11/5/2009 Boar, some rookie mistakes, and a question....

[Circle C]

Mandi and I went to Flatonia last night to pick up a load of hay, and do a little hunting.  We got our hay loaded, then turned out the bay dogs from the truck while we were still vesting the catch dogs. Got the dogs vested up, then looked at the Garmin, it showed Annie and Brandy at .84 miles, Ruby and Lizzie had stayed near the truck while we were getting ready. So we loaded up the catch dogs and Ruby and Lizzie, then headed toward the other two dogs. We got to the fence and had Annie and Brandy bayed at 800 yards out. Lizzie and Ruby heard them, and headed their direction. They only made it about 600 yards, and they were bayed on their own hog. We had to make the decision to either drive the Gators about 2 miles to get around the fence, or just go in on foot.  So we started walking in, we walked 500 yards, listening to the dogs hammer away the entire time, at some point all 4 dogs ended up on the same hog.. We got withing 100 yards, and woods went silent. We waited while the dogs tried to work it out, then we headed back to the Gators. ~2 hours later the dogs came back in our direction, so we intercepted them, and decided to go to another ranch across the road.

   We pulled in the gate, and put the dogs on the ground. Drove about 1/4 mile and killed the Gator. So that we could let the dogs work something out. It wasn't 2 minutes and they were bayed at 215 yards. All four dogs hammering again. I unclipped Tyson, and Mandi got Meathead out.  I had my Garmin in one hand, and Tyson's lead in the other, while trying to switch hands, I let go of Tyson's lead... He hauled butt to the bay with his lead dragging behind him. As he went into the dense brush, I asked Mandi to go ahead and cut Meathead loose so that he could help Tyson in case it took us a bit to get to them.  I decided to take the Gator as close as it would get me to the bay, so I headed that direction. The entire time, I was looking at the Garmin and the dogs showed treed. I could hear them bayed over the sound of the Gator's engine. I kept getting closer and closer, finally I was within  25 yards. Killed the Gator, and again the woods went silent.   . In my haste to keep the catch dogs from being caught too long on their own, I managed to beat them to the bay. I drove right on top of the bay, and busted it.  I was pretty frustrated with the situation that I had created.  After some time, we got Tyson and Meathead caught, and loaded back in the Gator, along with Brandy and Ruby.  Looking at the Garmin, it showed Annie and Lizzie heading across the paved road, into yet another ranch  .92 miles to the northwest. 

    We made it to the next ranch, and hit another fence 500 yards from the creek they were bayed in. Brandy and Ruby heard them baying, so they bailed off the Gator. I decided to wait in them to get to the bay, and make sure it was not going to break, before I walked another 500 yards in. Sure enough, all four dogs were bayed solid, so we started leading them across a nasty prickly pear infested pasture. We cut Tyson and Meathead loose at about 60 yards, then headed their direction. They had a nice boar caught on dry ground just across the creek. We got over there, I legged the hog, and Mandi stuck it.  About that time the ranch mgr who was hunting with us, said hey guys we have another. He shined his light behind me, and there was a LARGE black sow, about 10 yards away from us, pacing and grunting at us, with no dogs on her.   I sent the dogs to her, and they opened once about 600 yards, then in short order, they all showed bayed at .6 miles.  We left the boar in the woods, and went to where we parked the Gators, then headed toward the bay. We were able to take the oil field road to within about 350 yards of the bay, then I drove into the mesquite pasture easing my way around, trying to get closer to the bay. It took a total of about 30 minutes, from the time they showed bayed, until I got within 175 yards of the bay.  At the 175 yard mark, the bay broke. The dogs continued to trail the hog for about a mile, with short bays, but nothing that would hold past a minute or so. It was getting late, and I had to drive 130 miles home, and be at the office this morning, so I made a point to get the dogs picked up, and not worry about the hog.

   All in all, we had a good time, wish we could have caught each hog we bayed... I know a couple of my rookie mistakes cost us two bays, the others just weren't in the cards.

Now here is my question for y'all.    How close do you get to the bay before you kill the engines and start walking in?  I have about decided that 250 yards seems to be a good distance, but as can be seen in the story above, I don't always use the best judgment. What distance works for y'all?

Here is a pic of the boar, forgive the poor quality, it was taken with my phone.

   

[Rowdy]

Nice job yall i dont get any closer than 200 yards on my garmin until i hear squeeling!!

[HogzgoneWild]

Nice huntin yall, great story... I usually walk hunt so I don't have that problem, but when we do ride, about 200 yds is where we start walkin.

