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Jesse's Hunting > Hunting Articles > Hunting Articles Archives > 2nd Annual JHO Ham Slam is a Success
2nd Annual JHO Ham Slam is a Success
Phil Loughlin - JHO ProStaff
- SF Bay Area, CA
June 07, 2005
The 2nd Annual JHO Ham Slam at the Tejon Ranch got off to a slow start this year with a delay getting the application process underway. Several technical glitches resulted in the loss of applicant data, although; much to the appreciation of the hunt coordinator, Phillip Loughlin, everyone readily re-submitted their information.
Busy meatpole...
The meatpole stayed busy over the weekend, as JHO hunters harvested 12 hogs for a 50% success rate. |
The action started right away with two hogs taken on Friday night, then six more taken on Saturday. On Sunday, while many of the JHOers decided to pack up for the long drive home, several others gave it one last go. Two hogs came in on the Sunday morning hunt, bringing the group's total to 10. The camp cleared out during the day on Sunday, with all but three hunters remaining for the evening hunt.
Scott "Grtwythunter" Plunkett and Russ "Rusman" Mantel took their hunts to the wire, and headed down the infamous "Speckmisser Ridge" for one last shot at Tejon hogs. Meanwhile, Phillip "Speckmisser" Loughlin took first-time hog hunter, Joe Ramos to a "secret spot" on another ridge, overlooking an active bedding and watering area. Both spots are known producers, and on Sunday night, they delivered.
The action started when Mantel spotted a small group of hogs, and managed a quick shot. Unfortunately, the shot went wide and the hogs disappeared. An hour or so later, another rifle report cracked across the canyon, and Plunkett's voice on the radio announced that he had a meat pig on the ground, and didn't need any help on the recovery.
Meanwhile, Loughlin spotted a lone boar moving across an adjacent ridge and called Ramos over to set up. Moments later, a large group of hogs crossed the hillside. As the group fed at about 250 yards, Ramos felt confident that he could make the shot. There was some discussion about the likely difficulty of the recovery, and once he verified that he was comfortable with it, he put the crosshairs on a nice, red meat hog and touched the trigger.
At the report, the hogs scattered, including the target, which ran into a thicket. As Loughlin prepared to go across the ravine and scout for blood sign, the hogs reappeared. A careful check with binoculars revealed that the red pig was unscathed and running with the rest. They disappeared into the brush for several minutes, then reappeared a little lower down the hill. The panic at the shot had abated, and the hogs slowly fed back into the open. Ramos had his second chance, and this time made good with an incredible, cross-canyon shot that sent a small black boar cartwheeling down the hill.
The recovery was laborious and took over four hours, but at the end, the hunters celebrated success and began the homeward trek. The tally for the weekend was 12 hogs for 24 hunters… a 50% success rate. Even with such high success, many hunters did comment that they did not see as many hogs as they had on past hunts. This was mostly attributed to the heat, and the fact that this hunt was the last of seven monthly "public" hunts, as there was plenty of sign that indicated nocturnal activity. The pigs are still plentiful, but required a little more effort to locate.
Big Boar
Three hogs were taken in the 250-275lb class. David "Superduty" Newman is right to be proud of his largest so far, which weighed in at 275lbs whole. |
All of the hogs taken over the weekend were extremely fat, due to the late, wet Spring and an abundance of food and water. Several very large hogs were killed, including one boar by Dave "Superduty" Newman that weighed 275-lbs. on-the-hoof. Mark Baker weighed another boar that dressed at 215. Phillip "Speckmisser" Loughlin also took a huge boar, but had to skin and quarter it to get it out of one of the infamous Tejon "Hellholes". Even so, the partially butchered remains weighed a hefty 170 lbs.
In addition to killing hogs, the JHO members were treated to the splendor of Tejon Ranch, with sightings of myriad wildlife. Hunters returned to camp daily with tales of elk, bobcats, deer, and even a mountain lion. Wildflowers and greenery were still lush from the late rains, with a promise of a booming mast and wild grain crop.
Plans for 2006 will be announced on the Forum.
Not all blood and guts
In addition to seeing plenty of game, the hunters had the opportunity to spend a weekend in some of the most beautiful country in California. Late rains kept the wildflowers blooming right into June. |
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