One Month Odyssey Part 4 Primitive

[86er]

There are a lot of hogs in Texas. The problem is that most of them are nocturnal. When they are shot, it is most likely to be over a feeder or ancillary to some other hunting. I searched for a place where our clients can enjoy some of the finest hog hunting with 100% success and a variety of options. I found hog hunting heaven! This private land is ate up with hogs and if you have trouble finding one here there are about 10,000 acres nearby that host a ton of hogs. The base of the operations is 2 1/2 hours from Miami, 1 1/2 hours from Orlando in south central Florida. My friend Lee will handle most of this for me at the site. I took a client here to check it out. The first thing different about this hunt is that we use dogs. The Redbones bay the hog and you can then shoot it with a firearm or archery equipment. A huge advantage to this type of hunting is that you WILL get a hog bayed in the daylight and you can then be selective about the one you take. Maybe you want a huge trophy tusker - or maybe you'd prefer a meat sow. With this method you can call off the dogs if you don't want to kill the hog they bayed. There will be another hog around the next corner. We set out on a swamp buggy that puts you about 10 feet off the ground. The Redbones ride in a box hanging under the buggy. When they smell a hog they bellow, the buggy is stopped and they are let loose. We drove around in the Palmetto swamp for about 20 minutes when the first series of wails came. The dogs were released and they began to trail and howl. After another 5 minutes a 60 pounder or so sow ran out of some brush and the dogs were in hot pursuit. They bayed the hog after another 100 yards and we got down to investigate. The hog was not what we wanted to kill, if fact we didn't care if we killed any since we were just here to check out the place. Besides, the borrowed rifle was not as personal as using our own equipment. We set out on the buggy again. Suddenly, Cindy the older of the two dogs let out a howl. We released the pair and they took off at a brisk trot. After a short trail they bayed a big old boar. The boar ran into an opening where a power line sendero was. The Redbones were keeping the boar bayed by circling a power pole and making the boar run around the pole. Suddenly, the boar charged the younger dog and tried to gouge her. She was smart enough to retreat and did not get nailed but next the boar came for us. Casey ran out in front of me to help me out. He suffered a gash on the calf as the boar knocked him over and came for me. I ran, but not fast enough to avoid being pierced by the boar's cutters. The Redbones got the boar bayed up by the pole again and we called for my other client Peter to shoot. Low and behold he yells back that there are no cartridges in the rifle! Casey runs to the buggy with me while the boar is charging the Redbones again. We quickly released Chocolate, aka "Killer" and grabbed two spears. Killer is a Pit Bull who's job is to intervene when a hog acts up. Killer quickly charged in and grabbed the boar hog by the head. Killer held on tight while the boar thrashed his head and hooked the dog with his cutters. I threw a spear to Peter and he and I ran in and stuck the hog. After one thrust I backed off and grabbed the camera, while Casey took my spear and assisted Peter. Three thrusts of the spear, one from me and two from Peter and the hog lay dead. Killer suffered some serious cuts and required dozens of stitches in his neck, chest and ribs. Casey needed stitches in his calf. I don't know if I needed any because I had other work to do and refused to go to the Medical Center with Casey. That dog saved us from serious injury and saved the Redbones from death. The boar hog weighed 288 pounds and had 3 1/4 inch cutters! You can experience this exciting hog hunt with guns, archery or spears for only $150 total for hogs up to 200 pounds and $350 for boars well over 200 pounds that are considered "trophy boars". There is good accomodations nearby at the Holiday Inn Express for $149 per night. Skinning and quartering is only $20 per hog. You can have a group of up to 8 at one time. It is a good family hunt because your wife and kids can ride high and safe in the buggy and you can shoot from up there or get down to shoot when a hog is bayed. There is a perfect view of all the action from the buggy and the guys will drive right in on the bayed hog to make sure you can see and take photos or video. With this part of the trip accomplished it was time to break out the passport.....

We let this one go:


Not this one:

[rjohns94]

Sounds like a hog and gator double hunt may be possible? Hog with a spear is awesome!

[Griff]

Spear chunkin' hogs???!!!! Probably more excitement than this ol man needs! Sounds great tho Joe. Thanks for the report.

[rjohns94]

Welcome back on line Griff.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

Yeah, this place is all ate up with hogs. To the point that it's irritating. Come shoot more.

[BenT]

I've hunted with redbones , but nothing like that. I would have to have a beer just to reflect on a day of hunting like that.

[Hobie]

Cold Steel boar spears?

[Ysabel Kid]

Joe - any details on the weapon that dispatched that hog? Where does one find a spear like that?

And where is the lever on that spear?

[alnitak]

Count me in on spearing a hog! I'll come down with Mike.

[PrimitiveHunter]

looks like the guy was stabbin the hog in the guts....but a nice hog nonetheless and your dog took a beaten, tough dog there.

[crs]

Thank you for locating this for me.

[rjohns94]

I have got to have one of those pig stickers!!

Looking at the cold steel site, it does not appear to be one of theirs. They have two that are close, one has a guard on it which the one in the picture does not, and the other, an Assegi (sp?) looks to be more narrow than the one shown in the picture. I would really like to know where those came from. Very kewl

[Rimfire McNutjob]

Sadly, I'd say one of Ganjiro's handmade jobs would be perfect for this hog spearing quest.

[1886]

Assagi. Swahili for spear. At least I think so. Hope I spelled everything correctly. 1886.

[madman4570]

You guys are really doin it.
Now thats hardcore hunting.
Guns? who needs them, you guys already have a backup plan.
If the spear dont finish ya, fido will
Well done MEN,well done.

[86er]

The spears were homemade from a shovel (spade) ground down to the proper contour, point added and sharpened on a wheel.

[madman4570]

Very Impressive 86er!!

[FWiedner]

I've got to do one of these hunts.

I can't help myself.

[Ysabel Kid]

The spears were homemade from a shovel (spade) ground down to the proper contour, point added and sharpened on a wheel.

Brilliant! I just added a project to the list!!!

[Jaguarundi]

Yup spear hunting is also legal in bama for Deer and Hog.Here is Gene's website about spearhuntinghttp://www.huntingwithspears.com/.