“Wanna drop another one?”
Chapter 3
When the crew is in the field, I try not to interfere. I continue watching camera feeds and look for clues of their approach to the trapped hogs. There have been instances of a lone boar approaching a loaded trap, in which case I text a “heads up” warning to the guys. The Pulsar thermal scopes give them a huge advantage, but it is important to me to keep an eye on the crew.
While waiting for Josey to update me on the peanut field boar, the Jager pro app throws another notification. Expecting it to be a hungry deer, I give a quick glance. Another boar. This time the boar has entered one of Hog Cutter’s year-round traps.
The trap is on the farm of one of Josey’s very first clients. A farm he feels very strongly about protecting from wild hogs. So, while it is not the usual plan to drop on single hogs, this is one I know he would likely change routine for.
Fingers crossed that I am not disrupting his work in the peanut fields in search of the previous boar, I text him the message “Boar in the Bigfoot Trap!” When my phone began to ring in response I cringed. Thinking to myself Josey forgot to silence his phone and I blew it for him. As I answer he whispers excitedly “I got him, he is down.” My reply was only a whispered, “Wanna drop another one?”
After discussing the boar and his behavior in the trap, he makes the decision to drop the gate. Despite the night getting quickly away from us, the boar must go.
Josey must now load the peanut field boar onto the trailer with the previous hogs. To preserve the already culled hogs for food, they need to get to the cooler at Hog Cutters headquarters soon.
The Bigfoot trap is another county to the East of the peanut fields. Despite protocol being to eliminate hogs within 30 minutes of dropping the gate, this time he will not make it. Josey has gotten used to running solo since the virus and the boys return to normal school hours, sometimes the protocols need to be adjusted to make things work.
The hog truck was on the road again. Josey pulled into the Hog Cutters shop and delivered the 5 hog carcasses to the cooler. A quick minute of face time with the family as they are headed out the door, and Josey is off to deal with one more boar.
As daylight begins creeping across the farmland, it serves to remind Josey he has not had very much sleep. However, his routine does not waver. Leaving the truck at the entrance to the field, he pulls the Gator to 500 yards away, and enters on foot. The boar is eliminated, and it is time to head for home.
Hog Cutters preaches following tested and proven hog control guidelines. Sometimes you do need to deviate to get the job done. Do we recommend dropping a gate on a single hog? Not normally. Is it good to leave hogs inside your trap for long periods of time? No. But there are times it is necessary to change and adapt to the situations or opportunities you are presented with.
Josey pulls the freshly washed truck and trailer into the garage and heads for the shower. The 2 ½ hours of sleep the evening before is starting to feel very inadequate. What feels better is knowing there was progress made for 3 different farms last night. That feels pretty darn good.
