This started in the hunt swap forum when some members wanted to trade a deer hunt for a Texas hog hunt. I offered up but had no takers. Then, some other forum members inquired and the hunt was on.
Trevor, Charlie, Glen and I from Predator Masters along with two others from Iowa and 3 guys from South Dakota all met at George West between the 19th and 22nd of Feb. We tried to stagger the times so as not too be crowded but time constraints had 9 of us for Sat/Sun. The South Dakota guys left camp on the 23rd,Charlie and Glen left on the 24th. Four of us stayed until Mar 2nd.
The ranches were lined up ahead of time. The South Dakota guys hunted hogs on the south ranch, Charlie and Glen hunted hogs over waterholes on two other properties, Trevor and I hunted another property for javelin and the two other guys from Iowa hunted waterholes on yet another ranch.
Friday saw the Iowa guys bag a hog and Saturday the South Dakota group got two hogs. Charlie and Glen saw nothing. Neither did Trevor and I. Saturday night had 4 of us heading to another ranch for a cookout and hunt, put on by a friend of mine. Brisket, sausages and rib-eye steaks made the meal. Trevor and an Iowa guy hunted there after dark but saw nothing.
Sunday saw the South Dakota guys head out, Charlie and Glen hunted waterholes as did everyone else but nothing was moving. Charlie and Glen left after breakfast Monday morning, work was calling.
Monday night, I took Trevor and an Iowa guy hog hunting with dogs up by Goliad/Beeville. We drove some fields but saw nothing.
We rode atop the dog box, in the back of a 3500 Dodge. 3 of us had AR's with NVD or lights. We pulled out on hwy US59 to get my truck when a Border Patrol drove the other way, made a fast U-turn and came up on our tail.After seeing what was in front of him, he pulled off. I asked my buddy Shane(county sheriff deputy) what was going through the Border Patrol officer's mind. He thought either he had seen we were not illegals or was calling for backup. Hah!!
Next we headed to Mathis and met my friend Jeremy. We hunted a cattle feed lot where hogs roamed the lot, eating cattle feed. Jeremy had FLIR and it was the bomb! He would see a hog coming, we got in position, lit them up and took them down. We shot around 6 but recovered 3. 213lb, 201lb and 163lb.
The big boar was not going down without a fight. We hit him 3 times when he ran into a cattle pen. Shane and I went in, cornered the big boar, snatched him up by the back legs and Trevor came in with a knife and finished the boar off.
Tuesday thru Friday was uneventful. Saturday, things started coming around. I put my tennis on, stalked a sendaro and spotted 3 coyotes way out in a field, feeding on a dead hog. I dropped one coyote, the other two took off but I barked one to stop and dropped it. Later that evening, the Iowa guys took a few javelin.
All in all, the Predator Masters forum guys were a pleasure to have at the camp. The South Dakota guys have been here before and will be back as well.
I will post some pictures below.
Trevor, Charlie, Glen and I from Predator Masters along with two others from Iowa and 3 guys from South Dakota all met at George West between the 19th and 22nd of Feb. We tried to stagger the times so as not too be crowded but time constraints had 9 of us for Sat/Sun. The South Dakota guys left camp on the 23rd,Charlie and Glen left on the 24th. Four of us stayed until Mar 2nd.
The ranches were lined up ahead of time. The South Dakota guys hunted hogs on the south ranch, Charlie and Glen hunted hogs over waterholes on two other properties, Trevor and I hunted another property for javelin and the two other guys from Iowa hunted waterholes on yet another ranch.
Friday saw the Iowa guys bag a hog and Saturday the South Dakota group got two hogs. Charlie and Glen saw nothing. Neither did Trevor and I. Saturday night had 4 of us heading to another ranch for a cookout and hunt, put on by a friend of mine. Brisket, sausages and rib-eye steaks made the meal. Trevor and an Iowa guy hunted there after dark but saw nothing.
Sunday saw the South Dakota guys head out, Charlie and Glen hunted waterholes as did everyone else but nothing was moving. Charlie and Glen left after breakfast Monday morning, work was calling.
Monday night, I took Trevor and an Iowa guy hog hunting with dogs up by Goliad/Beeville. We drove some fields but saw nothing.
We rode atop the dog box, in the back of a 3500 Dodge. 3 of us had AR's with NVD or lights. We pulled out on hwy US59 to get my truck when a Border Patrol drove the other way, made a fast U-turn and came up on our tail.After seeing what was in front of him, he pulled off. I asked my buddy Shane(county sheriff deputy) what was going through the Border Patrol officer's mind. He thought either he had seen we were not illegals or was calling for backup. Hah!!
Next we headed to Mathis and met my friend Jeremy. We hunted a cattle feed lot where hogs roamed the lot, eating cattle feed. Jeremy had FLIR and it was the bomb! He would see a hog coming, we got in position, lit them up and took them down. We shot around 6 but recovered 3. 213lb, 201lb and 163lb.
The big boar was not going down without a fight. We hit him 3 times when he ran into a cattle pen. Shane and I went in, cornered the big boar, snatched him up by the back legs and Trevor came in with a knife and finished the boar off.
Tuesday thru Friday was uneventful. Saturday, things started coming around. I put my tennis on, stalked a sendaro and spotted 3 coyotes way out in a field, feeding on a dead hog. I dropped one coyote, the other two took off but I barked one to stop and dropped it. Later that evening, the Iowa guys took a few javelin.
All in all, the Predator Masters forum guys were a pleasure to have at the camp. The South Dakota guys have been here before and will be back as well.
I will post some pictures below.