| Florida Hog Hunting at its Best | |
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We put out the dogs not far from where John had spotted that group of hogs earlier, and started our wait. This was the least exciting part of the hunt, but for the newcomers among us it also held a lot of mystery and anticipation.
Standing there watching our fearless leader Kenny and wondering just what would happen next, I wasn't too sure just how ready I was for what was coming... but I did know I was willing. I had (and have) 100% trust and confidence in Kenny, that man really knows his stuff, and he is one leader I will follow dang near anywhere without hesitation. So if he says we stand there and wait and listen, we stand there and wait and listen.
John, John, and young-but-ready Cody wait for the action to begin after we put out the dogs for the first time. That water in which they're standing? That's the road.
Photo Copyright Russ Chastain, all rights reserved.
After five or ten minutes, we heard Kenny's dog Goldie baying. It's a sound like no other, and says emphatically, "Here I am and here is where the action is, so get over here now!" We hustled back to the trucks and headed back around the swamp to where the action was.
Kenny wasted no time unloading from the Stranger and plowing into the water with his favorite catch dog Trigger in tow. This beast weighs in at around thirty-five pounds (the dog, not Kenny) and will take on any swine in the world... and win. That last part applies to both Kenny and Trigger. About the time Kenny plunged into a nice armpit-deep underwater hole and recovered, the dogs were back on the move again - the hog they were after had other plans and wasn't going to hold still waiting for the catch dogs to come grab him.
Kenny, Jim, and Nick head into a logged-out cypress swamp on a false alarm. It's tough to see Kenny in this photo since he's way out ahead of the pack, obscured by a bush.
Photo Copyright Russ Chastain, all rights reserved.
Phillip managed to head off the hog at the pass, and he shot it on the run with his Marlin 30-30. The coal-black porker kept on trucking, and I watched it cross the road moving at a high lope. I ran over there in case it went down or holed up close by, but it had no plans for stopping its flight.
People and dogs were running in every direction, orders were being shouted and a general bedlam set in for a short time. The next thing I knew, both trucks were gone and a few of us were standing there by ourselves, scratching our heads and looking at a blood trail.
The hog ended up on the other side of the property, where Goldie and Trigger cornered it. Kenny and Jim, following the sound of the fight, plowed into the jungle of briars and after a struggle, during which the hog managed to cut Goldie with one of his sharp tusks, Jim ran the Sunrise River spear through that hog's ribcage, ending the fight.
He said the spear worked like a champ, and it went clean through both sides of that hog like a hot knife through butter. Turns out, Phillip's shot had hit the hog in the hind end, and it possibly slowed the boar down so it couldn't hurt the dogs more than it did.
A victorious Jim with a vanquished swine (that's Jim with the spear). This boar was about the same age as John's, but was more wild and hadn't been taking advantage of the feeders in the area.
Photo Copyright Russ Chastain, all rights reserved.
I finally caught up with them and snapped a couple of photos of the victorious hunter with the 80-pound boar and spear. Goldie was fine, and the cut received was a minor one, soon cared for. I put the spear away after that, since Jim had had a bit of trouble with its length in the tangle of briars and vines. He was pretty upset about his pup Sassy not joining in the fight when she got there (she had sat down on her haunches and simply watched the fight), but as it turned out it was a learning experience for her, and she improved as the day went on.
A close-up of the spear that did the deed.
Photo Copyright Russ Chastain, all rights reserved.
After that, we broke for skinning, lunch, and a scheduled meeting of the Florida Hunting Coalition, over which Regional Director Jim Casselman presided by popular demand and necessity, since no other representative ever showed up. Wayne Davis had arrived for the meeting and to shoot some video during our afternoon hunt, adding a ready laugh and another smiling face to an already-grinning crowd. We also took a tour of Kenny's new lodge, which was a beautiful pine-paneled cabin with all amenities, and which we will use for the forum hog hunt in June.
Page Four: I stick my first boar; Phillip's road kill; Tony sticks one in the deep water
