LONG hunt pays off at the end

Met Whistler at the drop point about 6:00, still dark out...we collared and vested....checked the Garmin and cut them loose. Whistler brought Buzz and pup Wendy. I brought Jasper, red pups J.P. and Jinx and CD Zeuse.

I really wanted to get these red pups on a good hog. I've been trying to figure out whether they were gonna be rougher than what I want. I've been on the fence about them and actually had them listed but only got tire kickers so I figured I'd keep hunting them.

Well...the dogs took off...they were hunting well. They hit a slough and dropped behind it...through a yupon thicket and then kind of split up. Buzz was working off to the west and Jasper and J.P. were south east. It wasnt long and Jasper and J.P. ended up striking about 450 out. It broke real quick so Buzz wasnt able to get to them. Honestly I wasn't positive they didn't bump a deer.

Well...they lit off to around 750 and sat down and worked an area real hard. After about 15 minutes they circled around to the original strike point and opened up again...this time it lasted a little longer and Buzz made it about halfway before they shut down. They take off again...only to bog down and start working an area over. They worked it for another 15 minutes or so and lined a track out. They were still a ways off and we weren't thrilled about going through that thicket but....we started heading to them. I HATE those yupon thickets.

We finally broke into some semi open ground and (easily 45 minutes later) the dogs were still working a slow track. I had enough and called them out. We crawled and climbed back through these yupons and heard a dog bay and then catch about 400 yards off but it wasn't any of ours. Luckily we were able to get the dogs heading in the direction we wanted and next thing you know...Buzz high tails it out of there and we hear just a few distant barks and then nothing...but he is sat down....well...we're smack dab in the nastiest yupon you can imagine but were trying to get to him. After about an hour we finally get out and Buzz and the other dogs are back and we spy some hunters a ways away. We're BEAT and the hunters are on the way to the trucks so we head their way.

Met a guy and a couple girls...they had caught 4 already and that's what Buzz was on...he was at their bay and caught with their dogs. I wasn't real happy about any of it and I was already tired as heck....did I mention I hate those yupons? We went to the trucks...loaded dogs and drank some water. We were tired but not enough to give up. We decided to go down the road and drop at another spot.

So...drop the dogs and off we go. Dogs still have plenty of energy and start working. It's easier walking at this second spot once you break through a small thicket. It's real nice...flood plain with timber. EASY walking...my kind of hunting. Jasper, Buzz and J.P. have packed up and are hunting together now. After about 30 minutes of an easy stroll the three amigos high tail it. They are out 450 before we know it. Then 750 and J.P. peels off and comes back to us but Jasper and Buzz have it in another gear. They hit 950, then at about .62 or so they sit down and we have a bay. It's kind of windy and not clearly audible at times. The young pups make a couple of runs to them but turn back fairly quick. We're on the move.

We close the distance a bit and the bay breaks but they shut him down...now they are at .86 but holding. We walk a hundred and check...walk a hundred and check...most times we can't hear anything but the Garmin shows them treed every time. We keep going and going and now I'm starting to see tracks on the screen from the previous hunt.....please no more Yupons!

Well...we close to 400 and the bay is audible for the most part but the pups don't take off till we hit about 200. When I see them leave we take a break...I want to see this on the screen. J.P. gets there first...but no break so we start walking again...at about 100 now (bout 45 seconds later) and we hear the squeal. Whistler had already asked about video and had his phone ready...I tell him go ahead and I send college boy with him....this fat old guy is tired.

When I get there I tie up Zeuse...he ain't happy. And see the dogs are clearly in control of a hog in the 160lb range. We get a little video...some pics, confirm the hog is a Boar and I tell college boy to stick him (his first). We pulled the dogs off and have them praises.

Buzz and Jasper are 15 and 14 months respectively. We started them together and raised them together. This was their first true solo hog and they performed perfectly. They bayed that Boar for a solid 40-45 minutes. Outstanding Behaviour.

As Whistler got there before I did...I asked him who was caught. He informed me J.P. was on the ear and Jasper and Buzz were taking turns barking and catching (they were pretty tired) but when they saw him they both caught...as did Wendy and Jinx.

We were a long way from the trucks at this point...nearly two miles...but we were happy and the walk back didn't seem near as far, lol.

As far as finding something out about those red pups...well...they are only 10 months old and they still need to get on a really good...rough hog. Then ill be able to learn a little more. I guess for now ill keep feeding them.