So 3 of us planned to be out last night. Sawman's electric buggy died, and Chaps was too tired from other activities, so it was just me. Spent 3 hours watching one farm area (3F) (promised the farmer I'd be out, as hogs had found his peanut field). Nothing, no hogs.
Left to do just a look at another family's peanut field (SW field) and bingo, at 00:15, where I'd recommended Sawman and Chaps sit and watch, just as I walked up, out comes a sounder, led by a obviously bigger hog. Same sounder as I'd killed from previously? Wherever big hog went, others followed. So, they're rooting, eating, and generally going west (adults and little ones). I'm stalking trying to keep up and get closer. Finally the big hog was going west enough that soon it would not be safe to shoot, so it was now or never. Shot and then swung on the rest of them running back east. Picked an adult and fired, nothing so increased my lead and fired, and it did one of those end over end flips and doesn't move. Swing back to the big one, and it has gotten to its feet, so I shoot again and this time it doesn't get up.
OK, go check the end over end hog. Good size sow and shot right in the head. No wonder it did the flip. Luck...I'm not THAT good on running hogs. Go to big hog, expecting a large sow, but it was a boar. I am not familiar with a "lead boar", but all the hogs were following him. Is there such a thing? Took over for the lead sow killed the other night? None of the hogs nor the boar seemed super alert, and the way the wind was shifting, I thought they'd smell me any second.
Pain in the butt to move them out of the field by myself, but it's gotta be done. Trailered up my Mule this morning and got the job done. I have an "elevator" for lifting game up so it can be rolled into the bed. Sow has my hook in her jaw so I can drag her onto the elevator. One of the hired hands of one of the farmers stopped and we chatted a while about the critters and crop damage. The jaw is all that's left from the hog the other night. About 48 hours and they are gone. 16" 300 Blackout, FLIR RS32 thermal, Nosler 125gr BT hand load, Ark30 suppressor. Gonna unload the Mule and wash the hog blood off of it now.
Left to do just a look at another family's peanut field (SW field) and bingo, at 00:15, where I'd recommended Sawman and Chaps sit and watch, just as I walked up, out comes a sounder, led by a obviously bigger hog. Same sounder as I'd killed from previously? Wherever big hog went, others followed. So, they're rooting, eating, and generally going west (adults and little ones). I'm stalking trying to keep up and get closer. Finally the big hog was going west enough that soon it would not be safe to shoot, so it was now or never. Shot and then swung on the rest of them running back east. Picked an adult and fired, nothing so increased my lead and fired, and it did one of those end over end flips and doesn't move. Swing back to the big one, and it has gotten to its feet, so I shoot again and this time it doesn't get up.
OK, go check the end over end hog. Good size sow and shot right in the head. No wonder it did the flip. Luck...I'm not THAT good on running hogs. Go to big hog, expecting a large sow, but it was a boar. I am not familiar with a "lead boar", but all the hogs were following him. Is there such a thing? Took over for the lead sow killed the other night? None of the hogs nor the boar seemed super alert, and the way the wind was shifting, I thought they'd smell me any second.
Pain in the butt to move them out of the field by myself, but it's gotta be done. Trailered up my Mule this morning and got the job done. I have an "elevator" for lifting game up so it can be rolled into the bed. Sow has my hook in her jaw so I can drag her onto the elevator. One of the hired hands of one of the farmers stopped and we chatted a while about the critters and crop damage. The jaw is all that's left from the hog the other night. About 48 hours and they are gone. 16" 300 Blackout, FLIR RS32 thermal, Nosler 125gr BT hand load, Ark30 suppressor. Gonna unload the Mule and wash the hog blood off of it now.