Dangerous encounters

[ilbob]

Show on National Geographic channel tonight. Had a show about feral hogs today.

The host is a guy that goes around catching poisonous snakes, gators, etc. I have watched him a few times and while he pretends to be scared of the critters, it seems more fake than real. This time he was squealing like a girl and wanted little part of the pigs.

They showed a guy who appeared to have a holstered firearm AND the swamp buggy had an AR style rifle on some hooks that was shown quite prominently several times.

They briefly mentioned hunting hogs as a way to deal with them, and even showed them being dog hunted, although they did not show the hogs being captured by any dogs. They did show the capture dogs as they referred to them wearing their Kevlar vests with multiple slashes in them already. They just sort of left it to ones imagination how the capture dogs did their thing. Some nice looking hounds along with the pits.

 

[Sunray]

"...hogs being captured by any dogs..." They don't get 'captured' by the dogs. A dog can corner a hog long enough for the hunter to shoot, but they don't capture a hog.

 

[BFE]

"...hogs being captured by any dogs..." They don't get 'captured' by the dogs. A dog can corner a hog long enough for the hunter to shoot, but they don't capture a hog.

You are wrong on this one sir.
Dog's do indeed catch and hold hog's until they are finally tied up or stuck with a long bladed knife. This has been done for manny years, most of the hog's are pened and then sold for different reasons depending on who buy's them. One can make a good side business doing this in the right area and have quite a bit of fun doing it. One draw back is some of the larger hog's end up drowning when the dog's catch them.

 

[MCgunner]

"...hogs being captured by any dogs..." They don't get 'captured' by the dogs. A dog can corner a hog long enough for the hunter to shoot, but they don't capture a hog.

Do a knife hunt sometime. Yes, they do grab the hog by the nose and ears. One person will hold the hogs hind legs wheel barrow style while one slits the throat (how I've done it).

I've not seen these kevlar vests for dogs. Guys down here just carry suture kits and sew up the dogs when they get cut, or the hunts which happens occasionally. At least that's how it used to happen. I haven't done it in over 15 years. Kevlar vests sound like a better way and I suppose the sport is evolving. Dog owners do lose a dog occasionally. The vest would save a lot of dogs, especially those that are still apprenticing. It's not a sport for the less than adventurous, though..

 

[ilbob]

I am not a hunter, but was kind of bummed they did not do more then just mention hunting as a way of dealing with feral hogs. In fact, I am not sure they actually used the word hunt or hunting when they did mention it. I think they said "killed".

A few years back I was down south and was talking with some guys in a lumber mill. They were telling me about hog hunting with dogs. I had never heard of using pits to hold hogs until the hunter can get to them. Never heard of capturing them alive and fattening them up either. There are actually guys that take the wild captured pigs and feed them corn for a few weeks to make the meat taste better before butchering them. I would never have guessed.

I thought one guy was going to cry when he told me how the last time he had hog hunted a hog killed a couple of his dogs.

 

[MCgunner]

Yeah, this guy I went with didn't want any firearms around, worried about his dogs. They sure take care of them dogs to be puttin' 'em in harms way so much. LOL I talked him into letting me carry, promised it'd be a last resort. I only went a few times with this guy, was a friend of a guy I worked with. It's fun, but a lot of work and up all night stomping through rice fields. My hog trap is a lot easier. I've killed a few with the rifle, too. Hog hunting can be fruitful even in broad daylight for the still hunter if you're on a chunk of property that's thoroughly ate up with 'em. If there's not a huge overpopulation of 'em, best to hunt bait and they go nocturnal pretty quick with any hunting pressure. That's okay, hunting at night is legal, just takes some special equipment, scope mounted spot light helps and a bright, light gathering, large objective scope.

I think I'll rig my 7 mag up for it. I have a very bright Weatherby Supreme scope on it, 44mm objective, great optics. I have a spotlight with a 1" scope mount. I really don't use that 7 mag for much else anymore. It's rather destructive on bambis around here. My .308 is my preferred hunting rifle, but that Weatherby scope is just awesome. I could swap scopes around, but I like the Weaver I have on the .308, just a 40mm, not quite as bright in moonlight, though.

 

[Uncle Mike]

Hey Ilbob... these guys are spot on concerning the dogs and hog hunting..

The 'vests' are kevlar armor to keep that ol' hog from cutting the dogs... well as much as it will.

Folks in the south do indeed knife hunt hogs, the dogs hold the hogs and you stick it with a blade.

I get a capacious laugh when I hear of the flesh eating sanguinary feral hog wrecking havoc on the unwary hunter.

.... you need a .375 H&H or a .300 WBY Mag. to dispatch those horrendous hogs.... hehehe even for a.... I don't want anyone to have nightmares.. Ruskie Boar!

Ask one of these guys about 'nuttin' hogs.... hehehe

 

[Dave P]

Bob, have you seen "the pig bomb" on tv? That showed quite a bit of dog hunting.

What was that method they used ? A few spotter type dogs to corner the hog, then the hunters let go of their catch dog. One of them with a vest looked like a large pit, with strong jaws.

You won't catch me out there tromping thru the muck on a hot Florida night!

 

[Uncle Mike]

You won't catch me out there tromping thru the muck on a hot Florida night!

Yea, know what you mean.... the skeeters will carry you off and there is a good chance you'll step where a cow stopped! hehehe

 

[MCgunner]

Bigger problem is moccasins and gators you don't see in the dark. Lots of both around here in the rice fields.

 

[Girodin]

A dog can corner a hog long enough for the hunter to shoot, but they don't capture a hog.

Ever wonder why they call them catch dogs?

Kevlar vests sound like a better way and I suppose the sport is evolving.

One thing about vests is that they can pose a serious risk of causing the dog to overheat when the weather is warm, particularly if it is a catch dog running free and not being walked up to a bay. A cut collar ought to be a minimum though IMO.

 

[61chalk]

Anyone ever see the hunting video with Dan Fitzgerald an Bob Foulkrod called "Ferocious Tuskers"...bowhunted with dogs...Now that should be on T.V....saw another one of a guy that knifed one, an one guy caught one but got cut by a tusk, they showed his son use a needle an fishing line to sow his cut hand up...washed it off in the muddy river...good to go.