Late buddy request 37b

[kidso]

Late request...running out tomorrow afternoon to hunt javelin in 37b near Superior. If anyone wants to come along on the east side, tag or no tag, let me know. Leaving around 1 pm. Obviously a no-tag holder would not be taking a pig!

[PRDATR]

I'd be more than willing to "Tag" along especially considering how much you have contributed to the site but I'm bound for 16A after lunch. (Crossing Fingers)

[kidso]

No buddy needed. Sorry. My wife began feeling ill last night, so I will likely just stay home with our twins so she can recover and get some rest. Family first.

[tjhunt2]

No buddy needed. Sorry. My wife began feeling ill last night, so I will likely just stay home with our twins so she can recover and get some rest. Family first.

Hope it's nothing serious Keith. As important as javelin hunting is family does come first.

 

TJ

[Flatlander]

I had a similar situation this fall when our daughter was born. The wife started having contractions just a few days before I was supposed to leave on my deer hunt, my one and only hunt of 2013. So I shortened the trip, left the wife on the couch with strict instructions not to move, shot the first buck I saw and hurried home. Family first

 

Hope both of your wives are feeling better today and good luck to Peggy if she gets out today.

[kidso]

Update: Wife was feeling better, so she gave me the green light for a half-day hunt. I raced up near Gonzales Pass on the northern end of 37b at daybreak and hiked 10 minutes up a ridge to do some glassing. I spotted a lone pig cresting over a ridgetop 800 yards away after a mere 10 seconds of glassing ---my new record. I headed that direction and noticed a young guy glassing in the opposite direction about 30 yards away from me. I waved him over and asked if he had seen anything. His answer was nothing, nothing after glassing all day yesterday and so far this morning. He was a young guy, perhaps 20 years old, so I asked him how many pigs he has tagged. He said zero, and added that the only thing he has ever shot was a single coyote.

 

I guess I am getting old, or becoming more and more like TJ, because I found myself inviting this stranger to come along with me if he would like to score himself a pig, as I had spotted one already and they love to keep smelly company! I lead the way over by running along various ridgetops and we crested in the same general area where I had observed the javelina.

 

After 30 seconds of glassing, the young man excitedly announced that he spotted a pig. They were feeding on a hillside two ridges over from our current location. I ranged the pigs at 220 yards and told my new recruit that we would lie prone and shoot together on the count of three. He said that the distance seemed too far for his confidence and asked if we could narrow the distance by advancing one ridge closer to the pigs.

 

I told him to keep his glass on the pigs and I would stalk up to the next ridge and locate them and then he would leap frog up to join me. Ten minutes later, I had my rangefinder showing three pigs at 120 yards. I beckoned for my protégé to join me and waited. Five minutes, ten minutes...where in the heck was he? I kept looking over my shoulder, but never saw him. I then heard a few rocks shuffle behind me on the ridge, but the pigs did too, and they took off racing through the brush and over the hill. I still held my safety, hoping that the young buck would pull his trigger above me. But, no sound, and no young buck. I doubled back and my new friend was no where to be seen.

 

Interestingly, I found myself not feeling angry, nor bummed out. Yes, I could have nailed a javelina at 120 yards any time during that 10 minute period, but my hopes were with a complete stranger I had just met thirty minutes earlier filling his first ever big game tag.

[goinhuntn]

Kidso,

That's a class act on your part!! To bad the newbie bailed on ya.

[kidso]

Kidso,

That's a class act on your part!! To bad the newbie bailed on ya.

I don't think he bailed purposely, as he was very excited. I actually think he "lost" me in my 100 yard stalk while watching the pigs through his binos and did not see exactly where I stalked to. Thus, he walked past me and was not sure where I was at and he never saw the pigs jet either. I think he went right on by me, too far above to see the pigs or myself and quietly pulled back to not ruin any chance I had, still unaware that I was waiting for him to show up before shooting!

