June 2009

Russian Boar with the 600 Overkill

I am a believer that when hunting Russian Boar, there is no gun to big.  Many boars have been hunted and harvested using the classic 30-06 or even a 270.  These calibers will do the job, but if you have something bigger or heavier, why not put it to use.  How often do you get the chance to pull out the 375 H&H or your .416 Rigby? 

Maybe you are fortunate enough to be hunting dangerous game on other continents on a regular basis, which means you should be using your big stuff on the Raging Russians to keep that gun in perfect form.

Biggest Gun at Bear Mountain

But to put into perspective just how big and powerful these boars really are, Joe Seidel of Iowa came to Bear Mountain with a 600 Overkill.  This is by far the biggest gun anyone has ever hunted with at Bear Mountain.  And there aren’t many bigger guns out there. 

Joe’s rifle was a custom bolt action built by American Hunting Rifles (AHR) out of Hamilton, Montana.  This rifle was a beast in itself.  It weighed about 13 lbs. and had a break on it the size of a Red Bull can.  Joe could carry and shoulder it no problem as he is a big man, well over six foot and built like an offensive linemen.

Joe was able to take a monstrous Russian boar.  He had fired a 900 grain Woodleigh soft into the beast right behind the front shoulder.  Surely this would flatten a 400 lb. boar.  Not a chance.  The boar took the hit and was able to run a ways before collapsing.  Upon inspection, there was no exit hole.  A 900 grain bullet was not able to completely pass through this boar.

Weeks later I received a call from the taxidermist mounting the boar and he had found the bullet lodged in the opposite grizzle plate.

Russian boars have exceptional protective plates that protect the vitals perfectly.  On old mature Herd Boars, these plates can be as thick as two inches.  This cartilage like matter absorbs shock and energy from even the biggest calibers out there.

After Joe’s hunt he called up Ed Plummer, who at the time was the owner of AHR and told him about the hunt.  Ed decided he should see for himself what these Boars were made of.

Round 2 for the AHRs

Ed and his son-in-law Mike flew into Bear Mountain with a 585 AHR, 500 AHR, and 416 Taylor.  Needless to say, they were ready to do battle.

Mike was the first one to strike gold, bringing down a superb Herd Boar with one shot from his 500 AHR.  He took a high shoulder shot, severing the spine and dropping the boar flat in his tracks.  The gun had performed exactly how Ed had hoped.

Next up was Ed.  He was hunting with his custom 416 Taylor using a 400 grain monolithic copper bullet.  We hunted 2 hard days before Ed was able to squeeze the trigger on a dandy Herd Boar.  At the crack of the barrel the boar dropped, 65 yards from us.  I looked at Ed and high fived him only to look back and see the boar getting up and running off.

Walking up to where the boar was, there wasn’t any worry as there was blood all over the fresh snow.  No problem, probably ran off and died within 50 yards.  We decided to wait and give him time to expire, just to be on the safe side.  I inspected the blood and figured it to be a hair back, most likely liver and lung, but there was a lot of it.

The tracking began and lead us all through the thickest areas of the swamp.  Blood was easily spraying out both sides.  This boar had taken quite a wallop from a big caliber, but was still moving. 

After 50 yards I was surprised but not worried, and after 150 yards, I was getting concerned, just a little bit.

After much more time and many more yards, it was time for a break just to be sure we were giving him enough time to expire.  But daylight was fading, and we were going to be short on light in a matter of an hour.

We set up a perimeter around where we thought the boar might be.  There were a lot of dens in this area and manuevering through there was going to be difficult. 

With only 15 minutes left of light the boar was spotted with his silhouette against the snow.  One large snort and grunt and he was on top of us.  Gun shots pursued and he crashed to the ground. 

This boar had gone 3 1/2 hours on a lung/liver shot from a .416 Taylor.  Remarkable.

Favorite Big Bores 

Some of my favorite big bore rifles include the .375 H&H.  This is the classic Dangerous Game Rifle and is a perfect combination of bullet weight and velocity.  A 300 grain Barnes Triple Shock  is a great round.

AHR’s 550DGRs are availalbe in great calibers.  You can get those from the .375 all the way up to the 700 AHR, with the everything in between.  Of course many of these calibers you can find in standard safari grade rifles like Ruger, Remington, CZ, etc.

Lever action big bores are great as well.  Starting with the 45-70 and 450 Marlin, these lever actions have proven dozens upon dozens of times on Russian Boar.  An old Winchest Model 71 in the .348 is another classic round with plenty of punch and smacking power. 

