Fish Catching Travel
While fishing is the normal fare here, every once in a while I get to do something a little different. I have wanted to hog hunt with dogs for quite a while and thanks to Jeromy and Pee Wee I got the chance. And as you know my daughter’s father-in-law, Alfie Jacobs, is here from South Africa and I was hoping to take him on a couple of adventures. And thanks to Jeromy and Pee Wee we got it done.
Alfie, his pig, Jeromy, and Ike.
We headed north to Cuero for our hunt. Jeromy has killed several hogs on this place and thought it was a good place to start. He schooled us on how things would go down if the dogs were able to catch a hog. His emphasis was on safety for both us and the dogs. He brought his pack, with 4 chase dogs and 2 catch dogs. Once we were to the ranch he let the 4 go, keeping the 2 catch dogs on the leash until the hog was bayed.
We walked along a creek bottom with the dogs ranging out and coming back as they worked the area. There was good sign, including a fairly fresh wallow, and the deer and turkeys were also active. Jeromy has a GPS tracking collar on each dog allowing him to keep track. As we walked he shared his experience and knowledge of not only killing hogs, but the part I really like, the handling and training of the dogs. He and Pee Wee have a wealth of knowledge from over 20 years of chasing hogs with dogs.
As we worked along a creek bottom Jeromy said that we might work the whole area, but due to the swirling winds, we could just as easily hit a track on the way out as on the way in. And that is exactly what happened. We had walked for a couple of hours as the dogs worked, with Jeromy keeping an eye on his tracker and the dogs.
One thing that surprised me was the fact that his dogs do not bark until they actually see the hog, and then not only could he tell they were getting close, but when the dogs actually catch the hog. As we were headed back we heard a bark and it was game on, and with the GPS we knew they were only 125 yards out. At the perfect time they released the catch dogs, with Ike the American Bulldog being the big star, and within just a minute the hog was caught. Pee Wee bolted ahead, caught the hog by his back legs, and Alfie moved in for the kill. And just that fast it was over. While no great monster boar, it did not matter to us, it was the thrill of the hunt, and trophies are where you find them.
So what a trip. You could easily see that they were pros. Their handling of the dogs, and then the hog, was awesome. I learned a ton, in fact to much to relate it all here. There is no way I could adequately cover everything we learned. Suffice to say Alfie was happy. As a world traveler and adventurer, killing a hog with a knife was a thrill for him. We also saw turkey, deer, and even killed a pretty good copperhead when we were leaving, a great adventure for the South African. For me as usual, it was in the doing. I coon hunted with dogs some as a kid, and always loved watching the dogs work. Jeromy’s dogs were real pros, well trained and efficient.
So I would like to thank Jeromy and Pee Wee for taking time to take out a couple of amateurs and letting us experience the thrill of the hunt. The weather is a little sketchy today but Jeromy called and it is off to another hunt tonight. So stay tuned, it could get interesting.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
