Not much of a report as I didn't take any pictures, but had two AR members come down from Oregon for a two day attempt on the oinkers. I was not sure how our heat was going to affect the two gentlemen or hog movement, but was ready to give it shot.

They got to Olney on Wednesday evening and we did a quick site in session and they felt their rifles were good to go.

I picked them up at 5 a.m. the next morning and we drove the 12 miles or so to a property south west of Olney. I had been putting out extra bait at this site as it is usually one of our more productive set ups. I had been driving out past the place every evening just before sundown the week before the hunt and had seen pigs moving around on the property every time.

We were in the stand and set up by 5:45 or so waiting for the feeders to go off. At this set up we have two feeders set about 80 yards or so apart, one is about 120 yards or so back to the north east of the stand and the other is about 90 yards off to the north west of the stand on a small knoll.

Feeders are set so one goes off 5 minutes earlier than the other, for the morning feed they are set to go off at 7 a.m. and 7:05 a.m.

We use this set up at 3 different locations, mainly for deer so one dominant animal can not control all of the feed being thrown out. After the feeders went off, we began seeing pigs moving in a couple different locations, none coming our direction.

I was not really paying attention to time frames, but around 8 or a little after, the hunter setting watching the right hand feeder saw movement that ended up being a lone black boar in the 150 pound range eased out toward the feeder.

That hunter has had a lot of experience hunting hogs and really wanted his buddy to have a chance at getting his first hog. They did a fairly quiet and fairly fast musical chairs, that did not cause enough disturbance to spook the hog.

After a few minutes of fidgeting, the hog finally got into a position for a shot to be taken, but unfortunately the shot was just a little too high and went over the pigs back, two inches lower and the shot would have spined the animal.

We went ahead and stayed till a little after 9 a.m. and decided the critters were all headed to a bedding spot, temperatures were already in the 90's. We left the pasture and headed for camp, Lora was there fixing brunch for the hunters and we would go back out about 4:30 so we could be in the stand by 5 p.m.

We went back to the same stand that afternoon, in it by 5 waiting for the first feeding at 6 p.m.

During the Spring/Summer hog hunts I have the feeders set up to go off at 6 p.m. and then again 30 minutes or so before sundown, right now the second feeding occurs at 8 p.m.

In a repeat of the morning actions, we see quite a few pigs moving but none are coming into the feeders. Finally a little red pig comes in to the right hand feeder. The hunter after his first pig was setting in the right hand seat this time so no swapping was necessary.

Whether it was because of the angle of the sun and the shadows, the color and movements of the pig, I woll never know but myself and the experienced hunter had actual doubts about the size of the pig. In all honesty, and I said this to the hunter, I thought the pig would do good to go 50 pounds.

The hunter decided to go ahead with the shot and I am glad he did. At the shot, which appeared high again, the pig took off made a 40 or 50 foot loop around the feeder and ran nose first smack into a 5 or 6 inch diameter mesquite tree and fell over stone dead.

That got a good laugh out of the three of us, so we left the stand and loaded up in the pick up to drive around and get the pig. I still had my doubts concerning the size of the animal until we got to it. I actually was surprised because once we got to it, it was larger than what I thought.

When we loaded it, I admitted my guess was off as it felt heavy and body size it was larger than it appeared from the stand. It was confirmed when we got to the cabin and it weighed in at 94 pounds. On my hunts, deer or pig I bring the animals back to camp whole/ungutted to get basically a live weight on the carcass.

The oddest thing about this particular boar, was that it had the toughest hide I have ever messed with, for an animal its size. I have skinned boars over 200 pounds whose hide was not as thick or tough as this animals was. So ended Day One.

Day Two started out with us in the stand by 5:30, we were running a little late, but again hogs were moving everywhere, we saw probably 50 plus hogs, basically groups of sows and piglets.

A fairly large group finally moved in to the right hand feeder, but acted fidgety and none of the sows presented a shot. On this one group there were 4 or 5 grown sows and at least 20 piglets. Another smaller group moved in to that feeder and the bog group left, but came up the hill and past within 30 yards of the stand but the shooter could not get off a shot. The sows were all in the 125 to 150 pound range, but were just moving too fast.

The new group that had came in moved over to the left hand feeder and contained 0ne good sow and at least one slightly smaller sow and a dozen or so piglets.

The hunter finally got a chance to take a shot, not one he was overly confident with, but one he thought he could make. At the shot the group took off and the hunter that had killed the pig the previous evening said that he was sure he saw the pig that had been shot at stumble and fall as it ran off the knoll.

We stayed in the blind watching and discussing about 2 or 3 minutes after the first shot, a pig walked out into an old right of way and just stood there, about 200 maybe 210 yards out. We discussed the situation and the hunter decoded to go ahead and take the shot.

At the shot, instead of dropping or running, the pig just waked out of sight, and that was odd. We decided to load up and ease on down to the feeder at least and see if there was any blood anywhere.

