This Little Piggie went to market........

Zee

The other two stayed home. Or, in the field. The wheat/thistles were so tall, I couldn’t find them after the shot. It took me darn near 40 minutes to find THIS one afterwards!!!



A nice 50lb eater sow. 

Took her with my LR-308 with 165gr Sierra GameKing handloads. 85 yards through the top of the shoulder as that’s all I could see. Dropped on the spot and once she was laying on the ground........I couldn’t find her in the tall wheat/thistles to save my life!!!  Finally had to climb on top of a pivot system and see a faint glow from Thermal that I thought was her. Still took me 20 minutes after that to actually locate her. Pitch dark sucks!!!

The other two I shot at 200 yards and 100 running respectively. Heard the impacts. Couldn’t find them afterwards. Didn’t waste too much time. The job is decimation. Food is a close second. So, knowing this one was a good eater........she came home. 



The wheat/thistles are waist high and noisy. All I can see are their backs and I have to use the pivot ruts to get close. I was within 50 yards of a whole heard. But, being in the thistle patches, I could see them with thermal, but not with NV. So.........no shot!

Frustrating. 

Anyway, I wasn’t skunked tonight. 

Bigslug

It can be hard enough to find them in the DAY, so well done!  As to the other two. . .by their circling buzzards you shall know them.

Do the elevated "watch tower" style deer stands have any place in this anti-pig game?  Given the goal of eradication and the tendency to run in herds, I would think that any bit of elevation you could beg, borrow, or steal would be advantageous.  If it's more a "go where the pigs are" kind of thing, maybe something more expedient, like the British tiger hunter's machan.

orchidman

Good hustle!

I can see an IR drone in your future...............

Zee

Bigslug said:

Do the elevated "watch tower" style deer stands have any place in this anti-pig game?  Given the goal of eradication and the tendency to run in herds, I would think that any bit of elevation you could beg, borrow, or steal would be advantageous.  If it's more a "go where the pigs are" kind of thing, maybe something more expedient, like the British tiger hunter's machan.

These are agg fields and cattle pastures. So, no deer blinds anywhere near by.  I do use the irrigation pivots to gain elevation often. When the pigs are located near them. 

Zee

orchidman said:

Good hustle!

I can see an IR drone in your future...............

I wish. 

hunterbob

Zee said:

Bigslug said:

Do the elevated "watch tower" style deer stands have any place in this anti-pig game?  Given the goal of eradication and the tendency to run in herds, I would think that any bit of elevation you could beg, borrow, or steal would be advantageous.  If it's more a "go where the pigs are" kind of thing, maybe something more expedient, like the British tiger hunter's machan.

These are agg fields and cattle pastures. So, no deer blinds anywhere near by.  I do use the irrigation pivots to gain elevation often. When the pigs are located near them. 

Getting up 10 feet or 15 feet is good with hogs. One of my stands is an open tower stand with out cover . The feeder is 60 yds from it...I killed a lot of hogs there with rifle and a bow. If you're on the ground they will pick up your scent...and won't come. Hogs can't look up very well, and thier eye sight is poor.

Zee

Will take this under consideration. 

Ernie Bishop

Good to see you out playing again!

Zee

Ernie Bishop said:

Good to see you out playing again!

It was a good week last week. 

Got it a call today that one of my farmer friends is applying for deer depredation permits in the next couple weeks and listing me as one of the shooters. 

Woohoo!!

Deer meat in summer!

bellcat

Nicely done Zee!

Six-Gun

That’s a seriously challenging field to work with bush that tall.  Are there any mowed stretches out there thst they work?

Zee

The field has cattle in it. So, the wheat is sparse in some areas and thick in others. But, the thistle patches are thick as hell. 

Walking theough the wheat heat is pretty noisy so, I try to get in the pivot ruts and use them to get close to the pigs. Try to see them over the wheat. If they are close to the pivot, I can climb up on that and look down on them. 

Should be be a better moon this week.