is my pig after all and the first one was Ray's. It turns out I had shot low and had taken out both legs on the left side. Ron mentioned that I should not have aimed low but should have put the cross hairs on the head at that range. I have not hunted that much and so much was happening at once with the pig bearing down right at me. Both were nice meat sows that went 80lbs at the butcher. Nothing giant but nice pigs. We set up the long rope and block and tackle and get the pigs pulled up to the road with the truck. Throw them in the back and start looking for one more. By this time we are almost out of light. On the way down the loop we get out of the truck and work around a hill on foot. Scott spots three nice large hogs at 240 yards. He is set up ready to take the shot and he is accurate out to 300 no problem. He turns to Ron and says should I take it? Ron thinks for a few seconds and says "You can kill the pig but I don't know if we can get it out of the canyon it is going to roll into". It was the first night so they decided to pass on it and hunt the next day. We gutted the two pigs with the headlights of the truck and headed back to the lodge for a great tri-tip dinner with all the fixings. Two other hunters had scored nice boars on the desert side of the ranch. All of the eight hunters saw pigs and several of then had taken shots and missed. The next morning we worked the same loop at the first hint of light. Scott and I both spoted a young boar feeding near a group of cows. The wind was once again blowing hard and Scott and Ron sneaked up on it. Once again the grass was so tall all you could see was its head. He set up on shooting sticks and placed a nice head shot. It droped like a brick and we were done at 6am. We went back to the lodge and grabbed our bushmaster varminter rifles we had just set up for squirel shooting. Ron took us out to a valley and we set up with shooting sticks and had a blast capping off those little things at 150yards. It is amazing how accurate those 223 are. If I could shoot my 7mm mag like a do the 223 it would all be over. Anyway, it was a great hunt. We could have stayed longer and just enjoyed it but I had to get home to work with the kids and wife so we headed home. I thought some of you might want to know some of this as the hunting has been tough the last couple of weeks at the ranch. By talking to the other hunters they all worked the desert side and saw a lot of pigs also. It is not easy hunting but they are there and are coming out more now. No rooting signs as they were grazing like cattle eating the seed heads.
Sorrry for the long post
Floyd
Sorrry for the long post
Floyd
Glad to hear you guys had a good time out, AND were productive in the process! Take care and keep them Posts comin', Hoss!
