Getting Ready

[Calif. Hunter]

I'll be heading up to my friend's ranch near Parkfield this weekend to get the guns sighted in. The 300 should still be good, but it's nice to know for sure. I've got the new .223 CZ to sight in for ground squirrels, and there should be a few of them for the buzzards Saturday afternoon. I'll probably see a ton of hogs, too...that would be just my luck! I don't need two hogs in the freezer, since it's still got a lot of elk meat in it. So I will wait for the June hunt to drop a hog.

Is everyone else all ready?

 

[Tom]

If you saw a hog while you had the .223, would you shoot it? I think it might work if you shot him in the ear or right behind it, but don't have much data. What do you think? A little hog, yes, but what about a bigger one, would the .223 ear shot work?

 

[Calif. Hunter]

It would have to be a perfect situation for me to try a shot with the .223 - the pig standing still, me with a dead rest and shot that was less than 150 yards or so. I have no doubt that the .223 bullet in the ear or eye would kill the pig, just the chance that a slight miss could create a horrible wound that would still let the pig get away. I might try a different head, heart or lung shot, depending on the angle, with a better bullet than the varmint bullets I'll have in the .223. But I like to use very frangible bullets on ground squirrels that would not leave much margin for error.

 

[Moosie]

HEY RICK. I know guys that would shoot 1,000 + yards at that pig and send it right through the ear .... HEHE....

COOL !!! I can't wait till ya meet ol T-bone.

 

[Tom]

Rick, That's real good. Why risk a bad wound, that's a good way of thinking about it. I'm going hog hunting here this weekend but wish California was closer. Take pictures!!

 

[MarvB]

Dang can't believe I just found you guys and there is a get together not that far south of me sucks!

You're gonna have a great time- Here's what some of that country looks like:

...and, of course, what you're chasin'!

 

[bigtusker]

Marv, I think there's still room. We only have 5 guys so far. Anyway, BS with the guys that are coming and see whats up. Whereabouts were those pics taken?

Chopper

 

[MarvB]

Chopper- would love to go (l will be down that way in July and prob. September) but I'm already booked that weekend and can't get out of it

Those pictures are from Paicines- Mike Baumgartners place (Devil's Canyon) the last time I went down there...lots o' hogs eating in thse barley fields!

Was kind of neat to hunt those high ridges and watch the fog roll in off the ocean at the same time...

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 05-21-2002 14:48: Message edited by: MarvB ]</font>

 

[Calif. Hunter]

Too bad you can't make it, Marv! We'd love to have you join us.

 

[bigtusker]

I was gonna say that looked like Highway 25 country south of Paicines.

 

[MarvB]

btusker- I see in your profile that you're a fire dispatcher? Don't know Mike Torres by chance do ya? (He's a huntin' FOOL) Mike's a CDF chief that moved up our way from the Napa area a few years back.

I really enjoyed that Paicines area- in just a few days hunting down there I saw an amazing amount of game around those ag. fields- deer, hogs, turkey, quail, dove, 'yotes, and you could melt down a barrel on all the squirrel and rabbits around there

 

[bigtusker]

Don't know him, but I see he's a Division Chief up in the Shasta/Trinity Unit.
The hunting down here is pretty good. I went down to my in-laws ranch a couple weeks back and shot squirrels. Best day of squirrel shooting I've ever had. I shot over 275 rounds out of my .22 mag and my buddy wasted a whole brick of .22's. It was awesome. My place is only about 20 to 30 minutes from where you were.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

I love shooting the ground squirrels as much or more than the hogs! I hope you left some for us, Chopper! I'll have a whole bunch of .223's loaded up. We can consider it "chumming" for the hogs or coyotes.

 

[MarvB]

Tusker...speakin' of hogs, I went down there one year over the July 4th weekend and they were having some kind of Harley Fest down that way....I've never seen so many bikes outside of Sturgess...wall to wall from Gilroy clear down to the turn off to the monument

Damn I wish I could make this trip...starting to drool.......

 

[bigtusker]

The harley thing is an annual event now every 4th of July. This year they are expecting 80,000 bikes. It's a cool event. Lot's of things to do.
As far as the squirrels, I was shooting at my in-laws, down near Panoche. I still have plenty to shoot.

 

[MarvB]

Wow 80,000 bikes! Amazing...I couldn't believe they had the center of town baracaded off and bike drags going right down the main street haha!

Some good lookin' babes just about everywhere an eye could stray too...but most likely a good place to get as ass kickin' as well.....

 

[HOGHUNTER714]

Hi Guys,


Dang, you guys are gonna have a blast. I know that area pretty well. You guys should see plenty of Hogs. Bag a few and dont forget the camera and the stories...

Bryan-HOGHUNTER714

 

[T Bone]

Poison Oak, tell me about it. I'm just an Idaho guy thats never seen it. When Moosie hunted California for pigs the poison oak put one of his hunting partners in the ER. He was swollen up like a bloated animal.

I've heard that you want to wear long sleeves, and change clothes often. Shower often. What kind of ointment stuff do you use? The pink calamine lotion or is there other stuff? I just want to be as prepared as possible.

Thanks,

T Bone

 

[Moosie]

Hoghunter, welcome aboard 'MATE !!! MAybe since you're in that area you shouldjoin them for the hunt ? MAN, I sure wish I could.... Somethnig about Hunting Texas, Montana and Idaho then Saskatchewan in the Spring and some other "ISSUES" I can't take the time off

T-BONE, good luck with the Ivy bro

 

[Calif. Hunter]

Chopper - if it takes me 4 hours to get to Paso Robles, how much further is Hollister, time-wise? Just trying to get a handle on when I have to leave that Friday morning.