Sand Burrs and Porcupines

About 2008 I guess, my brother and I and a buddy named Brett took a young group of dogs up to our deer lease about an hour north of Abiline. We had quite a few hogs that frequented the area so even though our dogs were young and inexperienced I figured we would still have some luck. I had three dogs - my nearly two year old gyp Sugar (7/8 Catahoula 1/8 Red Tick), my 14 month old male Gus (Catahoula) and my 10 month old gyp Lil' Ann (1/2 Catahoula 1/2 Plott). Brett had a red Cur I believe that was around a year old I think and that was our pack. We turned out in a Mesquite pasture with intentions of working towards a tank I had seen hogs at or around on many occasions. Well Lil' Ann struck within about 5 minutes. Problem was she struck a horse. After about 10 minutes we were able to corral the dogs and move off to another pasture free of stock. We walked a good ways and the dogs disapeared. To my recollection we heard them bay one time for about 15 seconds and then silence. To shorten this part of the story I'll just tell you it took us about two hours to gather the pack back together and because they were wore out we ended up carrying two of them a ways to the pond for water. It was a crappy first day to say the least. After a few beers and much deliberation that nite we decided the hogs had moved down to the river (salt fork of the Brazos) about a mile away and that's where we would hunt in the morning. At first light we were on the river heading east. About a half mile into the hunt my two gyps got really hoggy and headed down past a sand bar to a bend in the river. About the time they got to the bend a really nice Boar popped out of the brush on the sand bar. He saw us, or at least heard us, no doubt because my brother in a not so soft voice exclaimed "Hey there's a Boar right there!". Thanks Bro, he's only 40 yards away right in front of us. Anyway, the Boar of course turned around in his tracks. Well, by this time my girls were making there way back and almost to the sand bar. There was some discussion about what we should do ( gather the dogs and get them on the Boars trail) but I told them to wait and see what Sugar does. She was on the sand bar and as soon as she hit his track she made a hard left (that's my girl). We started crossing the river and within maybe 45 seconds Sugar opened up. It only lasted a few seconds though so we started moving faster. Once we crossed the sand bar and river we came to a small mesquite pasture. I think Sugar bayed one more time on the far side of that pasture at a fence. That's where we found her at. Just standing by the fence. I called to her "you let him go girl?" she just stood there. When I checked her out she had stickers in all her pads. All the dogs did. We would pull them out and within 50 yards have to do it again. It took us an hour to get out of that pasture and back to the river. Finally we were hunting again but with no luck and we decided to hunt back to the truck. Well, Sugar struck again, bayed about 3 seconds and I heard a yelp. We didn't know what was going on. Bobcat? She came around a rock outcropping about 75 yards away and I could see something wasn't right. As she neared you could see something around her muzzle. Foaming at the mouth? Snakebite? No, wouldn't affect her that quick. 10 yards, oh my, porcupine quills. Good thing I had my leather mans tool. Pulling them out really wasn't hard and she didn't fuss. It was a lot easier than I thought. Even though this weekend sounds like a disaster I think every one involved learned some good lessons and I guess that made it all O.K.