Coach Report post Posted February 7, 2012 Hey CWT family, I wanted to share some cool pictures and stories from our youth javelina hunt this year. It was a blast for everyone. To set the stage, we had 4 youth hunters - my two oldest sons, Matt and Nick, my buddy Mark's daughter, Alana, and my buddy Brian's daughter, Monica. So we had our work cut out for us. First day, we found pigs and went on a long stalk but no shots were fired. Mark and Alana had some pegged before me and my boys could show up (we forgot our tags back at camp) so dad kinda blew it on that one. Second day, we start glassing at first light and find a big herd not too far off. It's my turn to take the kiddos on a stalk while Mark keeps tabs on them. We got right into them and both Alana and Matt shoot. After the replay on video, it looks like Matt finished off the javi Alana had shot. While Matt and I took care of his pig, Mark took the rest of the kids looking for another herd. As they were glassing a jeep drove by, turned around and came back to tell them there was a huge herd just up ahead. Unfortunately, by the time the got there the herd had vanished. Day 3 - Our first glassing spot turned up nothing so we headed to another. While I was "otherwise occupied" Mark had already located some pigs on an open hillside. The stalk was on. With lots of young kids around, everyone wanted to see the pigs through the binocs, and somehow, the herd got away from us. I was taking the kids to where the pigs were last seen and Mark was trying to relocate them. The herd had moved downhill and was now directly across the canyon from us moving in the wrong direction. The wind was bad and we were right in the open. We tried to get ahead of them and both Alana and Nick got some long shots but couldn't connect. After a long hike back to the truck we started moving to the next glassing spot. Part way there, Mark gets out of the truck and motions to us to get ready. There is a pig standing 100 yards off the road. Nick and Alana get ready and we tell them we're going to say 1..2..3.. shoot. So they both get ready and we say 1..2..booom both of them shoot early and they both miss. Somehow, a second pig steps right into the same opening and looks up at us. Both Nick and Alana had re-chambered and were on him. Both Mark and I are saying, when you have a good shot take it, BOOOM - both kids shoot at exactly the same time and the pig drops. Alana felt comfortable with her shot and Nick thought he might have hit high so we all agreed that Alana had dropped this one... The kiddos get a gutting lesson from the dads... Anthony doesn't like the smell... Alana's new stylish purse... Day 4 came and went and it was Nick's turn but we just couldn't get it done... More in part 2.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
standman Report post Posted February 7, 2012 Woo hoo! I heard all the stories from Mark. Sounds like all of you had a blast on the hunt. Great pics !! Congrats to the kids! Brian Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coach Report post Posted February 7, 2012 Part 2... Second weekend, we're back after it. We've got two tags filled and two more to go. Early Friday morning it's just Nick and I. At 7:15 I glass up a nice group and we're going after them. Everything was perfect, the wind was in our face, it was early so I thought they'd stay in the sun for long enough to get on them. Unfortunately they were moving fast, leapfrogging eachother over the hill and into some really thick stuff. No shot. The afternoon was like all the afternoons on this hunt - couldn't find a single pig. So the next morning we planned to do some hiking and get above the whole area where we could really glass everything. Carrie had brought my other sons out Friday night, and Brian had brought Monica out. Matt, Nick and I hiked up a long ridgeline to get a good look at everything below. The morning was really slow. We had found 4 coues deer, but no pigs. As we got to the highest glassing point in the area we still couldn't find the pigs. We had decided to go "bust beds" but I insisted on re-glassing a spot that I just knew would have them. Sure enough, just seconds into glassing I pick up a pig rolling a dirt wallow. Matt got on the binocs as Nick and I headed in for a shot. The pigs were bedding in some super thick stuff and when we got down there, we couldn't find them. We kept working up a ridge above where we knew the whole herd was, and finally we see one standing out in the open. Nick put his .270 WSM on a shooting stick and made a one-shot kill on a big sow. Here's where it gets funny. Brian had watched us all morning hike into this area, and took Monica to a different spot so they wouldn't bump us, but he had his radio tuned into ours so he heard the whole thing unfold. After Nick shot his pig, the herd bolted up the hill and Matt found a second herd right above us. Well, "Big Bry" heard all this commotion and he and Monica headed for a road that would put them above where were to try and find where these two herds had gone. He glassed us up carrying Nicks pig out of the bedding area to gut it and was trying to figure out where they pigs had gone. As we were gutting Nick's pig I hear a "BOOM". Turns out the entire herd had headed right up to where Brian and Monica were glassing us from. I get on the radio and ask him what just happened, and he replied with "Smackdown, baby, Smackdown!" The herd ran right underneath them and Monica got a great 100 yard shot on a huge boar. Unreal how it all unfolded. 4 youth tags, 4 pigs down. What great times with great friends. Here are some scenery pix to end the story with... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cramerhunts Report post Posted February 7, 2012 Great story and congrats to all! Just doesn't get any better than hunting with the kids. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjhunt2 Report post Posted February 7, 2012 All the pictures were great and my congratulations to Matt, Nick, Alana, and Monica. Great job Dads getting it all done. Thanks for sharing. TJ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZ RANGER Report post Posted February 7, 2012 Looks Like great time for All. Congrats! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billrquimby Report post Posted February 7, 2012 Congratulations to kids and dads. Your story and photos made me want to hunt a javelina again. Maybe next year, if I can find someone in Tucson who wants the meat. Bill Quimby Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZP&Y Report post Posted February 7, 2012 Excellent 4/4 just doesn't get better than that! Way to get the jr's out and into pigs! That last one is a BEAST! AzP&Y Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScottAdams Report post Posted February 7, 2012 Great story!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted February 7, 2012 Outstanding!! Great pics and story! Congratulations to all the kids! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elkaholic Report post Posted February 7, 2012 +1 - Family-good freinds - congrats to all the successful hunters. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonecollector Report post Posted February 8, 2012 You guys did real good. I bet the kids had a blast as well as the Dads. Congrats to all of you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pine Donkey Report post Posted February 8, 2012 Coach, great post. You gotta love all the kids and their success. Congratulations to all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chef Report post Posted February 8, 2012 Coach! just an all around great post with awesome pictures of a grand time! You guys put the smackdown on the piggies! Congrats to all involved. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coach Report post Posted February 9, 2012 Thanks, everyone for the replies. In a couple weekends my youngest son, Josh will have his first ever big game hunt. Hopefully we can still find them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
