The sun finally came out this morning after several days of rain and clouds, so I headed over to one of my farms about 1 pm where I saw a ghog earlier in the week. I had a spot all planned where I could shoot from 210 yds with my Savage Venture in 223 for the first long shot of the season.
When I pulled onto the property and glassed in the direction of the hole, I spotted the ghog a good distance from the hole. I pulled the truck into position, got out to retrieve the gun and get set up. Just then a friend pulled up in his truck, radio blarring, talking a blue streak. Sure enough, the ghog runs for its hole and disappears. He obviously didn't think a head of time that he could be interrupting my hunt.
It was this same friend that spooked the ghod earlier in the week when he pulled onto the property close to the burrow. That time he didn't know I was there. Foiled again!
Anyway, he came over to work the garden on a small piece of land the owner lets him use. He plants potatoes, tomatoes, beets, brocolli and other crops to supply a local soup kitchen and our church pantry. And since my hunt was blown, I followed him to the garden to help with some hoeing and planting.
Now it just so happens that the garden is only ten to forty yards from the ghog burrow depending where you are, so while I'm working, I'm checking the hole. About two hours after we started, I spotted the ghog peeking out of the hole. You could just see its nose and eyes. It would be there for a couple of minutes and then disappear. This happend several times in the next hour.
I told my friend I was still planning on the 210 yard shot tomorrow when he asked me if I would bring the hog, or any hog, to him right away so he could gut and skin it for someone who wanted it for food. It was then I decided to harvest this ghog right now. So I walked over to the truck, pulled out the 17 HMR, loaded it up and walked over to my friend's truck on the far side of the garden. Using the side rail on his truck for a rest, I found the ghog peeking from its hole, lined up the crosshairs and shot for the neck. I heard the smack. We walked over to the hole and found a dead, younger male. No time for pictures since we both left right then. Guess the day worked out after all, in a variety of ways.
When I pulled onto the property and glassed in the direction of the hole, I spotted the ghog a good distance from the hole. I pulled the truck into position, got out to retrieve the gun and get set up. Just then a friend pulled up in his truck, radio blarring, talking a blue streak. Sure enough, the ghog runs for its hole and disappears. He obviously didn't think a head of time that he could be interrupting my hunt.
It was this same friend that spooked the ghod earlier in the week when he pulled onto the property close to the burrow. That time he didn't know I was there. Foiled again!
Anyway, he came over to work the garden on a small piece of land the owner lets him use. He plants potatoes, tomatoes, beets, brocolli and other crops to supply a local soup kitchen and our church pantry. And since my hunt was blown, I followed him to the garden to help with some hoeing and planting.
Now it just so happens that the garden is only ten to forty yards from the ghog burrow depending where you are, so while I'm working, I'm checking the hole. About two hours after we started, I spotted the ghog peeking out of the hole. You could just see its nose and eyes. It would be there for a couple of minutes and then disappear. This happend several times in the next hour.
I told my friend I was still planning on the 210 yard shot tomorrow when he asked me if I would bring the hog, or any hog, to him right away so he could gut and skin it for someone who wanted it for food. It was then I decided to harvest this ghog right now. So I walked over to the truck, pulled out the 17 HMR, loaded it up and walked over to my friend's truck on the far side of the garden. Using the side rail on his truck for a rest, I found the ghog peeking from its hole, lined up the crosshairs and shot for the neck. I heard the smack. We walked over to the hole and found a dead, younger male. No time for pictures since we both left right then. Guess the day worked out after all, in a variety of ways.
