The Boars were close heightning the sense of danger. Only one Trophy Boar had to cross on the four foot wide trail in front of us. The snorts and grunts moved closer and closer, it felt as though they could bust out beneath our legs. Silence. Everything became dead silent. Randy was to the left and Damon to the right. Both directions were covered. Adrenalin pumped through our veins. We peered into the dense underbrush like that of Central Africa or some other exotic land.

“SFFFOOOW” A sow blew her alert call. Busted. The bush came alive and boars began stampeding through the forest. Mud was flying as saplings and bushes were bulldozed. It was one large black mass ripping and tearing through the woods. In thirty three seconds, it was silent again.

This wasn’t Randy and Damon’s first time hunting Russian Boar. They had both been here before, only then it was winter. Today, they were experiencing a whole different ball game.

Randy Mayes and Damon Mills had purchased the  “SCI Supreme Cast and Blast Package” at the Badgerland Chapter Banquet.  There package was for both for Hunting Russian Boar  and Fishing  Trophy Lake Trout at Stannard Rock in Lake Superior.   Neither of them had ever experienced a Summer Adventure at Bear Mountain.

Cape Buffalo in Mozambique was Randy’s next adventure. This was the perfect opportunity to fine tune his hunting gear before going on an African Dangerous Game bow hunt. That’s right, BOW HUNT! Randy had the new Mathews Monster and wanted to be sure everything was going to perform.

Damon on the other hand just got back from South Africa in May. And what is the first thing you do when you get back from Africa?  “Go Hunting”  There was no way Damon was going to wait until September or October to get his fix for adventure again. He had brought his new “toy,” the .450 Marlin XLR.

What better way to keep your skills sharp, equipment tuned, and passion alive than hunting Russian Boars during the Summer months.

The evening ended with the “Running of the Boars”. Randy and Damon both got a good taste of the great wall of green.

The Time is Now
Close encounters filled the first half of day three. A constant swirling breeze gave the Boars the upper hand. There were several busted stalks and by the time lunch rolled around, Randy’s quiver remained full and Damon’s gun hadn’t fired.

The pressure was on, but with the Boars being more active in the evening, everyone’s confindence was still high.

After an hour after lunch break, Kenny and Randy spotted a herd of Boars in a common feeding area. They circled around to get the wind in their favor. A Trophy Boar had been spotted and Randy began his final approach.

Monster Kill
Moving slow and steady inch by inch, Randy got to within 27 yards and drew his 75 lb Mathews Monster just as the Beast turned broadside. Randy released his arrow sending a 175 grain two blade broad head slicing through the lungs. Instantly the herd ran off with the hit boar heading dead away through the wet and muddy underbrush.

Waiting a full thirty minutes the four of us split up. Blood on the arrow was a radiant pink. Kenny and Randy followed the trail into the thicket while Damon and I moved up to another trail to inspect for clues of the Boar crossing. Though both Randy and Kenny were positive it was a great hit, there was little blood for them to follow. Without the blood, they resorted to tracking the mud splatter on the trees and bushes.

A nerve racking twenty minutes ticked by. There was no evidence that the Boar had crossed our trail and Kenny and Randy were still trailing through the thick brambles and mud. Just then, Kenny called on the radio, “Boar Down, Boar Down!”

Pulling the Boar out of the tangles of brush, Randy’s hit was a perfect double lung hit. He and his new Mathews Monster put the smack down.

With the beast on its way to the trophy poll for more pictures, Damon and I headed off to the stand of maples from the night before. The idea was to ambush the Boars as they came up out of the swamp and into the hardwoods. There was plenty of daylight this time around so we made ourselves comfortable.

A 450 Marlin Roars in the Northern Forest of Michigan
It didn’t take long after settling in and a half dozen Junior Boars (last years litter) began moving through at close range. Litter mates still together after a long harsh winter. One particular female was the leader of the group and she let the others know. Pushing and shoving the others, nipping them on their backsides. It was hard not to crack a smile as they were comical in trying to establish dominance amongst each other.

Looking up at the valley edge of the transition zone, I spotted a Boar and tapped Damon on the shoulder. He slowly raised his rifle. We had been watching and entertaining ourselves with the Juniors and had almost missed this Boar passing through.

The breeze floated over our faces as we judged him. The Boar was solo making it harder to determine size, but the long face and hump on his shoulders are tell tale signs of a good mature Boar. He cautiously stepped into the clearing to cross into the hardwoods.

Giving Damon the green light, and from 60 yards away, he sent a 350 grain Hornady smashing through both shoulders. The Boar hit the ground snout first and gave one final kick.

Grinning at each other we shook hands on an impressive shot on a noble beast. Damon’s kill was a perfect ending to their SCI Cast and Blast.

Safari Club International is a great way to be a part of the hunting community. It is a first class organization and helps hunters like you find reputable outfitters from all over the world. Bear Mountain has had the honor of donating hunting packages to numerous SCI Chapters so that hunters can experience real Russian Boar Hunting without leaving North America.Click Here to see the Video

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.