Well it finally happened yesterday. After 67 years my dad finally shot his first big game animal. A whopping 35lb sow. But I haven't haven't had more fun in the woods in all my life. See dad never was really a hunter. He was raised on big ranches that my grandpa managed. Occasionally he'd go kick up a few quail or pot shot some ducks. But he never had an interest in big game.....until I started shooting pigs and smoked a few for him and mom.
He's been out 5 times as of last night. 3 with me. 1 by himself. And then again with me yesterday evening. I've put him on pigs on 3 separate occasions. And 3 times he's started shaking so bad the end of his barrel looked like an orchestra conductor's baton. Hasn't had to shoot farther than 35 yards. So here's the story. I know it isn't much to you guys. But it was a big deal to me....
So we're walking a big (~20 acre) pond dike on some public land. We haven't seen anything except 6 deer. The sun is just starting to fade. There's almost no wind. But it's a slightly north wind. He's getting tired because we're about 4 miles in. The grass below the dike is so tall you have to get in just the right spot to be able to see anything. We're talking 6'-7' tall and super thick. Only way you know pigs are close is you see the grass moving.
We round one bend and are walking and talking when low and behold I see the grass moving about 45-50 yards away.
I whisper "Dad, its pigs". He doesn't hear me. Did I mention after 25 years as a police officer my dad's hearing absolutely SUCKS? Well, it does. So I smack him on the arm.
"What?"
"Pigs. Right there. See the grass moving?"
"No? Where?"
"Dad. 40 yards. By that tree. See it moving and that black area? That's a pig. Wait. There's two"
"I don't see it"
(Oh sweet Jesus help me)
"Well trust me. It's pigs. Move up nice and easy."
So we get within about 35 yards and a nice pig (~150lbs) steps out.
"Please tell me you see it now"
"Yeah I see it. You want me to shoot it?"
"No dad. We're just pig hunting. Let's let the pig go... Hell yes I want you to shoot it."
So dad brings the rifle up (cue the crescendo for the meistro) and...Boom!!
The pig spins and takes off.
"You feel good about the shot?"
"Oh yeah."
So I hop the fence, clear my 10mm and start looking for blood. Not a drop. Looked for 20 minutes. Text my brother to express my frustration because I can't say anything to dad. I climb back up on the dike. He's obviously bummed out.
"It's cool dad. We're gonna get you a pig."
So we start walking again. There's a small pond just north of the big pond. Maybe 50 yards north. From the dike you can see the entire pond. When we get to where we can see the pond, I look out and there are two pigs standing by the water. About 15 yards apart. I point...
"Dad. There's two pigs standing by the water you see 'me?"
"No. Where?"
(Good lord not again!!)
"Right there dad. Pull your rifle up and look through your scope."
So he does.
"Yeah I see 'em"
(Thank you lord)
"Ok. How about this time you use my shoulder as a rest."
So he puts the rifle on my shoulder, I close my eyes and plug my ears (I realize this wasn't the safest option but it's the hand I was dealt).
"You ready? You got him?"
"Yeah"
"Ok. Take him."
BOOOM. I open my eyes as soon as he fired so I could se if the pig runs off. And I heard the "thwack". The pig I thought he was shooting at shoot runs off into the woods. (Here we go again). By this point it's really getting late. But I hop the fence again and had him guide me to where he thought the pig was. No blood. I look and look. Nothing. I happen to have something dark catch my eye and look over at what I thought was a piece of drift wood. And there in all her glory was that little sow.
(Halfway yelling back to him about 150 yards from me)
"Well dad....?"
"I missed didn't I"?
And I reached down and grabbed that sow by the back legs and held her up.
"Not this time!"
I haven't seen my dad fist pump in years. But he did. I carried her almost 2 miles on my shoulders to get her back to the truck. Talked the whole way. Made jokes. Laughed a lot. Got her home, took the hams and tenders and he cleaned my bloody pistol.
And that was my best day.....
He's been out 5 times as of last night. 3 with me. 1 by himself. And then again with me yesterday evening. I've put him on pigs on 3 separate occasions. And 3 times he's started shaking so bad the end of his barrel looked like an orchestra conductor's baton. Hasn't had to shoot farther than 35 yards. So here's the story. I know it isn't much to you guys. But it was a big deal to me....
So we're walking a big (~20 acre) pond dike on some public land. We haven't seen anything except 6 deer. The sun is just starting to fade. There's almost no wind. But it's a slightly north wind. He's getting tired because we're about 4 miles in. The grass below the dike is so tall you have to get in just the right spot to be able to see anything. We're talking 6'-7' tall and super thick. Only way you know pigs are close is you see the grass moving.
We round one bend and are walking and talking when low and behold I see the grass moving about 45-50 yards away.
I whisper "Dad, its pigs". He doesn't hear me. Did I mention after 25 years as a police officer my dad's hearing absolutely SUCKS? Well, it does. So I smack him on the arm.
"What?"
"Pigs. Right there. See the grass moving?"
"No? Where?"
"Dad. 40 yards. By that tree. See it moving and that black area? That's a pig. Wait. There's two"
"I don't see it"
(Oh sweet Jesus help me)
"Well trust me. It's pigs. Move up nice and easy."
So we get within about 35 yards and a nice pig (~150lbs) steps out.
"Please tell me you see it now"
"Yeah I see it. You want me to shoot it?"
"No dad. We're just pig hunting. Let's let the pig go... Hell yes I want you to shoot it."
So dad brings the rifle up (cue the crescendo for the meistro) and...Boom!!
The pig spins and takes off.
"You feel good about the shot?"
"Oh yeah."
So I hop the fence, clear my 10mm and start looking for blood. Not a drop. Looked for 20 minutes. Text my brother to express my frustration because I can't say anything to dad. I climb back up on the dike. He's obviously bummed out.
"It's cool dad. We're gonna get you a pig."
So we start walking again. There's a small pond just north of the big pond. Maybe 50 yards north. From the dike you can see the entire pond. When we get to where we can see the pond, I look out and there are two pigs standing by the water. About 15 yards apart. I point...
"Dad. There's two pigs standing by the water you see 'me?"
"No. Where?"
(Good lord not again!!)
"Right there dad. Pull your rifle up and look through your scope."
So he does.
"Yeah I see 'em"
(Thank you lord)
"Ok. How about this time you use my shoulder as a rest."
So he puts the rifle on my shoulder, I close my eyes and plug my ears (I realize this wasn't the safest option but it's the hand I was dealt).
"You ready? You got him?"
"Yeah"
"Ok. Take him."
BOOOM. I open my eyes as soon as he fired so I could se if the pig runs off. And I heard the "thwack". The pig I thought he was shooting at shoot runs off into the woods. (Here we go again). By this point it's really getting late. But I hop the fence again and had him guide me to where he thought the pig was. No blood. I look and look. Nothing. I happen to have something dark catch my eye and look over at what I thought was a piece of drift wood. And there in all her glory was that little sow.
(Halfway yelling back to him about 150 yards from me)
"Well dad....?"
"I missed didn't I"?
And I reached down and grabbed that sow by the back legs and held her up.
"Not this time!"
I haven't seen my dad fist pump in years. But he did. I carried her almost 2 miles on my shoulders to get her back to the truck. Talked the whole way. Made jokes. Laughed a lot. Got her home, took the hams and tenders and he cleaned my bloody pistol.
And that was my best day.....
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