by TalkHunting Member Brad "Hawghunter65" Gordon

Many in the south and a few in the north may have heard of “Godzilla the Hog” but only a small number of citizens in the fair state of Arkansas ever heard of “The Hades Hog.”  Those that know of his existence rarely talk about this mystical hog due to the distasteful details of his life and for the unfortunate few who have run afoul of him and come into close contact with Hades often even hesitate to speak of him.  Hades inhabits and still roams the Ouachita Mountains northwest of the fair city of Little Rock but was also rumored to exist during the Quapaw Indian days according to tribal legends.  Many a long ago brave while out hunting or proving his manhood has lost his life to this man killing hog through a Hades ambush while attempting to obtain bacon, ham and/or tusks from this hog with bow or lance.  No local person in present day has been able to fare any better and many have paid dearly with loss of property, limb or life.  How could a wild hog live to be two hundred years old or older?   Well pull up a chair, get a large drink or beverage and listen to the story I was told recently by two of Arkansas’s fine citizens.

This is but one sordid present day story of Hades that I obtained one stormy night from a pair of hog hunters in the rural town of Sims close to Lake Ouachita in a bar located just inside of the city limits.  I arrived at about 9:00pm that fateful day and stopped after driving for almost 8 hours straight to get a burger and a beer. Shaking off the rain from my coat and umbrella that was coming down in torrents and almost sideways from the wind, which made more driving unsafe in my opinion I entered the establishment.  Immediately, my nostrils were met with the mixture of smells which contained stale beer, cigarette smoke, the odor of hard working men, and wet dogs.  Stepping gingerly to the side of the door I surveyed the room and saw two bedraggled men standing at the bar conversing with the bartender with 4 dogs lying at their feet, two of the dogs were wrapped in several bandages and lay flat on the floor.  The two least wounded dogs rose at my entrance and attached hard eyes at my personage and their lips curled into silent snarls as they began to flank me from both sides with heads down and tails wagging.  The two men turned and one of them spoke but one word to the closing pit bulls, “down.”  Both pits returned warily to their master's feet and lay down gingerly watching me with hard surveying eyes looking for any weakness.

Still standing by the door the other man spoke and said, “Come in stranger and have a drink with us, eat and listen to our story of the day's events we were just telling Clayton the bartender and owner here.”  The same man spoke again and introduced himself as JJ and his fellow companion as Rufus.  I spoke and told them my name was Shelton Keys and I was a free lance writer, and what a surprise it was for me to meet gentlemen of such outstanding character in such a fine establishment on such a dreadful night.  JJ snorted and Rufus laughed out loudly at my statement and then said, “Don’t be so sure of our character there friend.”  “You see we are hog hunters and some folks don’t take kindly to our profession due to our friendly dogs you almost just met here up close and personal.”  It’s a sad night for us JJ stated as we lost many good dogs today due to that Hades hog that our strike dogs found today and Rufus here almost became buzzard bait himself.  Set down with us, get your paper and pencil out writing man, and buy us a couple pitchers of this “fine establishment’s” beer and listen to our tale of woe.  If it’s a story you are seeking you come to the right place tonight on this terrible night unfit for traveling for such a good man as yourself.  The few pitchers of beer has been known to loosen our tongues, but tonight we speak only the truth in telling you this story regarding the hated Hades hog. 

With careful surveillance I eased into a chair at the table they had selected and motioning to Clayton ordered pitchers of beer and a burger plate for me and my new two companions, who still eyed me carefully looking me up and down while accepting gratefully.  The two large pits followed their master JJ and lie down beside his chair like two silent sentries' always on duty and ready for a fight.

