Hunting hogs in south Texas at the end of May usually means hot, hot weather. This year, like most of our spring, it has been pleasantly nice. Although, Friday afternoon did get warm, the rest of the evening’s hunts had a breeze and were tolerable.
Some of our regular group somehow managed kitchen passes to get to the 5000 acres of hog heaven and enjoy a really great weekend. We had 12 total people with 3 kids (two girls and a young man) with 10 total hunters. This was a really good group of people and I believe we all had a wonderful, relaxing time. I really enjoy having kids participate in our hunting activity, it keeps you young and on your toes, knowing each of us are role models and mentors to these young minds.

Our future hunters




We headed to the ranch Thursday after work. Two of our group from the Austin area was able to catch a boar under a feeder as they drove into camp and Chris took him down with a 350 yard shot, a great way to start off the trip. The majority of us pulled into camp about 11 PM, unloaded the gear and food, relaxed a bit and hit the rooms for the 5AM wake up call.

Friday Morning came quickly and I proceeded to get the camp up. The first morning, most people bounce out of bed quite easily, can’t say that for the last morning LOL. We got our coffee and other morning drinks consumed and loaded up the trucks to take the eager hunters to their stands. The first mornings are always good since the place has been quiet for a week or two. This morning also proved to be the same. It wasn’t long, as the light began to chase the shadows back into the trees, that the gun fire rang out across the ranch. After the sun climbed higher into the sky and we gathered all of our hunters back to camp, we had 1 pig in the cooler from the night before and added 10 more to keep it company. I love hunting Friday mornings. It always seems that one of our group gets favored from the powers to be. On this trip, Eric was the favored one, he accounted for six of the 10 pigs that morning, a trend that would continue. After we dropped all of our harvested game at the skinning rack, we proceeded to the cook shack for a well earned breakfast. You might wonder if we just leave the pigs to spoil as we eat, but not to worry, the greatest pig skinner in the world, Adolfo, is steadily whittling away at the pile of pigs. As some may have read my stories before, this man can skin and gut 3 pigs to my 1 and I am not any slouch to cleaning pigs. I admit he spoils us, but we compensate him well for his services. We have a great breakfast as always and once again are spoiled by the ranch manager that does the cooking for us all weekend. Yea I know, again we are spoiled, someone cleaning our game and someone cooking our meals, but I bet you all wish you could be part of our group. After breakfast, we settle into the relaxing mode, this is where the bloody Mary’s fit into the weekend. After that, it usually means a nap or relaxing conversation around the table. For the hard core hunters we take them back to the field and let them hunt the midday hours. It pays off some times as with Brian, who managed another pig for the cooler. As the afternoon warms up the camp gets quiet, as one after another, people slip off for a nap. Naps at the hunting camp are so refreshing, don’t you think, much better than the ones at home. As the evening approaches the group slowly emerges from their rooms as we discuss who is going where. We get that sorted quickly, as most have hunted here many times and the gear is put into the trucks and off we go for another round of pig roulette. Tonight is tuff, as the day has warmed up, as south Texas can and there was no breeze. But soon the feeders began to go off and the sun slip below the trees. As the magic hour of dusk approached, the sweet sound of gun fire rang out once again across the ranch. A smile always stretches across my face as I await my opportunity to shoot, as I know that most of the gun fire has resulted in another successful hunt and another satisfied hunter. As we gather the hunters up once again, we assemble at the cleaning shed once more to admire the take and listen to the stories and photograph the memories. As Adolfo shoes us away to go eat so he can get busy, we settle into another delicious meal amongst laughter and joking from old and new friends. As the tables are cleared, we set back and enjoy a drink of choice and discuss patterns in the game we saw and strategies to improve our odds. Consensus is made that there is not much to improve on, as we added another 8 pigs, 1 javalina, 1 raccoon and a coyote to the tally. I must say it was a really exceptional Friday.

