leaving for a pig and coyote hunt today

[pdugan6]

I'm heading up north to elk creek area to hunt some pigs and coyote for this weekend. I have always had luck up there so I will post my hopeful success pictures on Sunday

[85yota]

Good luck!

[gadjeep]

Good luck man! I can't wait to get back up there. I love that area.

[zerohour714]

Good luck man!!!

[pdugan6]

well, back after a long day.....615-5 and one encounter with a yote at 350yds. he spottesd us before we saw him and he turned and ran. I yelped at him and he turned broadside for a moment and I shot over his back! saw lots of fresh activity from hogs though so tomorrow will hopefully be more promising.

[chrisw]

What caliber are you using? Just curious.

[pdugan6]

So I'm finally awake and well rested back from my hunt. It really comes down to dedication and persistence. Day one was long and unfruitful. Day two started out like this: On the way out to the hunting grounds at 5 in the morning we were driving on 162 towards elk creek and there was a pronghorn on the side of the road badly mangled from being hit by a car. We pulled over and put it down to end its pain. It was a beautiful animal with some nice size horns. That was the first pronghorn I've seen out there in that area. Too bad it wasn't in A hunting scenario though. Once we got out to the property we went out on foot. The topography of the land out there is rolling oak wooded hills with large grass plains and farther into the property it backs up to the larger mountain ranges. There is a good flowing seasonal creek with wide flat banks that goes through the front of the property all the way back into the larger mountain ranges and all through out the bed it is scattered with scrub brush and dotted with manzanita. throughout the morning we were just slowly working our way back and popping over the hills that flank the creek bed and peering over. After about five hours of working our way back through the property, doing this technique and being a little demoralized, we started getting into the steeper terrain where you are looking down over the valley with the creek. So now we are about 300 feet above the creek looking down into the draws and I finally spot some pigs! They are about 5-600yds out down by the creek bed and they were moving slowly through the scrub towards a little valley crotch of oaks so i thought they were going to be foraging in that area. There were 5 sows and about 8-10 piglets.
We decided to make our way down the side of the mountain and cut across the creek and flank them. The wind wasn't in our favor but they moved into this little wooded valley so we thought it would be OK. after about 1\2 hour to get over there and being worried they already left, we came up right on top of them. we peeked over the crest of the hill and looked down and they were about 85yds away foraging between the oaks. I had a little opening through some branches and got the shot behind the shoulder.
We were about 6 miles back so instead of field dressing and packing the whole pig like I normally would, I decided to quarter it and lighten the load. Harvested the hams, shoulders, backstraps and tenderloins. My dad also got 1 yote while we were quartering. The first gallery is from last weekend. The other galleries are from previous hunts up there.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=pdugan6&target=ALBUM&id=5594364464711800369&authkey=Gv1sRgCOzX1JaE8t22MQ&feat=email

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=pdugan6&target=ALBUM&id=5529624071324710657&authkey=Gv1sRgCMWFuZGp4OHg3gE&feat=email

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=pdugan6&target=ALBUM&id=5519789993567593425&authkey=Gv1sRgCPLa6OzXoJGVsQE&feat=email

[pdugan6]

I was using my howa 1500 .308

[theseacow]

sweet pics dude!

[lewdogg21]

Very cool and thanks for sharing pics. I saw a herd of Antelope bedded down right off I-5 across from Sac Refuge once in early October or November. I had no idea there were Antelope in that area until that day. They were only like 70 yards off the freeway.

[BC9696]

Gotta love those little ranch guns...great for long hikes! Congratulations!

[Cougar125]

Nice lookin pig ya got there. =) I need to get out some more.

[waterfern]

Looks like a good hunt, nice work!

[moy2441]

Awesome pic's dude! I can wait to go hunting for some pig's. I will be attending my Hunters Education class this week. Hope to get out there soon. Thanks for sharing.

[pdugan6]

Awesome pic's dude! I can wait to go hunting for some pig's. I will be attending my Hunters Education class this week. Hope to get out there soon. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks. Sometimes it gets a little demoralizing but you just have to tough it out and put in the time. I have had quite a few non encounters.