We poured mason jars full of draft beer from the pitchers, and both JJ and Rufus drank thirst fully and soon drained without too much difficulty the two pitchers I had ordered.  I caught Claytons eye and ordered again and told him to keep them coming as my two new companions were beginning to relax a little and regard me less suspiciously.  JJ begin to speak and tell me the day's events that had unfolded for them when they had started out at 5:00am driving the back trails of Brushy Mountain in the Ouachita Mountains with their 92 Ford truck carrying their 10 hog hounds.  Rufus was equipped with a .44 Ruger carbine and a .44 Ruger revolver and JJ was packing heavier with his .45-70 rifle of unknown make from his grand pappy and his new .500 caliber Smith and Wesson revolver.  Both men assured me that these guns always had been plenty of hog stopping power in their opinion until today’s events.  About 6:00am while still dark the two men begin their days hunt.  Driving up into the local mountains on a dirt road the two men drove slowly hoping to cut hog sign that had crossed the road.  The two scent striking hounds riding on platforms that JJ had welded onto the trucks front bumpers suddenly jumped off and disappeared off to the left side of the truck leaping down a steep grade barking as they ran.  Rufus quickly released 6 more of the bay pack hounds that ran barking down the steep grade after the scent striking dogs in a full chorus of hound music.  JJ and Rufus parked the truck on the side of the road, grabbed their GPS location on their Garmin's and grabbing weapons loaded up, and then followed the pack’s music with head lights as quickly as possible stumbling at times down the steep mountain grade.  Both men ran with a leashed catch dog each which I learned were the two large pit crossbreeds lying on the floor next to us at the table.  The catch dogs were mostly pit with some American Bulldog cross breeding thrown in to increase their body and leg size.  Improvements noted by JJ and Rufus’s catch dog philosophy of big jaws, immense bite strength to hold a hog with, and increased leg length to get to the hog faster to prevent damage to the bay hounds.

The pack was in full chorus when the first signs of disaster struck, one of the scent strike dogs began bay barking followed quickly by the second striker with the rest of the bay hound pack closing rapidly on the stopped hog.  Rufus estimated the distance at only about 200 yards and was considering releasing his catch hound when one of the scent strikers screamed in agony with the scream being cut off in mid voice.  Rufus and JJ listened without releasing the catch hounds as the hog began to run again and the pack took off in hot pursuit.  Quickly resuming their own pursuit of the chase which now began to go up a mountain side the two men followed.  This pursuit lasted almost an hour with the hog leading the men and dogs hither and dale up and down the mountainside without leaving its familiar home territory.  Again within a few minutes the bay hounds sounded that the hog was at bay and both men could hear the hounds barking rapidly which without the catch dogs released quickly became a full pursuit again of the hog.  The men wondered as this was becoming a unique chase for each as never before had they encountered a hog of this stamina and patience that seemed to be just toying with them and their famous hog hounds of this region.

As daylight broke both men realized after checking their GPS instruments that they were a mere quarter mile from their truck.  Returning to their truck for water and food they both wondered how big this hog was and how it seemingly was able to just stay ahead of them and their catch dogs.  Doubts then began to form in their heads at the length of this chase as it was approaching over two hours in length and the hog had been put to bay twice without even a chance to release the catch dogs.  While at the truck, listening to the hounds they knew the chase had began to develop into more of a straight line and both realized that the hog was heading towards a large river and swamp to try and rid him of the hound pack.  Jumping into the truck and driving as fast as possible with the catch hounds in the jump seat behind them in an attempt to try and intercept the chase before it arrived at the river.  Arriving too late at the river as the hog was faster than them with the straight line it had taken; they heard the hounds baying on a small island in the middle of the river.  Immediately upon leaving the truck again with weapons in hand they observed the sounds of the fighting hounds and hog as the sounds carried easily over the slow moving water.  Several of the hounds yelped in pain as the hog’s tusks met their flesh and the hog squealed in return as hound teeth scored his tough hide more than once.  The men couldn’t release the catch dogs as they themselves could not swim the river and debated among themselves what to do in this situation as they had no boat and none were in close proximity to borrow.  The hog decided the issue for them by tearing through the pack and existing off the opposite side of the island.  Neither of the men had yet glimpsed the hog and again they were frustrated as the hog entered the water swimming away.  The pack followed closely behind just a bit hesitantly from the damage the hog had inflicted on them and they entered the water after the swimming hog.  The pack was beginning to slow as the pursuit had been relentless over tough terrain and at least 3 times the hog had bayed to catch his breath or lure the hounds into his tusks to weaken them from blood loss or injury.  Rufus and JJ now came to the realization that this hog had been hunted by hounds and men before and was intelligent and cunning as he fought a retreating campaign of running, short rests, and inflicting maximum damage to the pack.  He had taken on water by swimming the river and appeared refreshed as he ran deeper into a swampy area of treacherous terrain.  As if to prove them right, he bayed again and the men heard the yelps of the pack as he inflicted head butts and tusk slashes to the hound pack within their hearing range.  Again the fight broke as the hog slashed and bulled through the pack running away from the hounds.  The two men began to wonder if the local legend they had heard from boyhood was true but neither spoke the hog’s name to the other least they jinks themselves.