Just a few of the haul



Saturday rolled around at 5 am again, as I found myself knocking on doors and rousting the camp to action. Eager as all the hunters were maybe they were just a little slower to rise than the day before. We consume our morning wake me up drinks and assign the stands and who rides with who and go forth into the darkness to once again work to eliminate as many pigs as we can. A pattern did develop the day before as many of the hogs that were shot were perfect meat hog size (50# to 80# live weight). Many of us do our best to line up more than one pig and are quite successful at getting 2 pigs with 1 shot. This way we eliminate more pigs but don’t shoot as much, thus trying not to disturb the place with excessive gun fire. As we get everyone to their stands and again the morning awakens across the ranch, the gunfire rings out signaling another successful hunt. Remember Eric from the day before, well he adds 5 more to the total count and is smoking hot this weekend. We gather up the hunters stretched out across the ranch and as after every successful hunt, gather at the skinning shed for photos and stories and then head in for our morning feed. Same pattern of hunting, harvesting, feasting occurs again and then we settle into the relaxing mode. The hard core hunters go out for the midday action and Wayne and Brian contribute 1 pig each to the cooler (it’s starting to get full). Eric has the task of shooting for the first time, his new Remington Mauser 98 375 H&H. Needless to say, we had a group of spectators to see this hog gun go off for the first time. We get the bench set up for the hundred yard range, the scope bore sighted and Eric settles in behind the limbsaver pad, that covers the mercury recoil reducer in the stock, that is on the opposite end of the mega muzzle break on the end of the barrel. I don’t think he could have added anything else to the gun to reduce any more of the recoil, but it still rested in my lead sled just in case. As many of you are familiar with good friends around a hunting camp, I will leave it to your imagination as to the comments we made about his recoil sensitivity. After several rounds, a few scope adjustments, I was given a chance to see if my shots grouped close to his. To be honest, all that stuff to reduce recoil really does work. I was most pleasantly surprised at how it handled and am looking at some of the items to add to some of my thumpers. For not being broke in and just picking a load, it grouped rather well, good enough for minute of pig (actually about 1.5” at 100). Now we just had to wait until the sun set a little to go see if the new gun was big enough to do the job. As the group starts emerging once again from naps, or talking with our loved ones on the phone, we assign the stands and gather our gear at the rides we will take. We finally saddle up and go forth once more to do battle with the mighty foe, but this time we had the hot hunter armed with the light artillery. This evening we are blessed with a nice breeze that helps to cut the heat and make setting waiting for the witching hour, much more bearable. As I scan the senderos and brush lines, I strain to listen for the sound of gun fire. Soon my awaiting ears are relieved to hear that sweet sound and even the distant roar of the 375 H&H screams out across the ranch. Once again back at the skinning rack, we add 7 more pigs to the tally and Eric blood’s his gun with a pig unfortunate to step out to feed for the evening. Now you ask, Eric only shot the one, what’s up with that? As it turned out my BIL, who was not able to join us for the weekend was worried Eric might surpass his last record of 16 hogs in one weekend and began working on a voodoo hex to spoil his shot. Unbeknownst to us, he let it get out of control and it spilled out over the whole ranch and just kind of shut things off. He hasn’t been told yet, but he is on double secrete probation for reckless use of voodoo on another member for selfish reasons. We once again have a great meal with laughter and stories and the kidding goes on into the night until realization that 5 Am is approaching fast sets in and we turn to bed for a peaceful, satisfied sleep.

A meeting of the minds or a liars lair?



Sunday arrives with me knocking on the doors at 5 am and I begin to wonder if I might have to make another pass when the doors begin to finally open, funny how that happens as the weekend progress. We get assignments worked out and rides arranged and off we go. If we had known that my BIL had let his voodoo get out of hand I know I would have slept in as we were skunked all the way around except for Wayne’s 2 raccoons that stayed to late after sunrise. I mean notta, zilch, nothing from anybody. We were all perplexed but now the group knows why. I am glad I am not my BIL when the others hear what happened, S**ks to be him next time he sets foot in camp. It really was a small blessing in disguise, as we were running out of hooks to hang the meat. A few of the group had to head home to fulfill family obligations, so while they ate and gathered their gear, Terry B and myself filled 4 ice chest full of meat for them to transport back home. At least we had some room open up in the cooler. The rest of the group set around for the day trying to regain some energy and get ready for the evening set. We usually don’t get to hunt a Sunday evening, as we are headed home from the long weekend, but we had Monday off so we were on extra time and I enjoyed the lazy afternoon myself. As evening approached we got assignments completed and off we went to see if the luck would turn for any of us. Finally gun fire rang out again, but alas, Eric had been blocked do to my BIL’s hexes. At the skinning shed we put 5 more in the cooler and settled in for another great meal. Speculation as to why the hunt cooled Sunday was the major topic and the usual jibes and laughter filled the dining room. Most made an early evening as we had hunted hard and an extra day and were quite satisfied with the trip.

Us goofing around, but it actually worked out, who'd a thunk it?



Monday 5 AM wake up and only 3 people gathered for the roll call. We got them out and Terry B, Adolfo and I began the process of quartering the meat hanging in the cooler as soon as it was light enough to see. We had the remaining pigs in ice chest by 7:30 and those in camp began to eat our last meal for the weekend and gathering our gear for the ride home. We went after the 3 faithful but unsuccessful hunters and let them fill their bellies as we strapped down the gear and readied their stuff. We made the last sweep through the ranch trucks and room’s looking for wayward gear, tipped our host and skinner and said our farewells and began the bitter sweet ride back to reality and home.

Big pig of the weekend, stepped out in front of the wrong man.



For the weekend we had a final tally of 44 pigs, 1 Javalina, 1 coyote, 4 raccoons and several rabbits. We saw no rattle snakes again and just an abundance of well fed deer and other game. South Texas, at least around where we were at, is in great shape. Water in all the tanks and low spots, tender forage and grass are abundant for the livestock and wildlife. This should be a good year for antler growth if the weather continues to cooperate.

Our cooler at lunch on Saturday, it got fuller!

Well done. Looks like a great shoot.

Sounds like a heck of a fine outing and a good time had by all. Makes me itch to get back out.
Best
GWB

Looks like all kinds of fun!

quote:

I really enjoy having kids participate in our hunting activity, it keeps you young and on your toes, knowing each of us are role models and mentors to these young minds.

Harold--I got sort of mellow reading that statement--how true, and we don't always see it that way. What could be better for our sport than introducing a young-un to it?

Speaking of camp cooks--I was on a lease near Cotulla and our designated cook was an Army 2-star general!!! I didn't mind pulling KP for him-he turned out some great meals.

Great trip--now when my granddaughter goes home in a few days, I'll be back at 'em!!

You wondered where the pigs had gone? They were all hanging in the chiller.

Fabulous weekend.