My two day guided hunt lasted 15 minutes

[nikeandros]

A little back story here, I have always been a DIY kind of guy when it comes to hunting which has definitely yielded mixed results. I starting hunting in high school with my buddy, and we would run around the public lands of central/coastal California with archery equipment and no idea what we were doing. We would see pigs but never got close to shoot anything but piglets which I chose to pass on. Years went on and I would occasionally try for pigs but stopped a few years back, though continued to buy tags each year just in case. Well this year I turned 30 and decide to go on my first guided hunt ever and figured I would opt for a pig to try and complete that long term goal. So I reach out to the guide, scheduled a two day hunt, and prepped and provisioned accordingly. Night before I drive three hours to car camp, and get up at 0400 to meet the guide, we drive about fifteen minutes to some private land and gear up. Guide says we should check out a pond really quick that was right near the farm house where we had parked. So we hoofed it for about five minutes and I shot this pig at the pond. I can't argue with my success but I was kind of looking forward to the full two day experience. Oh well. Just wanted to share my story, figured you guys might appreciate it.

Rifle is a Bighorn Origin that I built with a Proof barrel in a Manners EH1 and topped with a Meopta Optika6 3-18x56. Ammo was the factory Barnes Vor-TX 6.5CM load shooting 120gr TTSX. Pig was a little over 200lbs.

you shouldn't be.. " disappointed... we ( 4 friends) we are renting a land is 2 years now no one never hunt on that land) first year just 4 days freezing under the rain.. we saw I deer from far. hiding in the bushes was female ( no permit for that ) so we went over 1400later with no meat

last year hunting season. 3 female permits... I lost mine.. ( I was aiming 200 yard away. and wasn't my spot. couldn't turn easily ( the female appeared on my back at 20 feet.. I just stop breathing and let her go.. slowly... to don't scrap my buddy's chance... the next 2 days.. cold as he'll.. one small button head... we let him go..

we went home no meat again!!after 5 days. and 800 $ less each in our pocket... that is frustrating .. believe...!!! passing by to say hello to the " LAND"... WE SAW 5 BIG MALES AND 7 FEMALES .. LAUGHING AF US.. I THINK ONE OF THE YOUNGEST DEER GAVE US THE MIDDLE FINGER..TOO

 

[TENHunter]

Great hunt for sure. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[villagelightsmith]

you shouldn't be.. " disappointed... we ( 4 friends) we are renting a land is 2 years now no one never hunt on that land) first year just 4 days freezing under the rain.. we saw I deer from far. hiding in the bushes was female ( no permit for that ) so we went over 1400later with no meat

last year hunting season. 3 female permits... I lost mine.. ( I was aiming 200 yard away. and wasn't my spot. couldn't turn easily ( the female appeared on my back at 20 feet.. I just stop breathing and let her go.. slowly... to don't scrap my buddy's chance... the next 2 days.. cold as he'll.. one small button head... we let him go..

we went home no meat again!!after 5 days. and 800 $ less each in our pocket... that is frustrating .. believe...!!! passing by to say hello to the " LAND"... WE SAW 5 BIG MALES AND 7 FEMALES .. LAUGHING AF US.. I THINK ONE OF THE YOUNGEST DEER GAVE US THE MIDDLE FINGER..TOO

Same thing happens fishing. A buddy and I have driven 1200 miles across the border into Canadian back country, traveled a hundred miles or so in a canoe, and been almost totally skunked... 1 little grayling about the size of a smelt or a trophy sardine. The next trip we actually got tired of reeling 'em in and watching each other catch fish. Biggest elk I ever saw was when I just had an antlerless deer tag. There's coming back to camp and finding elk tracks all around the tent. There was a pre-season scouting trip when we had no bear tags, and the bears got into our coolers. I've come to the conclusion that it's really all about walking, looking, maybe's, laughter and sitting 'round the fire with the best company on earth. George, for all the years, and all the miles, I miss you.

 

[Sheba]

That hog looks bigger than 200 lbs! How do you like the Meopta? Is it good with low light?

 

[brcfo_outdoors]

That hog looks bigger than 200 lbs! How do you like the Meopta? Is it good with low light?

This was my first time hunting with it as it is a relatively recent purchase so I can only offer up my preliminary thoughts. I like it, especially at its price point. The tool less resettable zero on the elevation is convenient and the magnification adjustment is smooth. Overall it is just user friendly. Does it feel like it is built to the same specs as my Kahles or a Razor HD Gen II, no, but I wasn't expecting it to. With it being so new I haven't really spent much time behind it in transitional light, but I shot this pig before 0600 under a fairly heavy oak coverage and had no problems picking up the details and didn't have to use the illumination. I had a set of Meopta 8x56 binoculars which were great, especially in low light, so I bought this based on their performance. I also went for the MRAD reticle and am content with that choice.