As the pursuit approached its 5^th hour that morning the men considered their options not knowing how many dogs were left, but hearing their barks estimated that almost 1/3 of the pack was either dead or out of the fight lying bleeding or licking their wounds somewhere in the tough Arkansas terrain they had covered over the last several hours.  Listening to the direction the chase was headed in and looking at a map the men decided to attempt again a cross country intercept if the hog stayed on course they could cross the river at a bridge about 3 miles away and follow a two track into the deep swamp.

Arriving at their destination they were pleased to hear the pursuit less than 300 yards away leading away from them.  Again they grabbed weapons and catch dogs and moving as quickly as possible took up the pursuit of the phantom hog again.  Within minutes the hounds bayed again and rapidly closing the distance as quickly as possible the two men approached the fight in the thick swamp and brush.  Within 50 yards of the fight they released the catch dogs and listened with fear as hounds yelped in pain and the hog screamed in anger from the bites and nips of the dogs darting in and out.  One of the bay hounds grunted in pain and they watched in amazement as a male bay hound was hurled through the air almost 20 yards to crash to the ground disemboweled.

Breaking through the thick cover they came upon a scene they had never witnessed before as they broke the heavy cover they later estimated that the immense black boar hog weighed well over 500#.  Seeing the men enter the opening the huge hog attacked and promptly hurtled through the pack brushing off the two catch dogs as nonexistent and came with tusks lowered straight for Rufus. The pack wheeled after the boar and as Rufus dodged behind a large oak tree the Hades hog attempted to follow and came head on with the rest of the dog pack, hooking left and right he ripped the shoulders of two bay hounds hurtling them through the air to land in the brush.  Hades bellowed with frustration as one of the catch hounds latched onto his right ear and swinging the dog off his feet slammed the dog against an oak trunk dislodging the catch hound by knocking the wind out of him.  Hades wheeled looking for Rufus or JJ to press the battle home to the two men and JJ let loose with the .500 S&W firing one shot at the top of Hades head that had lifted his nose to focus on JJ at about 10 feet.  The huge hog quivered, fell and screaming with rage regained his feet and stumbling came for JJ just as the bay hounds closing on both sides swarmed over the hog.  The remaining catch hound seizing the moment grabbed Hades by the nose and the huge hog went down again in a tangle of dogs.  Neither man could shoot the hog again in fear of hitting one of their dogs.  The remaining catch dog still in the fight yelped with pain as Hades drove one of his bottom tusks through the hound's upper lip forcing the dog to loosen but not lose his grip from the pain in his mouth.  Hades rolling up came to his feet and neither JJ nor Rufus could fire again from the sudden move as Hades regained his senses from the heavy pistols impact.  Hades slashed his head sideways in an attempt to injure Rufus, but he succeeded only in flattening Rufus to the ground along with the catch dog, as Hades and the other dogs swept past both men fighting on the run.  Hades with catch dog intact rolled into another tree trunk putting the catch dog between his great weight and the trunk forcing the other catch dog to lose consciousness and finally his grip from the impact and the pressure of Hades great weight.  The fight disappeared into the swamp as Hades forced himself into even thicker cover, and fighting a cunning delaying action would stop and rush the hounds that would retreat and then press forward when Hades ran.  The men now came to understand with dread that this had to be the famed Hades hog of Indian legends. 

The two men discussed as they ran how the hog could had survived the shot and  came the realization that Hades was almost at their height and when JJ fired he had taken the heavy slug on the top of his head missing the brain due to the angle of the shot.  Listening to the chase and still able to hear the remaining dogs in the fight who were still barking followed by yelps and dog screams of pain the men noticed that the hog was headed back towards the river and taking dead aim at the river’s island again.  The two catch dogs limped back to the men and the two whined nervously as the chase faded almost out of hearing.  Rufus and JJ looked at each other and began to comprehend the gravity of their situation and most of all the serious nature of this chase.  Never before had they hunted a hog of this size and tenacity that possessed the deadliness of this hog to either the dogs or to them.  The hog seemed to be enjoying the chase and not even the worst for wear even with a bullet hole in the top of his giant head.  The sun was at its zenith and the hog was still running, fighting, and weaning the pack down to less than half its original size.  

