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I started making my way around at 11pm, all fed and ready to roll. I had seen this boar previously on late afternoons in an area I knew well. The dogs tried hitting him a couple of times before this night but my dog-power was not the best as I was running a young dog called K-West, a clever young dog who was taught from a pup with no main dog to show him the ropes. I just kept constantly running him over good pig rooting. I don’t know what it was with him but he favoured chasing boars over sows. He could stop a boar on the run but mainly bailed. He was only 1year 4 months old at that time.
Anyway he missed this boar 3 times in a 2 week period. It got a bit hectic so I changed up the afternoon to a midnight hunt. That night I hit the forestry block around 11.30pm, K-West jumped off the bike and gapped it down this shitty steep cut over and it was about 20 minutes later that I heard him let off a couple barks and I wondered if he was on the boars trail that we keep missing. 30 minutes had passed in silence then I heard a massive tussle up so I proceeded to walk down this steep cut over towards the action. It broke 2 times before I could reach them and went about 800 metres from where I heard their last tussle up and ended up right down in a tight gut in the river. I knew that I had to move quick in case he was getting his lollies.
So that was me! Full bolt in pitch black with my headlight on, sliding down slips and smacking into forestry over growth to reach my dog. He sat with a solid bail for 1 and a half and I finally got 100 metres from him and I could hear a lot of action so I snuck in and when I got the light on them, the boar had a smaller buddy with him trying to have a go at K-West, but I could see he was determined for the bigger pig and kept dodging the smaller boar to get at the big boar.
It was a proud moment then and there for him to his push and patience. Every time the bigger boar tried to give him the slip he was on its back legs spinning him back around and keeping him at bay. I had to move fast and get a good clear shoot but with so much under growth and dead logs to work around I finally got a clear moment to take the shot. Right before I pulled the trigger the smaller boar, about 100 pound come out of nowhere and rushed me on this tight animal track head on. I jumped out of its path and hip shoot him in the neck just behind the head. I fell over and stood back up and I could hear K-West still going to town, bailing hard still on the bigger boar so I stalked in quietly again and he had it sitting behind a big stump on its arse. I got in a bit closer and he had it sitting behind this big stump, my heart was beating out my chest finally you bugger, Ive got a good clear shot… BOOM! In through his chest and heart shot him before he could break again. Sacked him behind that stump.
I no longer have K-West but that was one of many memories I will hold on to until I’m in the box. I Had a double massive carry out straight back up the cut over. By the time I got the second pig to the bike it was 4.30 am and my dog come out with a couple good rips but nothing life threatening and he was a happy chap. Me and the bro got home at day break to enjoy a hot cuppa T and Brekky. Gave the dog a good Brekky and pat then out for a big sleep.
Huna McClutchie