Friday, March 18, I’m headed back up to Redding to trying for wild pig again at the JS McArthur Ranch. The forecast for the weekend was heavy rain and it poured all the way to my first stop, The Free Dive Shop in Sacramento where I was looking to get a new wetsuit for the upcoming abalone season. ‘Sean’ helped me try on a few and ultimately I settled on the Cressi Sub Tecnica.
Then up to Redding and met with my guide Dave Johnson. We drive up to the ranch and as we come to the gate there seems to be a break in the rain. We pack my gear into the Rino and are off to our first spot to glass for pigs. It’s windy and cold but I’m ready with warm gear and gloves. We’re glad it’s not raining as maybe the pigs will emerge and feed. None seem to be out yet so we move to another ridge. We sight some pigs at this point far in the distance. We make our way close and then walk over a hill and to a raging stream. The pigs are just across 200 yards but turn out to all be wet sows. We were barely able to ford this stream in the Rino last time I was here and I know there is no chance today. On our way back up the ridge we spot five bull elk bedded down in a little valley out of the wind. These are the same bulls we saw last time although now they shed their antlers.
We make a complete circle now and move on back to a high ridge to glass again. This time we see five pigs in an open field on our side of the stream. One is brown, dark in the front and light in the back. From this distance looks like a little buffalo. We think he’s a boar and we decide to try for him. The wind is perfect and Dave is pretty sure we’ll get close. We drive to a spot just below them and park the Rino. At this point we need to cross a creek just deep enough to be over our boots soaking our feet in the icy water. We head up the grassy hill and emerge just behind some bushes. We try to get a good look at them. The black pigs are on the right and are sows. The brown pig is right in front of me but facing away and I can’t tell. Finally he turns right and I see he’s a boar. I try to set my rifle on the pack but it’s too low so I just sit back and get on him from a sitting position. A sow is behind him so I wait. When she clears I hold on his shoulder and touch off the shot. He’s down but then right back up again and I’ve reloaded and am about to shoot again as he’s moving broadside to the left but then goes down for good. I’m shooting my Sauer 202 in .300 Weatherby with my hand loads, 180gr Nosler Accubonds going 3100 fps. The shot was about 90 yards. He’s a good size boar, Dave thinks 160 pounds. We take some pics and then head back just as the rain starts to come down. We skin him out in an open hangar. At one point the clouds clear and the supermoon is shining full over snow capped mount Lassen.
The next morning I’m headed to Willows. My friend Jeff Ashlock has invited me to a pheasant hunt at the Thunder Hill Pheasant Club. We meet at 8am and he introduces me to some of his friends. We are going to hunt with Jim and Justin. Jim has a great Springer Spaniel we’ll be using named ‘Shawnee’ Soon we are at our field and thanking our luck for the dry weather. The four of us spread out and start to walk the field behind the circling dog. I’m on the outside left with Jeff to my right. It’s not long before a bird flushes in front of Jeff and flies left in front of me. We both hit it and our first bird is in the bag. Everyone is shooting well and soon we’ve all shot a few birds. We’ve seen a few jackrabbits flushed and I hope to try for one if a shot presents itself. Towards the end of our hunt I’m on the outside right and Shawnee flushes a big rabbit that runs right. I’m on him and shoot and roll him at about thirty yards. Shawnee deposits him near me, he’s really big, much bigger than I expected. We finish the hunt getting one extra bird, a holdover from an adjacent field. I had a fantastic time. Always enjoy hunting with Jeff and it was great meeting some of the friends he’s told me about and hear their hunting stories from Africa. I forgot how much fun it is to shoot a shotgun and hunt upland game.