May 19, 2006
Hog Hunting with Dogs: Methods and Recommendations, by Franklin D. Van Ardoy Jr. (part 2 of 2)
[This is the second of two articles contributed by my friend Franklin David Van Ardoy Jr. - Russell]
The Method of the Hunt
The following is a synopsis of the hunt Clayton Cameron and his crew ran with Frank Maestri and me [Van Ardoy]. Every aspect of the hunt is systematic and orderly to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.
The hunt is run with great organization. Two handlers lead the Pit Bulls on leashes while the hounds move about freely and detect the hogs. The Pit Bulls, which are protected with a chest and rib pad that also serves as a harness, remain under human control until the handlers verify that a hog has been bayed. The hounds, which remain unprotected, howl to each other and the hunting party when a hog is located. The hounds descend on the location of the hog and all hounds encircle the hog to keep it at bay. When the hunting party arrives, the dog handlers confirm baying of the hog and they release the Pit Bulls. The Pit Bulls charge the hog with a fury only surpassed in an armor assault. Each Pit Bull rushes the hog with his eyes on the hog’s ears and each takes an ear. They then pin the hog to the ground and await the handlers.
The handlers must then assume separate roles. One holds the hog in an ankle lock while reaching for his pry bar. Clayton takes this role. He pins the hog and removes the Pit Bulls from the hog’s ears with his pry bar. The Pit Bulls will have their jaw clamped down so hard that only the pry bar will remove the dogs from the hog’s ears. A second handler approaches with the leashes to attach to the harness and pull back the Pit Bulls. With the hog in an ankle lock, someone from the hunting party approaches and stabs the hog in the neck and heart. The puncturing of the heart often results in blood spraying fifteen to twenty feet. At this time, the hunter cannot avoid getting hog blood on his knife, hand, arm and legs.
Not all hog hunts with the dogs result in meat for the freezer. Clayton will remind you that when his dogs locate a huge boar, he will keep it for sale to brokers in Southeast Asia. Clayton will be featured on the Men’s Channel sometime soon. Filming is supposed to take place this month, April 2006. Look for him to be featured on one of the channel’s outdoor programs between April and August.
Recommendations for New Hunters
1. Anyone interested in a hog hunt with dogs should wear some protective gear over the legs. Thorny thickets leave puncture wounds and long cuts even through heavy denim jeans. Find thick leather, canvas or metal mesh protective gear and wear it.
2. Bring self-illuminating devices such as Cyalum-Sticks to put on the hogs once they are gutted and dragged into a clearing. Everything looks the same in the thickets after dark and finding the clearing in which the hunting party left a hog can be problematic.
3. Wear light rubber boots. Even minor flooding creates fields of water in which hunters will encounter cold shin-deep water.
4. Attach your knife to you with a lanyard. Sharpen that knife immediately prior to the hunt. Sharpen it again during a lull in activities.
5. Wear a head lamp or any other hands-free light. Be sure that it cannot be pulled off as you run past or under thorn bushes.
6. Never allow yourself to be last in line during the ATV ride or the chase. They know the woods and navigate much faster.
7. Never run ahead of the hunting party. Allow at least one Pit Bull handler to take the lead.
8. Do not eat a heavy meal fewer than two hours before the hunt.
9. Do not pet the dogs.
10. Prepare for the hunt starting two weeks in advance. Do twenty sprints of 50 yards and a few of 100 yards. Work up to doing all 100 yard sprints.
Posted by Russell Whitaker at May 19, 2006 12:32 PM | TrackBackRussell,
Great story and the meat was great, I got to share in a BBQ at Franklin's place after he returned to Nevada.
Please have Franklin Van Ardoy add an after action report discribing the bear attack on the vehicle used to transport the hog meat to Nevada.
Mike
>_>...i really hope you dont kill little fox creatures like that ;-;..nothing against hunting but ya...how gruesome LMAO
Posted by: Yvette on May 30, 2006 07:31 PMi hog hunt regularly and it is not as ruff as this info states 99% of the time the hogs i catch are well off enough to let go to hunt another day and the other 1% are of great meat size and they go to the frezer i hunt and some dont lets all be alittle understanding and say even if you dont agree most are doing it with ethics in mind and the few who arent are gettin run off also you cant train a hog dog they have to want to do it so even the dog are havin fun, even if it dose happen to get alittle dangerous
Posted by: mike delozier on November 29, 2006 03:58 PMgood information.