[Silverton Boar Dogs]

I agree, I will send catch dogs from a long way out, depending on the conditions, and sit tight untill I hear a caught hog "then" drive right to them. If I will not be able to drive to the bay I will lead in to about 250 yds or less, the thicker the closer, and send from there. having two big solid catch dogs make me feel better leaving the dogs caught for a few minutes as I am gitting to them. In big open mesquite flats I will often send catch dogs from 1/2 a mile, because if you drive closer than that the noise will put enought preasure on the hog to make him brake.

We check the wind and always come in from down wind if we can , move quiet, no noise or talking. I think that a more bays than we think are broken by the hunters themselves.

[HDCURS]

x2^

[craig]

i agree with Paul,  im not afraid to send my catch dogs from a good distance.

as most of you know i hunt most of the time horseback with catch dogs following along , and they are on the sene quick when the dogs get bayed.

seems like i have less hogs breaking( or getting a chance to break) with the catch dogs loose , then i do leading in.

[lonewolf]

Sounds like an eventful hunt! Good hog! It just depends but a hundred yards is pretty close, if you can come from the down wind side is best!

[stoked]

nice hog!

sounds like yall had a pretty good time..

[Florida Curdog]

Nice hog.

[stoked]

to be honest, i like to get pretty close to the bay. ill drive within 50 yards or so and sometimes closer.

if the hog breaks...he just breaks....

i think if the dogs are working him good enough, 50 yards is plenty far enough for my fat butt to walk.

glad you guys had a lot of action....that's all that really matters...just hearing the dogs work and bay for a while makes for a great night. satisfaction garenteed!

[txmaverick]

as old and lazy as i am i have found i like it a lot more if i can catch them in the headlights, and the older i get that gets even closer if its possible
i could care less how many i loose honestly just as long as i dont have to work to hard at what i love to do for fun

[joe]

good hog

[Black&Yellow]

Well my opinion it depends on how your dogs bay if they bay tight then 250 sound be ok and if they are loose bayers then the bay could really break anytime at all. Thats just coming from my experience. I know Im only 18 but I have had alot of experience and alot of help too. Just use your own judgement.

[Bump]

Sounds like a good hunt Chris.

Im lazy....I try to drive up to about 100 yards. This all depends on the terrain, what place I am hunting and what the typical hogs do at that place.

IMO....I would think it safe to say that 200 yards is enough to stop, unload and keep from breaking the bay.

[got2catchem]

Good hog Chris. I usually drive within 150-200yds to the bay. I cut bulldogs loose at about 100 yards or so (sometimes closer) and wait for them to get there before I start heading their way. I've never had a problem with vehicles busting the bay, the bulldogs crashing through thick briars right before the hog is usually what bust bays for me.

[Wmwendler]

We check the wind and always come in from down wind if we can , move quiet, no noise or talking. I think that a more bays than we think are broken by the hunters themselves.

X 20^ Agree 100%.


It is my opinion that if a hog will stand bayed for 10 mins then he will bay for 10 hours unless some outside factor causes them to break bay, as long as the dogs stay hooked.  Now as far as outside factors bustings bays... that clould be 4-wheeler noise, noise from the CD coming in, winding the hunter, adding dogs to a bay, ect.  My rule of thumb is if I hear a bay then the 4-wheeler stops or stays where it is and I walk.  Then again I dont have catch dogs to hual around and don't mind jogging or walking a few hundred yards to a bay, but I am never in a hurry to get to a solid bay because if the hog is really bayed solid and I do my part in getting there w/out letting the hog know I am there then the bay will be there when I get there.  I can tell you many times I have had the dogs bay across the river and in the process of finding a boat and getting it across, a few hours might pass, and the dogs stay bayed sollid.  And then we get across, head to the bay,  only for the bay to break as we approach.  I can assure you that its not just because of bad luck or the hog randomly decided he wanted to leave....... its because we busted the bay for what ever reason.

I've heard old timers say it and I beleive it to be true, that the longer a hog gets bayed the longer they will continue to stand at bay.  If you read the Big thicket Legacy one of those old timers says "the longer a hog gets bayed the tamer they get"  I can say with all certainty that cattle are definately that way.

Chris.....  A couple/three hundred yards is probly safe.  But, I think that wind direction is more important than distance, and often not used as an advantage by hog hunters.  If you approach the bay on your rig from down wind it could buy you some walking distance.  It will also give the catch dogs the advantage of having a smaller chance of the hog hearing or smelling them as they come in.  Some might not think that they will notice untill its too late but If a hog can hear me step on a stick from 40 yards while being bayed he can hear a catch dog coming for sure.  It might take you longer to get there but if they have been bayed for 30 mins or more what difference will 5 or so mins to loop around make?


Waylon