390lb Boar Solo

I figured since it's cold and raining out and not much else to do I'd share a hunt I had 2 weeks ago. Got a call from a chicken farmer that a couple hogs were rooting up the ground around his chicken houses. I didn't have much else to do so I loaded up a pair of dogs (Phil, Axman)and a bulldog (Mo)to check things out. Got to the farm at daylight and talked to the farmer about where he thought the hogs were at, what size, and how many. He said there were just a couple and that he didn't think they were too big. There wasn't any fresh sign around the chicken houses or in the pasture. Everything had been rained in a few days earlier, so I made a cast. The dogs hunted a ridge about 500yds and turned due west and preceded to go straight towards a pasture full of cows. My dogs love to herd and chase cows which isn't a good thing. I attempted to run up a powerline to cut them off but that was short lived. I managed to bury my wheeler and had to run about 0.6 miles to capture those two heathens which had about 50 head packed tight. Running that far is one thing but with water filled boots and 30degrees it was about more than I wanted. I managed to get back to where I was supposed to be and found the farmer and asked if he could give me a pull with his tractor. After all of that I debated hanging it up and calling it a day. I decided to make a loop all the way around the pasture and see if there was a trail anywhere. I found a small trail and walked about 50 yards outside the pasture and looked down to find the biggest hog track I've ever seen. I walked a little further and found some fresher sign. I put Axman and Phil down and they proceeded to beat the bushes. I sent my brother a message to say a little prayer for the dogs and I. I had a feeling I might need it. The dogs separated and Axman came back to within 375yds and showed treed. I listened for a squeal but heard nothing. Axman is as rough as I've ever been around. After 30/45 seconds I heard Axman squeal out. He's done that a few times and it's always when he has more than he wants. I turned Mo down and started attempted to run towards the action but it was super thick. Vine wraps, saplings, and bamboo briars. It took Phil about 3 min to cover Axman and when he got there they made the hog start squealing pretty good. Mo started heading that way but it didn't last but a minute or so and Phil started baying. When I get within about 75 yards all goes quiet. Then bushes start shaking and Mo starts whining caught. Mo managed to catch him across the top of the nose and I got in there pretty quick to find a whole lotta hog! When I grabbed his back leg I knew he was as big as I've laid hands on. Phil got there and the three of us gave ol bigun the Whatfor. There was no way I could've tied him up by myself. A knife was my only option. As things calmed down and the hog was almost dead all I could think was Axman had seen his last. He was nowhere around the hog. My gps showed him treed at 56 yds and I headed that way. After about 50 yards of tearing through the thickness I look at my system and he is 120yds going straight away. By now he has reached a wet nasty stinking bottom. I look down and see a heck of a blood trail. Just like a 2 blade rage had went through something. I hallar out and he stops. When I get to Axman half of everything he has is on the ground. He was worked over mighty bad. I figured that was gonna be it for him. I put his insides back where they were supposed to be and took my shirt off and tied him up. I took my belt and tied his head down to a bay root and went and caught the other dogs up. The hog was caught about 7 and a little after 9 I got axman to the truck and strait to the vet. It was bad on me carrying all 75lbs of dog 350 yds to the nearest place I could get my wheeler across that creek swamp and crossing the creek neck deep. Every time I stooped to rest something else would fall out. I ended up seeing everything he had from the diaphragm back. After going to the vet and tending to the other dogs I had to task of getting the hog out to prove my adventure. A solid hour of work, 375 yards of vine wraps, saplings, bamboo briars, and tearing all the fenders off my wheeler I got him out. A helicopter would've been nice. I got the hog home and weighed and showed off and then headed I to work for a 12 hour night shift. So much for a quick hunt. The hog showed between 388lbs and 392lbs on the scales because of the wind on top of the hill at the barn. Axman is doing pretty good. He'd hunt right now but he's gonna sit up till after turkey season.

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