My first solo hunt, more like battle, with just my pack… (Input wanted please)

[RyanTBH]

I was hell bent on going hunting today after work. Perfect weather for it and right before the rain comes, so I figure why not. I called few people and no one wanted to roll, so I got even more gung-ho and got the dogs geared up and loaded ‘em in the jeep. I took Fred, Baus, and Joe. So get there about 7, and drop the dogs.

This is the property that borders the one that I can’t hunt… so I have about 1000 acres that we can be on, and then there is lake and then the property that I do not have permission to be on; also where most hogs bed up and run to when jumped. This is also the same property that I’ve been smoked on twice by something that Fred didn’t ever try to catch but had stopped and bayed a few times by himself…
 
So Baus and I walk in down one of the fence lines in the middle of the property. Dogs are ranging out, and starting to get warmed up. We get about 500 yard in, and both Fred and Joe hit a few tracks and are trying to work ‘em out. Joe is now 120 yards or so doing circles around Baus and I. Fred is trying to work this track out about 300 out. Fred lets out a “Hot Track!!!” yelp, and goes silent…

At this point, I am in ankle deep water… Joe started heading to him. Not a minute later Fred starts hammering down, and I wait for Joe to get there… BOOM! Hound sound is all you can hear, with a distant sound of Fred mixed in. LOL! So I’m pretty excited at this point, and they are 250ish out. I got my composure, and started to head to them… The water started getting deeper, and next thing I know I’m in knee deep swamp surrounded by manegrol like trees so thick you can’t see through them much barely make your way through them easily. (And I’m by myself for the first time with my dogs)

Fred is the kind of dog that will catch a hog as big as him by himself, and with help he has caught a few bigger boars just him and a CD (Jane).

Anyways, it sounded like they might have tried “him” or he charged them, and the bay broke so I stopped. They stopped “him” again about 20-30 yards for the first spot and hammered down! They were 226 from Baus and I, so I started to try my hardest to get through the “chit” with Baus to get to em as fast as I could in knee deep swamp. I got within 100 yards after a fight and thought about letting Baus go, but I couldn’t see an easy way in for him or myself… plus I’m by myself and don’t know how big this hog is, or where it bayed up at, and didn’t want to break the bay. So I get within 89 yards, and trip a little leading him in all excited, and said screw it… On my word, the second that I let Baus go, the bay broke and no sound for him to go to…. Baus went 100 yards straight to where the sound WAS coming from, and the other dogs were off. Fred kept up, and Joe came to me calling Baus… but Fred took that hog (stinky a$$ boar if you ask me) 900 yards and bayed up. And guess where… on the property that I do not have permission to hunt. So I get Baus back, and Joe gets ahead of me about 100 yards still trying to figure out what just happened and where the track is at and we head to Fred. I didn’t realize at the time that Fred was bayed up on that property until I got out of the swampy lake bottoms to a fence… So I got on the side that I do have permission to be on and listened. I didn’t hear a bay coming from Fred, but yet I showed him tree’d, but he is also 800 yards at this point and doesn’t have the “loudest” bark… So I’m thinking great, a GW got him and I’m screwed (again, if you’ve read some of my other stories about this place). So I leash Baus up, and wait a little bit. Turns out Fred I guess got burnt or lost the track and started trying to work it out again, but I started calling him back in once he got within 300 yards or so…

So here is my dilemma, (one) should I have let Baus go from 100+ if they were hammering not knowing how big it was or the situation and it being that hard to get through the “chit”, or did I do right by trying to get closer since I was by myself? (two) Should I have taken Fred and Joe back to the spot where they struck the hog and casted again; knowing if I did they would most likely end up on the property that I can’t be on in the end?

I feel like I screwed this up, and it’s my fault that we didn’t catch that hog. BUT I also feel like I did the right thing in playing in safe since I was by myself and didn’t know how big the hog was since they weren’t even trying it. I’m a little bit pissed off I didn’t get the job done, but it’s just more motivation for the next time I guess. I’m going to get that sucker soon if it’s the last thing I do!!!!

