Here is another hunt from earlier this evening.
Annie and I were at my parent's house this evening, and of course, I had my 9.3x62 Tracker along just in case. As we started to leave, I decided to make a "stalk" through the pasture and down by the creek. I parked the 4 wheeler beside an old brush pile, and we started off through the pasture. As we got to where the creek makes a hard bend out into the pasture, I heard what sounded like hogs rooting in the creek gravel. The brush along the creek was too thick at that point, so I walked down to where I could get to the creek bank for a look.
Though it was still light enough to see out in the pasture, under the tree canopy along the creek it was nearly too dark to see my sights, but after letting my eyes adjust to the darkness, I was able to find the source of the rooting. All I could tell though was that it appeared to be a fairly large hog and was no more than 20-25 yards below me in the creek bed. I could just barely see my sights, but I aimed at what appeared to be the shoulder and pull the trigger. The hog started squealing to took off down the creek and out of sight. At the shot, three more hogs that I hadn't seen up the creek came running by and up the bank of the opposite side. With Annie beside me, we sat still for a while to see if one of the others might come back out, but I could hear what sounded like my wounded hog just around a bend in the creek. We moved back out into the pasture and down the creek about another 50 yards to a place where I could see a long stretch of the creek bed, but there was no hogs in sight. I could still hear them in the brush on the other side of the creek, but I wasn't about to go after them in the dark with no light. We stayed on the bank for about another 5 minutes, and I heard what sounded like a hog grunting out in the pasture behind us.
Annie got back out in the pasture just before I did and had already seen the four piglets when I came into the open. Before I could stop her, she took off after the pigs and chased them into the brush on the other side of the pasture. I called for her, but I knew that was pointless. She was having entirely too much fun now. I could hear them running out in the brush, and it sounded like they were circling back toward me. In a matter of seconds, Annie and one of the piglets came running back out of the thicket into the pasture about 50 yards away from me. Without really taking time to think, I had my safety off and was swinging out in front of the hog. Just as I pulled the trigger, I realized just how close Annie was behind this pig, and when he rolled up, she literally ran over him before she could stop. He thrashed a couple of time and was done. That pig weighed about 50 pounds and is now in my refrigerator cooling.
I have read on the internet about "driven hunts" and have never truly understood the attraction, but after tonight, I have seen the light. Having Annie chase that piglet out in front of me and killing it on the run, was absolutely the biggest rush that I have ever experienced while hunting.
I have to work first thing in the morning, but as soon as I get home, Annie and I are going back out to find the other hog.
Here is Annie and the little pig on the cleaning rack.
