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It was a bitter cold 14 degree morning in northern California when I met my guide Jason with north powder outfitters. 6 am came early I walked outside to check my Kit when I saw him waiting ( A guide showing up early a sign of a good hunt) We exchanged pleasantries and loaded up my kit and headed for the ranch, 30 minutes later we entered the ranch Jason pulled over and listened at 1 spot were aggressive rooting had taken place. He had a report from one of the ranch hands a heard of 60 hogs with a few good boars were roaming the area. We continued on and set up and awaited sunrise. After glassing the valley for an hour plus with no swine of life. We then unloaded a Quad and discussed hunting strategies. My strategy U find the pig I kill the pig you can shoot when I am down my side arm ( 629 44mag) is out of ammo and the boar wont get off me and I have gone to my knife he agreed . Jason assumed since it was most likely the coldest day of the year the hogs were bedded down until the sun came out We started following power line roads for about an hour when Jason shut the bike down jumped off and handed me my rifle

( B Searcy and Co. 450-400 3inch nitro express with detachable 1.5-5 30mm Leopold VX-VI scope with Tally rings. Shooting a 400 gr Woodlegh weldcore bullet @ 2150fps). Being dumbfounded and looking around I finally saw what he was looking at. It was a snout sticking out next to a large oak tree. We discussed how to stalk up to the hogs witch were in a (pun intended) Pig pile behind the oak tree. We got to 75 yards before we had to reveal ourselves form behind some scrub oak trees. The boar stood up knowing something wasn’t right with the wind in our favor we had the advantage. I looked at the boar thinking it doesn’t look that big? Then I looked at Jason thinking I told Him I only wanted mature boars. I looked back at the hog then at Jason and received the proverbial Shoot that pig you moron look. The boar then turned to head for the hills BOOM Texas heart shot. Down he went then back up turning and covering 15 yards straight at us BOOM. Chink The 2 spent cartages hit Jason in the chest. With 2 rounds between my left fingers quick reload Boom and a miss BOOM he’s down. CHINK Reload and run up to the boar. No ground shrinkage at all Jason walked up to the hog and poked it in the eye a couple of times shook my hand and inspected the teeth. Unfortunately the right tusk was broken off. Apparently unimpressed with my shooting ability he said you might have blown it off in the flurry of bullets. We followed the blood trail to were he was originally no tooth. Heading back to the boar he lurched up at Jason and took a bite at him Boom 1 more round ended his attack. Jason and I gathered our composer and cleaned the animal we recovered 1 bullet on the inside of the armor plate and 1 a foot deep in the dirt, the last shot.

We loaded the hog on the quad pulled it up in a tree skinned and processed the hog. Next off town for lunch and rest . we then decided to go for a little resonance and glass the ranch from Coyote peak the highest point on the 20,000 acre ranch.

not seeing anything moving we headed to another spot to glass. Jason didn’t seem to expect another hog due to the weather since we had developed a 15 mph wind. He glassed for about 30 minutes and said I see something then no. 10 minutes later he glassed the same area he shouted It’s a hog a big hog in a high pitched excited voice . Then yelled out orders we loaded the quad and our gear and raced of a couple miles away to a flat grassy area. He said it was alone we got out and I had my scope mounted and ready 2 rounds in the left hand. We could just see the tips of his ears at 1000 yds . Slowly we headed out across the field. Actually Jason was holding me back like a hound on a blood trail constantly telling me to slow down. He would occasionally range the pig then whisper the yardage I kept saying ten more steps 10 more. At about 100 yards Jason said I don’t know if you should shoot it . It doesn’t look that big and I cant see its head it could be small since we were in 2 to 3 foot grass. I said after this stalk I would take it since the experience was awesome. 10 more steps then 10 more , now at 80 yards Jason reminded me it might be a small pig when he stepped out of a depression and his hole body stood over the grass with the look of the perfect hog I could have ever congered in my dreams BOOM Smack a good hit he is starting to run Boom Chink he is down. Reload I dropped 1 round had to pick it up. Note to self practice rapid reload with the scope on. I flipped the levers on the scope mount and handed it back to Jason’s ready hand and rushed up toward the boar. We triple checked that he had expired. What a day double boars double rifle double the fun. This might be the notorious boar Jason mentioned named Morris as in the cat (who had been shot at by 9 people over the years. He had been shot thought the front left leg, through the snout and out the upper tusk and the ear. If it is not I will find old Morris on the next trip.
Shannon

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