Crazy Hunting Story

Bryant

Global Moderator
Hog Catching Machine

Offline

Posts: 2183

Crazy Hunting Story

« on: January 31, 2016, 09:11:46 am »

I don't post many stories or pictures because i figure most everyone has seen plenty of dead hogs or how the bay dogs bayed, the catch dogs caught and we killed a hog.

Well I've been hunting behind dogs for many years and I had one of the craziest things happen the other night that I've ever been witness to. The evening started off like any normal hunt. We casted into a set of woods and within a short while had the first hog of the night caught and killed. We moved around a little, and made another cast. Where we were hunting is small blocks of woods surrounded by plowed open (large) fields. My dogs were gone a pretty good while and finally the young one showed back up. I checked garmin and the older dog was still out about 750 yards. About then, one of the guys says he thinks he can hear him. We get quiet, and all can hear and agree he is bayed solid.

The direction of the garmin indicated he was out in one of the open fields. Baying hogs in the open has been a rare occurrence in my years of hunting, but we've had it happen on this particular place probably 4-5 times over the last year. We drive around and get about 150 yards from the dog and he is still singing. Plan was to send two catch dogs and hope for the best...knowing when the hog sees dogs headed for him he would probably break. Sure enough about the time catch dogs are near he did, and they all start moving. We were able to call catch dogs back and got them loaded up. About that time, we hear him settled back in about 450 yards away (still in the open field).

We once again get within range and send two catchdogs. This time I watch them get there on the garmin and everything goes quiet. I watch for a bit longer and they aren't moving, so I assume they've caught a good hog that isn't making any noise. We run in that direction and when my light gets close enough I only see the bay dog and one catch dog standing there. I'm thinking what the heck is going on...is there a small pile of brush they're under or what? As I get closer, I notice the two dogs only looking down...and when I get to them I discover a well in the middle of this plowed field. Shine lights down, and to my horror there is my bulldog and a very sizeable boar doing battle about 25' down.

Needless to say, panic sets in. Saving my dog is utmost priority at this time, and I knew that I had to kill the hog first. I retrieved the 30-30 rifle that Jake had brought and decided I would shoot the hog. The other guys wouldn't watch as I shot for fear I was going to kill the dog...I didn't see any other options. I studied...trying to pick the perfect shot for what seemed like forever. As the dog lunged back to catch a breath, I put a round in the hogs head and it immediately fell back dead. Blood quickly stained the water, and although I felt good about the shot, I couldn't be sure that the dog wasn't injured, or hadn't been cut by the boar. I don't know how deep the water was, but in just a minute or two the hog was out of sight.

Our attention quickly focused on getting the dog out. Jake also had a lariat rope so we all layed around the edge of the well and lowered the rope down. Many attempts were made to get it around the dog. We got a leg a time or two but when we would start to pull she would slip out. I finally got the loop close to her head and I began to call her name and call her to me. She lunged forward in attempt to get out, and I yanked the rope and got a good tight loop around her neck. It took three of us pulling, but we got her all the way up and out. Short of a fingernail tear, she didn't have a scratch. We all figured at that point we had used all our good luck for the night, so we loaded and went home.

We're going to talk with the landowner and see about putting some type of cover of the well. That's just dangerous!


	Logged

A truly rich man is one whose children rush to fill his arms even though his hands are empty.

hillbilly

Boar Slayer

Offline

Posts: 1126