piggy down

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FL-NC

FL-NC

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Not a "trophy" by any means, but still made out of meat, and a better way to spend an evening than watching reruns of "the office". Also the only critter besides a coyote that can be hunted 24/7/365 here. This went down from my "go-to" round for deer, turkey, coyote, and pig- Hornady 75 grain BTHP match, at 100 yards. DRT, as usual. AR pig.jpg
 
Good shootin'! Good eatin', too. :D I had a nice sized black pig coming around, but he hasn't been here, lately. Too danged hot to go sit in the blind, anyway, and the deer have taken over from the pigs at the feeder. I have 3 legal bucks coming to the feeder now, two spikes and a nice 8 point. I can shoot doe in bow season, too. :D But, I really do prefer pork to deer. The deer are fun to watch. I'll take one if opportunity strikes just for the meat, I guess. Can't jerk pork after all, gotta cook it hot.

I'm quite sure the pigs will be back. They come around in spurts here. In the last couple of years, they've been here more often than not.

I shot a deer last season with my M4 and a 62 grain Barnes handload. Good hit. It went about 20 yards before laying down. My .308 and 7.62x39 are usually DRT with that sort of shoulder hit. But, it's a sample of one. Still, I like a little more gun to make sure. :D I could rig the M4 up for night hunting pigs, but I'd have to take the ACOG style sight off it which I kinda like and put my Bushnell 3x9 with the green laser on it. I'd rather not and the SKS ain't broke. :D It does pay sometimes to have a quick second shot, though. Pigs tend to roam in packs.
 
MCgunner said:
Good shootin'! Good eatin', too. :D I had a nice sized black pig coming around, but he hasn't been here, lately. Too danged hot to go sit in the blind, anyway, and the deer have taken over from the pigs at the feeder. I have 3 legal bucks coming to the feeder now, two spikes and a nice 8 point. I can shoot doe in bow season, too. :D But, I really do prefer pork to deer. The deer are fun to watch. I'll take one if opportunity strikes just for the meat, I guess. Can't jerk pork after all, gotta cook it hot.

I'm quite sure the pigs will be back. They come around in spurts here. In the last couple of years, they've been here more often than not.

I shot a deer last season with my M4 and a 62 grain Barnes handload. Good hit. It went about 20 yards before laying down. My .308 and 7.62x39 are usually DRT with that sort of shoulder hit. But, it's a sample of one. Still, I like a little more gun to make sure. :D I could rig the M4 up for night hunting pigs, but I'd have to take the ACOG style sight off it which I kinda like and put my Bushnell 3x9 with the green laser on it. I'd rather not and the SKS ain't broke. :D It does pay sometimes to have a quick second shot, though. Pigs tend to roam in packs.
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I've got other guns in the more "typical" hunting calibers, like 308, 243, 30-30. I still have an old SKS in a closet. I've been using 223 exclusively for the last couple of years for all rifle hunting, with the round I mentioned. I've been going this for a few reasons- first, as a small "protest" to those who think that the AR15 isn't suitable as a sporting firearm. Second, to show those interested that the 223 in general and the "match" round I am using is a viable round for hunting. I like it because of the results I have seen overseas, both in accuracy and terminal performance. Third- to be totally honest, once you start hunting with a suppressor, its really easy to get used to. To date, I have killed 4 deer, 3 turkey, and now this pig with that round. All were DRT except for a deer than made it 20 yards or so and laid down. Right now I have an AR10 project under construction, almost finished. If it performs as good as I think it will when I'm finished building it, it will end up in the "hunting rotation" too. The build process on that gun is detailed in the "rifles" section.
 
Well, I do have a green LED light I had bought, bought a rail mount for it when I got the AR. But, I'm kinda unimpressed with it on the 4X ACOG style sight. It's washing out by 50 yards. The Laser I bought can be focused to the scope's field of view. With the Bushnell on 6 power, focused for the scope's FOV, I can see plainly past 100 yards which is far as I have a view in my box blind and I could focus it tighter with more power dialed in to match and I could see, if I had a clearing big enough, past 200 yards. The pigs can't see that green light. It works marvelously with the right scope and was only a bit over 100 bucks. I can't afford the price of decent night vision and this is a good alternative.

I COULD get rings to mount on the rail mount of my AR and mount the Bushnell, but I don't wanna mess it up with a hunting scope. It's too much fun with the ACOG and more versatile as a home defense set up. Besides, the SKS needs SOME purpose. :) Too, that green laser and Bushnell adds some weight. ARs should be light. That SKS is already 8 lbs, with the scope and light it has to approach 10. But, I'm stand/blind hunting, so weight really doesn't matter.
 
