Our Saturday night hunt was great but...

[hogdogs]

Was not what I had hoped it would be but he did GREAT for his first bay. After his "episode" with nearly cramping out from heat and exaustion, I decided to just let him run loose as I felt we had run off the hogs by plowing around earlier and felt he would be better served not pulling on lead. He ran the woods a couple times close than vanished One of the other hunters offered me an extra tracking collar when he heard me tell one guy that is why I would not run him loose so we tried it on him and the 2 ends would not even meet even with out the cut collar ;D! So I took the chance. When he vanished I had Brent jr. lay back and call him as I did the same while keeping up with the others. 2 guys stayed back to place a hog "toy" feeder and were coming with the truck shortly to join us, so jr was safe with men in front and behind. He nexteled (gotta love that contraption) that he finally leased ol' Nephi up. Cool I say I will lay back from the others and as you come into view I will shine my headlite your way to see us. At this point he close to an 1/8th mile back or a bit more. Than it was "bayed hog" I key up and tell brent to COME ON WE GOT A BAY!!! He had just been picked up by the others and nephi was in a box! I key up again and say UNCLIP THE DOG AND LET HIM RUN TO US! He hollared enough to get the driver to stop (closed windows A/C on Max!) By now we were near a 1/4 mile away. He got him out and he ran straight to us!
he had never seen a hog and dogs at the same time in the dark or with this many people (all with headlites waving around)
he did not mess up and bite a dog in his confusion. he and the other TINY catch dog hit the woods the pig ran into. The little dog flushed her up and it was CAUGHT HOG...AGAIN! What a blast it was for us...not the pig! So we boxed up Nephi with water again. We tried another spot but did no good and we called it a night! Nephi spent nearly 4 hours on the ground! It did start to cool late in the night but it was VERY HUMID! Brent
Here are a couple pics of his first woods caught hog.

[DocHolladay]

what did ya do with the hog? shoot it or keep it for training?

[progers]

Poke Chops, Baby!

[hogdogs]

Basically you both are right. she is in a pen and to get her out after she is fed corn awhile we will need to use a dog. She will end up pork chops! We try to take most alive and feed them a while! Since their genetics are mainly or at least partly domestic, they clean up and grow some fat like a farm pig. Brent

[Buck It]

That looks like a piney wood rooter as my dad called them. Have not seen one like that since I hunted around Perry Fl. Hunting with dogs and a knife is the only way I used to hunt hogs. Not to many things I know that will get your blood up more that divng into a thicket on a hog catch.Now I sit in a tree and wait for one to walk by. It got to hard to feed 6 dogs and then noone wanted to go hunting, hard to drag a hog out by yourself and take care of all the dogs. The club I in up in georgia started having hogs on it 3 years ago now they are all over the place. They are more feral than wild but they taste good. It gives you more reasons to go up to the club and do work when you can take off and kill a hog or two when the work is done. Buck It

[hogdogs]

I know what you mean! WHATTA RUSSSSHHHH!!!! As Freddie Kruger once said! If you want to salvage some food plots...Set it up with your club, I will bring my catch machine and a buddy has some decent dogs. We will be glad to make a weekend out of clearing up some "problems" on your lease! If it is equipped with 'lektrisity and one of them thar "real cold" boxes We can even leave some behind to reward the membership for coming and helping on a detail day! But it would need to be shortly as it won't be long and them boy's minds will be in the "gutter" I mean "rut"! Brent

[KwackWacker]

Seems to me that jumping into a mass of hogs and dogs with a knife would be a lot like trying to stop a bushhog blade with your finger. I think I'll leave that sort of thing to you fellas. Y'all got all of your fingers and toes?

[hogdogs]

KW, it is all about the dogs! They may get the "HORN" but if they do their job... the pig is "stopped" I will take a guy in a heartbeat to show them the fun! Just ask that you help out by holding dogs when we go to pulling them off! That and maybe help with the dragging duties! I have all my limbs and minor extremities, albeit I have gotton 2 good bites! Both came after the hog was caught and them pigs clamp down like a pitbull! It is hard to say to yourself when bit "DON'T PULL, DON'T PULL" And you hope they don't go to head shaking like a dog too! The hardest part is being on the ground before the catch! You gotta scoot to the bay as the trail dogs could be getting the living chit beat out of them! Then you simply turn the catch dog loose and sprint for the catch! Grab a few legs and tip it over, now you decide to stick and git or tie and drag! If you saw or heard other hogs you stick or tie while you send the dogs after another! Open invites for a real great time! Just let me know in advance the level of participation you are game for! That is a simple request to protect my dogs, my son and myself! Hope to show others the thrill of a truly southern form of hunting! brent

[hogdogs]

One thing to point out is the multiple hogs in a bay is possible but it is usually one hog bayed or the dogs split up and have 2 seperate bays at once. This is rough on the dogs as the ones that are expected to bay until the first is caught up good are in severe jeopardy! we usually only have one hog in the mass and the dogs ain't snapping like freaks! The bulldogs are clamped solid and the grittier bay dogs will assist the bull dogs but once "bit up" you are pretty safe from dog bite and the chances are slim that the hog will get free from the catch dogs unless they trash them! brent

[KwackWacker]

I've been. I enjoyed it. Had a good time. Don't want to do it again. Thanks for the invite though. I'll stick with my bow.