Wow. 

I was told a very long time ago that there is no “sure thing”.  And I get it. 

Even so, when I head out to Tejon, I have a pretty high level of confidence that I can not only kill a hog myself, I can take several other hunters to hogs as well.  My track record there is pretty danged good. 

But the real clincher was that this weekend’s success wouldn’t just depend on my fortunes… former Tejon guide, Ron Gayer came along to join the fun.  Ron knows this place like almost no one else, and he was more than willing and happy to help out.   In addition to hunting some hogs, Ron was hoping to shoot some footage for his series of educational videos, called “The Guide’s Guide To Hunting.” 

And there was even more great news… the weather, always a major gamble in February, was as close to perfect as it could ever be.  With clear nights in the mid-thirties and sunny days with temps around 60, the snow melted off of the ridges and wet roads dried out.  (Many of the ranch roads can be absolutely terrifying when wet.)  It was no problem accessing my tried-and-true spots. 

Hog sign was everywhere.  Where the snow had recently receded, the fresh ground was shredded by rooting snouts.  There were cattle trails that looked like solid mosaics of hog tracks.  Scat littered the ground.  There were even places where we could smell the danged things!

So when I rolled out with Fabio and crew this past weekend, I felt pretty sure I’d have a stack of hog photos to put up today.  But, I guess it was not to be. 

It wasn’t for lack of trying.  We covered a lot of ground, both on foot and by vehicle.  We glassed high and low.  We pushed the bedding areas.  We hiked and sneaked and drove and even crawled a little bit…

And we did see a few hogs.  A few shots were fired.  A few hogs were scared.  But when all was said and done, the nine hunters in our group were only able to connect on three hogs.   All three were really good boars, but for a group this size, and with these conditions, I expected to easily come out with about 60% success.  It was probably the toughest hunt (for finding hogs) I’ve ever had at Tejon.  Ron was a little surprised as well. 

But that’s hunting.  We did have a great time, though, and that’s what counts. 

I’m heading back down this coming weekend for a little redemption.  T. Michael Riddle will be coming down with me, for his first visit to Tejon.  Yeah, I know, he’s got his own place with plenty of hogs, but the allure of a place like Tejon Ranch goes way beyond killing pigs.  After hearing me go on about it, he had to come out and see it for himself.

For anyone else who may want to get down to Tejon, I’ve got another hunt going in May.  This will be a much bigger group (25-50 hunters), but there is plenty of ranch to spread out.  Cost for the hunt is $450/per person (plus a $13 insurance policy), and each hunter will be allowed to take one hog.  Youth hunters (12-16) hunt for half-price.  This is an unguided hunt, but there are usually plenty of Tejon veterans willing to help out with strategy and suggestions for places to hunt. 

There is no lodging provided in this deal, but there’s a great camping area that’s suitable for everything from tents to motor homes (no hook-ups, though).  For those who don’t want to camp, there are a couple of motels a few minutes from the ranch. 

If you’re interested, and would like more details, shoot me an email.  Make sure you include the words Tejon Hunt in the subject line.

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