Never been on a hog hunt. Something I had been invited on, considered, and actually wanted to do, just never quite put it together. Always seemed to be poor timing, poor finances, or some other obstacle that had prevented me from getting this done up to now. These occasional recurring discussions – involving shouldas, couldas, and wouldas around the wild and feral pig – often took place with a particular buddy – Jim. Jim and I had mused over this adventure many times over the years. And thanks to Jim, years of contemplation finally led to some action, with Jim booking a hunt down in Okemah, OK, with an outfit called Black Mountain Hunts. The date was set for the last weekend in April.
With a third gun on board by the name of Richard, we packed up and set off for Okemah, within an hour or so (a bit less) from Tulsa.
Black Mountain Hunts: The Critique
So, a little bit about Black Mountain Hunts. I am somewhat hesitant to link to their website from this article. I have to say this, with no disrespect meant to them at all, mind you, but from the “I’m a marketing/agency guy” perspective – and especially based on the fact that I represent their ideal target customer – their online presence is dreadful.
Before I expand on this, let me assure you how pleased I am that my experience far exceeded my expectations based on their site.
When Jim first sent me to the site, I was very uncertain on his decision. Now, I won’t get too professional/creative/marketing-goofy on things here, but the site is VERY simple. You aren’t likely reading my blog for a digital marketing or creative critique, so I will stop there. But there ARE definitely some things you need to know, in terms of trip details, that you are not going to find anywhere online.Numerous important details that you will – and should – find were notably absent, and left me with far too many questions. Questions that would likely push many hunters – me among them – to just move on in their online search. Questions about lodging and meals, what to bring, firearms restrictions, the area, etc., left me wondering what Jim had gotten us into. And it turns out we definitely needed to know a few things.
I would highly recommend you have a detailed conversation by phone on what is required. That is the only way we knew to bring our own bedding and pillows – which is no big deal – but again, should probably be noted. But we made some poor assumptions on other things. Like towels for the shower. And the BYO-TP… uhm… VERY thankful for the previous party that left us a little bit of their roll… Paper towels, stuff like that, we had, just in case, and thankfully. But a number of things seemed awkwardly lacking.
While the bunk house is quaint and cool in a hunting camp kind of way, my best advice is to come as if you are camping out. Bring EVERYTHING you think you might need if you are going primitive. Again, this is not a bad thing, it just needs to be communicated.
Another thing – food. Not every place offers meals with their lodging, that’s ok, and acceptable. But we actually did not know. Two of us showed up assuming there were meals included in the lodging – as most of the competitive outfitters and services do list and include. Without a word on the site about this, we made a poor assumption. Fortunately, we had brought enough in terms of snacks to make do. And there are places to eat 15-20 minutes away… but this is a simple FAQ/what to bring/paragraph or two on the lodging page of the website that can make or break someone’s trip.These small details can sometimes, for some people, turn a really great opportunity into sour grapes. Fortunately, we made do, got past those things, and focused on the hunt.
So ultimately, I highly recommend Black Mountain Hunts. And if anything, the purpose of that was to inform, prepare, and set expectations that are simply not in place on their website. The experience FAR exceeded my expectations, and they are definitely selling themselves short on brand image online. You really have to see for yourself. I will absolutely go back, and much more confidently, now that I know what to be prepared for.
Oh, and because we had an outstanding hunting experience. Truly.
Black Mountain Hunts: The Praise
So the positive side of Black Mountain Hunts. And keep in mind, I have no basis for comparison, this being my first and only hog hunt. But it was really an excellent experience.
The property, for one, was just gorgeous. The variety in terrain was awesome. Deep thick woods, sandy creeks, rocky ridges, open fields, all woven together into a landscape that was just a joy to hunt. The hunt doubles as scenic hike. And the acreage. We hunted the high fence area, but this 160 acres was massive. Felt like significantly more, and you could easily hunt all day without finding a fence – or another hunter – without effort. With three of us, we split the map up and never saw each other.
