Headed out Friday with my dad and step brother for our first family hunting trip. My dad and brother have only hunted pheasant a few times and I wanted to get the on some bigger game. We did a fully guided hunt with Tom Willoughby in Paso Robles. Hunted with Tom and his friend Jim.
Met up with Tom Friday afternoon. Checked out a few of his properties with no luck. Finally at dusk my dad and Jim spotted 5 sows out in a field. We all met up. Walked down with my brother to about 60 yards. He set up on a nice hog. Missed just high. That was the end of the night.
Met up with the guys early Saturday morning and headed out before first light. Saw a few hogs (and some elk) on the first property but couldn't catch up with them. My dad and him were down in another valley and we heard a shot. My dad had missed at about 100 yards.
Headed to another property. After some scouting found a hog running over a ridge. Raced around to a draw to cut it off. My brother set up. The hog was running mid slope about 175 yards away. He took the shot and missed just low right as the hog took a step up the hill.
Scouted a little while longer. Found an area with some hogs on the brush. They dropped my off one ridge to the east in case the pushed the hogs up and over. Well the hogs took off the other direction. My brother was able to get off a few good shots and put down a nice dry sow.
Went out to do some more scouting around. Found a draw with some hogs. They left me at the bottom and headed up to push them down to the clearing I was in. About 2 minutes later they come ripping down in the truck, pick me up, and we go racing up the ridge to the east. 4 nice hogs were headed up the other side but I couldn't get a good shot with all the bush covering their trail. Saw 4 more hogs heading further up towards the ridgeline to the north. Hopped in the truck and headed a little further up the ridge. Got out and set up. The hogs were headed to a clearing just below the top of the ridge. Picked out a nice red hog and let one fly at about 250 yards. Nailed it. The hog headed back down in to the brush. We got in the truck, down the ridge we were on and back up the draw. Found my hog laid up in the brush dying. Finished him off. 200 pound red boar.
Didn't get on any other hogs that morning and blanked that night. My dad didn't want to get up early and hunt this morning so we called it a trip.
Tom had taken our hogs and hung them in his walk in. Picked them up this morning and headed home.
Took mine to my buddies house and we butchered it up. Hog in the freezer is a great feeling.
Already planning our next hunting trip.
After a little more range time I'm sure my dad and brother will be ready to get back out there.
Tom and Jim weren't much for taking pictures and were constantly go go go so I don't have many. I'll post the few I do have but last time I tried attaching them it froze and I lost my much more detailed hunt story.
Met up with Tom Friday afternoon. Checked out a few of his properties with no luck. Finally at dusk my dad and Jim spotted 5 sows out in a field. We all met up. Walked down with my brother to about 60 yards. He set up on a nice hog. Missed just high. That was the end of the night.
Met up with the guys early Saturday morning and headed out before first light. Saw a few hogs (and some elk) on the first property but couldn't catch up with them. My dad and him were down in another valley and we heard a shot. My dad had missed at about 100 yards.
Headed to another property. After some scouting found a hog running over a ridge. Raced around to a draw to cut it off. My brother set up. The hog was running mid slope about 175 yards away. He took the shot and missed just low right as the hog took a step up the hill.
Scouted a little while longer. Found an area with some hogs on the brush. They dropped my off one ridge to the east in case the pushed the hogs up and over. Well the hogs took off the other direction. My brother was able to get off a few good shots and put down a nice dry sow.
Went out to do some more scouting around. Found a draw with some hogs. They left me at the bottom and headed up to push them down to the clearing I was in. About 2 minutes later they come ripping down in the truck, pick me up, and we go racing up the ridge to the east. 4 nice hogs were headed up the other side but I couldn't get a good shot with all the bush covering their trail. Saw 4 more hogs heading further up towards the ridgeline to the north. Hopped in the truck and headed a little further up the ridge. Got out and set up. The hogs were headed to a clearing just below the top of the ridge. Picked out a nice red hog and let one fly at about 250 yards. Nailed it. The hog headed back down in to the brush. We got in the truck, down the ridge we were on and back up the draw. Found my hog laid up in the brush dying. Finished him off. 200 pound red boar.
Didn't get on any other hogs that morning and blanked that night. My dad didn't want to get up early and hunt this morning so we called it a trip.
Tom had taken our hogs and hung them in his walk in. Picked them up this morning and headed home.
Took mine to my buddies house and we butchered it up. Hog in the freezer is a great feeling.
Already planning our next hunting trip.
After a little more range time I'm sure my dad and brother will be ready to get back out there.
Tom and Jim weren't much for taking pictures and were constantly go go go so I don't have many. I'll post the few I do have but last time I tried attaching them it froze and I lost my much more detailed hunt story.