The men retreated again to their truck and motored down the two track to cross the bridge and hearing the pack hit the island with Hades again stopping to water, fight and rest.  Grasping suddenly if they were unable to catch up again and dispatch this hog, he would eliminate the bay hounds and possibly the catch hounds seeing the way he had so easily fought them, even with a heavy bullet to the top of his head.  In frustration, they listened as the battle on the island was in the Hades hog favor as he couldn’t be reached by the men and could dispatch their dogs or cripple them at will.  Finally, with only two dogs left baying, the hog bailed off the opposite side of the island away from the men and back into the swamp or so it seemed.

The men assessed the situation and knew that at least six of their dogs were either dead or wounded somewhere in the terrain they had covered over the last several hours.  The two catch dogs were beat up and not at their best fighting skills and they couldn’t even catch up now with the remaining two hounds to call off the chase.  Rufus and JJ decided to go to a fellow hog hunters house and see if they could borrow more hounds and see if the hunter, a man called Gates would join and help in the chase.  Rapidly getting into their truck with the two catch hounds in the jump seat they took off bouncing along the two tracks as fast as they could go without losing control of their vehicle.  Finally, hitting the asphalt they sped as fast as their truck would go heading for Gate’s home and his precious dogs they needed so badly to bring the Hades hog to his demise.

Cruising at close to 90 mph down the two lane highway posted at 55 mph they were less than 2 miles from the Gates place when they passed Mama's BBQ pork billboard and you might have known the county sheriff was behind it.  Peeling out in hot pursuit with lights and siren going full blast they were forced to come to a halt just short of their destination.  Try as he might Rufus couldn’t talk his way out of a speeding ticket which was going to be $100 plus court costs according to the sheriff.  Topping manners off one of the catch dogs snapped at the deputy tearing his cuff off when he reached to give the ticket to Rufus and the second ticket given was for not having a deadly weapon under control.  Roughly $75 plus court costs in total.  The Hades hog hunt was starting to now get financially serious with traffic tickets, dog replacement and vet bills coming.  Leaving the scene of the incident, Rufus and JJ drove the speed limit with the deputy following them right to the Gates place.

Now the hog hunter Gates was a rangy tough old son from stock right out of Tennessee.  Gates was a hog hunter who had more experience chasing and killing hogs than either Rufus or JJ put together.  It was told that he was close to at least 70 years of age but even he wasn’t sure as he was born in hill cabin with his father aiding his mother in his birth.  Gates listened to the men relate and tell their tale of the day's events nodding occasionally and spitting streams of Red Man to the ground every few minutes.  Hog men don’t let each other down and finally he said, “enough you two, let’s go kill that Hades son of a gun.”  Relieved JJ and Rufus helped Gates load his truck full with hounds and even put some in their vehicle’s back end with the number coming to about 15 total.  Gates walked over to a separate shed and pen combination and telling the two men to stand back took down two leashes and entered the shed.  Exiting the shed the two men gazed in astonishment at the two dogs that were led out of the shed.  Both dogs weighed at least hundred pounds apiece with the male outweighing the female by over 20 pounds.  The two dogs possessed huge jaws and massive chests with scars of combat covering their heads and shoulders they blinked in the bright sunlight and strained at their leashes.  Rufus asked Gates what they were and he replied, “Argentinean Dogo” toughest meanest hog catch dogs he could afford.  They were of the mastiff family and Gates had gotten them after a past encounter with the Hades hog about a year ago when the big hog had killed his other two pit bulldog crossbreed catch dogs and five of his bay hounds.  Gates carried his favorite weapon for hog dispatching, a 12 gauge sawed off to 20” barrel with one slug in the chamber and 5 slugs in the magazine.   The gun was real serious hog knockdown medicine at close range. 