[tjhunt2]

I'm quite honored you mentioned me and I applaud you my friend for wanting to help out this newcomer. Let me assure you, although the young hunter bailed and you lost an opportunity at filling your tag, you will be blessed by the hunting gods for your generosity for years to come. I truly believe this!

Thanks for sharing Keith.

 

TJ

[Sam]

I know how much you like Javelina Keith, so I am sure you were anxiously waiting for this guy to catch up to you. I'm sure he will remember your willingness to help him. Awesome gesture on your part. And yes, that is a pretty good record - 10 seconds of glassing!

[tjhunt2]

I had a similar situation this fall when our daughter was born. The wife started having contractions just a few days before I was supposed to leave on my deer hunt, my one and only hunt of 2013. So I shortened the trip, left the wife on the couch with strict instructions not to move, shot the first buck I saw and hurried home. Family first

 

Hope both of your wives are feeling better today and good luck to Peggy if she gets out today.

Thanks Flatlander for the well wishes. I left Peg at home Friday and my plan was to call her if I spotted pigs. I did call her with the good news I had pigs spotted. As much as she would liked to have gone we decided it was best to call it a year and start making tag soup with our 4 unfilled pig tags. Any good recipes out there?

 

TJ

[PatrickJr]

I looking for that recipe too, I didn't fill my jr tag or my HAM tag, and my dad didn't fill his HAM tag and we only were able to get out Friday for his general tag. we are 0/4....bummmmmmmer

[PRDATR]

That sounds like a lot of hunts I have been on with my son. For me, as was for you, I feel more rewarded helping another hunter fill their tag and have eaten tag soup a few times trying to get him a shooting opportunity and into position when I could have made a clean shot in a couple of seconds as he struggles to see the animal or just get on target but I have zero regrets.

[Tdub]

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Kidso,

That's a class act on your part!! To bad the newbie bailed on ya.

I don't think he bailed purposely, as he was very excited. I actually think he "lost" me in my 100 yard stalk while watching the pigs through his binos and did not see exactly where I stalked to. Thus, he walked past me and was not sure where I was at and he never saw the pigs jet either. I think he went right on by me, too far above to see the pigs or myself and quietly pulled back to not ruin any chance I had, still unaware that I was waiting for him to show up before shooting!

Kidso-

I was out glassing for this kid and another buddy of his Saturday morning. I've never met this kid you helped but his name is Brian and I heard this story and thought it was great that someone would do this. I don't know exactly what happened as this was relayed to me through Brian's friend however I think his lack of hunting experience played into his confusion. I am happy to report that whatever happened worked to his advantage as after some gun shots a few pigs ran within the range he felt comfortable shooting at and he was able to get one!

To make this story even better I was talking to my wife's uncle Chris and his boys last night telling this story since they were going out today. They said that this was you that ended up helping him and that they knew you. I hope you have good karma coming your way. By the way did you have another hunter in tote? I think you were the one walking the bottom of a canyon I was glassing.

[kidso]

I did take another guy with me. He was in camo, but unarmed, as he did not possess a tag. I actually wore black pants and some weird red/blue/green shirt,instead of my usual camo. Also, I never told the rest of the story, but after doubling back and not being able to find Brian, I pushed forward trying to locate the pigs that vanished at least two ridges over. I ended up jumping them out of the bottom of a ravine three ridges over and they took off like there was no tomorrow.

 

I had never, until that moment, ever fired a shot at a moving target. I fired three rounds at three different pigs as they raced single file up to the ridgetop in front of me about 250 yards away. I was shooting just behind the pigs or barely in front of them, but was spot on horizontally. But, I'll tell you something, that was one of the neatest experiences I ever had --shooting at moving targets. It was awesome, just sliding the bolt up and over three times in rapid succession!

 

Just a few minutes after my three shots, I heard a blast off in the distance coming from the direction the pigs had headed. I thought to myself, "Some lucky guy or gal just capitalized off the pigs I just pushed!" Imagine that, to think I actually helped Brian get his first pig after all!!!

 

Very neat follow-up Tdub. I'm glad you had some missing pieces of the pig puzzle and that it was a happy ending after all!!