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This hog gave the dogs a real hard fight. We were running through the Texas thicket after the dogs and we could hear the commotion. Lots of barking, growling, and the excitement of the chase. Since this was my first time chasing hogs I was following my best friend Jack as he hopped out of the jeep and ran into the thicket. I wasn't far behind! We could hear the dogs barking and running through the bushes along with the pig squealing and turning to thwart his attackers. When the hog would turn and attack it was as if all hell broke loose in the bushes ahead, we couldn't see the dogs or the hog but we sure could see the trees and bushes move. Jack ran ahead as the hog ran on, I stopped to listen then continued forward my heart pounding in my head, it sure made it hard to hear the commotion but I had my adrenaline running. I saw Jack round a thick clump of bushes and trees and then lost sight of him. The dogs were closer as was the hog, the noise of the pursuit was getting louder as the dogs were surrounding the hog. The dogs would take turns nipping at the hog as the hog would turn to defend itself, sometimes charging a dog. Bushes shook and trees moved and the noise was getting louder as was my heartbeat. As I turned the corner of the brush Jack was maybe 30 ft. ahead looking into the thicket. He ran into the thicket after the dogs, but at this particular time there wasn't much sound or movement coming from the brush. So I ran to where I last saw Jack keeping in mind I might have to make a hasty retreat to a nearby fence or tree, and those scrawny Texas trees aren't the easiest to climb either. As I headed to his last location, again there was a ruckus in the thicket but it was darn loud with the dogs yelping, bushes shaking and trees trembling. The hog was attacking the dogs and it was one hell of a fight. About that time Jack was emerging from the same thicket, and not at a leasurely pace either, I thought his pants had caught fire or something as he rocketed out of the thicket. Well I wasn't gonna just stand there either so I beat a hasty retreat. I can still remember the look of his eyes, they were as wide as saucers. Dogs squealed, barked, growled, and bit.... Hog squealed, snorted and attacked,.... Thicket rattled, as if it was a precursor to an earthquake.

Well as the fighting grew intense and we were regrouping a few yards further away we could hear the cavalry coming, or should I say the cowboys coming. They rode up on their atv's along with their dogs in reserve, the pit bulls. Now these were no ordinary pit bulls, these dogs acted as if there was nothing going on. They new they would be put in-service when the lead cowboy called them out. So as the cowboys hopped off their rides the pit bulls sat calmly waiting for the word to attack. Now I guess they had all the confidence in the world considering they were wearing body armor around their torso. The cowboys listened to the ongoing fight in the thicket, then with a whistle, the pit bulls charged into the fray. Well the trembling of the thicket grew worse as the hog squealed and squealed with a few snorts inbetween. Now the cowboys were intensely watching the ruckus as if they could actually see what was going on, I know I couldn't. They would move to the left, then move to the right, and the lead cowboy would yell, 'Yip Yip Yaw' or something like that. It was as if he was in constant communication with the dogs. Again and again he would yell out orders, then out of the brush came the hog with two pit bulls attached to him with the other dogs in hot pursuit. Well before you knew it one of the cowboys cleanly jumped on the hog pinning him to the ground. Another cowboy passed a rope to him while the others tried to pull off the dogs, and I mean tried. In a split second the hog was hog tied and the pit bulls were escorted back to their rides, the atv's. The other dogs were rounded up and it was time to hunt down another hog.

Yes it was exciting, and there were more exciting times to come during the weekend of HogWild. Of course after a tiring day of chasing hogs came the feast to come, a grand barbeque consisting of venison, quail, beer, roast, red beans, beer, potato salad, beer, and of course hog with more beer. At the end of the last day, as night was settling in with a spectacular sunset, the bonfire was lit and we all grew quiet as we contemplated the days passed and admired the orange embers of the fire rising into the night sky. So calm, the orange lights rose into the night, the heat of the fire warming our tired but content bodies. It was a beautiful end to an adventure, at the Que Pasa Ranch, what is now a yearly tradition called Hogwild.