 

[RidgeTop]

I know what you mean with season ending early. Got this 10pt 5 min after season opener in Michigan. I was set to stay 2 weeks, left after 2 days.
Nice pig.
I was watching a clearing 400yds left and 300yds right and this guy came out about 40yds in front of me. I had my .300Wby and aimed for the bottom of the chest and got a perfect heart shot - bang flop.

 

[BHP9]

WHY would someone ban pig hunting?? Destructive pests.

The theory is that killing one makes them smarter about where to go at which times, and that they could breed more often.

 

[COBrad]

Reading the new comments the past day or so, it always surprised me a bit when one of my clients killed on the first day and almost invariably left camp that day or the day after. Made me feel they came for the kill, not the experience of the hunt. We were hunting elk in the fabulous Colorado high country! Man don't leave yet! Sleep in, have breakfast with me and the cook, ride along for a day and we'll pack meat or scout… I'll take you fishing in the beaver ponds and high lakes… so much to relax and enjoy and you want to go home!!?? One morning while on a solo hunt I had been awake most of the night, constantly woke up by the bulls bugling in the meadow I was camped in. Well before daylight I was sitting on a log drinking coffee waiting for shooting light. I listened as a bull slowly came through the Aspen forest toward me. I set my coffee on the log, picked up my rifle and walked maybe 50 yards into the woods. The bull walked up maybe 40 yards from me, stopped and bugled and I dropped him in his tracks. After making sure he was dead I went back and finished my still warm coffee. It wasn't much of a hunt but I sure enjoyed sleeping late, catching fish, napping in the sun, watching the stars late into the night and eating s'mores. With my meat well cooled hanging in the shade I didn't ride out until three days later. It was an extremely enjoyable hunt!

 

[Clark54]

The theory is that killing one makes them smarter about where to go at which times, and that they could breed more often.

I agree on the theory. For example, we do experience educated birds, the ducks in NC act differently than the birds in Canada, before they have gotten shot all the way down the flyway!
I can see this if hunters are pursuing alternative methods. Trapping pigs is supposed to be much more effective than hunting. But hunting is better than nothing...

 

[pdog shooter]

Hogs recently showed up on my place, after seeing what they can do to a pasture I wish they would go away. But, if they are here to stay might as well make use of them. Ones I see don't look anything like your California hog, one generation from being in some body's lot. Does California have rules for shooting hogs? Any time with any weapon in this part of GA.

 

[Blacktailer]

Hogs recently showed up on my place, after seeing what they can do to a pasture I wish they would go away. But, if they are here to stay might as well make use of them. Ones I see don't look anything like your California hog, one generation from being in some body's lot. Does California have rules for shooting hogs? Any time with any weapon in this part of GA.

California doesn't have a season for pigs but you do have to buy tags. When I escaped there a few years ago the tags were still cheap and available.

 

[xsn10s]

California doesn't have a season for pigs but you do have to buy tags. When I escaped there a few years ago the tags were still cheap and available.

It's just hard to find a decent place to hunt them, at least on public lands. I paid to go on Tejon Ranch twice, it was fun but not cheap.

 

[KSB209]

CA used to sell books of hog tags. I think it was 5 tags for around $10. Farmers that had hogs would let you on their property to get rid of them. That was 20 years ago. Now it is all about the money. Hog tags are sold individually for around $15'ish I think and the farmers figured it out that people would pay $500-$1000 to kill a hog so now they make money selling hog hunts on their land.

I don't like it but I can't blame them either. Public land hog hunting is pretty difficult. As for CA increasing the price of tags for an animal they want to get rid of is BS but this is CA and not much makes sense here anymore so go figure. Now the state wants to pay people/companies to kill hogs because there are too many of them…..

 

[xsn10s]

CA used to sell books of hog tags. I think it was 5 tags for around $10. Farmers that had hogs would let you on their property to get rid of them. That was 20 years ago. Now it is all about the money. Hog tags are sold individually for around $15'ish I think and the farmers figured it out that people would pay $500-$1000 to kill a hog so now they make money selling hog hunts on their land.

I don't like it but I can't blame them either. Public land hog hunting is pretty difficult. As for CA increasing the price of tags for an animal they want to get rid of is BS but this is CA and not much makes sense here anymore so go figure. Now the state wants to pay people/companies to kill hogs because there are too many of them…..

The mindset down there can be skewed. Very skewed.