Post by Dave1 on Dec 8, 2003 7:58:59 GMT -5
Took the Cur dogs with me to the hunt camp this weekend. Friday morn I was on the roads before daylight searching for a fresh hog track. Hadn't found anything but right after daylight the cell phone rang. A nearby deer hunter had seen some fresh hog tracks crossing one of the roads in our hunt lease. I drove the the site and sure enough several good hogs had crossed there sometime in the night.
I put the tracking collars on the dogs and turned them to the tracks. They circled around back and forth for a few minutes trying to sort out the scent trails then started moving silently off to our West toward one of the big thick bayhead strands. Within a minute or two they were out of sight and hearing. It appeared they had a nose full of hog scent when I last saw them so I figured it wouldn't be long before something happened.
15 or 20 minutes passed without a sound. I pulled out the tracking receiver, plugged in the antenna, dialed in the collars, and could see they were still all together about 1/2 mile away. Before I could put the receiver away, I heard the first dog light up then all the rest fired up in a chorus of wide open bay barking. The had found and stopped the hog but were a good half mile away on the far side of the bayhead so we jumped in the truck and drove around to other side. Once around there and even before I turned the truck off I could them baying solidly down in the swamp barking every breath. I knew they were face to face with a big hog. I think chills run up the back of my neck every time I hear them baying hard like that. I never know what they have bayed up back in there.
It took a few minutes to get into there to them and when I got there I could see a good boar of about 160 lbs. backed up in a big palmetto patch, ready to take on any dog that came too close. The dogs cirlcled him cautiously still barking every breath. I eased in as close as I could without spooking the boar. These dogs knew what was about to happen and were ready to try the hog. On command they charged the hog from both sides and the fight was on. Two of the Cur dogs caught the hog instantly and I made a good catch of his hind legs. With a swift twist I managed to get boar thrown and off his feet. Once down with me putting all my weight on his neck and mid section, I coaxed the dogs off. They reluctantly released their hold and backed off.
Once my hunting buddy got to me, he tied the dogs up to nearby trees, then came to help me. A quick flash of a sharp knife blade and the skill of a tailgate surgeon and this boar was converted to a barr. I pointed him toward the swamp and released my hold on him.
In a heartbeat he spun and lunged taking a shot at my legs but I managed to avert any damage, then watched him trot off about 5lbs lighter. Dogs and hunters were OK so it was a good morning.
Dave1
