6-2-11

Today I guided Don Sexton on a pig hunt. We met in Colusa at 4AM and headed up to the ranch. After completing the necessary paper work we headed up the hill and got set up on a knoll over looking the wheat field. As soon as it got light enough to see I spotted a group of 10-12 pigs feeding in the wheat field, and all that we could do is sit and see what way they would leave the field. After an hour of watching them they decided to make a move and just our luck they chose a trail that led them out of harms way. We then headed into the ranch and had not seen much until we came over a small rise and had a lone boar standing in the road at 50 yards. Don hopped out and tryed to get a shot but the boar darted into the brush seconds before he was to meet his maker. We jumped on the ranger and headed up hill hoping to spot the pig again. As we neared the top of the ridge we looked over our shoulder and there stood the boar back in the middle of the road where he had been when we first spotted him. We again hopped out of the ranger and took off on foot. As we crested the ridge we caught a glimpse of the boar feeding along a brush line but before we could get set up he walked into the brush, never to be seen again. By this time it was getting late so we headed to town and decided to come back for the evening hunt. We got back to the ranch around 5:30 and immediately started seeing pigs. The first group that we saw was a group of 15 pigs that were in the 30-40 pound range. As we watched them disappear we spotted the same group form this morning and it looked as if they were headed back to the wheat field, however, they hung up in the brush before they got to the wheat. By 7:30 it seemed as if there were pigs almost every where that we looked, so we just sat tight. At 8:00 we noticed a big boar out feeding on a flat. We were getting ready to make our move when a bigger boar that I am guessing at 300 pounds came walking out and proceeded to chase the smaller boar off of the mountain and out of sight. Again we sat down and started looking and within seconds spotted a lone boar making his way down to the pond below us. We immediately made our move and got set up and ready for the shot. The boar ran all of the way to the pond and as he tried to exit the pond I stopped him and Don took his shot. The shot was a little far back but the boar dropped in his tracks. After a follow up shot Don and I headed down to claim his trophy. The boar was roughly 150 pounds and should be great table fare. We saw roughly 40 pigs this evening and they should continue to come to the wheat for the next couple of months. 
Casey