Hog hunt

[hicntry]

I had some time Saturday and decided to take the a couple of the dogs out for a little exercise. Everything went fine for a while., they roaded nice. Suddenly they turned on the burners and lined out. I have seen them line out like that to many times so we got out and strapped on the guns and headed the direction the dogs took. We had covered about a half mile when we heard the dogs in the distance. They were bayed. We stepped the pace up(which by the way is getting harder and harder) and after about another half mile were just below the dogs. The friend that was with me is not used to shooting with dogs milling around. I got the dogs to move back a little so he could kill the hog but he was way to slow. With the dogs backed off slightly the hog broke and ran because this guy just spent too much time thinking about it. This is not good. but happened a couple more times before he dropped the hammer. By then the dogs have bayed this same hog up 4 times and two were cut. Now you guys are bird hunters. You ever been behind a good dog and miss the shot? The dog turns around and looks at you with more than a little disgust? Well, these dogs were there. The last time the hog broke and ran,(third picture) it tried going around the old boy, Hunter. Hunter saw the opportunity and snagged this hog on the way by and the two younger dogs were right in there. They actually got tired of having to bay this same hog back up. After a few minutes they even took her down. One on a front leg, one on a back, and one on the ear.

[bill10979]

Great pics. Shouldve been a photojournalist.
Was the charge a bluff? Dog looks awfully close to getting a tuskful.

[hicntry]

Hey Bill. The hog was trying to get by him but picked the wrong one to get by. After he grabbered her the younger dogs were on her and it was pretty much a done deal then. One of the younger dogs, Titan is probably to hot for this game. It was his first actual contact head on (only because the shooter was to slow) and I see to much of his dad, Winchester in him. Winchester never backed up. Titan pulled one ear completely off and half of the other one before they got it down....he also got a 4' cut in the armpit. Took a couple of younger dogs out yesterday and they are looking real good, especially Odin. High drivers but I think Odin will learn from his mistakes. Don't know if Titan will. Odin is one of Titan's pups but a little cooler natured. Doesn't take a whole lot to set Titan off. He kind of reminds me of some of the small terriers temperament wise. I will know after a couple more time out but I think I better do the shooting.LOL

[bill10979]

The mount on my wall is a 1 eared boar, I shot a long while ago. Always wondered if a hog chewed it, or it had been hunted and a dog got to em,though it wasnt on my hunt. The guide didnt use any catch dogs-just bay dogs. I was 2 seconds from climbing a tree. Put 4 rounds through his heart from my .06, it just took awhile before he realized it and 10 feet before he got to me. I had to change my drawers that day!

My brother took 1 with a 20GA slug and had much better knockdown power. i will slug it from now on.

[hicntry]

For my money Bill, I want them to do what they were doing in the first picture. That is all they would have done if I was shooting. I don't like the dogs catching. It is unnessecary for a good hunt. Catching just gets the dogs hurt and puts a damper on the hunt if those just happen to be "my" dogs cut up. You know what I mean.

[orhunter]

Those are some cool photos. Love them dogs........ Wish I was there......

[bill10979]

where you like to place your shots when hunting with dogs?

Here is an old link(german) of some Aussie Drahts. The vests are practical looking-I assume that this is warm weather hunting. Ever tried?
When I researched DDs years ago, this site offered alot of info. They did alot of heavy culling it seemed. If pups werent tracking proficiently at 5wks ...They seemed to know what they were looking for and stuck by their guns.
www.pcskog.skogomark.se/salut/international.htm

[terryg]

where are the pix d? they aren't coming through for me. not even a link.

[hicntry]

I don't know Terry. I only know how to turn theses contraptions on. In the profile area of some of these boards there is and area where html and such can be turned on and off but you got the pick I put up before.

[hicntry]

Bill, shot placement is determined by the situation many times as to where the dogs are etc. I preferr to head shoot them. Wounded hogs can hurt dogs in a split second. I have never used vests. Then dogs cover to much rough ground and it is just to much to get snagged on hard brush and hang a dog up. If I had been shooting, I would have killed the hog right in the first picture before the hog broke and the dogs got out of hand. That is the way it is usually done to avoid gettin the dogs cut up. I like to see a good bay job....nothing more and definitely nothing less. You notice in the first picture, the two less experienced dogs are crowding the hog and Hunter is backed away? Hunter is trying to draw the hog out in the open because that is the safest place and hem works best in the open as is evident in the third picture. The second picture is an example of why he doesn't like tight quarters. They loose the advantage of their speed when they are in heavy cover or have obstacles like boulders everywhere.

[bill10979]

Pretty cool. I wondered about the head shootn, especially with dogs. If youre good enough shot, dont care to mount, I guess its the way to go.
Hittin em in the boiler room-I can attest, doesnt always result in a downed boar right away-same with deer etc.
Ive neck shot and spine shot a few deer. Can you say Drop? Always amazed me how they could run quite a ways with a high caliber through the vitals. My brother in law often used to head shoot deer with his .22(his property) I dont think he ever missed. Im a decent shot, but I dont think Id try that. It becomes a real "hit or miss" proposition-no pun intended. I began to better understand shot placement after going out with him. We also used some AR15s(223 cal I think) and never had a problem. His property was loaded with deer. Hell they persoanlly had 2-3 collisions over the years on their street getting to the house. Nice property in Southern OH, bout 1200 acres-lots of turkeys now too, which we never had years back. Theyve done a good job "reintroducing" them. The DNR swapped some game with Missouri I think years back and its worked.

[TobyTx]

Cool to know you in law uses a 20. I have gotten stuff from a friend who says about a .20 "What you going to do with that?". I guess pretty much anything I want. I have heard of people using a .20 mag for close up duck as well.

[S_J_KENNELS]

Nice pics.