A Hunt to Remember ~ Submitted to me by Brian John

We’ve had some hot and dry summers in Georgia in the past, but 2011 was definitely right up there with the hottest and driest of them all.  The hunting conditions were below average in middle Georgia this summer due to the lack of moisture in the ground.  Because of this, our dogs worked harder but had a more difficult time being able to smell a track than they normally do.  And as much as we love getting phone calls from local farmers asking us to bring the pack to put some pressure on the swine population, it’s hard to explain to them that the hunting conditions just aren’t that good right now. 

My hunting partner, Reid Ballard, got a phone call on Sept 10, 2011.  He said that the landowner sounded desperate and extremely anxious on the phone.  He wanted us out there immediately because the hogs were coming in, rooting up his fields and destroying the place (music to the ears of a hog hunter).  Archery season for deer had just started so Reid told him that we would be out there the next evening but it would be just after dark.  Regardless of the weather conditions, we kind of figured that we’d at least show up and make a good effort to satisfy the landowner.  On September 11, we did more than “make an effort”.  It had been several weeks since we’d really gotten on anything worth speaking of but our luck was about to change for the better on this hunt. 

We arrived at his farm just after dark as we had planned.  As soon as we pulled in the gate, we noticed fresh rooting all along the sides of the driveway and the fields looked like they had been freshly plowed.  The property owner saw us pull up so he came out and greeted us and gave his opinion about where the hogs were living.  After a short conversation with him, we emptied the dog box and the hunt was on.  We hadn’t walked very far at all and we heard one of the dogs barking about 100 yards down through the woods.  There was some commotion going on but we couldn’t really tell for sure what it was.  At first, we thought one of the younger dogs might have jumped an armadillo.  But a few minutes later, my young female dog, Sioux, came limping back up to us.  Her back end was bloodied up real good and after looking her over, we found two deep gashes in her back leg.  Immediately, we checked the Garmin GPS and three of the dogs were smoking it down through the swamp bottom.  They were rolling and the GPS showed them covering about 50 yards at every update on the screen.  These dogs were hot on his trail and we knew then that this hog was about to meet his maker!  At 690 yards, the GPS showed Tater, Tuff and Speck all three sitting down.  Now, it was our turn to do a little running.  We knew this was a good hog based on the gashes in Sioux’s back leg, so we didn’t want to leave the 3 other dogs in there with him any longer than we had to.  When we finally made it to the bay, the dogs had him surrounded and let me tell you something, he was not going down without a fight!  This boar was standing his ground.  As our lights shined down on him, Reid’s dog, Tater, looked back up at us as if to say, “It’s about time that you slow pokes got here!”  As Tater turned back toward the hog, he lunged forward and Tater helped himself to a great big ‘ole helping of his ear.  The boar made every effort to shake him off but Tater had the death grip on his ear and was not letting go.  Once all of the other dogs jumped in on the action, he was a CAUGHT HOG!  At that moment, Reid and our other hunting buddy, Andrew Parker, swept in and grabbed hold of his back legs and then I finished him off with the Pig Sticker.  Just like that, it was done.  We had broken the streak with a nice hog on the ground.  He was a big spotted boar with some real nice cutters.  Now, don’t get me wrong, he had left his mark on our pack.  Everything we had with us was marked up but these dogs had done a great job shutting this bad boy down.  Not too bad for a Sunday night!  He definitely won’t be rooting up any more farmland in this lifetime!

The next day, Reid called the landowner to tell him how we had done.  He sounded extremely pleased and his next question for Reid was, “When are y’all coming back?”  Reid responded, “How does Tuesday work for you?” 

Well, you know it’s a tough job but I guess somebody’s got to do it!

Brian John

Hog Hunting.....WHAT????

Okay, so the first time I met what would turn out to be my Bayed Solid Team (or my Bayed Solid Boys, as I like to call them), I had heard of hog hunting before, but I wasn't exactly sure of what it REALLY was.  The recent run of television shows with trendy topics and crazy characters are everywhere ~ so it is no surprise that Hog Hunting was yet another one of them!  I know that is where I was allowed to peek into this world of blood pumping sport!  Even though part of me even thought these shows were making fun of those 'poor' hunters.....I quickly realized that these guys are the real deal!  They thrive on adrenaline pumping hog chases that ultimately result in a freezer full of pork!

So....for all of you newcomers to the hog hunting world, here are some pointers for getting starting in this unique sport:

(Just an FYI, there is no season on hog hunting and very few regulations.)

1) First, you really need a good population of hogs and enough land to hunt them, always of course, with the land owner's permission!  Lack of land to pursue the hogs could become a problem, if the hogs are driven off the property that you are allowed to use.  If too much hunting pressure is applied to the hogs, they will leave the immediate area.

2) You have to get a couple well rounded hog dogs that know how to find and bay a hog.  The catch dog, typically a bulldog, needs to be an experienced dog that has caught hogs before.

3) The 3rd thing you need is a good tracking system, such as the Garmin Astro 220 GPS.  This system allows you to keep up with your dogs' movements....you always need to know where your dogs are!

4)  A good first aid kit for you and the dogs is a must have.  Hogs have a tendency to be extremely dangerous when agitated.   Always be prepared to treat yourself or your dog, should one of you be injured during the hunt.

5) It’s important to have a couple of good hunting partners. These guys or gals can help you handle the dogs and/or hogs when the catch takes place. They can also help if something goes wrong!

6) Last but not least, you’ll need some type of weapon. The weapon should be as the law allows. My weapon of choice is a fairly large, sharp knife, such as KA-BAR's Bacon Maker. My opinion of a gun is that it’s just too dangerous to be waving around the dogs and fellow hunters!

These are my personal preferences and I'm sure opinions differ. So if you decide to chase these wonderful game animals, I hope some of these essentials will give you a head start.  Your style of hunting will likely change as you learn more. Thank you for reading BAYED SOLID and good luck!