While feeding hogs, Rick asked me if I wanted to go after hogs with dogs. Since Rick doesn't hunt with dogs, and I'm never sure if I'm supposed to take him seriously, I hemmed a bit - not knowing if this was some setup or attempt at a savage burn.
It turned it he was serious as he had some friends who were going to go after hogs at night on a field that was just ate up with them. Life is about trying new things, so I said sure - I'm in. It would cost me a bit, but I'm already in on this trip more than I should be - what is a little more.
After a couple hours, I was back at the lodge for some late morning and early afternoon lollygagging. I don't do sitting around well but forced relaxation might be good sometimes. I finished my David Foster Wallace book and wondered if I might be the only person in the history of the earth to have read a book by DFW while hunting wild boar?
Jim came in toward early afternoon and we talked for a while - mostly about our various travels. He had seen the eclipse (partial anyways) in Chadron, Nebraska, just outside of totality and approximately 50 miles from where I was on that day.
Soon enough, it was time to head out for an afternoon hog hunt. We loaded up and headed out. I was dropped off at the pet cemetery stand - an elevated box blind overlooking a big rooted up field. The ladder to the blind was quite scary...
But the stand was comfortable enough and I got quickly situated and a bit sleepy - this was the warmest day of the trip, with temps in the upper 40's.
After about an hour, I saw movement, and a group of deer came in.
I guess they must have been in a really good mood since the whole group of them were playing and sparring. It isn't unusual to see this, but it is really fun to see.
They hung around for a while before working their way out of view. This happened a couple more times. About an hour before dark, I saw movement again and at first thought it was hogs - seeing more deer come out instead.
The deer fed on the corn for a few minutes before all running away to the left. I thought this was a good sign that hogs were coming from the right. About a half an hour later, more deer came out and at least a couple of them stayed on the corn pile until it was too dark to shoot. Because I was looking west into the shadows, I lost light very early compared to the previous days' hunts.
On to Plan B.
After being picked up, Rick stopped at a small church where two pickups were waiting with a small group of guys. It was Rick's friend Winston (also of the hog sausage connection), his son Neil; Andy and his son Drew. We talked for a bit before I got in Winston's truck. Rick, Will and Jim went on back to the lodge.
The field we were dog-hunting in had many deer in it when we pulled up. Winston first let loose his younger dogs which were still partially in-training. They had issues with deer, and did some chasing. All the dogs have GPS collars so they could be watched as to where they were. It was interesting to see the dogs running loose looking for ... whatever.
At some point, Winston decided the young dogs were not ready given that they hadn't hogged up and and due to the many deer. He called the younger ones back and pulled out his more experienced dog. It ran for a while, and finally caught up with something. The younger guys hauled into the woods after it, with Andy and I behind. It was as thick with brush and as swampy as should be expected in South Carolina Low Country. Winston soon yelled to head back as whatever it was was in a tree - probably a raccoon or something.
Hunting hogs with dogs is a lot of Hurry Up and Wait.
We took the dogs to another field that had a lot more hog sign. Soon enough, Winston's dog was on the scent of something. We watched it on the GPS units and headed out after it - ending up on (or at least very near) Rick's NG field. I'm not sure how pleased Rick would be with that? I guess I'll find out ... maybe.
We got close to where the dog and hog were. Waiting for the right kind of bark, we stayed silent for a few minutes. Something was coming through the woods. We lighted it up and saw a piglet. Winston let the dog loose and he grabbed it - it wasn't gentle, but it was surprisingly non-vicious too. The pig did squeal like a ... well ... cornered pig.
Andy got the dog off the pig and picked it up. Despite all the noise, it was kind of cute. All the noise made Winston's bay dog come back, which ruined any chance of getting the bigger hog. All the dogs were called back.
Andy and I made sure the piglet was ok, before setting her loose. Andy thought about bringing it home to raise - which would have been illegal. Even though everyone in the group has no issues killing hogs, and has no love for them and the destruction their feral nature brings, nobody even though about dispatching the little gal. This does say something about human nature and what many misinformed people think about hunters.
Still, none of us are about to turn vegan.
It was dark, cold and late. Winston dropped me off at the lodge. Everyone else was in bed by this time so it felt a little like sneaking in to my parents house after a night of carousing when I was in high school. I was hungry, but didn't want to make the noise that making food would have made. And I was tired.
It would have been very interesting to see a dog hog hunt end with a big pig, but it was still quite an experience and watching the dogs work was truly fascinating.
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