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Pig Pen!!!
At church yesterday morning, another rancher friend of mine that I had culled pigs for in the past advised me that they had returned. This time, they were getting in his cattle catch pens, emptying the feed troughs, turning them over, and generally wrecking havoc and destroying things. Asked if I could take care of the problem.
Well.........I guess so.
So, I left out after dark and drove to the ranch. Made a cursory search of the fields in case there were any marauding bands of pigs plowing them up. Nope. Then, I made my way over to the lane that leads to his barn and catch pens. Parking at the gate. Tonight, I had my bolt action Ruger Scout Rifle in .308 Winchester in my hands and my Colt/Walther 1911-22 pistol at my side.
I quietly jumped the fence and made my way across the pasture towards the pens. There is a high berm along the south side and I stopped at the base. Listening, I heard no sign of feeding pigs and figured there weren't any. But, I needed to check it out anyway. Slowly climbing the berm, I crept up to the pen fence. Nothing.
Wait! There go a bunch of big rats!!!! No. Those are piglets!!
They scurried across the pen lot and under the round-about paneling. Silence. I looked to my left and saw the 3 show steers in the pen. Holy crap! There are 3 pigs standing with them! I mean......right next to the steers! Like they were buddies! That, is something I'd never seen before. I've seen cattle and pigs in close proximity out in fields. But, never in touching distance and especially in an enclosure! Guess it was happening so often that the cattle had gotten used to the pigs.
Well, I obviously had no shot. So I stuck my barrel through the fence and waited for the cattle or pigs to move and give me a clear shot. Eventually, the cattle moved to the other side of the pen and left the pigs clear. The largest, a boar, rooted out a bed in the dirt and laid down facing me at 32 yards. Time to play.
I placed the laser on his head between his eye and ear and broke the silence with a 165gr Trophy Bonded Bearclaw roaring through the darkness. On impact, he rolled over on his side kicking. The other two next to him jetted under the fence in a flash and disappeared into the tall grass and brush.
Working the bolt immediately, heard a noise to my left and turned to look. A HUGE sow was rounding the round-about with a "smaller" sow and 5 piglets in tow. Halfway across the pen, the must of caught a shadow on me in the moonlight and froze. There were a few small shade trees in the pen and the big sow happen to stop behind one of them. The smaller sow was clear and tempting me. But, I wanted Bertha! I waited. The piglets were nervous and scurrying around. But, both sows were locked on my position. Finger on the trigger, I waited.
I see her lean one way as if to look around the tree trunk. Ear. Eyeball. One step.............forehead........laser........BOOM!!!!
She crumpled at 22 yards and the second sow made a mad dash for the hole in the fence. Worked the bolt.........tracked the pig with the laser..........she slides to a stop to scoot under the fence........under......stands up to take off........BOOM! Over she falls with round through her shoulders. Piglets scatter like quail.
I climb into the pen and walk over to the slain pigs. That's a BIG sow! Boar is decent size and the other sow a little smaller. A few minutes pass as I'm checking the crop of pigs in the darkness. Then, looking in the direction of the recently departed.........I see movement in the brush. The two escapees are coming back!
I freeze and for the next 15-20 minutes, play a game of Redlight-Greenlight. Trying to inch my way up to the fence so I don;t put a round through the wire. The pigs are on high alert. Moving and stopping, they make their way up to the fence. Then, run back. Then return. Run. Return. I finally realize they are trying to find the piglets. In this cat and mouse game. I make it to the fence and the piglets make it to the brush to link up with the other sows. Just as I get there, I see the sows lay down in the tall grass. Crap! I wait. No movement. Screw this.......I whistle.
Ears above the grass. Two steps forward. Head............laser.........BOOM! Drops like a rock.
The last sow breaks for parts unknown. Brush is too thick to shoot. I see a clearing ahead about 5 feet wide. Black shape..............shoulder..........laser..........BOOM! She rolls to a stop.
Well, I'd say this was a productive event.
