Wild Boar Hunting

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 151, 14 June 1890, Page 2

Wild Boar Hunting

AN UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE, One morning in the winter of 1874, 1 started from home on a wild cattle stalk* ing expedition, having arranged previously to meet two Mends in a valley a few miles from my hut. Arriving at the appointed spot I found my friends had gone on. I was late or they were early. At any rate they had gone without me. I was somewhat annoyed, and remained sitting on my hone, debating in my mind whether I should follow on, or return home. I did neither — for close to where I was I saw two dogs, the property of one of my hunting friends. These dogs were used solely for hunting pigs. They- had followed of their own accord, and had been fastened up where I found them to await their masters' return: I saw my opportunity, the dogs knew me, I would go for a boar hunt ! As I was Mfcting the dogs free, my attention was drawn in the direction of a bush gully quite close, by a succession of savage snorts and squeals. I understood the sounds ; two boars were fighting there. I proceeded cautiously to a point from where I could get a view of a small grass plot just at the edge of the bush, the place I fancied the sounds came from. I was right ; there were five immense boars there, all fighting together. They got wind of me as soon as I saw them, and made away into the bush. I sent the dogs after them and followed up a water-course at the bottom of the gully as fast as I could. I had not gone far when I heard the dogs giving tongue, and coming down towards me. I held my carbine in readiness and waited for a shot. Presently, abou* fifty yards from me, a boar came in sight — an immense black brute, quite devoid of ears. I fired and — missed bim. I had no time to re-load (my carbine was an old " Terry*'), the banks were too steep to climb, so I uaad> a spring and caught the branch of a Jconini tree which was hanging over the bank a little above my head. I drew my legs up thinking the boar would pass under me and continue his course ; Tain hope t The animal came to bay right underneath where I was hanging. I was ia an nricomfortable position. A good rough, rider might have dropped astride of the boar and despatched him with a knife; I had a knife, I thorght of the plan— but I didn't do it. I made an attempt to get astride of the. tree instead of the boar. The bough broke and I fell fair across the boar's back. The brute was frightened — so was I ; however, I did not have a long ride, for the boar made & rush at one of the dogs and left me lying on the broad of my back in some six or seven inches of extremely cold mud. The boar was now fairly bailed up, so I got my gun and killed him with the next shot. After scraping the mud off my outer garments I proceeded with my hunt, and had the satisfaction of killing four other boars that day, returning home in the evening quite satisfied with my day's sport. I found the cattle hunters at the place where the dogs had been tied. They were returning: home tired and dispirited, not having fired a shot. ' Pioneer.