Homer the Javalina Part 1

[cimmaronkid]

One day in November, Col. Charles Askins showed up at the ranch for one of his visits and a couple days of quail hunting. While he was there, the Col. asked if I would be interested in going to Del Rio, Texas for a javalina hunt as he was writing an article for Guns & Ammo. As always, I jumped at the chance and plans were made to go out right after Christmas, go to Col. Askins house and spend a couple days before we headed out. I had decided to take my 5th-6th grade teacher with me who was also a constant guest around the house and Col. Askins best friend.

When it came time to leave, northwest Oklahoma was hit with one of the worst ice storms ever. The roads were solid sheets. It wasn’t safe to drive anywhere, and we left out! An old fool and a young fool sliding along the roads, getting in a fender bender in El Reno, OK and finally getting out of the ice as we got into Texas, not before spinning the car several times on I-35 and almost winding up in the ditch twice.

This storm was moving south and we were running ahead of it so we made up for lost time and arrived in San Antonio and went to the Askins headquarters. After 32 trips to Africa, the house was like walking into the Smithsonian. Tanned skins from zebra, wildebeest, bear, etc were covering every piece of furniture and floor and there were mounts filling out every wall complete with two sets of large elephant tusks. The Col.’s and wife’s trophies and medals for shooting were everywhere as well. When we went in and sat down, I felt a large lump under the cushion of the couch. Reaching under, I immediately recognized the shape of a 1911 cocked and locked. I soon found out that there were various pistols placed throughout the house ready to use in case of trouble. After an excellent dinner, we retired to the den to enjoy an after dinner drink and listen to some of the stories of his African hunts. We were in the middle of a conversation when his old grandfather clock struck 9 p.m. The Col. got up, turned the light out. ”Time for bed!” So up we went. We visited for a while and looked over a few of his many guns (he had 186 long guns at this time) and went to bed about midnight.

Suddenly the light came on and I saw the Col. and his two Airedales standing together in the door. “Time to get the hell up! Breakfast is cooking!” and away he went. It was 4 a.m. After a quick shower, we both went downstairs where he was cooking a large skillet full of eggs, onions, hot jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, and chorizo sausage all together in one of the biggest skillets I had ever seen. Smell was terrible. “Eat now and get packed as we are leaving at 5 a.m.” It was now 4:20. After a large plate full of this marvelous but unholy stir fry and CUTTING off a couple of cups of coffee, we packed, loaded the car, and headed for Del Rio to the Dolan Creek Ranch and John Finnegan. And I thought this was going to be enjoyable.

Arriving at Finnegan’s headquarters, we tossed our gear into one of the cabins and were immediately dragged over to the sight in range by the Col. to make sure none of our rifles had lost zero. From there we headed up to the main house for a marvelous dinner of pork chops, mashed potatoes, gravy and biscuits. As we were sitting in Finnegan’s den enjoying an after dinner drink and conversation, the Col. once again looked at his watch. “9 p.m. Bed time.” Of the four of us went. The weather had finally caught up with us and it was getting cold! (Turned 26 degrees in Brownsville that night). Finnegan told us that the pilot light on the heater didn’t work but to just leave it on low all night and we wouldn’t have any problems. Finnegan left and we went to bed.

At about 2:30 a.m. I woke up freezing to death. I was in a large sleeping bag and liner and was still freezing. I heard someone walking around the small living area and got up and opened the door. Here was my friend and former teacher walking around with his sleeping bag around him along with a couple of blankets rubbing his hands and blowing on them to try and get some feeling back. The heater was off and I mean turned off. We cracked the door to Col. Askins room and saw not only was the Col. snnnooooring away in his bag and cot, but had opened the window to his room; A quick discussion brought us both to the same conclusion: Better to freeze than to disturb Col. Askins.

[cimmaronkid]

After getting almost back to sleep, the light comes on and we heard, “4 a.m. Get up!” When I stumbled out of bed, the Col. was in the shower stall taking a shower, lathered up and singing. My former teacher yelled, “I’m next!” I figured that I would get the almost warm water. Oh well, I was the youngest. The Col. stepped out of the shower and his best friend stepped in and turned on the hot water knob. I heard a scream and saw him jump out of the shower and immediately thought that he had burned himself. Wrong. There was NO HOT WATER HEATER! The water temperature was ice cold! I began to wonder just how tough this old border patrol officer really was.

