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Let the Pig Killing Commence!
And commence it did!
Deer season is over and a farmer acquaintance planted a few of his fields on Tuesday. Wednesday morning, he returns to his fields to find that...........the hogs who had vacated the area all winter while the fields laid dormant.........had struck with a vengeance as soon as he planted. Destroying several of his rows and rooting up the seeds he'd planted. He was pissed and called me to do something about it.
I couldn't make it Wednesday night, so another friend of ours went. He saw 83 pigs at dusk and shot two with his 7mm STW.
I went out Thursday evening after work and parked by the stock tank. As I got out, I saw a big boar across the planted field and in the neighbors rye grass pasture. I slowly moved out into the field and put a highline pole between the boar and I in order to obscure his view of me. Then, I made my way across the barren field to the border fence.
In this pic, you can see the position of my truck to the left and the highline pole on the right I used to cross the field.
Making it to the fence, I laid down and ranged the boar on the far side of the pasture. He was about 300 yards away. Too far for the .223 Remington AR-15 and 64gr Gold Dot I'd brought with me this evening. So, I just waited.
I figured either he would come my way to the planted field, or some more pigs would come out.
Right before dark, I saw a group of 36 pigs come out of the neighbor's tree line and make their way into the pasture. But, they waited until 8:30 before they made their way to the fence line and the planted field. In the dark, I moved up the fence line to close the distance to where I figured they would cross the fence and enter the planted field. Finally, half the band entered the field and the other half stayed in the pasture. The pasture pigs turned down the fence line and headed my way. Game on.
I waited for two sows to stand close to each other and shot the first one behind the shoulder. The second turned to run and I shot her in the butt as she ran away. Turning to my left, I lined up on the fence line as I knew the field pigs would be crossing there to run back to the tree line. I shot another sow before she crossed the fence. Hearing the hit as she darted under, I stayed on the spot as two piglets ran to and paused before going under the fence. Bad idea. I dropped one with a head shot and the second with a shoulder shot. By this point, the remainder had scattered off into the darkness.
5 pigs in the first night.
Here is the first sow I shot behind the shoulder.
and the piglets.......
I loaded these three in my truck and left the other two as they'd run off into the neighbors property. Remember, this is eradication due to crop deprivation and not big game hunting. I have been instructed by the farmer to shoot as many as I can and leave them if necessary. I am allowed to shoot them on the neighbor's pasture as well. They are so damaging..........I've been instructed to just put holes in them and let them run off if necessary. Whatever I do.........I'm to KILL THE PIGS!!!
I can't say that I personally LIKE operating that way........but.........I've seen the damage they do first hand and understand that a man's living is at stake here. So, I do what I can.
Dropped off the 3 pigs to my rancher friend on Friday and planned a pig cook for Saturday.
After work Friday, I waited until after dark and went back to the field. Arriving, I saw a band of 15 pigs in the rye pasture of the neighbor's. Unfortunately, they were. Close to the neighbor's house and too close to shoot at. So, I parked by the road and walked up the fence as the band moved back into the trees. After they left, two boars came out and hung out by the house as well.
You can see where I parked the truck and the neighbor's house.
1. Where the band of 15 pigs were.
2 & 3. Where the two boars were hanging out.
By midnight, there appeared to be no hope that the boars would come my way and leave the proximity of the house. So, I stood up and readied to leave when I looked to my left and saw the band of 15 come back out of the trees and move towards the hay bales I'd shot the previous evening's pigs at. So I moved back up the fence to intercept them again.
As they got close to the fence, I waited again for two big sows to stand next to each other and shot the big spotted one in the head at 70 yards. She dropped as the other one kicked it in high gear to escape. I dropped her with a spine shot.
What followed was a seek and destroy mission of finding running or confused shoats and dropping them. Taking 4 shoats in all.
Here is a run down of the location.
1. The solo boar I saw the first evening.
2. The sow I shot behind the shoulder the first evening.
3. The piglets I shot the first evening.
4. The two sows and shoats I shot the second evening.
The yellow asterisk was my shooting point for both nights.
