Shaking the Bush?
I'm slipping the third and final round into my little cut down .357, the first two rounds had been wasted it seemed, I'm thinking back to earlier this morning, while crawling around the floor looking for the fourth bullet, I'd thought, dam it three rounds should be plenty. When have a ever used more than three rounds during a hunt.
It had been raining for days, not heavy, just enough to keep the bush dripping wet, I'd been talking to my old mate Pork-Chop a couple of days before, "did you go for a hunt this morning Chop" I said. "I got up and 'shook the bush', to wet for me" he said. This-morning wasn't much drier, at-least the rain had stopped, I didn't shake the bush.
Quick breakfast and a few stretches, soon the four bitches Lu, Kai, Jet & Reg were collared up and on the bike, poor old bike was riding a bit low this morning, someone will be on a diet shortly, we were off to a spot I hadn't checked out for a while. Not long after leaving the bike it started to drizzle, nice, we carried on up the valley, the creeks were roaring from all the rain as the girls seemed to take off in all directions leaving me standing there looking at the tracker, 'follow Lu' I thought, she was climbing out, most likely tracking a pig, I followed, 20 minutes later she was still some way off when I heard her bark, then howl, Lu's a great bitch, but they all have their faults and hers is she tends to get lost and then sits down and howls, which is OK to be honest because shes the only honest dog I have, (far better than them getting lost and shagging your best friend ah). I got the whistle out and called her down. Checking the tracker Kai was a km away moving fast, Reg&Jet had been following her but had turned around making me think she was on a deer, they then split up as Lu arrive back, bugger it, me and Lu set off around the face into the big native, Reg showed up after ten minutes and soon Kai as well, we continued climbing the bridle path, Jet looked like she had gone back to the bike to wait for the boss, it's hard hunting in here these days with the deer shit ankle deep.
We climbed on as the drizzle turned to light rain, I like the area we were in, old beach forest with plenty of supple jack and tucker for the pigs to chew on. Some time ago I used to hunt in this area with my old mate and neighbor Pedro, one morning we stumbled on a large dead boar, "he must have died of old age" I said to Pedro, "let's keep that to ourselves" Pedro said.
It looked like we weren't the only one using this track, as Lu threw her nose in the air charging off around the ridge with Kai and Reg following, I staggered on, then a bark from Lu, the I've found a pig bark we all like to hear, now lots of viscous barking from all three dogs, moving my way by the sounds of things, just below me now I could hear the pig as well scoffing and snorting, it was no squealer by the sound of it, a boar for sure, down I went to join the party, loading my gun as I moved in, the three dogs had a large jet black boar perfectly bailed on a flat area amongst the punga, one dog in each eye and Reg out back, snookered, Reg would dive in and hock him then he would turn and chase Reg, then one of the other dogs would do the same, I don't care what you say about holding dogs there's nothing as exciting as a large boar loosely bailed. Boom! Bugger, I must get that back sight reinstated, the boar took off, the dogs gave chase soon pulling him up again, this time when I arrived he was chasing the dogs around again as they nipped in and out, he was well aware of me now and stood looking straight at me. Boom! Dam! Had I hit him this time? He broke again, the dogs soon bailed him again and the barking was at fever pitch, the dogs closer to the boar now maybe sensing he was fading. I'm slipping the third and final round into my little cut down .357, Boom! The pig dropped, the dogs hoed in.
I was wet and cold but that didn't seem to matter as I set about dragging him down to a spot I could get the bike to, we were soon all home, to my surprised the boar weighted 68kg or 149lb on the hook.
