The author and a Weatherby Vanguard .375 H&M Magnum pursue feral pigs in the 'Earthquake Capital of the World.' Posted on 03/03/2017 6:34:57 AM PST by w1n1
The author and a Weatherby Vanguard .375 H&M Magnum pursue feral pigs in the 'Earthquake Capital of the World.'
Halfway between California's Bay Area and the sprawling urban megalopolis of Los Angeles lies the Central Coast, a range of green hills and oak forests. It's home to a good portion of the Golden State's remaining agricultural land, and in hamlets such as Parkfield (population 18 or 34, depending on whether you believe the city limit sign or the abandoned railway car in the center of town) you're more likely to see flatbed pickups and cowboy hats than sports cars and hipster garb. The Central Coast is so far removed from the hustle of Hollywood that it's hard to remember that Parkfield and L.A. are only a few hours' drive apart. At Santa Lucia Outfitters' hunting camp outside of town there are no lights visible at night except the field of stars stretching from one horizon to the next. There's no road sound, just the hum of wind through the pines.
Idyllic as this landscape may appear, however, the green hills and old-growth oaks mask a powerful secret. Just below the surface of the earth, two enormous tectonic plates, the North American and Pacific, are pressing against one another with incredible force in a zone known as the San Andreas Fault. In Parkfield, there's an earthquake every single day, a fact that makes this tiny town the self-proclaimed "Earthquake Capital of the World." Most shakes are small and unnoticeable. But many of the local residents I spoke with assured me that when a big one hits, I would have no trouble noticing.
On this visit, though, I was out to create some seismic tremors of my own. I was testing Weatherby's new Vanguard in .375 H&H Magnum, a big bore for the brand's budget rifle line. Parkfield is just down the road from Weatherby's headquarters in Paso Robles, and the Central Coast ranch country around these towns has, like many other places in the country, been overrun with feral swine. In the region's steep canyons and dense forests, the pigs enjoy reprieve from area hunters and reach impressive proportions on a steady diet of acorns, barley crops, and tubers. As you no doubt know, they’re a big nuisance to farmers and detrimental to native species, and their numbers are increasing rapidly. Read the rest of the story here.
Good article, enjoyed it!
It appears CA takes a different view of pigs than is prevalent around here since the author writes of “shootable” boars. The population is so large around this state (OK) that the only way to attempt to get control is to “Kill’em all!” They are not regulated as game animals so night hunting is allowed, too.
375 H&H magnum for wild piggies? Are you sure you have enough gun?
A 375 Mag??? A little overgunned, wouldn’t you say? That cannon is used for water buffalo and African game!
Do they taste good?
CC
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