todays hunt....gave us the slip

[bigboarstopper]

I ran the dogs today on my new lease. We started at the bottom of a large canyon where I overflowed the cattle trough for the hogs a week earlier. My female took off up the canyon for 20 min and struck on the right side. The race crossed the botttom up on the other side and she stopped the hog in the thick brush and the rest of the dogs cought up with her. We attempted to close the half mile gap but the race went over into the next canyon.

We ran back to the UTV and raced up and over the canyon and ended up above the bay about 40 yards. the 4 dogs that were there were baying hard and we let loose 3 younger greener dogs. They closed the gap and the hog broke back to the origional canyon and side hilled it almost 2 miles.

We radio tracked some dogs and picked up the ones that lost the hog. We watched a brushy mountain hillside as the hog came out of the brush and ran over the top. A few minutes later we could see 2 dogs come out in the same place and go over. 5 minutes later the hog came back over the mountain and back into the brush from where he came. 2 minutes later those 2 same dogs looking quite confused followed. The bewildered dogs came back and we had a good laugh and tiped our hats to the hog that gave us the slip.

We boxed the dogs and rode down the mountain back to the trough to let the dogs get a break and a drink. We let them out and within a few minutes my lead female was gone. She decided she wasnt finished and ran back up and out of the canyon, over the brushy mountain and struck the hog again. We boxed the dogs back up and raced back. By the time we got there the race was even further than before. The brushy mountain was impossible to pass through. My dog was completely out of tracking range so I had no idea which way she went.

I spent 2 hours trying to get a fix on her position. Nothing. I left my jacket on the ground for her to track me back and went to the neighbors ranch to see if she ended up there. We rode the neighbors ranch for an hour or so and got no signal. I went back to the jacket to see if she was there. Nothing. We decided to head back to were we left our pickups to put all our gear away and get therest of the dogs out of the cramped UTV box. When we arrived my female was sound asleep under my truck........

[pegleg]

it's nice when they show up. I like dogs with enough brains to come out when they need to. a dog that just takes off in a line doesn't last long with me. a game driven dog doesn't have to equal a idiot that can't figure out how to come back and check in after a lost track etc. I work some with young dogs to teach them they need to hunt ME up if they get lost most catch on real quick. it's easier to find a dog who is looking for you too even with a tracking collar.

[bigboarstopper]

I have to say it was one of the most fun hunts I have had in a while. Not catching the hog didnt make a bit of difference. He was a smart hog who used his head and not his tusks to get himself out of a sticky situation. I look foreward to having another race with him.

I dont worry about losing dogs often. But after that 4th hour of tracking without a single beep covering all those solid brush mountains I start to get that sinking feeling that I hate. I certainly gave a sigh of relief when I found her back at the truck.

[haynhogdogger]

Hey BigBoarStopper coulda sworn I was listening to one of my buddies tellin this story Thats how the hogs are over here they rather run than fight but hey who can blame um thats how they live to see another day. Ive seen hogs runnin with dogs clamped to thier backside didnt even wanna try and fight just run forest run LOL!!!

Better luck next time stopping him/her let us know how it goes.

Aloha and enjoyed the story!!!