MCgunner said:
Well, I do have a green LED light I had bought, bought a rail mount for it when I got the AR. But, I'm kinda unimpressed with it on the 4X ACOG style sight. It's washing out by 50 yards. The Laser I bought can be focused to the scope's field of view. With the Bushnell on 6 power, focused for the scope's FOV, I can see plainly past 100 yards which is far as I have a view in my box blind and I could focus it tighter with more power dialed in to match and I could see, if I had a clearing big enough, past 200 yards. The pigs can't see that green light. It works marvelously with the right scope and was only a bit over 100 bucks. I can't afford the price of decent night vision and this is a good alternative.

I COULD get rings to mount on the rail mount of my AR and mount the Bushnell, but I don't wanna mess it up with a hunting scope. It's too much fun with the ACOG and more versatile as a home defense set up. Besides, the SKS needs SOME purpose. :) Too, that green laser and Bushnell adds some weight. ARs should be light. That SKS is already 8 lbs, with the scope and light it has to approach 10. But, I'm stand/blind hunting, so weight really doesn't matter.
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Have you see those green motion detector lights that you can put under a feeder? A friend has one, they are a good economic alternative to expensive night vision. The disadvantage is that the woods are a lot bigger than the detection range of that light.
 
FL-NC said:
Have you see those green motion detector lights that you can put under a feeder? A friend has one, they are a good economic alternative to expensive night vision. The disadvantage is that the woods are a lot bigger than the detection range of that light.
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I've seen 'em, but think I'll stick with my laser. It works no matter where the pig comes out. Might be kinda neat to put those motion detector lights around the area, not sure how much they cost.

Now, I DO have a motion detector set up across from my feeder on a T post. Wakes me up when a pig comes along. :rofl: Actually, it can be pitch dark back in those woods and you don't know when there's something under the feeder. I have the volume turned down on the receiver and when a pig comes to the feeder, the thing goes crazy. It works rather well. :D
 
MCgunner said:
I've seen 'em, but think I'll stick with my laser. It works no matter where the pig comes out. Might be kinda neat to put those motion detector lights around the area, not sure how much they cost.

Now, I DO have a motion detector set up across from my feeder on a T post. Wakes me up when a pig comes along. :rofl: Actually, it can be pitch dark back in those woods and you don't know when there's something under the feeder. I have the volume turned down on the receiver and when a pig comes to the feeder, the thing goes crazy. It works rather well. :D
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The one my friend has is on the bottom of the feeder, but it only activates when something moves directly under it. Last night a pig was either very close to it or under it, but the light didn't activate until after I shot the pig and it was laying there kicking ( located and shot it using night vision). So, either it was under and didn't activate it until it was hit, or it was just outside the range of the sensor, and it fell over in the "cone". Anyhow, when I walked down there, the dead pig was under the feeder.
 
FL-NC said:
The one my friend has is on the bottom of the feeder, but it only activates when something moves directly under it. Last night a pig was either very close to it or under it, but the light didn't activate until after I shot the pig and it was laying there kicking ( located and shot it using night vision). So, either it was under and didn't activate it until it was hit, or it was just outside the range of the sensor, and it fell over in the "cone". Anyhow, when I walked down there, the dead pig was under the feeder.
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I'm thinkin' it would be better to mount the light on a tree or fence post away from the feeder a bit which is how my motion detector is. That way, the cone of detection could be larger under the feeder and the light would shine a bigger chunk of woods.

Night vision would be nice, but I wouldn't want something cheap and can't afford those IR things that the pigs show up as white. THAT would be nice, but a couple of grand minimum. 2 grand will buy a lot of pork chops at the store. :D

The last one I shot was before sundown on the sendero away from the feeder. I could have heard him coming if it was dark and he WAS on the way to the feeder, but it was nice to be able to see the danged thing coming. :D
 
FL-NC said:
Not a "trophy" by any means, but...
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In my world, they are all trophy hogs. It is just that some trophies are larger than others.

In many cases, I prefer to shoot the smaller hogs. When you think about it, it takes for skill to properly shoot a small hog or piglet than it does a great big 300 lb boar. Besides after you are done, it is a whole lot easier moving a small one than a large one!

Congrats on the kill!
 
Double Naught Spy said:
In my world, they are all trophy hogs. It is just that some trophies are larger than others.

In many cases, I prefer to shoot the smaller hogs. When you think about it, it takes for skill to properly shoot a small hog or piglet than it does a great big 300 lb boar. Besides after you are done, it is a whole lot easier moving a small one than a large one!

Congrats on the kill!
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True, I was happy it wasn't a monster as I was dragging it uphill through that sugar sand. Also it was easy to smoke the whole thing Sunday and we are just about done eating it!
 
I sometimes wonder if, for purposes of population control, it isn't better to shoot smaller hogs. If one assumes that the average life span of a hog in the wild is 3-4 years, then a large, three-year-old hog has a year or so left to produce offspring. A one-year-old hog will produce considerably more litters. By taking out the younger hog we're possibly eliminating a greater number of future hogs.