Sorry for the long story, but I’m still pretty excited about the whole thing. It was really cool to be in the woods with just me and my dogs and finally get one hammered down like that. I guess if anything, it was good experience for the dogs AND me.
Thanks in advance for reading and the advice and/or opinions given.

[M Bennet]

becareful out there

[hillbilly]

yea u done the right thing by trying to get closer

[Peachcreek]

yea u done the right thing by trying to get closer

Man u are long winded Ryan.....if you would have had your pup in the woods you would have caught him   For what it is worth I think you did right by yourself and the dogs. I would imagine packing maybe more than one hurt dog out of the woods by yourself wouldnt be very easy. better safe than sorry. I find with me anyhow listening to your gut is usually the right thing to do. Hope ya get him next time.

[RyanTBH]

Lol! Thanks guys... After sleeping on it last night I agree. I think following my gut was the way to go. There will be another day and another hog bayed. I'd rather still have my dogs around to see make it happen rather than having a mount and no dogs..

And Peach, that pup would have tied him up for me too! Lol! But shhhhh... That's my secret weapon. Gotta let the other dogs think they're doing something too. Lol!

Joe is semi pup though , and he did great IMO. He still squats to piss, so.... But he is around 18 months.

[t.wilbanks]

When I hunt solo, I try to get as close as I can to the bay.... If its during the day, i will try to get close enough to see what im up against... Ive caught a few good ones hunting by myself, and its got western a few times with just one bulldog and a couple bay dogs that wont help catch... But being alone ( especially at night ) and hearing a good sized hog blow when the catchdog hits will sure enough get your pumper going!!!

IMO, you did right by not cutting Baus loose....   

[RyanTBH]

Thanks Trent. I wanted to get closer, but I was affraid that me and Baus crashing through the thick chit in water would break the bay... It was majic hour, so it was starting to get really tough to see and a light wouldn't have done any good. Had someone been with me, yes, I would have let Baus go at 100 out with as loud and constant as they were being; but being alone, didn't want to risk it esspecially with them being hammered down like they were.

[t.wilbanks]

Thanks Trent. I wanted to get closer, but I was affraid that me and Baus crashing through the thick chit in water would break the bay... It was majic hour, so it was starting to get really tough to see and a light wouldn't have done any good. Had someone been with me, yes, I would have let Baus go at 100 out with as loud and constant as they were being; but being alone, didn't want to risk it esspecially with them being hammered down like they were.

Ive always wondered how good a hog can hear you coming with dogs barking in his face.... I figure they will smell you before they hear you... And with Joes loud mouth, I wouldnt think the hog would hear a few sticks breaking 100 yards away....

[buddylee]

U did the right thing. No telling how long it would have taken u to get to the dogs. Ur bulldog coulda gotten hurt bad before u made it to him in the mess u described.

[BA-IV]

Hogs will surprise you on what they can hear, smell, and most probably in my opinion sense.  Just like a mature buck walking in and realizing something and turning around and disappearing, a mature boar hog is the same way, especially if they've been dogged alot.

I enjoy hunting solo, but it sure can turn into work faster then anything else.  Two hog dogs and a bulldog can be tough when you're by yourself, but it sure does help them dogs out alot when they're by theirselves.

[RyanTBH]

He really is a loud sucker, that's for sure!  and I wouldn't have called getting through that stuff in knee deep water exactly a "little" noise... Baus and I sounded like a pack of dogs coming through that thick crap! I hate those dang trees! Right when you get through to a "clearing" you have no way to go and have to start hanching down to try and find a way thorugh. If there wouldn't have been as much water I would have just started crawling in, but it was deeper than I like to constantly be in... with no tree to shoot up if things were to have gotten bad.

and I bet cha that hogs have better hearing than we think... 

[t.wilbanks]

I have no doubt that hogs have good hearing... Just how good they can hear you with a solid bay going on is something ive always wondered.... Plus you gotta think that some dogs dont stay in the same spot on a bayed hog and will be splashing water, smashing leaves and sticks too...

