As we sat in darkness, waiting for our nocturnal prize, the only sound we could hear was that of the ocean breaking on the beach on the other side of the dunes.
A feeding area had been set up months before, and a trail camera placed out to record activity once the sun had gone down. From this information it was determined that a suitable trophy was coming in every night. The feeding had continued and a light had been put up.
The dim red light in the distance was on permanently but had a motion sensor attached so as soon as something came in, it would shine brighter. This bringing your attention back onto the task at hand.
The quarry that we were after, was the bush pig (Potamochoerus larvatus), a nocturnal animal of habit. Standing between 60-100cm at the shoulder, and weighing in at up to 150kgs, Their appearance is more like a domesticated pig than a warthog (Phacochoerus africanus). Their bodies covered in a coarse hair with the older sows and boars having long white hair on the top of the heads and backs. Living in the thick bush, they rarely come out unless under the cover of darkness, but are animals of routine so once they are on a bait they will continue coming in if the feed is available. They have exceptional hearing and fantastic sense of smell too.
Another thing which I have found is that their eyes don’t shine up at night with a spotlight. I have seen them while out spotlighting for predators but it’s the dark shadow which brings them to your attention. I have even seen them on occasions push into a bush with only their rear end sticking out, therefore blending into the shadows.
Anyway back to this particular evening.
We had driven in just before dark, and left the vehicle hidden behind a sand dune and walked quietly into the prechosen shooting spot. The trail camera had given us the time of 20:00 as the preferred time they arrived in to feed. There were a number of pigs coming in. A mature sow with four reasonably sized followers and a large boar. Him, showing all the characters which we were looking for in a quality bush pig trophy. Big in body, long white hair down the length of his back, and the unmistakeable warts in front of the eyes of a boar,
we sat and waited. The sun quickly vanished and darkness fell upon us. There was no moon and soon the red light came on. All attention focussed on this as we waited in anticipation. The sound of the Indian Ocean drowned out any other noise and the mild sea breeze blowing into our faces was perfect.
Soon our first visitors arrived. Not bush pig but porcupine. Eating some of the fresh corn placed out and confirming that the red light motion sensor worked. As they came in the glow increased assuring us that things were good. All we needed now was our boar to arrive. Suddenly the feeder hanging over the bait area spun into action. Throwing corn out and making an unmistakable sound, which I’m sure is like a school dinner bell to anything feeding from them.
We sat fully focussed on the site. Client with his rifle positioned on his shooting sticks ready. Rifle chambered with only the safety catch to push off before firing.
Every now and then I would raise my binoculars just to check in the darkness on the fringes of the red light just to see if I could see anything. The night shadows playing with the mind as you think you see something move but still nothing. Time seemed to stand still, or at least run very slowly as it does when sitting and waiting. Checking my watch to see the time I realised that only 10 minutes had passed since the last time I checked. The magical time of eight was approaching though and we just had to relax and wait.
Still looking at the bating site I thought I saw a something move in the background. Raising my binoculars slowly I checked. A dark shadow with a ghost like white appearance moved in the shadows. The client realised there was something and I gestured for him to stay still and keep quiet. As I watched the light brightened. A bush pig was there. Was it the boar or the sow? Looking again, I could see it was the sow as there were no warts on her face. He would surely arrive soon. The piglets were next visibly smaller than their mother and eating their fill.
Then they were gone. As quickly and stealthily as they had arrived they had vanished. We waited hoping that was not it. I reassured the client he would come and that he should simply, relax… Hoping I was right, I looked again down at the light. The light had dimmed again and nothing was there.
BANG! The light was bright again. Another dark figure, with the white hair on its back stood feeding under the light. I raised my binoculars slowly. There he was. The warts on his face plain to see.
I gestured with a thumbs up to the client to get ready and we were good to go. As the safety catch clicked off the boar raised his head. Obviously hearing something. We had to take our chance before he moved on.
The shot went off. Momentarily blinding us with the muzzle flash.
Did he get him?
Looking down towards the bait site, a dark mound which wasn’t there before had appeared. It lay motionless. We had our boar.
We made the rifle safe and turned on the torches and headlamps. The client asking did he get him? We walked down slowly from our shooting position. There he was, a great bush pig boar trophy which ended a very successful ten day safari.
We admired the length of his white hair, and the quality of his teeth. This would be a great addition to the client’s trophy room. Photographs were taken and then the vehicle arrived to collect out prize, to take to the skinning room.
It would be a late night for the guys in the skinning shed as a full mount was required to go with the full mount warthog harvested earlier on in the safari.
Hunting and Outdoor Adventures 