Posted by: JIMMY on April 28, 2007 06:21 AMGood INFO. We dont use Pit Bulls we use Black Mouth Curs and if you've never tryed them you should. We have a black mouth cur named Rugger and he'll catch any thing no matter how big it is. He has been cut so many time that you might think he would learn to stop catching them but he dosent. We also have another name pepper and she can out run any thing. In a cow pasture she'll catch them before they get undre the fence.
Posted by: HogMaster on June 30, 2007 03:09 AMI'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT STARTING TO HOG HUNT AND NOW HAVE THE OPPURTUNITY TO GET A PURE BRED PITBULL FOR FREE. FOR THIS SPORT SHOULD I GET A MALE OR FEMALE?
Posted by: JOSH on July 2, 2007 08:18 AMSounds like you boys in the states have it pretty well organized.I am in New Zealand.We have a variety of wild pig here.From Kunikuni,to Captain Cookers,to Long Whites and many many crossbreeds of the three.I have a huge 8 month black/red pitbull,witch I rescued from a future pit fighting life.He is very boisterous,and not so much into tracking.We generally hunt here with the one man one dog one knife or even wooden sticker method,on foot.He shows potential as a loyal and good hunting dog.But because I got him so late in life I am at a loss as to how to train him correctly to seek and hunt pigs only(we have a lot of cattle and other animals such as goat,possum,ferret etc)I dont want him getting sidetracked.I live right smack in the middle of a mighty rainforest with very dense undergrowth,that is riddled with pigs(whole areas dug up,and fresh scat everywhere).But as you can imagine vision is severely limited.So my dilemma is where the hell do I start?I dont want to leave it to late or he will probably never get the jist.Any help would be greatly appreciated.I have left my email address so please please contact me with any info or advice.It would be greatly appreciated.Many thanks.
Posted by: ganga farmer on September 13, 2007 09:29 PMGanga farmer, you should reconsider trying to train the pit bull to track wild pigs. Instead, get a hound for tracking. Better yet, get more than one. Hounds track animals without much training. Good training can make a superb tracker out of an ordinary hound.
You will see how closely the dogs work together. When the hounds are tracking, the pit bull will follow. You will have to restrain the pit bull to keep it from attacking the pig until the hounds have cornered it.
I am almost certain that we used both male and female pit bulls; however, maybe some hunters use only males.
The last two reports Frank gave me about the dogs demonstrates the danger in this kind of hunting. A large hog attacked one of the pit bulls over two month ago. The dog received a laceration nearly the length of its front leg. It was back in the hunt after the hunters stapled the skin together. A few weeks ago a large hog attacked another pit bull and killed him.
Posted by: Franklin on September 14, 2007 11:38 AMMike is right about the bear attack. A bear broke into my car after I got that meat home from that hunt. Blood had dripped onto the back seat and despite my many efforts, stained the seat and left a strong smell. The bear apparently liked the smell enough to break my window, then take my back seat out of the car and off into the woods.
Posted by: Franklin on September 14, 2007 11:42 AMHey, my name is Charles McCoy and i live in Northeast Texas in between the Red and Sulphur River. This area is know for big hogs and i have been on a couple with some of my buddies. I recently purchased pup. His is Bull Mastiff/Pit crossed with a bloodhound. Nether of his parents have been hunting, but i would like to see what he got. Does anyone of any tips or info that would help me out? If so just leave a comment on this page and I will be checking it daily. Thank you
Posted by: Charles on October 23, 2007 06:58 PMyour a cake
Posted by: bob on December 5, 2007 12:22 PMcharles your a cake and stop going on this damn website you california faggot fucker
Posted by: bob on December 5, 2007 12:25 PMMike is right about the bear attack. A bear broke into my car after I got that meat home from that hunt. Blood had dripped onto the back seat and despite my many efforts, stained the seat and left a strong smell. The bear apparently liked the smell enough to break my window, then take my back seat out of the car and off into the woods.
Posted by: Pets Guide All About Your Pet on December 15, 2007 02:20 AMI saw something on TV once,and it showed a Bear trying to kill a Game Warden that was releasing it from a pickup truck. A Very Scary Scene.
Posted by: Joseph Palowski on December 15, 2007 08:16 PMI live in SC and I'm looking for protective gear for my dog to wear during hog hunting. Ant idea where I can find some.
Posted by: Tim on January 9, 2008 02:55 PMHey there is some great info from this site. I am trying to get into hog hunting. And any information from the basics rite on would be appreciated. I need some dogs, dont know anywhere local to find em. Any feedback is appreciated....
Posted by: jonathan on January 18, 2008 08:55 PM