I don't know how many of you hunt with your kids, or someone elses, but I highly recommend it. It adds a whole different dimension of excitement and challenge to your hunting.
I have been able to take my kids a few times this year, and they have both killed a couple of does. Hunter is 12 now, and getting to be a little more proficient with a rifle. He is big enough now to shoulder a full size rifle, and took one of his deer with a Ruger #1 in 25-06 and used my Ruger M77 .270 on the other.
I had thought to make it my mission to get him on his first hog this year. Last year he got a long range shot at a hog using a friend of mine's .270 Weatherby Mag, but it turned out the scope was off a considerable amount, and he missed (as did I at the same hog with the same rifle).
So, I called up David (Venatic) and asked him if he thought we could get Hunter on a hog after Christmas. He said he thought we could, so we arranged to drive over and meet him yesterday. David got there a couple of hours before we did and slung a little bit of corn, and scouted for sign.
Hunter and I stopped to make one calling stand on the way over with no luck and then drove on over to meet David about 2:30 pm.
When we got there we threw our stuff into David's truck and started making the rounds to see if any hogs were hitting the feeders, and made a couple of calling stands before dark. We didn't see any hogs, and saw no coyotes on the two stands before dark. We did see a bunch of deer and some fresh hog sign.
When it got dark we broke out the lightforce and kept making the rounds trying to bump into some hogs.
We had about decided getting a hog was not going to happen, so we decided to make a couple of calling stands. David had good place in mind, so we parked the truck and walked in.
Hunter was to use one of David's .17 Remingtons on this stand as he had on the 2 stands we did before dark. We got Hunter set up on the shooting sticks and David started in with the high pitched cottontail. There were several cows and calves milling around 20 or 30 yards away in the pasture and we told Hunter to only shoot what we had lit up, and only when we told him so there were no mistakes on a deer or cow.
About 3 minutes into the calling, David stops the light on some eyes hard to our left where we had walked in from. I swung around to scope it out, and thought at first it was a deer as it stood in the woods edge. But, as it turned I recognized it as a coyote, but it was leaving. David quickly switched to pup distress, and the coyote came charging into the field running right between the cows. I wanted to bark him to a stop, but was worried about Hunter shooting knowing there were cows all around. We let him come and he went behind a large oak tree and surrounding brush, but we figured we could stop him clear of the cows when he came out from behind it and would be directly in front of us.
Only problem was, we didn't see him come out, as he apparently angled away from us and was lost from sight. Hunter was trying to swing his sticks as the coyote crossed the field, and I was knelt down beside him whispering instructions into this ear.
When we lost sight of the coyote, David had switched back to the rabbit sound, but we couldn't find him. So, David switched back to the pup distress and here he comes again circling back the way he had come going from right to left this time and farther out. When he got directly in front of us he just stopped facing us and stood looking towards the sound. I whispered for Hunter to find him and shoot, but he said "he's too far". I quickly dialed up his scope and told him "find him in the crosshairs and SHOOT!"
He did, and the coyote let out a YELP and started spinning! Then he started to run back to the right, and I tried to anchor him with my AR but lost sight of him as I shot. We broke out the range finder and determined that it was 140 yards. I was impressed that he was able to hit him facing dead on at that range on his knees and using shooting sticks. We went to see if we could collect the coyote but were unable to find him.
We were both pretty disappointed in not being able to find it. On the way back to the truck, we heard a hog (or two) let out a big squeal in the field across the road from the truck. Alright, finally some hogs.
We go into the truck and drove around the field to the other side, and got out, but this time we had Hunter toting my .270
We turned on the light and saw 2 big hogs right out among the cows. They were going away from us, so we moved out into the pasutre to try and get closer. When we turned on the light again, they were still moving away from us and we had to pick up the pace to get closer. We stopped under a tree, got Hunter on the sticks, and turned the light back on. Then we see that those 2 were headed to meet up with another pack of hogs a little farther off.
Finally we were able to close the gap alittle and could just barely make them out in the moon light. Again we had Hunter plop down and get on the sticks. I told David that I would scope the one Hunter was going to shoot at, and after Hunter shot I would shoot. David said that at the shot he would pick a moving hog and stay on him.
David lit them up, and one nice black hog was turned broad side. We told Hunter to shoot, and at the shoot they all started to run. The one Hunter was shooting at started to run and I fired a shot with my AR. At the shot the hog dropped and I fired a second shot at one that David kept the light on. Then the light disappeared as David realized the hogs were running right into the cows and he quickly took the light off them.
We walked up to the downed hog as David went to get the truck. Hunter had made about a 80-100 yard shot right behind the shoulder. My shot (totally unnecessary) had hit the sow in the spine about 3/4 of the way back as she started to run off. We field dressed the hog, and the blown out heart confirmed that she was running "dead" when my shot dropped her.
We also discovered that she had 7 piglets in her near term confirming the saying that hogs are either pregnant or have pigs on them.
This will be nice "eating hog" and I would guess she dressed about 100 pounds.
We made one more calling stand with no luck before we decided that we better make the 2 hour drive back home. The 34 degree night made it possible for me to leave her overnight, so I got up and skinned her out before church this morning.
David said he would make a daytime look for the coyote Hunter shot either today or tomorrow. Thanks, David for making for a good day in the field with my son.
On the way home last night (right before he crashed with his hat pulled over his eyes) Hunter said "I sure wish we could have found my coyote."
