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Three Times Lucky on a Pig Hunt | April 2015 | |||
Gerhard Schroeder
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We planned a not so usual javelina hunt for the 2015 season. Luck of the draw
was with us. So, on opening morning, still in the dark, there were Michael
and me with David giving us a ferry ride in his boat to the Unit 22 side of
Bartlett Lake. The lake was low, and I got out when we reached the northern
end of still deep enough water. Mike wanted it all, remained on board, armed
with a fishing rod while hoping to find pigs on the shore. Those two never
had a bite.
For me, the awe of a gorgeous morning soon burnt away as the sun climbed higher.
Seeing two other hunters further robbed from my expectations. Javelina sign
was not impressive in the area. After a long day in the mountains and flats
in between, advancing from saguaro to saguaro for rest in the shade, I had
seen no pig, only one whitetail spike. There had been one shot. David
returned with his boat on time to fetch me back up. I learned from him that
the other guys had carried out one porker.
Mike eventually did go on land. And then there was some miscommunication.
We expected him to circle a mountain and arrive in one bay. He decided there
wasn’t enough time for that, returned back to the cove he had started from,
and sent a text accordingly. Problem was, he had reception from where he
texted. But daddy, on the water, never got that message. Eventually, way
after dark, we figured on such scenario, and found him, safe but impatient.
Mike did report seeing pig tracks repeatedly.
So we returned in the dark on Saturday morning, this time with instructions
to David to check for us in both coves around noon time. Initially same
deal as Friday … morning beauty too soon cooked away by sunshine. And again
I saw two other hunters. That drove me further away from the lake, higher
into the mountains. While yet again resting in cactus shade, glassing the
terrain, Mike happened to get to the exact same spot. We talked things over,
decided to move up and around the next mountain, then back towards the lake
as he again had seen plenty of sign in that larger valley. It was almost 10AM.
As it turned out, Mike remained on the west side of the narrow but steep side
canyon while I opted to cross over. I really wanted to walk down in it, but
too many trees and branches didn’t allow that. So we advanced parallel along
the ditch, with me on the east side. Terrain was quite steep. Clearly we
were not, could not be quiet. Also, every now and then I threw a fairly
large rock into the ravine. After maybe two hundred steps something on Mike’s
side looked different. Sure enough, binos confirmed a javelina, basically
facing me. “Mike, I see a pig, right in front of you,” I said in a normal talking
voice. There was no wind all morning, sound carried well. That critter was maybe
forty steps from him. But no response, no shot. So I drew my Contender with “I’m
going for it.” That made the javelina turn more broadside. It was an estimated
seventy yards away. Shaky aim. I willed the crosshairs onto that body and
squeezed - - the shot was not overly loud, the pig collapsed in the butt-down-first,
front-following fashion, and rolled out of sight. “Got him!”
And with those words the hillside exploded! Pig after pig came into view, at
various sizes and speeds, passing past Mike. Daddy’s 8-3/8" Model 29 roared, and
roared, and again, and again. From my position I could see it all. No pig fell,
or hunched up, or limped, or squealed. More pigs fled up and over the hill. With
seemingly the last pig out of sight, Mike ran up and over after them. Then another
shot. There must have been over thirty javelina in that herd.
Time for me to find mine. Bad deal – with all the distractions I lost track of
where my pig had last stood. I took note of the cacti and tree where I thought it
was, then crossed the little canyon again. The other (Mike’s) side was even steeper.
Eventually I found my prey. I thanked God for the animal, this small adventure,
then pulled fatso out of the bush he’d rolled under, and carried him up a few yards
to more shade, to get on with the red work there.
Back in camp I hung the beast from the hatch of my 4Runner, vehicle oriented so
fatso was in the shade. Once skinned, the lake shore breeze cooled the meat nicely.
I’d come prepared with a butcher board. Since fish weren’t biting, de-boning the
meat came next. That revealed the 110 grain Speer HP projectile. And the end of
this story. But it invites …
Some Analysis
At first opportunity after the hunt the Chrony gave some data. The last 7
cartridges I had left told a horror story, registering between 575 and 1177 fps!
And yes, some sounded supersonic, some did not. I don’t recall hearing an obvious
supersonic crack when that javelina died. Told you, I got lucky that there was
enough power to propel the bullet through that pig. So my quest for a compromise
no-earplugs lower power first shot load continues. By the way, the 8 grain Trail
Boss load with that 100 grain lead bullet registered a steady 900 fps (896 to 904).
It will definitely remain my practice load. I’m hoping to find something running
the 110HP up to about 1400 fps, without a piercing blast. That’s a thousand fps
less than maximum. I have the better part of a year to work that out.
Also a few words about these javelina:
In contrast, our herd of javelina had to have heard us. Yet they seemed to rely on
their “camo”. They froze as we approached. Low-riders as they are, of those at
least thirty animals I had only seen the one. And that boar was by no means
obvious. Binoculars confirmed him. The others were simply hidden behind
vegetation, in some small depression, just not “sticking out”. Even me talking
while I was within about seventy yards did not spook any. They trusted their
behavior. Maybe knowing that the steep ravine was between us added to their
‘margin’ in the event of a flight. And I assume that since they heard us
approaching, there was no need for any alarm grunts. During some previous
hunts I had heard the pigs first. They can be quite loud while feeding. Or
made them grunt when a little stone fired from a sling shot impacted way lower
on the hillside I was on. And notice again those two pigs which fled not when
I was talking, or shot, or when Mike was firing. Not when I came across the
ravine. Not when I walked around until found my boar. Not when I pulled their
dead buddy out of his resting place. Not when I carried the pig about twenty
steps uphill to better shade. No, what unsettled the last two of those sneaky
hogs was the strange noise of a saw cutting a limb.
Makes me wonder how many times we have passed by pigs over the years and never
seen them. I’d also say that the bigger the herd, the more probable that when
seemingly all eventually run off, count on at least one straggler – seen it many
times, even with shots fired. They also seem to prefer hills with steeper slopes,
with escape routes in all directions, including up and down.
That’s exactly what the terrain offered for this herd. Never give up hope. Believe.
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