Out huntin' piggies.

[Smoke]

The kids went out to the Grandparents, the wife went to town, and I had an afternoon and evening to myself. Dang, what should I do?

Loaded the Jeep up with a cooler full of Dublin Dr. Peppers and a couple of Ziegenbachs (just in case) threw in some assorted firearms and the dogs and went to the ranch.

I got there about 3:30 grabbed a gun and went for a walk along the creek bottom scouting for hog sign. The day was perfect, mid 60's, sun shining. Trees are starting to turn colors. I crunched through the leaves that had fallen and walked about a mile down the creek, winding my way through the brush, then crossed the creek and headed back walking the other side.

I jumped a couple of deer that trotted off a little ways and stood watching me. They seemed to know I wasn't after them. The dogs didn't even bother the deer; I guess everybody was in a peaceable mood today.

I checked all the feeders as I went by and made my way back to the Jeep about 5:00 still had a good 45 minutes before sundown. So I pulled out a Ziegenbach, and sat with the dogs for a little bit.

As the sun started to settle, I parked one of the dogs with the Jeep and took the other with me and walked to one of the feeders where it looked like a good bit of activity had been going on. I perched myself on a rock ledge where I had a good field of view and watched the sun go down.

Now this was one of those amazing Central Texas Fall sunsets that made the sky ablaze with color. I wasn't paying near as much attention to the feeder as I was the sky. The dog was content to lie down beside me and we waited for nightfall. I could hear the birds start to liven up as the sun dropped lower and lower, then the crickets got louder. Then the coyotes started their first song of the night and finally I heard the first pig squeal somewhere downstream. As it got darker I heard one of the far feeders go off, then another behind me, and finally the one where I was sitting. And I heard the pig squeal again closer.

It was full dark now and the dog and I were still sitting on this ledge just enjoying the evening cooling off, the nip was starting to permeate the air. And that pig was squealing closer all the time....then it started going back downstream. And went farther downstream.

At 7:30 I roused the dog that had gone plumb to sleep and we started back to the Jeep. I unloaded the guns and pulled out the other Ziegenbach. I told the dogs to "load up" and we headed for the house.

Sometimes you just don't have any luck hunting at all.



Smoke

 

[HSMITH]

Well done Smoke!! Well written and speaks to the way I feel about hunting. Thanks.

 

[JShirley]

Sometimes you just don't have any luck hunting at all.

Heh. That's not the way I read it. Thanks. Makes me miss having a dog.

John

 

[Selfdfenz]

Excellent story.

"Now this was one of those amazing Central Texas Fall sunsets that made the sky ablaze with color. I wasn't paying near as much attention to the feeder as I was the sky. "

They can do that to you can't they?

No pig but you bagged a good memory.
S-

 

[Bruz]

Sometimes you just don't have any luck hunting at all.

Do I sense a little sarcasm? My best day huntin was the first hunt with my daughter, did not get anything either...

 

[Johnny Guest]

Well writ, sir. Sounds to me like a highly successful hunt.

Johnny

 

[sturmruger]

Question

I live in NW Wi. and do not have any access to pigs except the old Farmer Anderson's oinkers. I am curious about these wild pigs. How big do they get, what do they eat, and what kind of gun do you hunt them with. Oh and are they as good to eat as Farmer Anderson's pigs??

 

[Smoke]

Sturmruger,

You'll get a lot of difference of opinion here. Here's mine:

In this area most sows get to about 200# average. Some boars have been taken inthe 500# + range. They are few and far between.

Ferals are mostly domestic pigs crossed with Russian Boars. Lots of Russians were imported years ago and some were allowed to run with domestic pigs. You cannot fence pigs effectively. So, some escaped and they are very prolific. Now they're a problem.

They eat anything they can find. They can and will decimate a corn field. They root up wheat fields. They eat acorns, road kill, roots, worms, even each other. Which brings us to one of your other questions:

They don't eat well at all compared to Farmer Andersons pigs. Feral hog meat is best used for feral hog bait.
I have had some that was very good. I have also had some that was the worst thing I've tried to consume to date. A good experienced cook can make it very palatable. I'd rather go to Piggly Wiggly and by me a ham or bacon.

As for guns. YES! About anything will do. I have used .223, .22-250, 270, 300 Savage, 30-30, 300 Win Mag, 45-70, 45acp. Others will work equally well. No season, no limits, can hunt them at night. Pretty much anything goes. SOme people run them with dogs and try to catch them here. Biggest hog I've seen in the county was caught alive using dogs. It was a monster. 600+ lbs.

Smoke.

 

[sturmruger]

Damn!!

Thanks Smoke for the reply. "No season, No limits!!!" That would be a ton of fun!!I can see how you would want to make sure you get a nice clean kill on those things because I bet a wounded wild pig isn't much fun if he is coming after you.


I bet those are fun to hunt. Is that somethign they allow people to hunt on public land??

 

[Smoke]

WHile you often hear stories of aggressive sows protecting their litter, I have yet to see it. I don't doubt it in the right conditions, mind you, I just haven't seen it.

Feral Hogs are a nuisence....hence, No season, No limits. I'll be very happy when there are no more Hogs in Bosque County, TX.

There is not a lot of public land in Texas. I'm sure you can hunt them there if proper permits are acquired.

 

[H&Hhunter]

I've killed a whole bucnch of hogs over the years and I've only had two occasions to ever get excited about an aggresive hog. Once on a perfectly fine non wounded boar who just thought I was crowding him. He made me at close range spun screamed and came at me. It didn't work out to good for him.

And I watched a friend of mine a dump a large sow at close range with a 1911 after catching one of her babies. The pigglet started squealing momma came a running my buddy (who had set his rifle down to catch the baby) discarded the pigglet drew his .45 and center punched the sow in the head at close range.

But besides those two times I can't think of any other time I was truely worried about a hog. I've had then false charge and growl and snort and run right by me but they usually just want to get away from you.

I do have a freind however who claims one of his clients got cut bad by a wounded boar at night. I've heard of these incidents but have never seen it happen myself.

That doesn't mean however, that I take hogs lightly they have the tools to completely ruin your day if they ever get a mind too. Especially a big ole narled up boar.

 

[Greybeard]

Agree that many hogs that are perceived "charging" are really just trying to get their butts out of Dodge - and some hunters get overly excited.

TP&W's accident statistics have been going the wrong way since 1996, and IMHO, one factor is the feral hog have bred and spread rather rigorously, especially in the last decade. A lot more folks hunting them. And, way too often, in the midst of the adreneline and commotion of finishing them off, "good guys" catch hot lead.