You should do some research on this for me Ryan... 

[RyanTBH]

(in my French voice) We will meet again!!!!!! 

[co]

Fred lets out a “Hot Track!!!” yelp, and goes silent…


Since when did fred become semi open?

[jimmy_creed]

I think he has his dogs mix up

[RyanTBH]

He must have been excited, idk... He doesn't do it every time though, so I guess he knew this hog was close... Idk. But as soon as he did that he got silent and then hammered down after he found it. Maybe he was giving a shout for help feom Joe, i dont really know, but he did... And I wouldn't call it semi open though... He didn't keep yelping... He doesn't yelp on track, or even when he is chasing one that's broke... other than that he is silent... Even when baying for a long time hell shut up and run around the hog and not open up the whole time. that's why I like it when joe gets there cause it gets loud. I almost had that sucker!!!

[RyanTBH]

Lol y'all are funny... And I do nt have my dogs mixed up... I was there and I heard it... Maybe he was looking at it... He didn't move much before he opened up hard after that so maybe he was looking at it. Idk.... if I was in there to see what happened I would have caught the hog. Lol!

[txhogsanddogs]

Ryan, you probably know what I'm going to say but here goes!  I've had plenty of solo hunts and it doesn't matter on tryin to size the hog up or not??  So everyone is saying they would not let the cd go if it was a good one??  Ryan all your dogs are going to help baus cause I've seen it. Next time don't hesitate and cut him loose. I honestly like to cut from 150 or better. 

I've also been a pit guy for years and I ran cd dogs for years that I cut loose from 50 yards (I wouldn't say I was sizing him up cause I was going to cut loose no matter on the siZe) but now under the hunting situations with hogs running a little more do to the pressure of dogs that quit I like to cut loose from a little further and I seem to getting more hogs caught this way and deff in a shorter race.

[Jared H.]

Ryan, you probably know what I'm going to say but here goes!  I've had plenty of solo hunts and it doesn't matter on tryin to size the hog up or not??  So everyone is saying they would not let the cd go if it was a good one??  Ryan all your dogs are going to help baus cause I've seen it. Next time don't hesitate and cut him loose. I honestly like to cut from 150 or better. 

I've also been a pit guy for years and I ran cd dogs for years that I cut loose from 50 yards (I wouldn't say I was sizing him up cause I was going to cut loose no matter on the siZe) but now under the hunting situations with hogs running a little more do to the pressure of dogs that quit I like to cut loose from a little further and I seem to getting more hogs caught this way and deff in a shorter race.

X2....after getting out run I've cut my CD Bo loose from 200 yards before.  Just makes me have to run a little futher.

[RyanTBH]

Brian and Jared, I was waiting on someone to say that... Blake (blakebh) said the same thing; to trust your dogs and let them do there job. They are there to find/catch the hog, and you are there to back them up, get there, and do "your" job. I think that this was more of a case of me not doing my job, trusting myself, and trusting my dogs. Brian is right, I know Fred would have helped catch. I do not know for certain that Joe would have, but my gut tells me he would have as well. My biggest concern, along with how big the hog was and the fact that I was by myself, was that I would not be able to get to them in time if it were the big boy... it was thick. But if if ands and butts were candy and nuts we'd all have a merry Christmas!  So next time, I may do something different. Had I had another buddy with me, no doubt in my mind I would have cut Baus loose from 100+ and caught that hog... (honestly it’s killing me) but being by myself, I opped out for whatever the reason. By the time I cut Baus loose it was too late.

I appreciate your honest input guys, and I'm still learning. I've been on plenty hogs with my buddies, but doing it by your self, and for that matter, with your pack after working hard to get it done is a whole nother ball game. It takes a lot more than what some people think to have a good hog finding/baying/catching pack. Not something you can throw together over night.

Once again humbled by the great out doors… and I'm looking forward to our next meeting!