Boars in Oz

[Ned Makim 116]

I've been away for a couple of days on family duties. Cousin of mine had some south African visitors coming to his property and was going to be away so I went down to fill in for him. They wanted to see a bit of hunting so took them for a shot. Spooked one little boar yesterday afternoon but the shooting was a little off so when the smoke cleared I let Bobby go into the scrub where the boar had bolted. Just over 400 metres later he had this bloke and the visitors got to see a nice clean catch and let go on command. Bobby did his thing and made me feel really proud of the dog. These blokes have hunted all sort so things and seemed genuinely impressed with the dog's professional approach. Bloody happy there wasn't a flick up I can tell you ha ha.

 

This is Leon and Joko and the little boar Joko's son stuck (hence the proud knife display....)

 

 

Cheers.

[Dave C 63]

Rodger & Bobby are looking well on them clips mate.

 

And it good to hear things went text book when you had your visitors, its normally then when things go pear shaped mate ha.

 

ATB

Dave.

[Ned Makim 116]

OK in pig news... Paul went out last night with all his trainees and got seven. They were all boars and all sellers although he only got four to the chiller. Two were kms away in the hills and one he left near a dam to go after the mob got mauled by a bloody fox. He reckoned he was gone an hour or more and got up to 3.4kms from the truck on foot following pigs but when he came back a fox had chewed off one ear and all round the arse. That boar went to dog food.

He also saw 23 fallow. One by himself with a good rack and the rest in one mob with various bucks showing reasonable heads. Bit surprised they are still carrying antlers in our country at this time of year.

Anyway, he's sending through some pix today so I'll post them tomorrow. I'm off in an hour or so for a run in a different spot in the hills overnight so I'll update everything tomorrow afternoon.

Cheers.

[Wild_and_Irish 11]

Keep them coming

[Ned Makim 116]

G'day,

I'm still waiting on Paul's pix but in the meantime I've got a couple of my own.

 

Took out a new bloke to pig dogging last night and scored two in some steep country. Rod is a shooter who has been lured over to the dark side ha ha. He's read a lot about pig dogging and I met him at the Game Council's Pig Dogging Workshop in May. He wanted to see how I did things so he came down for a look in one of my rougher blocks. The place has been hammered lately but we still managed to pick up two for the night. One of was fair sort of sow Bobby found after a heap of jumps during which he seemed to keep losing the scent and returning to the truck. I suggested to Rod we might be following pigs but a good bit behind them and the scent was blowing away. It seems that was the case. We persisted in the direction Bobby seemed to be taking us and he eventually shot of the truck, did a bit of a circle and then disappeared over the side of the ridge and hit the sow in the first pix. Rod was right on the spot and stuck his first pig after some not very subtle instruction from me. (I get a bit 'focussed' when I think things should be done quickly...probably why I hunt alone most of the time ha ha.) With his first job done we ventured back off the ridge and tried some old cultivation that we'd been to three times before during the run. This time Bobby jumped and worked all over the paddock telling us one had been there but seemingly unable to get a proper direction. I got him back on the truck and headed for the top end of the paddock where a creek enters and he didn't move of the tray. An about face and drive back over the same ground and this time he jumped and went in a beeline out of the paddock and straight up a ridge next door to the old cropping area. He hit the boar at 340metres from the truck but Rod and I had to climb 260 metres in altitude so the smart blokes can work out what that represents in terms of the slope. Anyway, once we were within about 60 metres and still climbing Bobby let out a bark and then grabbed again. At the same time we hit that rank boar smell so I let Roger off the lead to help out. We also let Rod's green 11 month old pup Rip go too. Roger did his thing no problem and Rip grabbed and let go a couple of times. Big step for him because it was the third pig he's ever seen and he had shown absolutely nothing with the first two. Rod did the honours on the boar and nailed the job perfectly. Quick learner our Rod...

Would have liked more pigs as always but a worthwhile hunt for both of us.

 

Rod and the boar...it would have been better than 50kgs dressed. That's Rip in the background. Very nice looking pup and potential plus IMO.

 

 

Rod again, this time with Bobby intent on Roger who have pissed off down the slope for a few hundred metres on spec in case there were more pigs about. If you don't grab Roger when you get a pig on the ground he disappears looking for his own. Good trait but can be a pain in the arse too.

 

Edited July 25, 2010 by Ned Makim

[Ned Makim 116]

 

 

Here's Paul's pic from Friday night. Five of the seven boars he caught on his solo run. The biggest two boxed at 49kgs and 48kgs dressed with the others going down the scale. Dogs wore a few holes but generally a real good run for our country. Trainee dogs continue to learn their trade too so that's even better.

 

Cheers.

[HALTY LAD 92]

 

 

Here's Paul's pic from Friday night. Five of the seven boars he caught on his solo run. The biggest two boxed at 49kgs and 48kgs dressed with the others going down the scale. Dogs wore a few holes but generally a real good run for our country. Trainee dogs continue to learn their trade too so that's even better.

 

Cheers.

Good Stuff Ned, excellent pics and write ups mate What is the heaviest pig you have taken in your area?

[Ned Makim 116]

Around here, 126kg dressed but north of here about nine hours I got two a week apart that dressed 170 and 175kg off the same crop.

But both were in the eighties. Still those big pigs about but I can't catch them lately ha ha.

Cheers.

[HALTY LAD 92]

Yea Ive heard the Queensland pigs can be the bigger pigs.... but 126 is a nice lump of meat!

 

How are your dogs for working thick cover like bramble (blackberry) and do you ever get into situations where you have thought a different dog type would have done the job better? Or do you find that your dogs can do the job best in all areas you hunt? Not serious questions mate, just a bit of banter I really like the look of your dogs and you seem well pleased with them (which is the main thing).

[Ned Makim 116]

We have blackberries and I hate going in them... The taller of our dogs can get tangled in that crap but the average of the line seems to go OK. Part of the breeding concept is to breed dogs that can handle the country we mostly hunt in. For me it's about the average every day performance rather than specialist dogs for different types of country. So I aim for dogs about 30 to 32 kgs that are fast, driven and with shit hot noses. In the past I thought different dogs should be on the truck for differnt situations but I invariably ended up with the quick light dog on the giant boar and the big meathead on the little sow etc etc...

Cheers.

[Dave C 63]

Sounds like you are doing something right Ned.

Was that a Lab i saw on one of the first few pages and if so how dose he fit into your breeding program, what size do you breed for, they look about 25 - 26" is that about right.

 

Dave.

[Ned Makim 116]

The heights sound about right. Odd one would be taller, others shorter by and inch maybe.

 

Re the Lab, no none in ours. If you can ID the pix I'll tell you about that dog...

Cheers.

[Dave C 63]

Sorry ned it wasnt one of your dogs , it was posted by a lad from NZ i think on your page 16, just i know alot of lads use Lab blood in there pigdogs and that one looks alot like a lab.

 

ATB

Dave.

[Chriseden 5]

Sorry ned it wasnt one of your dogs , it was posted by a lad from NZ i think on your page 16, just i know alot of lads use Lab blood in there pigdogs and that one looks alot like a lab.

 

ATB

Dave.

 

 

That would be my Youngest dog hes a roughly 33% bull (mostly bullterrier i think) 25%lab %25 cattle (collie) and 12.5% greyhound

He is keen and very hard at 10 months old he is about 30 kg and is about 20 inch's should grow up and out a few more yet.

[Dave C 63]

He is a nice looking dog mate, i am pleased he is coming on well for you.

 

ATB

Dave.