I told him we would just have to go and get another one!
I have been able to take my kids a few times this year, and they have both killed a couple of does. Hunter is 12 now, and getting to be a little more proficient with a rifle. He is big enough now to shoulder a full size rifle, and took one of his deer with a Ruger #1 in 25-06 and used my Ruger M77 .270 on the other.
I had thought to make it my mission to get him on his first hog this year. Last year he got a long range shot at a hog using a friend of mine's .270 Weatherby Mag, but it turned out the scope was off a considerable amount, and he missed (as did I at the same hog with the same rifle).
So, I called up David (Venatic) and asked him if he thought we could get Hunter on a hog after Christmas. He said he thought we could, so we arranged to drive over and meet him yesterday. David got there a couple of hours before we did and slung a little bit of corn, and scouted for sign.
Hunter and I stopped to make one calling stand on the way over with no luck and then drove on over to meet David about 2:30 pm.
When we got there we threw our stuff into David's truck and started making the rounds to see if any hogs were hitting the feeders, and made a couple of calling stands before dark. We didn't see any hogs, and saw no coyotes on the two stands before dark. We did see a bunch of deer and some fresh hog sign.
When it got dark we broke out the lightforce and kept making the rounds trying to bump into some hogs.
We had about decided getting a hog was not going to happen, so we decided to make a couple of calling stands. David had good place in mind, so we parked the truck and walked in.
Hunter was to use one of David's .17 Remingtons on this stand as he had on the 2 stands we did before dark. We got Hunter set up on the shooting sticks and David started in with the high pitched cottontail. There were several cows and calves milling around 20 or 30 yards away in the pasture and we told Hunter to only shoot what we had lit up, and only when we told him so there were no mistakes on a deer or cow.
About 3 minutes into the calling, David stops the light on some eyes hard to our left where we had walked in from. I swung around to scope it out, and thought at first it was a deer as it stood in the woods edge. But, as it turned I recognized it as a coyote, but it was leaving. David quickly switched to pup distress, and the coyote came charging into the field running right between the cows. I wanted to bark him to a stop, but was worried about Hunter shooting knowing there were cows all around. We let him come and he went behind a large oak tree and surrounding brush, but we figured we could stop him clear of the cows when he came out from behind it and would be directly in front of us.
Only problem was, we didn't see him come out, as he apparently angled away from us and was lost from sight. Hunter was trying to swing his sticks as the coyote crossed the field, and I was knelt down beside him whispering instructions into this ear.
When we lost sight of the coyote, David had switched back to the rabbit sound, but we couldn't find him. So, David switched back to the pup distress and here he comes again circling back the way he had come going from right to left this time and farther out. When he got directly in front of us he just stopped facing us and stood looking towards the sound. I whispered for Hunter to find him and shoot, but he said "he's too far". I quickly dialed up his scope and told him "find him in the crosshairs and SHOOT!"
He did, and the coyote let out a YELP and started spinning! Then he started to run back to the right, and I tried to anchor him with my AR but lost sight of him as I shot. We broke out the range finder and determined that it was 140 yards. I was impressed that he was able to hit him facing dead on at that range on his knees and using shooting sticks. We went to see if we could collect the coyote but were unable to find him.
We were both pretty disappointed in not being able to find it. On the way back to the truck, we heard a hog (or two) let out a big squeal in the field across the road from the truck. Alright, finally some hogs.
We go into the truck and drove around the field to the other side, and got out, but this time we had Hunter toting my .270
We turned on the light and saw 2 big hogs right out among the cows. They were going away from us, so we moved out into the pasutre to try and get closer. When we turned on the light again, they were still moving away from us and we had to pick up the pace to get closer. We stopped under a tree, got Hunter on the sticks, and turned the light back on. Then we see that those 2 were headed to meet up with another pack of hogs a little farther off.
Finally we were able to close the gap alittle and could just barely make them out in the moon light. Again we had Hunter plop down and get on the sticks. I told David that I would scope the one Hunter was going to shoot at, and after Hunter shot I would shoot. David said that at the shot he would pick a moving hog and stay on him.
David lit them up, and one nice black hog was turned broad side. We told Hunter to shoot, and at the shoot they all started to run. The one Hunter was shooting at started to run and I fired a shot with my AR. At the shot the hog dropped and I fired a second shot at one that David kept the light on. Then the light disappeared as David realized the hogs were running right into the cows and he quickly took the light off them.
We walked up to the downed hog as David went to get the truck. Hunter had made about a 80-100 yard shot right behind the shoulder. My shot (totally unnecessary) had hit the sow in the spine about 3/4 of the way back as she started to run off. We field dressed the hog, and the blown out heart confirmed that she was running "dead" when my shot dropped her.
We also discovered that she had 7 piglets in her near term confirming the saying that hogs are either pregnant or have pigs on them.
This will be nice "eating hog" and I would guess she dressed about 100 pounds.
We made one more calling stand with no luck before we decided that we better make the 2 hour drive back home. The 34 degree night made it possible for me to leave her overnight, so I got up and skinned her out before church this morning.
David said he would make a daytime look for the coyote Hunter shot either today or tomorrow. Thanks, David for making for a good day in the field with my son.
On the way home last night (right before he crashed with his hat pulled over his eyes) Hunter said "I sure wish we could have found my coyote."
I told him we would just have to go and get another one!
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