Heat Report post Posted January 22, 2015 Missed out on the opening weekend fun when I normally go due to my wife being ill. We also had a small ceremony at our Church to introduce our daughter to the congregation officially that Sunday. There were two other little ones there so it was a special occasion for all. Certainly wouldn't have wanted to miss that for any hunting trip. I finally had a chance to get away for a weekend during the long weekend for the MLK holiday. I went to hunt with my cousin who lives in the Valley. We hit up a couple of spots near his place. The first morning we went to an area that he hand't been in a while and we got started with a short hike towards some higher country to glass. After glassing the nearby hillside for a while, we spotted a knob on a ridge that looked like a good overlook for the nice looking habitat below. As I neared the top of the ridge at the knob, I heard a javelina woof and break out down below me. My cousin and I soon saw the cause of the noise and noticed his friends as well. Normally I don't get this lucky and literally walk right up to a herd on a ridge I want to glass from, but I'll take it anyday. They must have winded us because they took no time at all to cross the hillside across from us and go over the next ridge. We figured we could climb back down to the bottom and go around the corner and find them easily. Well, we were not so lucky, because they completely vanished. We spent the rest of the day hiking and glassing not coming up with anything else. The next morning we were anxious to try the area where he killed his pig last year and he had been seeing some fresh sign on a few short scouting/hunting trips. He really wanted me to get one so he didn't mess with the herd until I got there. What a great guy! Anyways, he knows where there is a great bedding area that we wanted to try first. Sure enough the pigs were there, but they were already alert and ready to split when we arrived. They busted out across the flats before either of us could get our bows ready. We attempted to track them across the flats but did not succeed. We went back to the area where we saw the javis the first morning that afternoon, but were unsuccessful locating them again. We had a nice long hike and glassing session but didn't see anything else but a father and daughter who were doing some rattling or something. Oh well! Last morning of my hunt we went back to the bed in the flats. We were much more cautious in our approach this time but it still didn't really matter. The pigs were on full alert again and broke out running parallel to the wash their bed was in. We decided top jump over a wash or two and continue upwind just to see what happens. Luckily after a few hundred yards of slow moving we heard the sounds of a young javelina in the wash ahead. As I was moving forward to approach the sound I saw my cousin draw. I figured the herd was right up ahead so I moved forward. As I did that I saw a javelina come directly towards me across the wash a ways. He saw my movement so I froze. He decided to head back across the wash. When he did that he came back into my cousin's view who was on the other side of the wash. He shot and hit it. After a short run, he was down. I continued to scan the wash for any others and still heard the baby ahead so I moved forward. The lost baby was the only pig around so we went back and started working on the one my cousin shot. Seeing the baby by itself we were both sure he shot the mom and felt kind of bad, but when we flipped the pig over to check it out, low and behold it was a boar. The mom got out of there and left the baby behind for the boar to defend. He took one for the team! I was bummed our hunt was over for me, but happy with my cousin's success! He deserves it, because he's a great guy and hunting partner. I don't think I'll quite understand why my luck is the way it is with these. This trip was full of sightings and encounters but little to no shot opportunity for me. At least I got to spend some wonderful time in God's country doing what I Iove best. The monkey is still on my back though and that stinks! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wapitibob Report post Posted January 22, 2015 Sounds like you had a good time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest 300ultramag. Report post Posted January 23, 2015 congrats to your cousin, and thanks for the read-.. Its all fun and games until you stick one anyhow... You guys were on em everyday.. great hunt! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
218buck Report post Posted January 23, 2015 You might not of killed one but it still beats working sounds like you had fun and you got to see some Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
capoeirajosh Report post Posted January 27, 2015 Sounds like an exciting trip. Congrats to your cousin. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites