First Contact

The other week I had one of those hunting experiences which get your heart puming, adrenaline running and leaving you with a sence of euphoria, the main difference is I wasn't out hunting.

A property that I cull on, was having some trouble is with pigs coming in from the National Park, across the fence and not only destroying their dams, but also harassing and scaring the horseriders that frequent this property.

The pigs coming across the border had increasing frequency and tenacity when it was becoming not uncommon to see a few of them during the day and within 20 or so metres from the main residence.

It was my job to try and understand the numbers, frequency and location of where these pigs might be coming in, so I could then create an ambush plan, part of this plan was to set up some game cameras around the property to track the numbers, Times and locations of when these pigs were coming across. To do this I find appropriate locations which already had signs of pig activity and then situate the cameras to oversee these areas, leading to adapt to a comeback and check the footage.

It was on one of these trips to check the footage I took my daughter along and Scarlet. On locating the camera in question my daughter being full of beans wanted to run up and down a hill that was adjacent to the galley I was in. My daughter and Scarlet would walk up the top of the hill then I would call Scarlet and to have both come running downhill as fast as possible, after doing this about five or six times to check the camera and was ready to go.

My daughter being my daughter still had some energy she wanted to get rid of, so agreed to walk up this hill with her one more time, just so we could all come running back. Now, I don't mind walking up the hill every now and then when there is a purpose, I must say I wasn't overly excited to walk up the hill just come straight back down. I guess it's just one of those things you do as a parent.

As I dragged myself up this hill with all the enthusiasm that I could muster, I noticed on the opposing hill there were some out of character shapes, sitting in the middle of an open clearing. After a double take, and then another double take I realised what I had before me was a mob of around eight full-grown feral pigs soaking up the sun and fresh grass shoots as if they didn't have a care in the world.

I quickly ushered my daughter back as she was some metres ahead of me. "hey what to think that is over there on the hill?" I asked with interest as to see what her reply would be. Kind of as I suspected she didn't know, then when I informed her they were pigs a little eyes almost popped out of her head. I quickly assess the situation to only realise with great horror that not only were there were pigs around 150 m away, but I had no rifle, no knife or even a camera!!!!! I just couldn't believe it, such an opportunity with no way to capitalise on.

I had a plan. My daughter was to stay on the hill, with strict instructions to keep an eye on this mob with pigs while I traced back to the car and grabbed a rope. We would then stalk around behind the mob and push them out into the open where Scarlet would have the opportunity to see them running, with the hope and natural hunting instincts would kick in.

I grab a rope and raced back at my daughter when she informed me that the mob had walked down into a gully and was heading towards the open plains. I created a short lead for Scarlet to ensure that she wouldn't jump the gun too early and I could control her release. As we were stalking towards the mob I gave my daughter the rundown of pig hunting on what may or may not happen. I also informed her of the safety aspects and the dangers of these animals, and that she was to stay behind me at all times.

With that we stalked down the gully and onto a ridge where the mob had found a dam in a similar clear area. This was their opportunity, we could stalk within 15 to 20 m of the mob and then launch an attack from behind a small bush...... well, this was the plan anyway.....

Stalking close we kept the wind in your face to stop chances of us being detected early through our scent, and we managed to get right up to the bush. One last peak around and I could still see the mob, now was the time to secure our plan of attack. I made sure my daughter was right up close to me before I lept from the bushes with dog in tow and hopefully pigs running into the distance. I poised ready to the attack. Ready set go!!!! I stood up, that the dog off the lead and moved out from the bushes, only to my surprise there was no pigs to be seen.... I must say it felt a little bit anticlimactic as I was ready to chase.... Oh well, I figured I would take the dog down to where the pigs were standing with the hope that she would pick up the scent. On covering the short distance, I looked around in confused state, trying to understand exactly where these pigs could have gone to, after all there was no other trees around or bushes except the ones which I had used the cover. Of course that was it, before I lept out from the bush I turned around to seek my daughter was okay and that she was by my side, it was at this point in the pigs wandered off and entered almost in the same bushes I was hiding behind. Kinda weird really!!!

I grab Scarlet and directed her up into the bushes while I scouted the edges look into any sign and it wasn't long when I could hear the sound of pigs grunting and bushes and tweaks snapping. The mob had been hiding in the bushes right near me, Scarlet flushed them out and they broke cover to get across the 30 m of open area. Scarlet was on to them like a homeless on a brown paper bag, and before she knew it she jumped on the back of one of the tail enders.

Now I'm not sure at this point there was more surprised that she had a she grabbed one, but gauging from her actions if she could talk she would have been yelling out to me "Hey dad what the hell do I do now!!!!". No quicker as she jumped on the back of his pig that she stopped completely in tracks, while I continued to run after the rest of the mob in calling for her support.

They crossed large gully, while rounding back through the brush on the other side all the while making a horrendous noise while I was using both my hearing and sent to follow them through the scrub. Finally there was silence until out of the bush near the right of me I heard the unmistakable sign of an animal smashing through the bushes and breaking cover. It was a large boar headed straight up the hill and back to the original dam. I quickly ran the idea through my head and realised my daughter was still sitting at the dam waiting from my return, except now she had a 70 kg angry boar bearing down on her exact location.

By this stage the adrenaline and excitement, not to mention my lack of fitness had taken the piss out of me but I had one more hill to climb with the knowledge that my nature of daughter was over that hill with an angry boar. Let's just say that I found some extra energy.

Getting to the top of the hill it was good to see the boar running down across the clearing and my daughter still standing near a tree or left her. Once I climb down the hill and got to within talking distance of her I quickly got an update. What ended our transpiring was the boar came running over the hill straight for her and then within the last 5 m chucked the left and headed off into the distance. I'm not sure if the ball actually saw her and decided to set sail, or that it decided to head left as there was more cover. I guess it goes without saying that it scared the pants off her.

Once again it goes to show that you need to be prepared at any time while out in the bush, because you never know when something will appear.