But, I confess, I usually go for quantity — meaning I typically shoot at the largest available hog.
 
der Teufel said:
I sometimes wonder if, for purposes of population control, it isn't better to shoot smaller hogs. If one assumes that the average life span of a hog in the wild is 3-4 years, then a large, three-year-old hog has a year or so left to produce offspring. A one-year-old hog will produce considerably more litters. By taking out the younger hog we're possibly eliminating a greater number of future hogs.

But, I confess, I usually go for quantity — meaning I typically shoot at the largest available hog.
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^^^^^ Actually very sound thinking. To which I would add: Younger hogs have not yet had an opportunity to destroy the areas in which they live. So to me...that alone makes them a valuable target.
 
der Teufel said:
I sometimes wonder if, for purposes of population control, it isn't better to shoot smaller hogs. If one assumes that the average life span of a hog in the wild is 3-4 years, then a large, three-year-old hog has a year or so left to produce offspring. A one-year-old hog will produce considerably more litters. By taking out the younger hog we're possibly eliminating a greater number of future hogs.

But, I confess, I usually go for quantity — meaning I typically shoot at the largest available hog.
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Yeah, we typically target the larger hogs on the opening volley and then pick up whatever we can on the runners. With enough hunting, the larger hogs get smaller over time and the age structure of the group declines. We got into two sounders on Wednesday, killed 9 sows, none of which were over 100 lbs. All were young.

There are a lot of ways to look at the problem.

Hogs can live up to 7 or 8 years. Part of the reason why they often don't live that long is because people tend to target the larger hogs. Smaller (growing) hogs will eat a larger percentage of their body weight per day, roughly 5%, than will larger (adult) hogs that are eating only about 3% per day. Pound for pound, the smaller hogs are extracting more from the environment than the larger hogs. A 200 lb boar will eat roughly 6 lbs a day. You would have to shoot 12 10 pounders, 6 20 pounders, or 3 40 pounders to curtail as much eating destruction. A single 200 lb boar can turn over a lot more land (bigger and stronger) than such junior hogs. So if you are trying to stop damage that is going on right now, it can be more effective to kill the larger hogs. If you are planning for the future, kill the smaller hogs. When it comes down to it, you have a much better chance of killing a single 200 pounder in a sounder than killing 3 40 pounders when gun or bow hunting. The only best shot (usually) is your opening shot. After that, things get hinky, fast.

In the grand scheme, shooting any is better than shooting none. I won't ever pass up the opportunity to shoot a given hog. They are all bad. I know guys that will watch sounders go by because they are waiting on a trophy boar that showed up on their game camera 3 weeks ago. Not me.

So any way you want to package the story about why you targeted a given hog or only shot a given hog is fine by me. Doing lots of destruction now? Good kill. Doing lots of destruction in the future? Good kill. Mature and caring for the sounder now (so-called lead sows)? Good kill. Will produce more in the future? Good kill. The venerable "dominant boar" for the area? Good kill. The crippled three-legged, one-eared, blind in the right eye, mangy sow? Good kill.
 
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MCgunner said:
Here's a link to optics planet's offering of the same unit. It works VERY well. Apparently, pigs are totally blind in the green wavelength. At least they never seem to notice it. :D
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I have no doubt that most pigs will not notice it. But the color green is well within the spectrum of a pigs dichromatic vision.

What I have found over the years...is that light 'intensity' (regardless the color) and angle of incidence are much more important.

If the pig never sees the 'source' of the light and light is not so bright that it creates a shadow on the off side of the pig, then generally..they do not notice (spook). Also, light that comes from well above the hog seems to be better tolerated than lights from lower angles.

So....if you can bathe the pig in relatively low intensity light...they will normally not be inclined to react or even notice. BUT...if you narrow down the beam and increase the intensity, more often than not you will a get a reaction.
 
Flintknapper said:
I have no doubt that most pigs will not notice it. But the color green is well within the spectrum of a pigs dichromatic vision.

What I have found over the years...is that light 'intensity' (regardless the color) and angle of incidence are much more important.

If the pig never sees the 'source' of the light and light is not so bright that it creates a shadow on the off side of the pig, then generally..they do not notice (spook). Also, light that comes from well above the hog seems to be better tolerated than lights from lower angles.

So....if you can bathe the pig in relatively low intensity light...they will normally not be inclined to react or even notice. BUT...if you narrow down the beam and increase the intensity, more often than not you will a get a reaction.
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Well, I put my scope on 6x and fill the FOV with the light by focusing it. Seems to work. It's plenty of light at 50 yards to see the pigs, even at 100. If I could shoot farther, I'd have to intensify the beam, I reckon. But, out here, the woods are so thick that's not necessary. I am shooting from my ground blind, not my tree stand.
 
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