It was past 2:00 pm and close to 90 degrees in the shade when the men in their two trucks arrived again deep in the swamp stopping upstream from the bridge and hearing only a single hound in pursuit listened as the chase appeared to be slowing down considerably from previously in the day.  They decided to release the 15 bay hounds with Gates and JJ following the hounds with the new catch dogs, and Rufus heading for the river's edge where he thought he knew the swamp crossing that the Hades hog was using to swim to the island to fight the dogs and thin the pack.  Things seemed to be going as planned when suddenly Gates and JJ heard the giant boar stop to fight deep in the swamp almost 300 yards away.  The fight was a crescendo of violent noise assailing the ears as hog and hounds tore into each other.  First, the hog would squeal in pain and then a hound would yelp or scream in pain as the Hades hog dished out terrible punishment without mercy cutting the numbers down of the new pack that pursued him.  Gates and JJ almost got to the fight when the hog broke from the fight hearing them crashing through the thick cover and water attempting to get close enough to release the two dogo catch hounds.  Hades ran for another couple of hundred yards and again a fight ensued with this pattern repeating itself for the next couple of hours.  Gates was beside himself as his pack was being systematically cut to pieces by either maiming or killing them by the Hades hog.  Both he and JJ couldn’t get quite close enough to the fights to release his catch hounds as the Hades hog seemed never to tire and seemed to pick his defensive positions without mistake which allowed him each time to melt back into the swamp before the men arrived.  Finally, Hades circled and broke again for the island passing Gates and JJ just out of sight in the thick cattails as if to mock them even more at less than 50 yards.  As the pack swept past in hot pursuit, Gates knew that less than half of his original pack remained and some of his best hounds that were left were wounded as they were still game but bringing up the back of the pack.  The men followed as fast as the terrain would allow hoping to push the Hades hog to Rufus who was waiting in ambush.

Rufus hearing the chase start to come his way had climbed a small tree on the rivers bank for a better line of sight and waited with anticipation with the loaded .44 carbine.  His plan was if conditions allowed him to catch sight of the giant hog, he would start shooting and not stop until out of ammo or Hades was down fit only for bacon making or smoking hams.  Rufus figured with the toll that Hades had cost them in hounds and money, that a hog with multiple gunshots wounds in his vitals would be small payment for all the damage incurred this memorable day.  The chase closed within less than a 100 yards and Rufus knew he had guessed correctly on the trail that Hades was using.  Slowing raising his carbine he thumbed off the safety and watched as the brush and grass jerked as Hades approached along with the pack.  Suddenly, the remains of the pack and Hades were at the base of the tree in full engagement, with Hades constantly backing into the small trunk of the tree he was in which forced Rufus to hang on for dear life without shooting.  Hades, whirling left and right inflicted damage to any dog that got within the range of his tusks.  Spinning around without warning, Hades looked Rufus right in the eye and ran full speed into the tree causing Rufus to lose hold of his beloved carbine and grab the trunk with both hands.  With a hate filled glare Hades rammed the trunk again trying to dislodge Rufus from his grip and put him under his tusks.  The remaining five dogs still in fight pressed forward and one of the females grabbed Hades by a hind leg causing the hog to drop and roll to the ground right next to the female and ripping upward disemboweled the gallant bay hound in one swipe.  Letting go of Hades the female was finished and the rest of the pack retreated back a few feet.  This allowed Hades to come back to the small tree and standing on his hind feet was able to reach almost 8 feet off the ground, Hades quickly surprised Rufus by promptly ripping a deep gash in Rufus’s lower right leg almost 12 inches long and to the fibula bone.  Rufus let out a scream that Gates and JJ even heard and Hades with almost a snarl on his face dropped to the ground and entered the water for the island. 

The remainder of the pack followed swimming respectfully almost 25 yards behind Hades and upon reaching the island Hades drank gazing at the slower swimming pack as they swam closer battling the rivers current.  Hades turned away from the pack and shaking the water off his hide listened while retreating to Rufus still hollering for help and trying to hang on and tie a belt with one hand around his lower leg to slow the bleeding.   Hades eased about 20 yards into the island’s defensive position he knew so well and waited for what was left of the pack.  The pack burst up onto the island without drinking and plunged into Hades at full speed with the instincts that were bred into them from generations of their line.  Hades attacked the pack lead dog and bowling him over slashed another dog from shoulder to flank.  Whirling to and fro like the demon he was and with his incredible speed he opened his mouth and grabbed the lead dog that was down by the throat and tore his throat open when he flung the dog to the side. Only two injured bay dogs now remained and with valor both fought side by side as Hades dispatched them without mercy quickly and efficiently within a minute of each other.  All three men heard the pack go silent and knew what it meant.  Gates began to cuss and curse Hades to damnation and worse realizing his pack was not just out of commission but dead.  Hades surveyed the carnage he had created that was left on the island from this and the other previous fights, and seeing Gates and JJ arrive to assist Rufus who was still bleeding profusely in the tree watched for a few minutes and then left the island away from the men.

