Face to Face with a Mama Sow
05/03/11 06:40
Next time I'll go prepared!
With nothing to do till Superbowl kickoff, I decided to make a quick recon of the "Blue Hole" . That is the name Mickey and I gave to the remote track of brush land we found while on our quest for the National Whitetail Rattling Championship..The place is magical, teeming with all sorts of wildlife.
Because it was a spur of the moment decision, I took off armed with only my camera and of course a set of the Big Buck 4n2 Rattling Antlers. I always take them with me just to see what response I'll get from a buck; if he happens along. It was a windy day with gusts of around 30 mph; not an idea day for spotting wildlife. Still I was outdoors , alone, and surrounded by nature. I hiked along the back-washes of the Luna Madre, checking out the occasional Red Tail Hawk or the Caracara bird,(Mexican Eagle) while at the same time keeping an eye out for rattlers that might be out sunning.(Gotta get me some of those snake boots).
After a hiking a couple of hours , I was returning to the truck when I noticed movement in the brush ahead. I was down wind from the action; so I stopped hoping what ever it was would show itself before detecting me. Sure enough, it wasn't long till my curiosity was satisfied; a mama sow with four piglets exited the brush, and crossed the trail about twenty yards in front of me. I readied the camera and took several photos as they came into the open. Mama weighed about 100 lbs.,and had a long snout and tusks. As soon as they crossed, they all stopped and began rooting in the tall grass that lined the trail. I was cut-off!
To return to the truck meant either: passing them on the trail which would put me too close for comfort with mama sow, or backtrack to another trail, and that would require a long walk. Going around them was not an option as the saw grass was thigh high, and this was rattlesnake country (rattlers love saw grass). I was tired; so I decided to try and spook them by hurling a big stick at them all the while remaining undetected. I picked up a big limb and hurled it into the area where they were rooting; thinking my next sight would be one of scrambling pigs. NOT! When the stick landed, they all froze and mama got down into a defensive posture.
I was down wind and they had not seen me so I decided to sit tight and wait till they moved on. I waited what seemed to be an hour and they continued to root around the edge of the trail. By now they were around thirty to forty yards away, and my impatience had finally gotten to me. I was too tired to backtrack so I decided my next move would be to make some human noises, and expose my position . Most of the time pigs try to avoid human contact. I felt a little safer with an extra twenty yards between us. I stepped out into the trail and made some loud noises as if I was talking with a companion, thinking mama would lead her brood to the safety of the deep brush. No Deal!
She reacted exactly the opposite of what I was hoping for. She turned, faced me, and started starring me down with a look that said "Make my day! "
At this moment, it hit me how vulnerable I was. After a few seconds, she made a short charge in my direction and stopped. The only things I had in my hands were a camera and the 4n2 rattling antlers. I hurled one of the antlers at her and luckily hit her in the snout. Thank goodness this was all it took for her to whirl around, and trot off with her family into the brush.
I know that to be prepared is not an option, but a requirement when you go to the woods. I learned that in the Boy Scouts. In my life I have had plenty of experiences to reinforced that rule, but none clearer that this one!
No matter how innocent the walk in the woods seems," Be Prepared" THAT IS THE RULE!!!
bigbucktom
With nothing to do till Superbowl kickoff, I decided to make a quick recon of the "Blue Hole" . That is the name Mickey and I gave to the remote track of brush land we found while on our quest for the National Whitetail Rattling Championship..The place is magical, teeming with all sorts of wildlife.
Because it was a spur of the moment decision, I took off armed with only my camera and of course a set of the Big Buck 4n2 Rattling Antlers. I always take them with me just to see what response I'll get from a buck; if he happens along. It was a windy day with gusts of around 30 mph; not an idea day for spotting wildlife. Still I was outdoors , alone, and surrounded by nature. I hiked along the back-washes of the Luna Madre, checking out the occasional Red Tail Hawk or the Caracara bird,(Mexican Eagle) while at the same time keeping an eye out for rattlers that might be out sunning.(Gotta get me some of those snake boots).
After a hiking a couple of hours , I was returning to the truck when I noticed movement in the brush ahead. I was down wind from the action; so I stopped hoping what ever it was would show itself before detecting me. Sure enough, it wasn't long till my curiosity was satisfied; a mama sow with four piglets exited the brush, and crossed the trail about twenty yards in front of me. I readied the camera and took several photos as they came into the open. Mama weighed about 100 lbs.,and had a long snout and tusks. As soon as they crossed, they all stopped and began rooting in the tall grass that lined the trail. I was cut-off!
To return to the truck meant either: passing them on the trail which would put me too close for comfort with mama sow, or backtrack to another trail, and that would require a long walk. Going around them was not an option as the saw grass was thigh high, and this was rattlesnake country (rattlers love saw grass). I was tired; so I decided to try and spook them by hurling a big stick at them all the while remaining undetected. I picked up a big limb and hurled it into the area where they were rooting; thinking my next sight would be one of scrambling pigs. NOT! When the stick landed, they all froze and mama got down into a defensive posture.
I was down wind and they had not seen me so I decided to sit tight and wait till they moved on. I waited what seemed to be an hour and they continued to root around the edge of the trail. By now they were around thirty to forty yards away, and my impatience had finally gotten to me. I was too tired to backtrack so I decided my next move would be to make some human noises, and expose my position . Most of the time pigs try to avoid human contact. I felt a little safer with an extra twenty yards between us. I stepped out into the trail and made some loud noises as if I was talking with a companion, thinking mama would lead her brood to the safety of the deep brush. No Deal!
She reacted exactly the opposite of what I was hoping for. She turned, faced me, and started starring me down with a look that said "Make my day! "
At this moment, it hit me how vulnerable I was. After a few seconds, she made a short charge in my direction and stopped. The only things I had in my hands were a camera and the 4n2 rattling antlers. I hurled one of the antlers at her and luckily hit her in the snout. Thank goodness this was all it took for her to whirl around, and trot off with her family into the brush.
I know that to be prepared is not an option, but a requirement when you go to the woods. I learned that in the Boy Scouts. In my life I have had plenty of experiences to reinforced that rule, but none clearer that this one!
No matter how innocent the walk in the woods seems," Be Prepared" THAT IS THE RULE!!!
bigbucktom