I crawl under the fence where the pigs had been using and walk over to the two outside sows. Grass moving. Scattering piglets. Pistol comes out. Two stop in a bare patch to gather their surroundings. In perfect tandem. POP!!! One round through the first ones neck and into the second ones head. Both fall over. The neck shot squirming and thrashing while the head shot lays still. Then, all is still.
Alrighty then!
Over the next several minutes, I gather all the pigs in one place and line them up for their mug shot. While I'm doing this, I hear and catch fleeting glimpses of the three remaining piglets. Scurrying though the grass or darting across the pen. Once the pigs are all staged, I lay down in fron to set the camera up. Shining a flashlight on the pile in order to focus the camera............I hear approaching grunting. The piglets return!
The little grunts come closer and closer. My right hand reaches back and retrieves the pistol from it's holster. Still laying in the prone with a camera resting on my pack, I slowly reach forward with my left to get the flashlight. Piglets approaching. Movement to my left. Then, movement behind the pile of bodies. Slide the light's beam to the right. Aim. Piglet appears...............POP! Through the shoulders.
The final two beat feet to the grass. I'm done.
4 Sows
1 Boar
3 Piglets
7 Shots fired.
Here is a map of my adventure.
1- Parked at the gate.
2- Climbed the berm to the pen and shot the........
3- Boar & Second Sow standing at 3 and the.........
4- Big sow standing at 4 and later the ......
5- Two sows and two piglets standing at 5.
6- Piled up pigs where I shot the last piglet.
It's a tough life.
Somebody's gotta do it.
Well.........I guess so.
So, I left out after dark and drove to the ranch. Made a cursory search of the fields in case there were any marauding bands of pigs plowing them up. Nope. Then, I made my way over to the lane that leads to his barn and catch pens. Parking at the gate. Tonight, I had my bolt action Ruger Scout Rifle in .308 Winchester in my hands and my Colt/Walther 1911-22 pistol at my side.
I quietly jumped the fence and made my way across the pasture towards the pens. There is a high berm along the south side and I stopped at the base. Listening, I heard no sign of feeding pigs and figured there weren't any. But, I needed to check it out anyway. Slowly climbing the berm, I crept up to the pen fence. Nothing.
Wait! There go a bunch of big rats!!!! No. Those are piglets!!
They scurried across the pen lot and under the round-about paneling. Silence. I looked to my left and saw the 3 show steers in the pen. Holy crap! There are 3 pigs standing with them! I mean......right next to the steers! Like they were buddies! That, is something I'd never seen before. I've seen cattle and pigs in close proximity out in fields. But, never in touching distance and especially in an enclosure! Guess it was happening so often that the cattle had gotten used to the pigs.
Well, I obviously had no shot. So I stuck my barrel through the fence and waited for the cattle or pigs to move and give me a clear shot. Eventually, the cattle moved to the other side of the pen and left the pigs clear. The largest, a boar, rooted out a bed in the dirt and laid down facing me at 32 yards. Time to play.
I placed the laser on his head between his eye and ear and broke the silence with a 165gr Trophy Bonded Bearclaw roaring through the darkness. On impact, he rolled over on his side kicking. The other two next to him jetted under the fence in a flash and disappeared into the tall grass and brush.
Working the bolt immediately, heard a noise to my left and turned to look. A HUGE sow was rounding the round-about with a "smaller" sow and 5 piglets in tow. Halfway across the pen, the must of caught a shadow on me in the moonlight and froze. There were a few small shade trees in the pen and the big sow happen to stop behind one of them. The smaller sow was clear and tempting me. But, I wanted Bertha! I waited. The piglets were nervous and scurrying around. But, both sows were locked on my position. Finger on the trigger, I waited.
I see her lean one way as if to look around the tree trunk. Ear. Eyeball. One step.............forehead........laser........BOOM!!!!
She crumpled at 22 yards and the second sow made a mad dash for the hole in the fence. Worked the bolt.........tracked the pig with the laser..........she slides to a stop to scoot under the fence........under......stands up to take off........BOOM! Over she falls with round through her shoulders. Piglets scatter like quail.
