The above is just one account of the many hunts over a ten day period in Cape York which are far to numerous to mention, but I will try and give you an example of the different styles of hunts you are likely to encounter up the Cape and you really do need to be a bit versatile to capitalize on your chances. Chucking the fully laden Camel-Bak onto my shoulders and picking up the Matthews I dropped into the creek system as the sound of the Triton faded off into the distance and slowly made my way along it’s sandy bottom in search of a hidden Boars den or wallow that hopefully held a good Boar in it. After a couple of hours of intense concentration, spying and glassing into tree snags, checking feeder creeks and coming up with zip, it was time for a break and with the relentless midday sun beating down I picked out a spot in the shade to cut up an orange. It’s funny how back home you never notice little things, like how good an orange can taste, but sitting in those dry creek beds in the heat and humidity you suck out every morsel of juice and it tastes like the nectar of the gods, refreshing you no end. The green ants soon found me, so up and back into it I pushed off into a fairly consistent Easterly breeze which was an added bonus, usually it’s blowing to all points of the compass in under a minute up here which wrecks a lot of stalks. Slowly poking along an overhanging right-hand bank a commotion underneath me stopped me in my tracks as I disturbed a pack of Dingo’s from their afternoon siesta. At least four possibly five burst out in all different directions, none offering a shot as I pulled an arrow from the quiver and placed it on the string, quickly dropping my pack onto the ground I unzipped the top compartment and pulled out the predator call and give it a couple of loud bursts with instant results. Two came running back “Yapping” with excitement, one came in on my left and the other one came straight towards me. The one on the left hung up in some spear grass unsure, as the one in front dropped back down into the creek and nervously made it’s way towards me stopping at around the twenty-five yard mark but wouldn’t come any closer. He was wired to the max and was twitching ball of hair and muscle as I came to full draw settling the twenty yard pin high on its throat. As soon as I cut the shot I knew straight away that I had pulled it as it smashed into a tree snag to the right and blew to bits sending the Dingo scurrying away. Hot, dejected and cross with myself for not taking a couple of extra seconds to settle properly I dropped down into the creek to see if I could salvage any part of the arrow, but could only find the back half and placed it in my pack and headed off again mumbling to myself about not capitalizing on a golden opportunity. Another hour or so of poking along I came to another feeder creek and slowly stuck my head around the corner to have a look at the off side bank when I felt the breeze hit the back of my neck, a deep “Woof” emanated and a big saddle back Boar exploded out of his bed and up the opposite bank like a steam-train. (talk about bad timing!!) Scampering up the bank all I could do was watch a fast departing porker as he headed into some open country and never looked back, Strike One!! Two hours later and I had done the best part of the creek system without seeing another pig, the fickle wind was back to it’s usual tricks and all I found was a couple of empty beds. Following no more than a run-off that was only about two feet deep I still had about two clicks as the crow flies to the road junction where I was to be picked up and decided to walk ever bit of the creek and not cut across any switchbacks, some only being about twenty yards across, this turned out to be a major plus!! Slowly making my way around a tight left hand bend I came face to face with a bedded Boar fresh out of his wallow!! Laying on his side quartering on at no more than ten yards I slowly reached for a arrow while my eyes burned a hole in the spot I wanted to slip an arrow into. Slowly rocking over the cam I went through my shot sequence and triggered the release, the arrow spat from the bow and disappeared into the sweet spot as the Boar rocketed to his feet, took off flat out towards me, seen me, turned on his heels, headed back into the creek and tried to get up the off side bank but the trauma of the well placed arrow had taken it’s toll and he fell backwards into the creek and I moved in and put a finisher into him to make sure. After a good photo session and jaw removal I packed up my gear and continued along the run-off and soon put up a family group of Sows and Suckers, I watched them for a few minutes through the bino’s to make sure there was not a Boar with them and then pressed on. Coming around another bend in the creek I got busted by a solid young Boar as he burst out of his wallow at the base of a reed bed, needless to say he never looked back until he disappeared from view, Strike Two!! Arriving at the road junction I sat down and had a rest while checking the map and decided to head up the track one kilometre towards a station dam and check it out, you never know and it’s always worth a look. The dam drew a blank and Tim soon arrived with the news he had missed out on any real action, it was back to camp for some tea and so ended day one. The next two days I had mixed fortunes with chances at two good Boars, first one, just one too many steps to clear some vines, he heard me, blew out of his bed and stopped, I had a shot window through some vines which I took hitting him no more than two inches back from were I would have liked. He took off out of the creek and stopped in some open country and started doing a bit of circle work and was starting to get the wobbly boots on stumbling backwards when he got my wind, well did that bring him back to life!!! He took off and I gave him half and hour and started to blood trial him but it soon ran out and I lost him, “Bugger” he was a good Boar too!! Second one was the same, one step too many to clear some rubbish and he blew out of his bed stopping at around the thirty yard mark, I was already back and let drive hitting him on a perfect line but too high, I found my arrow covered in meat and grizzle and no blood so I followed his tracks for awhile but still with no sign of any blood, it told me what I already knew so I headed back to finish off the creek. A few days later a Highlight of the trip for me was, I was doing a section of creek and I had seen bugger all when I climbed out of the creek on a left hand bend to get past a heap of snags, as I approached the next right hand bend I got a look up the guts of a straight section of the creek and there lying in the middle of the creek eight yards away was one of the best looking Boars I have ever seen. By that I don’t mean he was “Handsome”, he was an “Absolute Beast”!! He was propped upright in the sand and the way he held himself he looked all but like a big Male Lion in all his glory surveying his kingdom, he was jet black with a long mane, massive head, huge high shoulders, low hams and was a sight that will be etched in my brain for a long time to come. I froze in my tracks and had nowhere to go but back, so I slowly placed one foot at a time backwards until I was out of his line of sight and dropped back down into the creek and up the opposite bank and checked the wind with my powder canister. My only option was to do a large loop around and try and come up on top of him and hope like hell the wind would hold, half way around I felt it swing and my stomach sank but I continued on and prayed that it might have gone over the top of him, “NOT LIKLEY” Poking my head slowly over the bank, eyes searching everywhere, there was nothing there but an empty bed and that horrible gut feeling of “IF ONLY”. A huge regret was I didn’t take a couple of minutes to put the glasses on him and have a real good look, but hey, I would rather had put a good arrow into him and had a real good look at him on the ground!! A few more Boars fell to our arrows through out the trip with Tim taking seven Boars and a Dingo and myself six Boars and a couple of Sows. As I stated earlier you really do need to be a bit versatile up in the Cape as the wind will burn you well over 50% of the time, but most days if you are on a good property and hunt hard and have a bit of luck you should get a least one good opportunity at a decent Boar if everything goes to plan, “BUT” what you do with that chance is up to you?? Grant Bowd.
Awesome write up Grant. Man, I wish I could have been there. The whole jaunt sounds incredible! Congrats on your success!
Grant - great story and keep them coming! Sounds like some pretty good action to be had. Have you got on any Sambar lately?
Hey Matt, No it's still a bit early for the Sambar yet, but will be having a look around soon. Grant.