Arriving on the opposite shore Hades shook himself, drank long from the river and then deciding to cross the trail looked up and down the two track.  Trotting down the two tracks towards the bridge he spotted the men’s two trucks and watching closely for any sign of the men approached the two vehicles warily.  Rufus and JJ’s two catch dogs in the cab of the first truck watched with hatred as the immense hog trotted up their truck and Hades ripping his head sideways promptly deflated both tires on their vehicle.  The two catch dogs were beside themselves and began to bite large chunks of Rufus’s truck seats away in frustration not being able to get at the hog.  Hades hatefully glared at both of them and putting his front feet on the truck running board pressed his snout against the window and showing his tusks blew mucus and saliva at the dogs.  This of course incited the dogs further and they renewed their efforts at the truck’s seat destruction.  Hades then went to Gates truck and disabled two of its tires for good measure.   Returning to the other truck and ensuring that both catch dogs were watching promptly lifted a hind leg and urinated over the driver’s side door and running board.  Satisfied with his deeds of the day Hades then plunged into the cover next to the two trucks and disappeared ready to fight another day with only a few dozen canine puncture marks in his tough hide and a headache from the heavy pistol bullet that he incurred previously this renowned day.

It was almost 5:00pm when the Gates and JJ were able to carry Rufus out of the swamp after crossing the bridge and arriving at their trucks.  The three men began to curse with vigor when they saw the flattened tires and only two bay hounds left that even wounded had found the trucks. Rufus howled as loud as his hounds when he saw the destruction of his truck seats and began to curse even louder than before.  The straw that broke the camel’s back was the large puddle of damp hog urine still on the running board and in the dirt beneath the driver’s door.  The day’s toll had been enormous in dogs, property destruction and monetary sums yet to be determined for the men.  Gates swore that if it was the last thing he accomplished on this earth it would be to turn loose his catch dogs on Hades and eat his liver.  Rufus and JJ glanced at Gates and were believers in what he said but both weren’t so sure themselves if they ever wanted to tackle Hades again.  Rufus reminded the other two men that a doctor was probably needed soon in his future to repair and stitch up his leg before Hades killed him with either blood loss or infection.  Quickly the two uninjured men took the tires off Rufus’s truck and replaced Gates deflated ones and throwing the six remaining dogs and Rufus into the bed of truck headed for the local doc’s office.  This promptly started a dog fight with the two pits attacking one of the dogo’s of Gates and Rufus’s leg restarting to bleed badly again with the dogs fighting over the top of him in the truck bed.

Hence, now past 2:00am of a new day this fateful tale of the Hades hog ended with Rufus and JJ downing 10 pitchers of beer with 6 whiskey chasers between them, 4 burger and fry baskets, and the remaining 4 out of six dogs present that had survived a double patty burger sandwich with mayo each all on my bill.  Both pit catch dogs in their gratitude still snarled with curled lips when I approached them with their burger reward.  That’s appreciation for you, pit style. Believe it or not, all you have to do today is travel to Sims and look up Rufus and JJ for validation of this account.  Oh, by the way I counted the fresh stitches in Rufus’s leg and he’s right, there were 217 of them and with enough IM penicillin on board, beer, whiskey chasers, and Vicodin available for his pain he did feel like a new man.  JJ just shook his head and smiled at his friend.  Clayton kicked us out after last call at about 3:00am and told me he had a small room in the back for a small fee of $50.00 as he was concerned about my welfare as I shouldn’t drive after my minor consumption of alcohol.  He didn’t even seem slightly concerned about Rufus or JJ’s alcohol consumption or their welfare though.  Lastly, he reminded me the breakfast bar was at 8am for again only a small token of monetary value and then I could be on my way.