The past two days, my buddy Rob and I spent hunting Florida wild boars. We drove southeast for five hours to reach the deep backwoods of hog country. And I mean backwoods. Here is where we stayed...
These are our guides, CJ on the left, and the owner - Ellis.
The weather was great both days. Mid-70's and sunny. The first day, we sat in stands and did not see anything. When we got back to camp, Ellis had a campfire going. We assumed that the day's hunt was over. We were wrong, it had just started. Ellis told us we were going to "put dogs on dirt", meaning we were going to use the hog dogs to track the hogs. These dogs were amazing. They were raised from pups for one purpose: track hogs and hold them until the hunter gets there. These were no barnyard pigs we were hunting. These s.o.b's had side teeth, called cutters, for defense, and the dogs took a hit or two during the rumble.
Bottom jaw bones of hogs, showing large cutters.How it works is the scent dog is put out in front of the truck. It goes up the path and the truck follows. As soon as it catches the scent of hogs, it races out into the woods. Our guide would the release the other two dogs and the chase was on.
Hog Dogs - Monkey and Goober (I forgot the name of the other dog)- part bulldog and part curr
The guide chases the dogs. When the dogs reach a group of hogs, the hogs scatter, except one. One hog always turns to fight. The dogs key on this hog and the fight is on. The dogs tire out the hog until the guide shows up with the hunter. The guide commands the dogs (very strongly) off the hog and grab the hog by the back legs. Once he lets go, it is up to the hunter to make a shot on the hog.
VIDEO: Again, this is the shot on the hog. Parental discretion advised.
Rob scored his second boar of the trip, with sharp cutters, on Saturday morning before we left camp.
I got this tan hog the previous night.
Rob's first boar of the hunt - it went around 160 lbs.
It was quite a trip. We filled a huge cooler with meat that will be taken to a butcher to be made into italian style sausage. It is gonna be a good summer for the BBQ.
Hunting is quite different in FL. Hunting in a t-shirt in early February is new to me. There are also some other opportunities that we don't have in Michigan - quail hunting, dove hunting, and shark fishing are all things I hope to do in time. Until then, I leave you with a photo of our host of Hog Camp, the back woods guru: Ellis.
11 comments:
That was realllllly cool. Different hunting from what we did.
I have other photos and video. I will have to show you when you come down again. I don't want PETA shutting down my site.
One word: Brokeback.
another word: Deliverence.
You won't be thinking brokeback when you are sinking your teeth into that great tasting sausage. Oh, wait...
Where's the challenge? Let the dogs get em and then when they are good and tired have someone hold em and shoot em...
Ted Nugent.
I don't like teeth near my sausage.
Never said it was a challenge. Just another way to put meat on the plate. I gets mine this way, you get yours in the deli section. Hippie.
I got mine from Lozan once. On the river. It was on a sandwich.
Mike and I had a blast, can't wait till next time. Pork Down !!
I love hog hunting.
mama
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