And here is the second nights take of 6 pigs.
All taken with a .223 Remington and 64gr Gold Dot (Fusion).
I loaded up the biggest sow in the truck and drug the others into the brush. Getting home about 3 or 4 in the morning!!
Early this morning, I took care of the sow and we prepped for the pig cook.
It was a cold and rainy day, so my boy and I warmed out feetses by the burner while my friend fed his big chicken.
Pigs cause a lot of damage to farmer's crops. Controlling them takes a lot of work. But................
Sow ribs and whole piglet taste SO GOOD!!!!
11 pigs in two nights. It's hard work. But, somebody has to do it. Might as well be me.
Deer season is over and a farmer acquaintance planted a few of his fields on Tuesday. Wednesday morning, he returns to his fields to find that...........the hogs who had vacated the area all winter while the fields laid dormant.........had struck with a vengeance as soon as he planted. Destroying several of his rows and rooting up the seeds he'd planted. He was pissed and called me to do something about it.
I couldn't make it Wednesday night, so another friend of ours went. He saw 83 pigs at dusk and shot two with his 7mm STW.
I went out Thursday evening after work and parked by the stock tank. As I got out, I saw a big boar across the planted field and in the neighbors rye grass pasture. I slowly moved out into the field and put a highline pole between the boar and I in order to obscure his view of me. Then, I made my way across the barren field to the border fence.
In this pic, you can see the position of my truck to the left and the highline pole on the right I used to cross the field.
Making it to the fence, I laid down and ranged the boar on the far side of the pasture. He was about 300 yards away. Too far for the .223 Remington AR-15 and 64gr Gold Dot I'd brought with me this evening. So, I just waited.
I figured either he would come my way to the planted field, or some more pigs would come out.
Right before dark, I saw a group of 36 pigs come out of the neighbor's tree line and make their way into the pasture. But, they waited until 8:30 before they made their way to the fence line and the planted field. In the dark, I moved up the fence line to close the distance to where I figured they would cross the fence and enter the planted field. Finally, half the band entered the field and the other half stayed in the pasture. The pasture pigs turned down the fence line and headed my way. Game on.
I waited for two sows to stand close to each other and shot the first one behind the shoulder. The second turned to run and I shot her in the butt as she ran away. Turning to my left, I lined up on the fence line as I knew the field pigs would be crossing there to run back to the tree line. I shot another sow before she crossed the fence. Hearing the hit as she darted under, I stayed on the spot as two piglets ran to and paused before going under the fence. Bad idea. I dropped one with a head shot and the second with a shoulder shot. By this point, the remainder had scattered off into the darkness.
5 pigs in the first night.
Here is the first sow I shot behind the shoulder.
and the piglets.......
I loaded these three in my truck and left the other two as they'd run off into the neighbors property. Remember, this is eradication due to crop deprivation and not big game hunting. I have been instructed by the farmer to shoot as many as I can and leave them if necessary. I am allowed to shoot them on the neighbor's pasture as well. They are so damaging..........I've been instructed to just put holes in them and let them run off if necessary. Whatever I do.........I'm to KILL THE PIGS!!!
I can't say that I personally LIKE operating that way........but.........I've seen the damage they do first hand and understand that a man's living is at stake here. So, I do what I can.
Dropped off the 3 pigs to my rancher friend on Friday and planned a pig cook for Saturday.
After work Friday, I waited until after dark and went back to the field. Arriving, I saw a band of 15 pigs in the rye pasture of the neighbor's. Unfortunately, they were. Close to the neighbor's house and too close to shoot at. So, I parked by the road and walked up the fence as the band moved back into the trees. After they left, two boars came out and hung out by the house as well.
You can see where I parked the truck and the neighbor's house.
1. Where the band of 15 pigs were.
2 & 3. Where the two boars were hanging out.
By midnight, there appeared to be no hope that the boars would come my way and leave the proximity of the house. So, I stood up and readied to leave when I looked to my left and saw the band of 15 come back out of the trees and move towards the hay bales I'd shot the previous evening's pigs at. So I moved back up the fence to intercept them again.