One big bore lever action I have yet to see and prove itself against the Raging Russians is the 475 Turnbull.  Everything about this caliber and rifle has Russian Boar hunting written all over it.  Hopefully in the near future I’ll get a chance to see it in action.

Russian boar hunting is truly a fun and exciting sport.  These animals are some of the toughest beasts put on the planet.  I have seen them absorb lead like a sponge and still go for hours, only to end up charging and succumbing to a hail of gunfire.

Russian Boar Summer Hunts

Imagine yourself immersed into the dark and dense forest.  All you can see in front of you is green.  Looking around your senses heighten.  You are in the deep cedar forest.  The ground is soft and black.  Cedars, hemlocks, and pucker brush surround you.  Deadfalls from previous winter storms are laid out offering great ground cover.  Your guide tells you to be ready.  You know the Raging Russians of Bear Mountain are an uncanny specimen.  From any direction, at any second, the beast may explode from his bed.  Will he run away, or will he take you head on?

Hunt Now

When all other hunting seasons and species are closed, you can hunt the Russian Boars of Bear Mountain.  Summer hunting keeps your senses and skills sharp and on target.  Opportunities to hone in your hunter instincts are endless.  Try your hand at spot and stalk, ambush, jump shooting and many more.

Unique Experience

Summer Jungle hunts at Bear Mountain offer the hunter a very unique adventure.  Thick cedars, large overbearing deadfalls, and pockets of mud holes, transports you to the great forests of Europe and Russia.  These are real Russian Boars in an authentic setting. Being located only 13 miles from the shores of Lake Superior, temperatures tend to be moderate.  Expect mornings to be cool in the 40s and 50s and day time temperatures to get up in the mid 70s sometimes hitting 80 degrees. Days are long and darkness doesn’t set in until 10:00 p.m.  A great way to hunt these long days is to lay up for a few hours in the heat of the day, and prepare yourself for a long evening of spotting and stalking, or waiting in ambush.

Friends and Family

This is a great time to go hunting with all of your friends and family.  Young hunters are out of school and need an activity to do with their family.  Father/Son hunts are very popular in the summer.  This is a great bonding experience and paves the path to manhood.  It is your chance to teach your children about life and death in the wild, respect for a noble beast, and the ancient urge for survival and success.

Bring the Right Gear

I highly recommend light clothes for summer hunting.  You will want a couple pairs of light pants and shirts (camouflage) with a warmer sweatshirt or jacket for early morning and late evening excursions.  A camo cap is also recommended.  Good boots are important and you should bring two pair.  One pair knee high rubber boots, the other a good pair of leather gortex pack boots. Weapons of the hunt are up to you the hunter.  As always, I recommend the biggest gun you have in your gun case.  Some popular and very successful calibers are the 30-06, 45-70, 450 Marlin, and the 375 H&H.  If you happen to be going after these boars with archery equipment, be sure you are pulling adequate poundage, no less than 60 lbs. and are pin point accurate with your equipment.  Shot distances in the summer will tend to be less than 25 yards.  You will find it very challenging to get the right shot in such thick and heavy timber.

Tasty Pork

When you slay the beast and become a successful hunter, you will find the meat from the summer time boars to be extra sweet.  The boars are building up a fat storage all summer long in order to prepare themselves for the long cold winters.  Taking down a boar in the summer means you are getting a “well rounded” beast.  You will find the meat to be a red meat, with more of a venison texture.  Perfect for grilling and entertaining your friends the remainder of summer.

Do You Have What it Takes?

Hunting the Russian Boar during the summer months is not for everyone.  It takes perseverance, patience, and a lot of energy.  However, the guides at Bear Mountain are fully trained and are capable of recognizing the hunter’s capabilities and will do whatever it takes to get you on a trophy of a lifetime.

Russian Boar and the 30-30 Winchester, a North American Classic

Standing on 4 feet of hard packed snow  with 50 degree air temperature you know spring is on its way.

Wet and wild describes  spring hunting for  Russian Boar.  

 Everywhere there is a constant drip as the long days of sun usher in a new beginning.

I was hunting with Dick White and his good friend Greg Rich. Dick is experienced at hunting  “wild hogs”  but this was his first time hunting a real Russian Boar.  He was carrying a  lever action Winchester Model 1894.  This caliber was developed over 100 years ago and has become a classic whitetail deer hunting rifle in the Northwoods. 