The opportunities within are equally diverse. Driving hogs, silently stalking through the woods, or hunted from a stand over feeders – all present opportunities to meet your style. Weapon of choice was also pretty open, with all of us taking hogs with our AR builds, and even a bow kill on one.
I will say, and this probably should go back up in the critique part of my post here, but if your goal is to shoot a trophy, have that discussion up front. We did not know any better when booking, but found out once we got there that if you want a 200 pound plus monster, you will pay differently and hunt a different area. While they say there are a few in the area we hunted, the real trophies are in a completely different area unavailable to us. We probably saw one hog over 100 pounds – and we saw quite a few animals.
Again, not too big a deal, and I’ll hunt this same area again when I go back, but something that needs to be communicated. I know many who are looking for that trophy. Me, I like the quantity we saw, and like the thought of working the deep cover for one of the big ones that are lurking somewhere within… I’ll find one next year.
The Gear
I took both of mine on quiet stalks, and for my first hogs – and my first AR-15 kills of any kind – it was quite a thrill. I was actually quite concerned about what to bring, and spent a lot of time reading the ar15.com hog forums and talking with friends who have done this regarding builds, loads, and more.
I was really uncertain about optics. I wanted to hunt with my AR and my SKS, even though I own a .30-30 and a .243. In hindsight, that .30-30 would be great for the type of hunting and the terrain I worked. I wanted something scoped, but could not get my 7.62 SKS sighted in, and think it needs trigger work. REALLY wanted to take something with my Sig Sauer M400 5.56, but was not too confident beyond 100 yards with my EOTech 552 HWS. I stressed over nothing. Turns out, for slowly creeping through the woods, the ability to get on target as quickly as this optic allows you to is nothing short of perfect. And utilizing 70+ grain loads was more than enough through the 5.56. Both of my kills were one-shot head shots, down right there. Neither took another step. My addition to this setup will be the EOTech G33 Magnifier for next year, giving me a bit of reach should I end up in a different part of the map.
I will also give a little love to the Magpul MS3 QD sling. The single-point was just perfect for the stalking I did, and can’t imagine this type of hunting without something like that. A good sling for this kind of walking and terrain is worth every penny.We went into this knowing very little about what to wear in terms of camo, matching the terrain, etc. Did not seem at all important for what we were doing, and I have no advice to give. It didn’t really matter, honestly. We were warned that our quarry had an incredible sense of smell, and while we did spook some downwind hogs once or twice, I shot both of mine upwind blowing at them. No way they did NOT smell me, and still killed them within 50 yards.
Brought both rubber knee-high Mucks, and Gore-tex heavy hunting boots – big rubber soled jobs rated for elk hunting, etc., and those were my choice. I had dry comfy feet the whole time. Might lighten up with warmer, dryer weather, but be prepared for some rocky, hilly terrain in places.
Black Mountain Hunts: The Help
So Robby gets his own section. Our ranch-hand here was absolutely awesome. One more mystery, but we had no idea if were going to be guided, or how any of this worked going in. Robby lined us out, explained how it worked, walked us through the map, and gave us enough pointers to feel confident doing this for the very first time alone – something that might be pretty intimidating to some.
Robby took care of our hogs, helped us scout and track, and was incredibly nice and accommodating. One more reason all by itself that I recommend this place. They do want you to succeed and have a good time. Robby was a genuine, authentic hard working guy – the kind of fella you want having your back in camp.
We definitely had an outstanding time – and all three of us spoke as if it was a foregone conclusion that we’d be back – not an if, but a when. And I have since put a bit of backstrap to the iron, and am absolutely sold on the eats, which keeps the wife at least somewhat supportive. I’m quite confident recommending Black Mountain – leave me a comment and I’ll get in touch if you have questions – or better yet, give them a call – they’ll take good care of you.
Black Mountain Hunts | Okemah, OK | (816) 204-6280
www.blackmountainhunts.us
