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Had to drop the missus off 'down the track' for an overnight bushwalk with one of her work-mates, so continued on to try for a few pigs with one of my work-mates, and his dad visiting from NZ. Haven't seen a single hog this year despite several successful buff-hunts, there is just so much water left in that country from the last wet season's big finish that the game is well scattered.

Yesterday we put in the hard yards and hiked overland for several kilometres to an isolated spring and associated swamp-jungle, which has never failed us before. Well, it didn't fail us this time either, but judging by the sign, the whole area held only two boars, and we got 'em both.

The first one bolted out 'my' side of the swamp, and copped a .577-calibre 650-grain Woodleigh through the ribs while running absolutely flat-out. I saw him hunch up and then turn directly away, so thinking the bullet may have been a little far back, I gave him another through from the stern. That dumped him! Needn't have dirtied the second barrel as it turned out!

The second boar also ran out my side, but well forward of my position. After a shout to determine my location, Glenno shot him on the run through the trees with his Marlin rattle-gun. A mature boar, but a bit lacking in ivory unfortunately.

The only real disappointment was that there wasn't a third boar to give Glen's dad a shot. We're hoping that the bush will dry out fairly quickly now with the onset of hot weather, but we're still getting overnight temperatures way below 20 degrees celcius inland, so it might be a while yet. If we get early rain, we might not get much good pig-hunting at all!

No doubt somebody is getting on to them, but my only plan is to keep trying different areas till I stumble onto good numbers again. They've got to be somewhere!

Come to think of it, there is that creekline over behind Nugget's old tin-mine that usually dries out early. Might give that a try next weekend......

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Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
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www.marrakai-adventure.com.au