Tyler shot the first pointed bird of the day. He really likes my old Ithaca. It has pretty well transitioned to his old Ithaca.
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After the first bird Tyler fell into a slump. He missed three straight birds. Shooting Woodcock can be a challenge at times and missing is not uncommon. In this picture Tyler took of my limit, Tyler has just pointed out that he missed all three of them before I shot them and Cricket and me are laughing about it.
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After Cricket delivered my limit bird, I commented about liking the way he is hunting. We took a pic. I unloaded my shotgun, and resumed our bird hunt. In short order Cricket pointed a dense thicket of briars, brush and vines. As Tyler walked to the front, the breeze carried his scent into the thicket and it exploded with pigs and hogs. All my training went straight out the window and Cricket broke. As cricket dove into the thicket with the pigs and hogs I started to fish my ecollar transmitter out of my vest. Before I came up with it he emerged from the thicket with a 10 pound pig in his mouth and came to heel. Here you go boss, got one for you. Hogs and pigs were scattered in all directions, except momma who came looking for junior who was squealing his head off. I told Cricket to “leave it” and he completed the delivery. The pig was somewhat gimped and cricket had obviously put the ivory to it. I put it on the ground and it dazedly went to mamma and off they went. We got a chuckle out of that. Cricket on the other hand was amped up. I heeled him for about a quarter mile to let him settle out of the fur induced state of intoxication before resuming our bird hunt. It didn’t work. Cricket went out of our sight as he fell off into a creek bottom. At a little over 150 yards all hell broke loose again. By the sound of things this hog was full grown and Cricket already had a hold of it. Due to the thickets we were hunting I had the transmitter for my ecollar tucked away and secured in my vest and I started digging it out. About that time the hog bolted out of the bottom straight to Tyler. Cricket was about 20’ behind it. He was chopping every time his front feet hit the ground and closing fast. Tyler mounted his shotgun with the hog at about 15 yards and coming to him. The hog saw the movement and altered course, passing Tyler at about 5’ and he pulled off it. By now I had the transmitter in my hand. I spun the dial to max and stood on the stim button. After another 35 yards he disengaged. He had closed to 10’ and was not happy about being jackknifed. We heeled out to the truck and relocated. One of the hogs nicked him pretty good in the ribs with a cutter but we did not find it till we got home.
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I did get a timely correction in but I am not sure how much of an impact it made... Cricket seems to carry a grudge regarding the hogs...
Never brag on your shooting or you dog. Both will speak for themselves and either one can blow up on you.
Your son has some big brass ones not sure I could lay off shooting a hog that close running at me. Even if it was 8 shot he would have more than likely got a face full of both barrels. Great story!