Tribute to Ming

 Ming found and caught her first pig at 8 months, she saw her last almost 4 years later at 4 years and 7 months old, what a ride we had, she was my Main dog and will be sorely missed, more courage than was good for her, she could Find, Hold and Bail, but more importantly she was also a great friend who gave and received affection freely.

Below are some pics and links to old stories involving Ming, the story of her last hunt follows.

Ming at 8 weeks.

Lu and Ming with the pigs from Pork Chops at 8 and a half months.

One year and 4 months old Ming laying down and Lu 160lb Club

Boar that opened Ming up from the story Ming

Ming below, back from the vet with war wounds from the boar above.

Ming below in the middle with the boar that got us third place in the Annual Havelock Hotel Pig Hunting Comp

The old boar Ming found in Mutiny On The High Seas!

Ming on the right, from Playing on the juice

Ming posing with the pig, as she liked to after the kill, in De ja vu

Ming looking very pleased with herself Waterfall Boar

Ming with the Boar that got us 3rd prize in the Woodborne comp 2014 in Jannine the sacrifice

The Boar Ming found in the "The God Father" Part 1

 There were countless other pigs Ming accounted for during her time, but now on with her last hunt.

Jannine was down with the Pegasus Bay harvest crew, I hadn't entered the Woodboure Tavern pig hunt this year, as I thought it was poorly organised last year.
 We had picked up a sow a couple of days earlier, that Ming had found, two days later and feeling a bit jaded I was planing an easy hunt for today.

We tied up at the jetty about 7.30 on a cold but dry morning, then started walking with Ming out front finding as usual, Lu, Jude and Puk kept close, plenty of deer sign around, but Ming has just about given up on chasing them these days, we walked on after Ming returned from a bit of a look around, soon we arrived at a likely ridge I,d found pigs on before, Ming wasn't working that well this morning so I put her on a lead and let her sister have a look around, Lu soon found a pig, so we let all the dogs run and were soon struggling with a toey sow, I was keen to let this sow go with Jannines help, but with the dogs so fresh and the sow still full of beans I soon gave up and decided to stick her.
 I then tried to get the dogs to go again, looking at the tracker I could see Lu was now already150 meters away, the others soon followed with a little encouragement.

Hearing Lu hit another pig I asked Jannine if she would take care of the sow and meet me down on the track, soon Ming and Jude arrive to help Lu and I heard the barking reach fever pitch, I was now 250 meters away, but little did I know Ming had taken a tusk in the throat, me and Puk were going as fast as we could, around through a couple of small shitty gullies, soon we were close to the bailing dogs, so I let Puk loose, not a squeal had been heard, I was expecting a boar of some size, but when I arrived I was meet by a very agitated young Boar, that would have been lucky to weigh 100 lb dripping wet on the hook, Lu and Puk were holding him with Jude lending a hand, I grabbed him by the back legs, then reached under for a front leg to tip him over, sticking him quick, as he was thrashing about, looking up there was Ming sitting watching, I new something was wrong straight away, she had that look in her eye and soon collapsed, I could see a small rip in her throat and blood on her chest, I shot some blood clotting agent into the wound, then taped a pressure bandage over the wound, she didn't look good though, so picking Ming up leaving the pig and my gun, I set off noticing a lot of blood on the ground, which had obviously come from Ming, I finally made it down to the track with Ming in my arms, she was struggling for breath, I didn't think she would make it to the track, let along town, but she's a tough bitch and managed to hang on.

I meet Jannine on the track and said I will leave Ming on the beach, then go for the boat, we soon found ourselves heading for Picton with the patient.

 After getting Ming settled at the Vets Jannine and me made for home, the Vet Christen saying "no promises", "no news is good news" she said, unfortunately a few hours later I took a call from her at home, "Ming has past away" she said, I was gutted, my old mate Ming had gone.

The next day after having a good old cry, I buried her just outside the kitchen window, planting a rosemary on her grave.

                            Ming a week before she died with her daughter Jude looking on who has some big shoes to fill.

Good bye my old Mate:

Weep no more, nor sigh, nor groan,
Sorrow calls no time that's gone;
Violets plucked, the sweetest rain
Makes not fresh nor grow again.