Darn it, had notifications turned off...
Article on hogs running wild: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2020/09/wild-pigs-are-everywhere/616389/
The Clock Is Ticking on America’s ‘Feral Swine Bomb’
Wild pigs are running rampant—and doing billions of dollars of damage each year.
They are even in Canada! Canadian bacon on the hoof.
I guess I won’t complain about getting sleep but I did it again.
Did see that there are two different groups coming in. The Hampshires are different and there is a pietrain in the later group.
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I keep coming back, hoping to see a report of deceased hogs, pigs and piglets. Maybe tomorrow.
Have a blessed day,
Leon
I keep coming back, hoping to see a report of deceased hogs, pigs and piglets. Maybe tomorrow.
Have a blessed day,
Leon
OK Leon,
Went out again about a week ago....but pretty sure the Boar I've been after 'knew' I was on stand. I thought I heard him slipping away from behind me (again).
So....enough of trying to get him from the 20 yd. stand with the shotgun, it just wasn't going to happen. The boar kept making his approach from behind me...which is very thick brush and somewhat downhill. In the evening the air cools down right about sundown and the thermals (heavier cooler air) drop to the ground then flows downhill taking my scent with it.
So...this evening I resolved to just back off to the 100 yard stand and snipe the hog when/if he came in. Got on stand about 5:30 just in case he came in early but the past few days it has always been about dark. Nothing showed during the remaining daylight hours. About dusk...some clouds moved in along with a refreshing cool blast of air. Wind direction was favorable for me....but it was blowing about 15 mph. I wondered if that much wind (moving the timber pretty good) might make the hog 'hole up' until it passed, but he popped out of the brush right at dark.
I could see him well enough under the hog light that is trained on the corn put out. He went straight to the corn and started eating but was facing me. I wanted to wait for a better shot angle because the stand I was on is nothing more than a '4 pod' tucked back into a Cedar Tree. It doesn't have a railing (I am working on that) so I have to shoot offhand. He finally turned...but turned so far that he ended up quartering away.
He also picked his head up and was looking intently into the brush. Thinking this might all go 'sideways' any moment, I chose not to wait on a full broadside shot. I had already taken the safety off the rifle (7mm-08) and selected the lowest intensity setting for the lighted reticle. I placed the illuminated dot a bit behind the on-side shoulder...so that the exit would be near the center of the off-side shoulder. I wasn't as steady as I'd like to have been....but I'm pretty sure I was reasonably close to my aiming point when I pressed the trigger.
I saw the hog go down....but he immediately got back up on his feet and headed for the brush. I'm fairly sure I heard him 'crash' inside the brush line, but I will have to wait until tomorrow to go and find him. I had no sooner walked over to where the hog had fell....than my phone rang. It was my Daughter (1500 miles away) telling me her truck had just died going down the freeway and that she had barely made it off to the side.
Anyway, the hog is shot....but not yet recovered. Will report back later when I have more news. Just wanted to let you know I had not forgotten my commitment to you.
Thanks!!!
I dutifully checked again this morning, like a good soldier, and lo and behold, it showed activity on this thread. Thanks for the post, waiting for an update on the hog. I am sure he/she met their demise last night.
Have a blessed day,
Leon
I'd be interested on the wound channel and recovered weight data as well, that's no varmint bullet for sure, I'm equally surprised of no exit, my mind has gone from stuck at the scalpula (far side), just under the hide, and finally, to off course ricochet as I've seen that too many times lol maybe it'll be just under the throat? The tougher bullets have treated me thusly (but not always) on odd angle shots. This is of course one of my fascinations. Thanks for sharing again sir!
Yes Sir,
Found the hog about 30 yds. inside the brush line. So....I had indeed heard it 'crash' last night. Of course it ran downhill and into the thickest part of the briars and mud. I had expected to have a blood trail to follow this morning....but as it turns out the bullet did not exit the off-side shoulder and the on-side wound (entry) had plugged up with fat. There was no blood trial being left, except for mine.
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Fortunately the Boar was close enough to a spot where I could drive up close to it and get the winch cable on it. So at least I didn't have to drag it up the muddy hill. The Coyotes had already found the carcass last night and began to eviscerate it. You might be able to see the tracks around it in the photo below (graphic) :
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I was really quite surprised the bullet did not exit. I was using a 160 gr. Federal Trophy Bond and the impact velocity was probably about 2500 fps. This boar has quite broad shoulders however... and a good amount of 'shield' on each. I may dissect this one and see if I can recover the bullet in order to judge the bullets performance.
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Not a giant hog, about 235 lbs. according to the Heart Girth Measurement, but one less out there. I really wanted to take this hog from the 20 yd. stand with my shotgun, but it just wasn't going to happen. He was simply too wary for that. So in the end 'sniping' him was the solution. I suppose I might have snared him as well since he usually entered the bait site on one path, but that's not my preferred method.
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Anyway, I dedicate this one to you Sir.
Flint.
I'd be interested on the wound channel and recovered weight data as well, that's no varmint bullet for sure, I'm equally surprised of no exit, my mind has gone from stuck at the scalpula (far side), just under the hide, and finally, to off course ricochet as I've seen that too many times lol maybe it'll be just under the throat? The tougher bullets have treated me thusly (but not always) on odd angle shots. This is of course one of my fascinations. Thanks for sharing again sir!
Thanks Flint,
I must say, I have never had a hog of any kind, feral or otherwise, dedicated to me. I feel honored, I think, not sure I will be able to make the monument dedication though.
Have a blessed day,
Leon
Flint.... you are a wealth of info and a very good read! I really enjoy your posts and would love to hunt them! My son and daughter inlaw are moving to Jacksonville Tx in the middle of November. I'm helping them move and im REALLY looking forward to seeing the country down there. y wife and I plan on visiting them next July for 2 weeks to see what the "heat of summer" is and possibly moving there in a few years if everything aligns. Keep up the greta posts! JeffHah, yeah......a dubious honor to be sure.
But I felt compelled to recognize such a faithful follower of this sometimes inactive thread.
Flint.... you are a wealth of info and a very good read! I really enjoy your posts and would love to hunt them! My son and daughter inlaw are moving to Jacksonville Tx in the middle of November. I'm helping them move and im REALLY looking forward to seeing the country down there. y wife and I plan on visiting them next July for 2 weeks to see what the "heat of summer" is and possibly moving there in a few years if everything aligns. Keep up the greta posts! Jeff
I had a group of about 8 come through Thursday night (4 am). I had my alerts turned off since all that had been showing up for the last month were deer. 2 made the mistake of coming early evening, so put my 458 SOCOM to work. Took both of them out, 1 on the run. Then around 12:30 am 1 showed up and I took him out. My feeder is setup with 2 video surveillance cameras that's ~95 yrds from my back porch. I slip out the back door and use the BBQ grill side table for a rest. The cameras send me alerts when they detect motion, which I use as a alarm clock to wake me up. So 3 less around here.