Got to go back and hunt the ranch where Glory Hogs II was Filmed; for those of you unfamiliar the video can be ordered from South Cox at Stalker Bows-he is a sponsor here. The ranch is 5000 acres of unfenced Pig paradise-no feeders, no enclosures, just Northern California ranch country at it's finest.
Although it had rained a few days before the leaves were hard and crunchy underfoot, we-Bob Larson (famous ranch manager and hunter extraordinaire) were doing our darnest to be quiet while working a bedding area, creeping about and glassing the brush for patches of fur. Shhhh!
There is heavy fog in the air and every leaf is a thunder crack! All of a sudden the stillness is interrupted by baying hounds closing in; three of Bob's dogs had dug out of their area and were quickly closing in on us not wanting to miss out on any action. Within seconds black and white missiles are streaking all about "you guys are doing it right but you are in the wrong place"; and no need to be quiet anymore either! LOL
If we tried to return the dogs it would be dark by the time we got back on the hogs so we decided on a dog hunt instead. The pigs on the ranch get little pressure, they are unafraid of dogs and don't associate them with hunters whom they do avoid. Presently the dogs announce they have found a pig and we better hurry. Soon we are in the right area and the dogs are keeping a decent boar busy; two of the dogs are very experienced and the third is a young hound; but he was at a "dog blessing" about a month before-yeah, no fooling! Sorta like "I have no clue but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night" ?
The pig is holding its ground with the dogs some 20 feet away, unaware that we are on the scene and I have an arrow nocked. The shot is about 30 feet, over a log and a coupla' branches in the way. Pick a spot, pick a spot, pick a spot the arrow is on the mark-the hog explodes for about 20 yards and goes down-even if he could have gone further the dogs would have held him in place. There are huge patches of blood on the ground-no need to practice blood trailing. We are far from a vehicle and miles from the ranch buildings, we gut the boar and haul him down to the lake about a half hour away.
Anybody up for a pic?