Swine on the Line

When I woke up yesterday morning, I didn't think "I hope I get to rope a wild hog today." Morgan probably did, but not I. By the end of the day, we both could say we have had " a swine on the line" as a local cowboy says. Had I known, I might have planned errands in town that would have removed the possibility of my involvement. Had Morgan known, he wouldn't have been able to sleep the night before, he would have been so excited!

Here's how it happened. Morgan was riding a colt and found two steers that needed doctored. Big steers. So, he had to come back to change horses. He grabbed two horses so I could help him, and off we went. We planned to hunt through an old abandoned house when we were done. The kids love playing on the feedbunks in the pasture we were going to.The evening held promise of good family time.

We unloaded horses, found the first steer right off, doctored him quick, and trotted off to find the second one. All seemed right in the world. I was feeling all warm and fuzzy about the evening we were having. We split up to look in two separate bunches. I didn't find the steer, but when I turned back towards Morgan I saw him getting his rope down. He must have spotted him. As I got close, he had his finger up to his mouth, telling me to be quiet. In hindsight, had I just been yodeling like the old time movie cowgirls, the evening might have all been different. But no, I just kept quiet,followed his gaze and saw a big wild boar just on the other side of some trees. It is all down hill from here. Warm and fuzzy are out the window. I don't really know it yet though. See, I am not smart enough to know I am part of his plan. I just thought I'd watch him and was wishing I had a camera. The simple pass on......

Morgan tells me to just go around the end of the trees and it make the hog go across the field. Ironically, as I am doing that, I pass the lump jaw steer we are looking for. Ahem.

The hog sees me, looks into the brush, sees Morgan, and takes off across the field. The race was on. It was pretty amazing and hilarious to see them zig and zag across the wheatfield. Every now and then the hog would take a huge jump as he went forward, along with a big snort. It was wild.Morgan swung once, but only got sweet air....no hog. The hog thought he had it made in the shade as he headed for the brush, but Morgan and Slick got in front of him to turn him back on the wheat field. That is when I stopped laughing and started yelling at Morgan to abort the mission. He says he never heard me. I guess I can believe that,it got hairy quick.

Morgan got the hog with the second loop, but was also in a bad spot and couldn't get his horse out of it fast enough when the hog attacked the horse! The hog took one big jump and bit/tusked Slick right in the upper leg/groin. Now he has a hog by one leg, an injured horse but he didn't know the extent, and he needs a bit of help to get the hog taken care of. So he calls in the timid wife from the sidelines who a) is emotional and worried about Slick and  b) not interested in roping the beast on the end of his rope.

It sounded like this:
"Get over here!"
"I am NOT roping that hog!"
"Yes, you are! You have to! Hurry!"

There is nothing warm and fuzzy about cinching up and building a loop this time. Now I have jelly legs, my heart is in my throat and I am wondering how many years Morgan will be mad if I just refuse. As I am throwing a loop at the hog's nasty head, I'm thinking "I'm roping Alf!". Anyone remember Alf? :) I am hoping to goodness the hog doesn't chew through Morgan's rope like he is trying to. I get dallied, and an holding TIGHT while Morgan ties the hog's feet. He says "Give him some air! Don't let him die!" I holler back, "WHY?" That's when I learn that he plans to take the hog to town and sell it. WHAT?! We have to LOAD him in the trailer? My blood pressure is never going to come back down.

I went and brought the truck and kids back. Here's what we found.


Morgan was on the phone, high on adrenaline and spreading the news of his adventure. Once he knew Slick was going to be fine, he couldn't stop smiling about the whole deal.

                                          The pictures says it all....Slick seems to be disassociating himself with the whole deal. :)

                                          Holiday card in the making? The redneck couple and the hog they roped.

                                         

 We get him loaded (videos follow) with much angst. Daddy because it isn't easy to load a hog. Mama because I am sure he is about to get loose and get one of the kids or Morgan's other horse! Once we loaded him, Morgan called a man who buys hogs. We met him at his pens to unload him. He was impressed with the size of the hog, and had never had anyone bring one in tied up. He had to hold the rope Morgan put around the snout while Morgan got in and untied his feet.

                                          Then they had to fish the rope off and unload him straight into a scale, which then opened into a big pen that already had two other hogs in it. He weighed in at 250 lbs. Oofta!

 This video is hilarious. It shows how unnerved I was. Shane was just as excited as Morgan about the hog and was right in the mix, helping load him. The hog was so mad and I was sure it was going to somehow get loose and get after whoever was on the ground. Ivey was the only one I didn't have to worry about. She stayed in the truck! Sadie and Shane were out and about. Watch close, when Morgan goes by the hog, it lunges at him and has its hackles all up. I thought he was mobile. Yikes! I was headed for the truck and wanting Shane to get there too. I had Sadie headed there. What a weak kneed Mama. :) Video is pretty crummy, but funny as I scramble to the truck and holler nonsense.

Be ready to be off, Shane! Off what? Off and running when the hog comes after you? Nervous Mamas can't be held responsible for not making sense. :) We laughed at all the blur at the end as I get in the truck but thought the video was off.

Morgan says he sounds like a redneck here. He was still pretty pumped up about it all. The guy says at the beginning of the video "I will probably have two dead hogs in there in the morning."

So we learned that there is an overseas market for wild hog meat. The man's wife said that it is a delicacy. I am amused thinking of someone taking their wife to dinner and splurging on wild boar, and getting this guy. He sure doesn't look like much of a delicacy from this end!

I am glad to report Slick's cut is going to be fine. That was the most unnerving part of it all for both of us. Aside from that, it was quite an adventure. Morgan has nerves of steel. Me? Not so much. I found out if I dug super deep, I could find enough gumption to rope a hog. Morgan is always saying "You can always do more than you think you can." I guess it is true. That doesn't mean I am looking for another chance to do this again. In fact, the next time I ride up to Morgan and his fingers are on his lips while his eyes are twinkling, I am not going to be so easily persuaded to be part of the pig catching! I sure wish Hannah would have been here. She would have been right in the mix and would have relished the whole thing as much as Morgan! In fact, while I was getting the trailer, Morg called Hannah and said "You will NEVER guess what I am doing right now." Know what she said? "You just roped a hog, didn't you?!" Uncanny how those two are on the same wavelength completely. :)

They paid us $102 for the hog. Morgan says not bad wages for doing something so fun. I say I am taking it all for punitive damages.

I hope the next 12 posts I do are of sweet, calm family activites. No more rattlesnakes and wildhogs for awhile, please. :)