After my very brief shower, we fired up the heater to get warm again. Thank the lord we had some matches. When asked, the Col. replied that he had been afraid that we would asphyxiate if the fire went out and to be safe, opened the window. It was now 5:30 a.m.

At 8 a.m., John Finnegan showed up and took us to an unbelievable breakfast of sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, hot biscuits, and drinkable coffee. After severely overeating we went to the jeeps to head out. At this time we had another hunter join us, a fellow by the name of Ralph from Virginia. Ralph had spent the last 5 days in Via Acunia across the border from Del Rio celebrating and hunting an entirely different type of pig (the 2 legged kind) and quite honestly was in no shape to shoot. We decided to head out and check out some water holes and run a trap line with a couple of Finnegan’s men. No javalina but as we were coming on a trap, there was a rather nice ringtail caught in it. As we stopped, the Col. and I got out of the jeep to help when the ringtail freed himself and took off on a dead run right in front of us. Before any of us could react, the Col. had drawn his High Power and fired one shot rolling the ringtail up in a ball. The bullet had gone through his ear and out the other side. “Didn’t want to ruin the pelt” he replied as he holstered the pistol back. Thank the good lord we didn’t try and close that damn window!

Col. Askins had to return to San Antonio that evening and Ralph decided to drive back across the river and spend the night. After another marvelous meal, my old teacher and I headed back to the cabin. We left the fire on low that night, slept warm and toasty, and didn’t get up until 7 a.m. Ralph showed up for breakfast that morning in even worse shape than the day before. Another great and sumptuous meal and we headed out. As we came to the first water hole, the guide started yelling and pointing up the side of the hill. There was a herd of the little elusive devils headed up and over the top. I was out as soon as the jeep stopped with my rifle over the hood for support and heard Finnegan yell, “Shoot the one in the lead. He’s the biggest!” The lead pig was out about 300 yds. So I put the cross hairs on his nose and pulled the trigger. The rifle recoiled and I lost sight of him and thought I had missed. I immediately picked out another target and fired and saw him drop. Then, a large sow decided to stand on a ledge at about 400 yds. Taking my time, I fired and saw the bullet strike directly below her belly. She jumped and ran off. I had fired three rounds, dropped one pig and Ralph had just now made it out of the open back of the jeep with his rifle as the pigs were cresting the hill top.

Ralph took a kneeling position and steadied up (or as good as his condition would let him) took aim on my dead javalina and fired. “You got him!” yelled Finnegan. I had a shocked look on my face, but a firm hand on my arm and a wink from John told me to be quiet. His two ranch hands walked up the mountain along with me and grabbed a nice 55 lb javalina by the rear leg and pulled him from behind the big rock where he had fallen. My first shot. The second pig, now claimed by Ralph, weighed only about 40 lbs. My second shot. (I knew I was a better shot than just 1 for 3).. We loaded up the critters and took them back to the ranch house so they could be caped and dressed. While celebrating with a large mug of hot buttered rum, we learned from Ralph he had not had his rifle out of the case in 2 years and had not sighted it in since. Oh boy. By the way, there was only one bullet in each pig. After the usual pictures, John asked Ralph what he wanted to do with his. Ralph wanted a shoulder mount so John sent the pigs to a taxidermist. Ralph decided that since he had only 6 days left in his vacation, he would head back across the border and do some more 2 legged pig hunting there. I took the meat from both pigs home and it was cold enough that the carcass froze in the trunk. We spent one more night with John and left after breakfast the next morning. After all, bed call was 9 p.m. that night.

[Norton]

That was a good story, by the way I like chorizo and eggs. (But it not a good breakfast to eat before you hunt) Were you all hunting near Brownsville/ I like that part of the country and have always wondered what would be like to hunt there. What type of rifle were you using to make the long shot? I am used to people hunting those boars at close range with rifles like 35. Remington or 44 mag. The ranges you were doing at is uniqe. Also the Ralph guy who got tanked up the night before hunting.. I have been hunting with folks like that. My dad took me hunting in the George Washington Nat'l forest with a large group back in the early 70s . They had a prefab hunting shack that was set up to cook and drink in.. I saw quite a few guys get up and hunt who were still drunk from the night before.

[cimmaronkid]

Norton, I was using an old 2 groove 03-A3 Springfield with 110 grain handloads that blistered out at about 3200 fps. Had to shoot at that distance as Ralph kept slowing everything up and we never coulde leave on time and we almost missed this herd as they had already watered and were headed out to feed.