Light weight and easy to carry  the Winchester .30-30 rifle has been the hunting weapon of choice in the thick forest  where a hunter can spend a whole day walking and never see another hunter. This short range hunting rifle has a long and distinguished history in Northern Michigan. But does the rifle have what it takes to bring down a Raging Russian Boar? 

The Hunt is On

Hunting Russian Boar as a team, Dick and Greg were working  the hemlock forest on the east side of the estate.  Catching a glimpse of a  “Dandy” herd boar  in the thick stuff,  I motioned them in for a closer look.  Sliding silently along a game trail we made our way through a maze of  boar trails until we reached a small clearing in the thick evergreen forest.  

Silently we waited to see if the Russian boar would enter the clearing.  Dick knew to be ready as the beast was not far from us, and if the wild boar was bedded with a sow, there could be a violent showdown. This was his territory and he didn’t leave it often when the spring breeding was in the air.

The 30/30 was loaded with 180 grain round noses, a little on the light side for my taste but lever actions are quick to point and have plenty of fire power if you count all the rounds in the tube.  Prior to entering the hunting grounds he had test fired his rifle off hand and aced the bulls-eye three shots in a row.  No doubt about it, he was ready.

Glassing through the forest I spotted blond hair underneath a dead-fall.  As if he knew we made him, the boar jumped from his bed and confronted us head on. 

Time was a luxury we didn’t have, but I stated to Dick that I was confident in him taking a head shot and that if he doesn’t go down to keep plugging him.  Dick let the first one loose.  Spinning, the boar was now running dead away. 

Dick’s gun was transforming into a semi auto, as he laid down four more shots.  I  confirmed two hits as the boar sprinted into the heavy brush.  

The Smoke Settles

Dick was cranked up, and it was all I could do to keep him from rushing into the heavy dense underbrush.  The shots may have been a little back and having gathered our bearings we were holding  tight, giving the boar time to lie down and  bleed out.

Playing over and over the action in our minds, the three of us kept trying to add up the facts and determine what all happened. Who saw what?  Where was he hit? How many times?  Where did you last see him?  What way was he heading?

To Close for Comfort

Waiting a half hour we marshaled our forces and pressed on.  Picking up the blood trail, I noted it was darker than I wanted, but it was definitely pumping out,  so we pressed on.

Tracking boars in the hemlocks and cedars is a very nerve racking experience.  You never know when or where a wounded boar is going to charge.  Taking our time, we stopped  every few yards to listen and glass for a boar tucked in a thicket or underneath a deadfall. 

After 85 yards, and an hour of tracking, Dick spotted him 15 yards in front of us.  There was a lot of down fall  to shoot through and I motioned to Dick to finish him.

The 30-30 Winchester echoed in the forest as Dick fired one into his shoulder.  A direct hit but this wild boar wouldn’t  stay down.  Next thing I knew he was barreling down on us and Dick was hammering two more shots into the beast. I could actually see them hitting one on either side of the head sending  bullets ripping through the length of the body.  The boar crashed 7 1/2  feet from us. 

High fives, and back slapping went on for about 10 minutes as the three of us stood over the magnificent beast.  Upon inspection of the wild boar I found he had been hit 6 times.  The boar had lived up to his reputation as a Raging Russian Boar.

Dick was speechless for some time.  He never dreamed that the hunt would be so intense and the beast so strong willed. He had hunted wild hogs and had plenty of those stories, now he had survived the full fury of a Russian Boar,  he  has the greatest story to tell.

30-30 Win Proves to be an Adequate Rifle

Speed and accuracy is what saved us all from a serious encounter with the razor sharp cutters of the Russian Boar.  Dick held the line. I am  impressed with the speed Dick could fire his Winchester 30-30.   

I don’t recommend  hunting wild boar with a 30-30 Winchester, but this is your hunt and you choose your weapon of choice. However,  use 180 grain bullets.  The  180s are low velocity,  you don’t shoot a Winchester 30-30 for high velocity.  With typical shots in the heavy timber being  50 yards or less, I take bullet weight over velocity on a charging wild boar. You want stopping power.

Winchester ceased making the Winchester Model 1894 in 2006.  Did we lose an American icon?  The greatest Northwoods Sporting Rifle of all times?  Production is over but the legacy lives on.

Now is the time to live your dreams and hunt a authentic Russian Boar, don’t wait, time is running out  as  world is changing and you don’t want to miss your next  hunting adventure.