I climb into the pen and walk over to the slain pigs. That's a BIG sow! Boar is decent size and the other sow a little smaller. A few minutes pass as I'm checking the crop of pigs in the darkness. Then, looking in the direction of the recently departed.........I see movement in the brush. The two escapees are coming back!
I freeze and for the next 15-20 minutes, play a game of Redlight-Greenlight. Trying to inch my way up to the fence so I don;t put a round through the wire. The pigs are on high alert. Moving and stopping, they make their way up to the fence. Then, run back. Then return. Run. Return. I finally realize they are trying to find the piglets. In this cat and mouse game. I make it to the fence and the piglets make it to the brush to link up with the other sows. Just as I get there, I see the sows lay down in the tall grass. Crap! I wait. No movement. Screw this.......I whistle.
Ears above the grass. Two steps forward. Head............laser.........BOOM! Drops like a rock.
The last sow breaks for parts unknown. Brush is too thick to shoot. I see a clearing ahead about 5 feet wide. Black shape..............shoulder..........laser..........BOOM! She rolls to a stop.
Well, I'd say this was a productive event.
I crawl under the fence where the pigs had been using and walk over to the two outside sows. Grass moving. Scattering piglets. Pistol comes out. Two stop in a bare patch to gather their surroundings. In perfect tandem. POP!!! One round through the first ones neck and into the second ones head. Both fall over. The neck shot squirming and thrashing while the head shot lays still. Then, all is still.
Alrighty then!
Over the next several minutes, I gather all the pigs in one place and line them up for their mug shot. While I'm doing this, I hear and catch fleeting glimpses of the three remaining piglets. Scurrying though the grass or darting across the pen. Once the pigs are all staged, I lay down in fron to set the camera up. Shining a flashlight on the pile in order to focus the camera............I hear approaching grunting. The piglets return!
The little grunts come closer and closer. My right hand reaches back and retrieves the pistol from it's holster. Still laying in the prone with a camera resting on my pack, I slowly reach forward with my left to get the flashlight. Piglets approaching. Movement to my left. Then, movement behind the pile of bodies. Slide the light's beam to the right. Aim. Piglet appears...............POP! Through the shoulders.
The final two beat feet to the grass. I'm done.
4 Sows
1 Boar
3 Piglets
7 Shots fired.
Here is a map of my adventure.
1- Parked at the gate.
2- Climbed the berm to the pen and shot the........
3- Boar & Second Sow standing at 3 and the.........
4- Big sow standing at 4 and later the ......
5- Two sows and two piglets standing at 5.
6- Piled up pigs where I shot the last piglet.
It's a tough life.
Somebody's gotta do it.
"To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
Replies
Mike
N454casull
Maybe thay can't be stopped, but they're sure being curbed in your part of the woods!
I bet that farmer is extremely happy. I known hogs have little fear, but never heard of them hanging out with livestock in an enclosed area.
That sow in the front of the first pic looks huge, any idea of the weight?
- George Orwell
I've already used a knife on several occasions in the past. Oh, and there was that tire iron incident as well.
And a tree branch once.
I MUCH prefer it to P dog shooting!
You can thin their numbers and push them away. But, once they rebound.......they return.
He was exceptionally pleased.
Thanks. Glad they can be entertaining. I enjoy sharing the experiences.
I remember the tire iron blood bath ... :roll2:
I'm still wondering who'll be the first to bury 10 or so pounds of binary under a corn heap ... instant sausage!
- George Orwell
"The Un-Tactical"
Recovered from the last piglet I shot through the shoulder. It was a Remington 40gr Standard Velocity RN.
Penetrated the on side shoulder blade and off side shoulder bone just above the elbow. Lodged under the off side hide.
Retained 38.3gr of it's original 40gr weight.
It is slightly enjoyable.
...while barefoot.
That sounds like a fun hunt. I need to get out and pig hunt again... no one has been putting pressure on the ones at our lease for a while.
-Mikhail Kalashnikov
He doesn't live on this section of property.
They will probably taste as good as puppies too!
The .22 is good for dispatching not dead yet pigs as well as shooting raccoons and other stuff I figured might have been in the pen stealing food.