Hogs 1, LSP 0

ATV driven by Mrs. James

Rescheduled a shoot at the Fort Hood Ranges yesterday to have a go at some hogs on a parishioner's ranch. It all started off well with two small shooting parties clambering aboard ATV's and heading off in search of the porcine menace.

LSP with No.4 Mk.1 on ATV

The pigs had been spotted along a half dried creek bed, then moving into brush covered high ground, so we checked that out - cleverly getting seperated in the process. The swine sensibly didn't go anywhere near my vehicle but they were spotted by the other group, who got them in their sights and called us in. We arrived - too late - the pigs had gone unscathed because our friends didn't want to shoot until they knew exactly where we were. Smart, safety first, but annoying, because a little planning would've got us on target at pretty much the same time and the tuskers would have gone down. At least a few of them.

So, chastened by the uncoordinated failure of our stupidly piecemeal attack, we attempted to beat the hogs down from the high ground into and along the creek bed, where I was lying in wait with the handy WWII killing system. Great plan, but the opposition had other thoughts and went in a different direction, leaving us to scout down the creek - plenty of evidence to show that the pigs had been there, just not at that point in time.

The creek being a bust we regrouped into one vehicle and went up to the high ground, taking it slow around some big thickets of brush. Then we heard it, the sound of swine. All off the ATV, advance to contact and the pigs were bolting fast without a shot being fired - I ran round to the edge of the brush just in time to see seven or eight young hogs breaking cover and running like fury. The ATV pulled up, I clambered in, and off we went in hot pursuit, pigs streaming ahead at speed. I took a shot from the vehicle, missed, the pigs rounded a corner and were lost to view.

We beat about in the brush for a while to no result - they had won, we had lost.

Moral of the tale: Enormous fun burning about on ATVs with guns, great excitement closing in on the pigs and getting into the chase and, as always, good to fire off a Lee Enfield, even if you miss. But - dismal planning prevented what should have been several kills. Also, I hesitated when the pigs broke cover and didn't shoot in the few seconds open to me; too slow off the mark.

Next time I'll argue for baiting the swine, or going out to get them where they're bedding down. Of course there's always the dog, knife and pistol approach but that would be a different hunt.

A return match is definitely in the offing.

LSP