Page 60 - Bristle Up Magzine

HARD RUNNING MOUNTAIN HOGS

BY HARLEY SAMPSON

“We snuck in slowly. We really didn’t want to stuff this up after all we had done”

It’s was a pretty usual Friday afternoon for us, loading We had Luke’s kelpie Chuck his a Bully/Stag/Stumpy & Unfortunately, she was heading straight for Gorge country! and suck in the big ones to recover. We snuck in slowly.
up a few dogs, fueling up the Ute and filling up the esky. we also had my two dogs both Stumpys Stag and my old Chuck jumped on so we were about to take off and fly up We really didn’t want to stuff this up after all we had done,
Ready for a night in the Hills chasing those big elusive old bitch May. They had a good wind and were all keenly another track to make up ground, but I noticed Stag was so it was an “easy does it” approach. I was close now,
Boars along the Great Dividing Range, some of the hardest scenting out the side as we poked slowly along the river. coming back so we had to wait for him and I was starting but the cover was to thick to see anything, we could smell
terrain in the country! Deep, steep timbered Gullies and But we were pretty casual actually, having a laugh and to doubt our chances of nailing this fella. By the time Stag him, and by the way, the dogs were bailing I knew he was
long winding Creek systems often choked with Tea Tree, mucking about when all three dogs flew off the truck and got back, old May had dropped out at 1.2km, and we had big! Luke came up beside me as we both shone our head
Bidi Bush, Blackberry and Briar or Ferns are the norm. It down the track in front of the headlights and made a sharp to go around the long way due to the wet weather. It was torches through the undergrowth to see a big old black
makes a great cover for pigs but its also hard on the dogs. right turn straight up the embankment and up the steep probably about an hour from when they first hit him to boar with three dogs in his face and he was very edgy. I
In a normal season of good average rain, these areas are ridge. Luke turned off the truck as I said, “Shit that was keen when we finally pick her up again at the end of the road, quickly said to Luke, “Shoot him, quick mate, he’s gonna
full of feed and water giving the pigs perfect conditions to mate, might be nice and close, hey.” All was quiet, but we and she was treed and barking 1.2km from us. “She’s got break!” Luke loaded and raised his .223 and ‘Bang.’ The
grow quickly, and all the walking up and down mountains could hear the dogs moving fast through the undergrowth, the bastard,” I said to the other fellas! I was feeling proud, big fella went down, and the dogs flew in for a well-earned
keeps them super fit and strong. We didn’t have much of so I whipped out the tracker right as we heard Chuck the but Luke soon reminded me there were two big Gullies in chew on this proper hard running mountain boar !! It was
a plan on this particular hunt. Our mate Andy was visiting kelpie let out a couple of yaps, quickly followed by the between her and us and she was down in a Gorge! We a big pat and praise for old May the Stumpy. Handshakes
while he was off work recovering from an Achilles heel other two, and then that unmistakable sound of a big knew Andy wasn’t coming on this trek with his bung leg, pats on the back and deep breaths for us as we looked
injury, so as you can imagine, he wasn’t planning on scrap with an old mountain boar! The smiles lit up. But so Luke and I gathered our gear, grabbed the other two over a thumper of a hog. Luke said, “We are weighing
doing much running in this rough country. He was just then silence again. We were all thinking the same thing! dogs, and headed off with tracker in hand. We couldn’t that bastard for sure mate!” But unfortunately, when we
happy to catch up a bit, have a few beers, and enjoy the What’s going on here! “It was only 200 meters up,” I said hear a thing. If we didn’t have trackers, we wouldn’t have left the truck, I grabbed the wrong backpack that didn’t
night. My mate Luke was driving so I was on gate duty as I watched the tracker, all three were together running had a clue where she was! She stayed treed but dropped have the scales! Unbelievable, but anyway we got some
as we hit the property just on dusk. There was a pretty flat out across the mountain. “Come on pull him up you in and out as we slowly climbed over two big Hills about good pics, and I was proud as punch of old May for her
brisk breeze blowing as I opened the first gate and with bastards!” I thought, but it was nothing but silence and 400 - 500 meters high, through the two Creeks in between determination on this big brute. We both agreed at least
a forecast of - 4 so you know what I was thinking! After a tracker saying 400m, 500m, 600m, 700m, 800m and but as I got over the last bit I could hear the old girl singing 100 kg, so that is a cracker in this country. We worked out
a quick chat with the owner, he let us know of some rain dropped out! “Bugger, he’s gone,” Luke said as he started up in the Gorge! “She’s still got him!” I yelled at Luke while it was over 3 km from where they hit him, and it took us
the night before which meant the really steep tracks were the truck. We’ll head down towards them to get around struggling to breathe. But the other dogs couldn’t seem to over 2 hours to get there. Not a bad effort, I reckon! By
a no go, because in this steep country if a vehicle slides where we should pick up connection, but I’d say he’s gone. hear or weren’t interested. About 400m to go and they the time we got back to Andy at the Ute, it was covered in
off the road your in big trouble! We weren’t out to break “He sounded good too hey,” Luke said. We drove to the finally perked up and ran off towards her barking, I pulled frost, and he was freezing cold! He said he couldn’t hear
any records tonight anyway, so a leisurely drive around next gate about 1km down the track, and picked them up up for a rest and to see how Luke was going, he was a a thing, not even the gunshot! Thank god for trackers!! Not
the main tracks sounded good to us. (If only we knew what again but all at different distances. Chuck was only 200m, little way behind but still making ground. When he made sure why he didn’t have the heater running flat out! I know
was coming!) The three dogs were all on the back as we and on his way back, Stag was 600m and still going but it to where I was, we were happy to hear the sweet sound I would of after all that’s the enjoyment of waiting in the
headed for the River country. slowly, and May was 950m and still trucking. of all three dogs bailing hard! Now we could relax a little car when it’s cold.
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