Went out pig huntin' today. Yesterday we were out walking here at my land and my boxer stirred some up and chased them off. I've seen a lot of signs so I figured my chances were good at this time. I was using my .357 mag Blackhawk revolver as usual. I had it loaded with Cor-bon 200 grain cast bullets. I'd been walking around a while and not seeing any but then I finally heard one that I couldn't see that apparently smelled me and took off running (I'd previously been walking against the wind but now I was heading back towards my four-wheeler so I was walking with the wind). Well I started trying to figure out where that hog got off to when I caught a glimpse of hog through a bunch of thick scrub. There were some in there sleeping. I started to try to stalk around where I could get a good shot on them because I could just barely see glimpses from my current position. Before I could find a good spot I spooked some nearby cows who took off running. This caused the hogs to jump up and of course they ran out the opposite end of the scrub. I actually had an easy shot on one for a while and I should have just taken it but it was a little guy...maybe 50 lbs, and I was looking for the bigger ones that I knew were in there. So I took off trying to run to the other side. A branch caught the cord of my earplugs and ripped those off and I got caught up in some briars. By this time the whole herd of cows was stampeding through the woods which made it impossible to determine by sound which way the hogs went. I took my best guess and started walking. About 100 yards away I went down into a gully and I spooked a big boar. He jumped and ran and I shot and hit him in the upper back on the run at about 35 yards. The bullet entered and exited. This seemed to slow him down but he was still going. I'd run up to about 15 yards away and shot him in the head but it was kind of from the rear and it went into his neck and exited his upper jaw. This old boar was tough. He went down but was still moving and breathing...not just death throes. I put another shot into his head but I ended up shooting just a tad back of the brain. He actually started to get back up and I put one more shot into his head and that did him in, he went into death kicks but he was no longer breathing. All shots passed through and exited the other side. These cast bullets are great for hogs...I just had some poor placement...well he went down but he just wouldn't die.
The only bad thing was that my earplugs were still hanging on that tree 100 yards away and my ears still feel stopped up. Just from dragging him and size I'd say he's probably about 180lbs on the hoof. Here's a pic:
Wishing I had St. Gunner's dogs about now as there are definitely lots of them out here at the moment...it's just hard to find them and get them stirred up by myself. A few weeks ago there were hardly any out here at all...they were probably mostly over across the creek on the next piece of property.
brad cook
The only bad thing was that my earplugs were still hanging on that tree 100 yards away and my ears still feel stopped up. Just from dragging him and size I'd say he's probably about 180lbs on the hoof. Here's a pic:
Wishing I had St. Gunner's dogs about now as there are definitely lots of them out here at the moment...it's just hard to find them and get them stirred up by myself. A few weeks ago there were hardly any out here at all...they were probably mostly over across the creek on the next piece of property.
brad cook