Just got back for a tough and rewording hunt.
I hunted with my guide and friend Dave out of Pancho Rico Creek Ranch located around San Ardo (Monterey co.) I arrived up there late Friday afternoon to do some early evening hunting
The conditions involved some light to heavy sprinkles and the roads were just slick with mud.
Dave, my guide, road in on his quad around 4:30 pm . I hoped on the back and we headed to the hunting grounds. Like I said the roads were so slick to the point the quad was sliding all over the road.
We headed for a ridge line to do some spot and stock tactics. On the ridge we glassed over some fields to find nothing. We stayed and glassed for a good 40 min and our patience paid off, in the distance we spotter a group of 8 feeding there way towards us. we hurried up to intercept them.
The light was fading fast but the shot was a good 400 yards it was to far for me. We stalked in closer to a good 150 yards shot.
I unfolded the bipod on my .300WSM, cranked my scope to the 9x position and took a shot at a light red boar. The flash of the muzzle blinded me for a seconded and the boar took off around some trees out of our sight. Dave said “I think you missed” and I too questioned the shot. By now it was pitch black and still raining.
We hiked to the spot were the pig was standing when I took the shot. With a flashlight we did the best that we could to track the animal. 1 drop of blood was all we could find after searching for more then an hour. My concern’s were that it was a gut shot and the pig needed sometime to expire.
Dave decided to come back the next day with his blood hound to see if we could find him.
The next morning came early and before we picked up on the trail of the pig I shot the previous day. It was decided to get in a morning hunt while there was still a morning to hunt.
I jumped back in to the quad and off we went. I spotted several pig moving along a ridge line darting in and out of some thick brush, again I positioned myself in front of the group to take a good 200 yard shot,
But the group of pigs never reappeared from the bushes. Back on the quad again and we saw lots of fresh sign.
We stopped to check out some fresh track when a group of 45 to 50 pigs burst out in front of us like a freight train. Dave stepped on the gas to cut the group up and possibly slow them down a bit.
I jumped off the back of the quad with my rifle and just to my left side was this absolutely giant of a hog
With teeth protruding a good 2 inches passed it’s lip line. I raised my rifle and took aim………but I forgot to reset my scope back down to a 3x, so I couldn’t see the monster in my cross hair. Lots of cursing came from my mouth and I was able to turn my scope down, I took anther bead on the boar only to have a ham shot. I tried to run and get a better shot but the mud was so slippery I couldn’t keep up with a four legged animal in his own house. So I turned and harvested a little but nice fat 90 lb. Sow.
My guide Dave estimated the big pig at around 350 lbs on the hoof.
We loaded up the sow and headed back to camp to clean my kill. Turns out the sow ate so much food that evening that her guts weight in at 40 lbs.
After she was cleaned up Dave went and got his blood hound so we could try to find the pig from the night before. This time he brought his jeep Cherokee with him and it was a wild ride on those slick roads.
Because of the muddy conditions we had to park the jeep about 1 mile from were we needed to be. a good hike was in order ,I felt like Frankenstein walking with 2 inches of mud stuck to my boots.
We got to the spot we were at the night before and the dog was amazing it followed the blood trail right to the hog. A blood trail over 12 hours old and in the rain didn’t sway that hound one bit.
Unfortunately the pig had some visitors that night and they proceed to devour the entire 180 lbs of meat.
The only thing left was the head, hoofs, hide and bones. I learned several thing on this trip.
My rifle is shooting straight and true.
My tracking skill need a bit more work.
Make sure your scope is at its lowest power before you set out on your daily hunt
Try to keep a cool head while 50 pig are all around you (literally)
Get in shape before you throw your back out on the hunt (my back is killing me)
But good time were had by all.
I already have plans to go back there to get the big boy this coming October 1, 2 and 3.
I will get some pictures to post later.
I hunted with my guide and friend Dave out of Pancho Rico Creek Ranch located around San Ardo (Monterey co.) I arrived up there late Friday afternoon to do some early evening hunting
The conditions involved some light to heavy sprinkles and the roads were just slick with mud.
Dave, my guide, road in on his quad around 4:30 pm . I hoped on the back and we headed to the hunting grounds. Like I said the roads were so slick to the point the quad was sliding all over the road.
We headed for a ridge line to do some spot and stock tactics. On the ridge we glassed over some fields to find nothing. We stayed and glassed for a good 40 min and our patience paid off, in the distance we spotter a group of 8 feeding there way towards us. we hurried up to intercept them.
The light was fading fast but the shot was a good 400 yards it was to far for me. We stalked in closer to a good 150 yards shot.
I unfolded the bipod on my .300WSM, cranked my scope to the 9x position and took a shot at a light red boar. The flash of the muzzle blinded me for a seconded and the boar took off around some trees out of our sight. Dave said “I think you missed” and I too questioned the shot. By now it was pitch black and still raining.
We hiked to the spot were the pig was standing when I took the shot. With a flashlight we did the best that we could to track the animal. 1 drop of blood was all we could find after searching for more then an hour. My concern’s were that it was a gut shot and the pig needed sometime to expire.
Dave decided to come back the next day with his blood hound to see if we could find him.
The next morning came early and before we picked up on the trail of the pig I shot the previous day. It was decided to get in a morning hunt while there was still a morning to hunt.
I jumped back in to the quad and off we went. I spotted several pig moving along a ridge line darting in and out of some thick brush, again I positioned myself in front of the group to take a good 200 yard shot,
But the group of pigs never reappeared from the bushes. Back on the quad again and we saw lots of fresh sign.
We stopped to check out some fresh track when a group of 45 to 50 pigs burst out in front of us like a freight train. Dave stepped on the gas to cut the group up and possibly slow them down a bit.
I jumped off the back of the quad with my rifle and just to my left side was this absolutely giant of a hog
With teeth protruding a good 2 inches passed it’s lip line. I raised my rifle and took aim………but I forgot to reset my scope back down to a 3x, so I couldn’t see the monster in my cross hair. Lots of cursing came from my mouth and I was able to turn my scope down, I took anther bead on the boar only to have a ham shot. I tried to run and get a better shot but the mud was so slippery I couldn’t keep up with a four legged animal in his own house. So I turned and harvested a little but nice fat 90 lb. Sow.
My guide Dave estimated the big pig at around 350 lbs on the hoof.
We loaded up the sow and headed back to camp to clean my kill. Turns out the sow ate so much food that evening that her guts weight in at 40 lbs.
After she was cleaned up Dave went and got his blood hound so we could try to find the pig from the night before. This time he brought his jeep Cherokee with him and it was a wild ride on those slick roads.
Because of the muddy conditions we had to park the jeep about 1 mile from were we needed to be. a good hike was in order ,I felt like Frankenstein walking with 2 inches of mud stuck to my boots.
We got to the spot we were at the night before and the dog was amazing it followed the blood trail right to the hog. A blood trail over 12 hours old and in the rain didn’t sway that hound one bit.
Unfortunately the pig had some visitors that night and they proceed to devour the entire 180 lbs of meat.
The only thing left was the head, hoofs, hide and bones. I learned several thing on this trip.
My rifle is shooting straight and true.
My tracking skill need a bit more work.
Make sure your scope is at its lowest power before you set out on your daily hunt
Try to keep a cool head while 50 pig are all around you (literally)
Get in shape before you throw your back out on the hunt (my back is killing me)
But good time were had by all.
I already have plans to go back there to get the big boy this coming October 1, 2 and 3.
I will get some pictures to post later.
