TEXAS Pigs! Part 2

[KahrMan]

Just got back from a hog hunt in Quitacue Texas.  Had a blast but it wore me out.  Was not ready for how physically demanding this hunt was going to be.

The plan was to hunt hogs with dogs and also with night vision.  They had recently had quite a bit of rain which is very unusual for them.  This got the hogs out of their normal patterns because there was a lot more water and lush grass and crops to eat than normal for September.  Both nights we hunted from about 9-10 pm until 4am ish.  

We would load up the dogs in the kennels and on top of the kennels and head out driving around.  We had 4 chase dogs and two catch dogs.  We would drive along or through fields with different crops waiting for the dogs to catch a scent.  When they would start barking we would stop and send the chase dogs out.  If they came back within a couple of minutes we would load them up and keep driving.  If they starting baying like crazy we would grab the catch dogs and head out in the dark trying to catch up to the chase dogs.  We would run through dark trying not to trip and crawling under, through and over barbed wire fences until we caught up with the dogs.  Let me just say a pig running from a bunch of dogs can run a loooong way before the dogs catch him.  The cash dogs would eventually corner the pig or surround him and keep him from running.  Once we get there with the catch dog is when it gets hectic.  The main catch dog was a tank of a pit bull.  Sweet dog that wants nothing more than head rubs until it sees a pig.  When you let the catch dog go it latches onto the pigs head/face/ear area and does not let go.  While the pig is dealing with the dog you run up and grab the back legs and lift and twist to get him down.  You then kneel on his back and stick a big knife into his chest up into his heart to kill him.  The smaller ones we would cut out the backstops and leave the rest.  The bigger ones we would just leave where they lay.  The hogs do a lot of damage to the crops.  The farmers are very happy when a lot of hogs are killed. As long as you stay to the sides of the fields with the truck or stay in the appropriate lanes through the field the farmers love having the hunters on their properties.  

 

It is a lot of hard work, exhilarating and pretty brutal way to hunt.  I am glad I did the hunt but will probably not do this kind of hunting again.  

The rattlesnakes were pretty active and we killed a couple of them as well.

[KahrMan]

The last two pics are of the the storage container we stayed in.  It was really pretty nice.

[MCM]

That's cool! Hunting with dogs adds to the fun. Good size hogs....

[Alleycat72]

We will walk up to 800ish yards for each stalk. 6 to 10 a night with 20 lbs of guns and gear......in the dark....without lights.  Elk hunters point and laugh at me, but it kicks my butt.

I've never tried hunting with dogs and a knife. I've had to kill a few with a knife, but it wasn't planned. LOL

[Alleycat72]

https://www.highplainshunts.com/

Did you hunt with these guys?

[KahrMan]

9 minutes ago, Alleycat72 said:

We will walk up to 800ish yards for each stalk. 6 to 10 a night with 20 lbs of guns and gear......in the dark....without lights.  Elk hunters point and laugh at me, but it kicks my butt.

I've never tried hunting with dogs and a knife. I've had to kill a few with a knife, but it wasn't planned. LOL

Most of the hogs we chased were 500-1200 yards from the trucks by the time the dogs caught them.  You have get there as fast as you can. That is what I was not ready for. 
 

we did put one stalk on a pig with a thermal but it just disappeared after about a 500 yard stalk. 
 

I was using these guys.  
https://safariunlimitedworldwide.com/

 

same outfitter I used for a Sandhill crane hunt a couple of years ago. 

[jwhjwh54]

I had a similar experience hunting with dogs and knives. Did it once and that was about all I needed. 

We ran up on a denned up bear and immediately ran the other way  

[THA KERNALLL]

Had a chance to hunt hogs....in a helicopter...with full auto weapons and nvgs....still kicking myself for putting it off. That window is closed now

[Alleycat72]

So I got a chance to kill a hog with a knife this hunt. Is was not my intention, but it happened. Never ever go into a thickit looking for a wounded hog. LOL. 

[KahrMan]

2 hours ago, Alleycat72 said:

So I got a chance to kill a hog with a knife this hunt. Is was not my intention, but it happened. Never ever go into a thickit looking for a wounded hog. LOL. 

That sounds like a recipe for disaster. Lol

[RED333]

8 hours ago, Alleycat72 said:

So I got a chance to kill a hog with a knife this hunt. Is was not my intention, but it happened. Never ever go into a thickit looking for a wounded hog. LOL. 

nope not me.

[Handsome Rob]

On 9/16/2022 at 9:50 PM, Alleycat72 said:

So I got a chance to kill a hog with a knife this hunt. Is was not my intention, but it happened. Never ever go into a thickit looking for a wounded hog. LOL. 

Aaaaand that's why i carry a .44 on my hip. 

[gregintenn]

Looks like a very memorable trip, KahrMan! I think I’d enjoy that.