SWINE STORY: Long before the recent discovery (and subsequent
death) of three feral pigs near Allegany State Park, Bob Slike of
Derrick City has a close encounter of the swine kind of his
own.

We’ll share his today and tomorrow.

He writes, “Regarding feral hogs in neighboring Allegany State
Park: Several years ago, roughly in the mid-1970s, my longtime
friend and hunting companion, the late Edwin Carlson and I were
hunting rabbits at the upper end of Dallas Road, which is off of
Looker Mountain Trail, Foster Township.

“It was in the afternoon when we pulled into a lease road on the
south side of upper Dallas Road. We cut the hounds — mine,
Hazelwood Sherry; and his, Rim Rock Freckles.

“We worked up toward a large field parallel to the road. The
lease we were hunting on was in the process of being abandoned, and
there were piles of pipe and casing scattered about the side hill.
Soon the beagles opened and a rabbit going.

“The rabbit circled down toward Dallas Road and into a small
ravine where there were some apple and thornapple trees, and they
were loaded with fruit.

“The rabbit was circling back when I heard my dog crying and
howling as if she was in pain. I started walking toward the ravine
calling her when she came to me, quivering and whimpering. I
examined her carefully thinking she might have a thorn in her nose
or mouth or maybe she had run a stick down her throat. I could find
nothing.

“Just then, I could hear something coming through the golden rod
toward me at a good speed. At first, I thought it was some deer as
they were covered with dark, bristly hair. The golden rod was high,
making it tough to clearly see them.

“When I heard one of the creatures making a squealing,
grunt-like sound, I realized they were hogs.

“I picked up my dog and gun and headed for a pile of casing and
got on top of it hoping they would go the other way.”

Sorry to stop at a cliffhanger; We conclude this interesting
account tomorrow.