As they got close to the fence, I waited again for two big sows to stand next to each other and shot the big spotted one in the head at 70 yards. She dropped as the other one kicked it in high gear to escape. I dropped her with a spine shot.
What followed was a seek and destroy mission of finding running or confused shoats and dropping them. Taking 4 shoats in all.
Here is a run down of the location.
1. The solo boar I saw the first evening.
2. The sow I shot behind the shoulder the first evening.
3. The piglets I shot the first evening.
4. The two sows and shoats I shot the second evening.
The yellow asterisk was my shooting point for both nights.
And here is the second nights take of 6 pigs.
All taken with a .223 Remington and 64gr Gold Dot (Fusion).
I loaded up the biggest sow in the truck and drug the others into the brush. Getting home about 3 or 4 in the morning!!
Early this morning, I took care of the sow and we prepped for the pig cook.
It was a cold and rainy day, so my boy and I warmed out feetses by the burner while my friend fed his big chicken.
Pigs cause a lot of damage to farmer's crops. Controlling them takes a lot of work. But................
Sow ribs and whole piglet taste SO GOOD!!!!
11 pigs in two nights. It's hard work. But, somebody has to do it. Might as well be me.
"To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
Replies
Great shooting!
I thought Hobbits had hairy feet?
Some more than others.
Zee, you better get the boy and a pop-up camper to spend more nights there 'cause you are already behind ...
- George Orwell
For?
I have to ask this, although we have covered it before, at these distances, why not suppressed subsonic 200 - 250 gr .308?
I know you have both the equipment and skills. Pigs run, I get that, at anything that startles them.
Would not your recoil and time to get back on target be reduced? Better night hunting?
I suppose mostly I am curious because I have been itching to setup my .300 BO this way. Seems like a natural for night hunts.
D
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.... now who's bringing the hot wings? :jester:
Hmmmmm, I've access to a SAW.........
I have .308 Win sub loads worked up with 208gr A-Max. One of these days I'll try them. A friend has taken deer with that load. I just never know the distance I'll be looking at and sub loads have a rather arched trajectory I'd have to actually range the pigs. Most often, once I get within 200 yards of them, I'm just guesstimating their distance before I engage. Things look very different distance wise in the dark. So, with sub loads, knowing the distance is very critical.
Id just as soon not have to worry about that.
Pick up the phone
Leave them alone
It's time you made your stand.
For a fee, I'm happy to be
Your back-door man.
That's. . .AWESOME! :applause:
Your kid's school need a lunch provider for when Salisbury Steak Day gets old?
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
Dad 5-31-13
All I can remember about school slop was Thursday was always hamburger day and that was bearable.
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
Sometimes when culling, the activity turns my stomach somewhat as it can be very unpleasant and you have to suppress feelings to get the job done. But, thats just like anything in life, you do what you have to do.
I like to think that I balance it out by holding myself to very high ethical standards when I am hunting ( as opposed to culling)
Well said! I think this is key.
size 4
Todler.
We as a formun are pissed off that you are chosen to do all this by yourself. It's just not fair to you that you should have the responsibility of having to control the population of all those hogs by yourself. We can see what a big responsibility put on one person is just too much. Therefore.....
You could hold a shoot at the SE shoot and the top ten shooters could go on a hog hunt. I mean we know this is hard work and we are willing to help you. See how nice I am?
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
Do it! DOOOOO IT!
Ha!!!
Me thinks that might draw some "unwanted" attention.
I'm Anthropophobic.
It amuses me that you think you make the top 10.
Dad 5-31-13
Agreed. I should have expounded on my post about being "hunting fun". Knowing the kind of hunter you are, I am sure it is not real easy to take shots at any animal that you know gives a chance at only wounding. I am the same way.
No, I'm a republican.
Good shooting Zee. I always enjoy your write-ups. Keep up the good work!
Just show them your concealed carry badge if you draw some attention.