That hunt produced no results because it had been raining for three days when we got there and rained the whole time we hunted. The dogs were at a hell of a disadvantage but still got us on to a monster. My son and I could not keep up and we didn’t make it to the bay in time. Willy’s lead strike dog, Honey, got cut mortally and we had to stop the hunt and take her home for stitches. By a miracle she lived. No hogs but a great demonstration of the tenacity and skill of the dogs. Oh, yeah, Willy did a pretty good job too. Anyway, I booked back for November.
This time I went by myself and it was different weather wise. Sunny skies and warm weather. I brought my white knife this time and when I stepped out of the truck the dogs got on a small hog right away. In a thicket, I had to work my way in to get the job done but bingo, score one for the gipper. Two more little hogs and then a big one. He was bayed up and when the catch dog went in another boar knocked him off. There were four big black boars in this group. One of the big ones came right at Willy and I and when he veered off the other way Willy shot him in the gut. That will make him stop and fight and that’s just what he did. He was bayed up but with no catch dog. Willy came to me with his pistol and said, “That’s a trophy boar Mr. Key. I don’t even know if my catch dog is alive so my advice to you is shoot him some more and then finish him with the knife. Don’t let him get away.” So I took his .45 ACP loaded with 230 grain round nose bullets and shot the boar twice behind the shoulder. I could see the dust rise on his fur where I shot him but there was no effect on the boar whatsoever. When the boar turned and faced me Willy said “Shoot him in the head Mr. Key.” So I put a round just under his left eye. That turned him into a drunken sailor and he lost his legs. He still had some fight in him but the finish was quick. A big knife leaves a terrible wound. Not a clean knife kill but still a trophy boar fit to be mounted on the wall. Willy figured his weight to be around 225lbs. This all happened before 11:00 in the morning. By 2:00 in the afternoon I was kicking back thinking about tomorrows hunt. Willy would have hunted till dark that day but I thought four hogs was enough for one day.
Sunday produced two more hogs, a small one and a 200lbs. sow. I shot the sow with Willy’s gun before I finished her with my knife. This is a fair chase hunt so you never know what is going to happen. Another nice big hog but no clean knife kill yet on a big boar.
These dogs work like a team to accomplish what no human could do. There are no guarantees in this world and you have to work very hard. If you are a candy ass don’t come out here and endanger the dogs. You have to make yourself keep up and when the time comes you need to be cool under fire and ruthless. The dogs are counting on you finishing off that hog and even if it is a gun hunt you may be called upon to use the knife. Believe it or not the knife, used properly, is safer and more effective than any gun. You just have to stay out of harms way and stay cool. This is what Willy teaches. You must listen to him if you are going to be successful.
My third time with Willy and the dogs came in January on another solo trip. This time I had to stick a small hog in the morning and got a 300lbs. black boar in the afternoon. The big boar was interesting because Willy wasn’t there for the kill. Honey had gone off hunting by herself and Willy went over to a grove of trees to see where she was. A young man named Nathan had come to help so he and I walked on with the catch dog. Nathan is one of Willy’s trusted assistants and I felt I was in good hands without Willy. I only hoped Honey would come back and join us. Just then we heard the other three dogs howling at a bay. Nathan smiled and off we ran. I got there first because he was bringing the catch dog. The three dogs had a big black boar bayed up and when I thought Nathan was going the wrong way I said, “He’s over here.” Big mistake! The boar heard that and bolted. Off the dogs went and off we ran after them. When we caught up to them they had the boar bayed up in thickets. Nathan turned the catch dog loose and we went in after him. What I witnessed amazed me. The dogs were fighting this boar as a team with the catch dog leading the fight. They worked in and caught this boar and he stopped, held by the dogs. I knew this was my moment to strike. As I was creeping up to the boar from ten feet away he suddenly raised his head let out a growl and shook all four dogs off his head. They went flying like on the WWF wrestling show. Unbelievable!! One dog rolling across the ground like he was just thrown from a moving car and the other three flying through the air four to five feet above the ground. They crashed into trees, got up and off we all ran after that big black boar.
I was in predator mode by then. Those wonderful dogs were taking a beating going after this monster and I had to kill him. Well… He ran down to the creek bottom through this rut that came to a T. He ran to the left, which was the way down and almost made it to a clearing when the dogs caught him just short. Still in the rut he had no recourse but to drag the dogs back up. When Nathan and I got there he was even or perpendicular to us so I jumped on and worked the knife. Nathan grabbed a back leg with both hands and pulled. The grimace of death soon followed. We lay back and who should walk up but Willy himself. I was so proud because I could see he was pleased we had seized the moment and killed the hog. The last thing Nathan and I would do is endanger the dogs. So when the fight started it was too late to turn back. The hog has to die quickly. If Willy isn’t there to wipe your ass you have to do it. Seems simple to me.
The catch dog was hurt really bad. Cut up and bleeding with possible internal injuries, he didn’t look too good. He was still alive when I left that evening. He looked like a Roman Gladiator Dog just back from the war. You have to understand, these dogs live for this. Hog hunting this way is the highest level of dog spirit and hunting instinct you will ever see. He didn’t even realize he was hurt until we pulled him off. His spirit is so strong he performs beyond his limits freely, as if it’s just another day at the office. Honey and the other strike dogs are so sharp that you will get onto hogs regularly if you hunt with Willy. And they fight like demons with the catch dog to hold the hog for the harvest.
In closing, it’s a centuries old practice that is done by an expert in Savoy Texas. The dogs are a hell of a lot better looking than the guide but hey you can’t have everything. I can’t recommend Willy and his dogs more highly. There is no way to express the respect they have earned.
Randy Key