The last shot that was taken is roughly 150 + or - yards back to the northeast of where the first shot was taken, so we were not sure if the second shot was at the original pig.

We get out at the feeder and start looking around, and I find a couple of blood spots going off in the right direction, only deal was the pig that was shot at headed southwest at the shot.

I did my best impersonation of a Comanche but could find no more blood. We decide to load up and move around to the right of way and do some looking in the area we were fairly sure the pig was standing in at the second shot.

I went in on one trail while the two hunters went 40 or 50 yards further north and looked at another spot. They went in to the brush about 40 yards or so and found the pig piled up.

Upon getting it out where we can look at it, we find the first shot was a raking shot that entered around the left shoulder and exited in the right flank, hence the lack of a blood trail. She was hurting plenty bad, and that is why she was walking when she showed up in the right of way, and why when hit with the second shot did not jump or run.

When we got her back to the cabin we weighed her and she weighed in at 147 pounds. Both hogs were in great body shape, probably from all the corn I have been feeding them.

It was a great hunt, even with the heat with two really good clients.

Great story as always, Randall. I enjoyed it.

Thanks Bobby. I figured we would get some pigs, because right now with no one trapping or evidently shooting any, they are in overdrive pushing out piglets.

The numbers I quoted seeing were on the low side, because each of the sows we saw had 6 or more piglets each and few of those would go as much as 15 pounds each.

Mostly they were in the 5 to maybe 10 pound range.

Also I was not sure how well the hunters were going to do in that heat. By the time we got the second pig found and loaded the temperature was 101, but I did not tell the hunters that.

They are the type clients I like working for and I was glad that they got their pigs. I took them around and they got pictures of the buffalo and saw the catfish get fed and the one got pictures of a Painted Bunting that set on a dead limb just a few feet from the stand and preened and sang for 5 minutes or so.

Have been on the swather sense I got home, but will try to get a couple photos up in a day or two. A great time was had by all! Thanks Randall!

Thank You, Lora and I enjoyed having you hunt with us.

Very good report, sounds like you made 'em happy. That's the main goal on these trips.

Man, that's quite a drive, from ORE to Olney has to be 2400miles depending on how they went.

Good for you Randall and I'm happy for them too.

George

They flew the friendly skies of someone.

Still had to cover the distance.
How did they take the meat back? Coolers? Frozen?

Thanks,
George

Cooler.

We chilled the meat. first ice, then in the fridge at the motel. Put meat in large plastic bag, twisted and rubber banded the opening, two straps on the cooler. As our flight was delayed and there was some confusion at the ticket counter and the agent forgot to charge us for overweight (68 lbs). Luggage was behind us and had to be delivered (2 am) meat was still cold. Flew Southwest.

One of the neatest or strangest aspects of this hunt, is/was the wild concept that evidently myself and one of the hunters had been guided on Musk Ox hunts in Nunavut several years apart by the same guide.

eny:

Ok, that sure helps when they miss charging full rate. Don't happen often.

Where did you land n fly out of in Texas?

Wrong time of year. but, for deer at least. IF there's snow on the ground I like to fill the cooler, peel the meat hunks off and lay in the snow. Each time another hunk comes off, flip the first ones. Then when packing the cooler/s layer it snow, meat, snow etc. Then top it off. It'll keep the snow for a week even in 50-60 temps.

We packed the pigs Steve and I shot the same way only with ice. Kept it four days like that in the Fla. heat of July.

Good post, glad you guys had a connection that always makes the visits more interesting.

George

Randall,

a guy on another forum a guy was asking about an affordable meat hunt for hogs. How would I get him in touch with you.

Didn't you used to have a link

my memory is not what it once was, was it called "shoestring safaris"?

GWB

quote:

Originally posted by georgeld:
eny:

Ok, that sure helps when they miss charging full rate. Don't happen often.

Where did you land n fly out of in Texas?

Wrong time of year. but, for deer at least. IF there's snow on the ground I like to fill the cooler, peel the meat hunks off and lay in the snow. Each time another hunk comes off, flip the first ones. Then when packing the cooler/s layer it snow, meat, snow etc. Then top it off. It'll keep the snow for a week even in 50-60 temps.

We packed the pigs Steve and I shot the same way only with ice. Kept it four days like that in the Fla. heat of July.

Good post, glad you guys had a connection that always makes the visits more interesting.

George

We flew in and out of DFW, rented a car for the trip,( 2.5 hr) each way

Yes, Shoestring's string ran out in December 2011 when I messed up my left arm. It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun and I met some really good folks.

You can just pass along my crazyhorseconsulting@yahoo.com email address. I figure as long as prices at the buyers is still low there is going to be plenty of oinkers around.

Thank You Sir.

At what distance would you zero a 30-06 for shooting hogs in your neck of the woods?

thanks,


Okie John

Thev stands we hunt range from around 80 yards on the shirt side to 130 maybe 150 on the long side.

100 yard zero should suffice. There are rare occasions where we might get a chance to do a spot and stalk, and then ranges could be anywhere from less than 50 out to 150.