Our first hog hunt (Long)

Shaky

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We were supposed to leave on the 31st of Jan but due to bad weather in Detroit the airport was closed that day. We did fly out on Friday morning, the 1st of Feb. We arrived at the ranch around 7pm., grabbed a quick bowl of soup, changed and headed out for the night hunt. The moon was hidden behind the clouds. Neither Dave nor myself saw any hogs that night.

We awoke at 5am the next morning, had breakfast and headed out just before daylight. We were placed in 4 X 6 foot box blinds. Not 2 minutes after the guide left, as he was spreading corn, a nice buck stepped out - he must of heard the dinner bell ringing. I guessed this 10 point to go around 130 B&C. Not a monster but a nice buck. I noticed that the lower legs where all black (hair). That struck me as odd. It stepped out of the (shit) brush about 250 yards down the road and worked it's way towards me, feeding on the corn, to within 65 yards of me. I watched it for about 30 minutes. While that buck was out another stepped out behind me, about 150 yards away, it never came my way but rather slowly walked out of sight, about 800 yards away. It was a small 6 point. When this larger buck went back into the (shit) brush about 10 minutes later a smaller 8 point stepped out at about the same place. It was only out for about 10 minutes. I watched doves, cardinals and 4 Green Jays - thats right, Green Jays, and various other birds. I had to of seen 30 or more rabbits as well. I was in the blind that morning for 3 hours. Saw lots of wild life but no hogs.

Dave saw about 10 hogs out of his stand that morning but they were 800 yards out and never moved close enough for a clean kill.

After a FANTASTIC lunch prepared by the ranch Foreman we got ready for the afternoon/evening hunt. Dave went back to the same stand where he saw the hogs earlier that day. I was placed at the rifle range overlooking a pond that had obvious sign that hogs where rooting around. Just after the sun went down I heard something stirring to one side and slightly behind me. It turned out to be a huge boar. I guessed it to be about 3' high at the shoulders and about 4' long from just in front of it's legs to it's rump. Where I was sitting was real close to the property line, the 15' high fence was only about 40 feet to my right - where I heard the noise. This big ole boar stopped about 50 feet from me - on the OTHER side of the fence. He stood perfectly still, broadside to me, for about 10 minutes, not more then 50 FEET away. I had the crosshair on him, safe off, finger on the trigger,,,,,but I didn't shoot, he was on the OTHER side of the fence.
I was hoping he would move along and cross under the fence about 200 yards along the fence. There is one spot where the hogs can get under the fence right near the pond. I never saw him after he walked away.

The next morning I returned to the same spot, watching over that pond and Dave returned to the same stand where he saw the hogs the day before. I was picked up around 9:30 am. I did see 18 deer and tons of rabbits and birds, but no hogs. I had 3 doe not more then 30 feet from me and I was NOT in a box blind, I was just sitting on the bench at the rifle range.

When the guide came to pick me up he told me that Dave had one down. We all had radios between us but I was to far from Dave to hear him. He was on one side of the ranch and I was on the other, about 5 miles apart. I was about 2 miles from the lodge and he was about 3 miles from the lodge. Mike, our guide could talk to both of us but Dave and I couldn't talk to one another. When we got back to the lodge Mike told me he has to go pick up Dave. I told him, leave him out there, I knew he would want to stay a bit longer since he already had one dead hog. About 10am Mike did go pick up Dave. The hog he killed was a measured 134 yards, he killed it with his new gun - 25 Boo Boo. The 100gr bullet hit the left shoulder and exhited right below its right eye. He said it just plain dropped dead. Never took another step. The hog was a nice little one, 90lbs.

As we were taking showers and packing for our trip back home the ranch foreman, Will, cooked the ribs of that hog on the grill. Bye the time we were all packed and ready to head out the ribs were done. I am not to sure if Dave liked them all that much as he only ate 2 of them, I made a PIG of myself and ate almost all the rest, they were absolutely great. Better then any domestic pork I ever had.

Although I didn't have an opportunity to kill a hog I sure did have a great time and will return next Jan,,,,,,only this time it will be for 4 days of hunting. I will take along an O/U shotgun as well,,,,there are just way to many doves and rabbits available.

Oscar,

For some unknown reason I was able to post this. Who knows,

Don
 
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tom:
They say that size hog is a good eating size one. Where were you at?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Tom,

We took US Rte 90 west out of San Antonio, went thru a bunch of towns. About 18 miles west of Uvalde is the Border Patrol check point. Five miles west of that is a Ranch Road, I think it was 1572. In any case, it goes south to Spofford. Just before we got to Spofford there is a RR crossing, we turned left on this cow path (they called it a road, lol). To give directions from there will take me 2 hours to type, lol. It was about 20 miles back in the middle of no mans land from that point. Supprisingly, we didn't get lost. I know we drove across some indian reservation on this cow path but other then that I think it is just an access road to the various land locked properties. There must of been at least 10 gates and that many turns to get to the lodge, but, we found it.


Fortunately we were able to follow the ranch foreman back to the main road when we left otherwise we would more then likely still be there someplace.

Don


P.S. When Jim and I go for the sheep hunt we plan on taking US Rte 90 west to Uvalde and north on US Rte 55 to Blakesdale. We are staying at the hotel in Blakesdale.
 
That's impressive, I would have had trouble getting there. I've been down 90 a lot and know the check station you're talking about. I heard a story once about Spofford.

Some 200 acre ranch owner told a guy who had 14,000 acres he couldn't turn the water off from his artesian well because people were entitled to it. In particular the 200 acre land owner thought he was entitled to it. The 14,000 acre owner didn't like that the fellow said that, so he turned off the water, it cut the whole town of Spofford off too, they were using his well. Spofford could afford another pipe to get water without going through the 200 acres, the 200 acre landowner was without water. The person who told me, had thousands of acres also and was dependent on the water. They sold their land, rather than put in the wells they needed. Kind of an interesting story about water in Texas. Its a big issue around here.

We might wake you up late in Barksdale. Do you guys mind a snorer, maybe I'll come earlier and split a room with you? The nudee bar group might be too much for me, keep me up all night or something.
 
Tom,

Jim and myself are sharing a room. There are 2 double beds per room (as I understand it). I surely don't mind sharing a room BUT I do draw the line at sharing a bed, :D

As to snoring. I am sure Jim will tell EVERYBODY how I snore, lol. The last time we shared a room he actually wore shooting muffs to bed, LMAO. He keeps saying something PREHISTORIC sounding comes from my direction. I have no idea what it is he is talking about, lol. I never heard a thing.

As to the water situation. The ranch we stayed at does NOT have a fresh water well. I should say, they have a well, but it is salt water, not fresh water. Maybe they should build a Sea World nearby, lol. They had a 3,000 gallon tank on a trailer and a 5,000 gallon holding tank to supply the lodge and the ranch house with fresh water. The ranch foreman told me he has to drive to Spofford to get water.

Have a good one,

Don
 
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Muledeer4me:
Shaky,good story.
But what the heck is a 25 boo boo ?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm sure even at your tender young age you have heard of Yogi and Boo Boo (the bears).

Well, the person that developed the 25 Boo Boo must of loved that cartoon because he developed the 25 Boo Boo and he has another wildcat he calls the Yogi. True.

The 25 Boo Boo is based on the RWS 8X68S case. You have to neck it down to accept a 25 cal bullet. It push's a 100gr bullet at around 3700 FPS. My buddy (Dave) used a 100gr partition on the pig he killed. It just plain dropped it in it's tracks.

Don
 
Thanks Shaky,I had never heard of that one ,now yogi & boo boo LOL I know what your talking about there. ;)
 

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