I’ve never kept a personal diary. I have, however, kept a detailed record of every one of my hunting trips.
Going back some three decades, I can look back to remind myself of details that may get distorted (read: exaggerated) with the passing of time.
Every published entry in the Hunter’s Diary short story competition receives a Vanguard Scout B62 bipod, and goes in the draw to win other Vanguard gear. All you have to do it submit a story and photo just like this one. It’s all thanks to Hunting Depot! Click here to find out how.
I now have three exercise books full of recounts that are regularly tabled when specific memories are raised over a beer or a billy of tea.
This story dates to July 2004.
The property we were hunting out beyond Pillaga, NSW, was wet and walking the main creek was problematic.
The black-soil country was heavy going and after slogging it out for a couple of hours, we decided to wait for dark and try spotlighting on some firm surfaces.
In declining light after sunset, a distant mob of pigs came to light far across the adjacent paddock, on the other side of a bore drain that was too risky to cross without getting the truck stuck.
Two large, solid pigs led the pack.
In a rain shower, we made our way towards where they were heading.
A successful ambush nailed the larger boar and sow. We were delighted and surprised at the hooks on the boar.
He wasn’t the largest pig I had ever shot but certainly the one with the best tusks. This was a trophy pig of a lifetime and deserved a dedicated photo record to be taken.
It was now dark, so we dragged the 90kg boar 200m through the black, muddy soil to tie him onto the bullbar and take him to the shearing quarters for the morning photos.
The tusks were later adjudged at 33 Douglas points by an official scorer. For boars, the score considers length of the grind, and the girth and length of the individual tusks.
Any score above 30 points is considered a legitimate trophy.
— Alan Pike
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