Went squirrel hunting Saturday with my neighbor. His family has 100 ac with a wooded creek bottom and maybe 30 ac of mature hardwoods. I saw a large black boar running away across the pasture as I was preparing to step into the treeline--big one. I walked on into the woods to a small clearing with a tree that looked comfy to sit against and set up. 10 minutes later the first squirrel shows up, but it is a traveler and I never got a shot. Then a second one shows and I drop it, a 3rd one, and I drop it as well. Then about 15 minutes later I shoot a third. 5 minutes later another traveler comes from the left across my front and leaves the area, never slowing down or pausing to offer a shot opportunity. THEN, I hear dogs barking in the distance and in a minute or two I realize they are coming towards me, closing fast. It gets really loud and hectic when a large black boar appears, headed straight towards me with a pack of hog dogs in hot pursuit. They bay the boar against some thick brush about 20 yds away and I got to watch the show. Needless to say my adrenaline was pumping and I'm thinking "Which tree am I gonna climb if the hog or dogs come after me?" The boar has one dog on each ear, one on each jowl, and two more dancing around him. Then the boar decided he had enough and shook 'em off, throwing one yelping dog maybe 4' in the air to land abut 10' away, only to have them get right back on him. Next I hear voices and two guys come running thru the woods towards the melee, and the one in front says "Whoa! It's a big f'n boar!" About a minute later fat Bubba comes lumbering into the picture, semi-running with about a 12" Bowie knife in his hand, unsheathed and running! Hog decides it is time to leave and does, gets bayed again about 40 yds away, then breaks away and into the pasture. Heads across the pasture with 6 dogs and 3 guys chasing him. He went into the creek bottom or a small tank about 150-200 yds from me, and in a few minutes it got quiet. They didn't get the boar as he ran off the property. Spent another hour sneaking and peeking but no more squirrels. Guess the noise of the chase sent them into their dens/nests.
Funniest part--when fat Bubba got closer to me I said "You're gonna need a bigger knife." He froze, eyes like saucers
and started looking around. I'm sitting in camo no more than 12 yds away and it still took him a few moments to pick me out. He squeaked out to the first two guys "Hey, there are hunters in here."
