Well, I finally got my second big game animal this morning. Shot a respectable 125-150 pound boar. Had a fun hunt, a great time, and got a head for the wall. The boars already at the taxidermists and I'm in the process of calling everybody to tell them how my hunt went. I can see why you guys like hog hunting, it's is some good, cheap hunting. I will certainly do this again.

And where are the pictures?

Congratulations on the boar. They are indeed a lot of fun to hunt.

Good job! Pictures? I too recently got my first boar. I've gotten sows before, but this year was my first boar.

I love it! Never had so much fun as boar hunting with my friends.

Congratulations Sevens! It is a great time, isn't it? It's been six months for me and I am going through withdrawals! So, let's hear about it, man. We want the details of the hunt -- all of 'em. And pics of course if you have them.

Teat Hound, way to go. When I mean first boar, I mean first hog, it was a boar though. Did you use dogs to get your's (just curious because of your name)?

I'll have pictures for you in a little bit. I'm putting them on my club's website.

quote:

Originally posted by Sevens:
Teat Hound, way to go. When I mean first boar, I mean first hog, it was a boar though. Did you use dogs get yours (just curious because of of your name)?

No Dogs. I just like b**bs Just spot and stock in the low light. Too exciting, though. If my wife finds out that I was having as much as I am, I'd be hurting!

Here's a photo for you all. My Boar.

Sweet! Nice hog.

nice pig

That's a good hog, Sevens! What did you shoot him with? Details, man, details!

Steve:

CONGRATS! How did it taste????

Did you hunt with a guide, private property or on public land?

Hey congradulations! Great pic! What caliber did you use and how far was the distance?

Good to see you got you boar! Wish my daughter and me luck...we're going on Friday!!!!

I used my Howa 1500 in 30-06. I was shooting 180 grain remington core-lokts. I was a bit unimpressed with my shooting and wished I could have gotten more practice and more field position shooting. Here's the story.

My father and I arrived in San Ardo and met up with Tom and Blake willoughby, and their three dogs, about the only thing awake at 4:45 in the morning. We followed our guides out to a rather remote location 3-4 miles from the town on 8,000 acres of cattle ranching property, which nudged up against various other ranches that did not allow hunting. Our property had the water which we were relying on bring in the hogs, so we had to catch the hogs as they made their way back to the safety of the neighbors after drinking.
My father and I got into Blake’s Truck while Tom took one of the dogs and headed up to a ridge to glass. We went winding off on a back road into a creek that runs between two hills were Tom had spotted hogs the day before. We went up and down the hills, through the thickets, into ravines, and every logical place you’d expect to find a hog, yet none could be located. After about an hour and a half of this, Tom radios in that he saw some hogs running down a ravine. We jump into the truck and Blake goes flooring it out of the creek bottom down the road towards the ravine.
As we thundered down the road in the old rickety pickup truck my father points to the cliff on the opposite side of the road and exclaims, “I think I see a hog.†Blake slams on the brakes and sets his binoculars on it, “It‘s a hog, and a pretty good one too.†All I can see is this tiny black spot running down the cliff, but Blake has been doing this for a while, so I figured he knew what a good hog looked like. The only things separating me from this hog was a cliff, which dropped down into a dried out river bed about 100-150 yards across that connected to the base of this extremely steep hill side where my hog was content to dodge between the safety of the many oak trees. Only thing in my mind, “This is going to be one hell-of-a shot.â€
Blake watched the hog to make sure he was going to continue on his course along the hillside then sped back down the road we just came and pulled off to the side. “Oh boy,†I thought to myself, “Shooting time!†I jacked a round into the chamber, slung my rifle onto the fence post and put my cross hair on the hog. Problem was I was so excited my rifle was moving around like it was in an earthquake. “Relax,†I thought to myself. That is easier said than done. Blake calmly told me to tell him when I was ready and he’d stop the pig. I was having one hell-of-a time keeping my crosshairs steady on a moving pig, so I took a few more breaths, and gave the okay. Blake gave a whistle, the hog stopped, I steadied the crosshairs best I could, and squeezed the trigger. BANG … “You missed,†Both Blake and my father informed me. BANG … “You missed again.†About then, I figured I just need to get a bullet in the hog. BANG … “You hit him!†I thought to myself, “Thank god!†I could see the hog nipping at himself like he got bit by one nasty mosquito. I reloaded and tried to find the hog, but he had settled down in the trees and thickets and was nowhere to be found. Tom, who was watching the whole episode from a ridge opposite the hog, confirmed he wasn’t moving. I was also informed upon asking that I hit a little far back, which explains why the hog was nipping at its belly when it got hit. “Well,†I thought to myself, “that is what the dogs are for.â€
Off we went down the road to get to an area where we could get down the cliff and cross the valley. I was a bit upset at my shooting and told myself I need a lot more long range and field shooting experience before I leave for my pronghorn hunt in September. I also decided I need a bullet that kicks the wind better as both my shots hit in the same general area behind the hog. My thoughts were quickly changed though when a hog went trotting out of a thicket. “There he is. Should I shoot him?†I hollered to Blake. Blake just kept driving, “No, that’s a different hog.†Sure enough, when I looked again I saw that this porker had white spots on him, my hog was solid black.
We pulled around to the thicket were the hog was last seen and we all jumped out to try and find him. I spotted him go running out between the thickets and took a crack shot at him and once again a miss. My father looks at me, “Alan, take a few breaths and relax before you keep shooting.†Some good advice that I needed, I was a little too trigger happy and excited. Blake was running back to the truck and letting his dogs out, which quickly took off running in the direction the hog had fled.
We jumped back in the truck and took off on a higher route to listen for the dogs. We drove maybe 25 yards when we heard the dogs barking and howling. Blake stopped and jumped out, then motioned for me to follow. He gave me some shooting sticks which would have been very helpful for the first shot, but that was not an issue now. Blake gave me some very specific instructions, “Get comfy and get a good sight on the hog, when I tell you to shoot, immediately shoot. If you don’t, wait and I’ll tell you again because my dogs will be criss-crossing around and I don’t want you to shoot them.†I understood and setup.
I put a rock solid hold on the hog’s vitals and waited for the okay. “I’m clear,†I whispered. Blake hesitated a second than yelled, “Okay, Shoot!†BANG … my bullet hit home. The hog tried to make a run but made it only a few steps before woozily falling over. Blake ran down to the still convulsing hog while I unloaded and made my way down to the pig. Sure enough my first shot had hit the pig a little far back center mass in the belly. My other shot was a perfect heart/lung shot (I later got to see the heart with a nice bullet-hole through the middle of it). Blake and I pulled the hog up the small ledge to where the truck was while my father took some pictures. A nice Boar. His tusks are only about an 1"-1.5", but I really could care less. I'm just happy I finally got to shoot something (I've gotten pretty used to coming home empty handed). And there you have it folks, my hog hunt.

At least I know of one guy who is honest on these boards.

Thanks for the story.

Cool story. Don't feel bad, Sevens, I missed one at 40 yards wit Kyler (http://www.boaring.com) two weeks ago. 40 freaking yards! Oh well, made up for it the next morning. I've shot hundreds of rounds through my Tikka, and can hit targets out to 400 yards. To miss at 40 yards made me feel real bad, especially considering how Kyler stocked me (and a buddy) right up to it from across a big field. It was too easy, I guess, and I was too excited. That is half the fun of it. Its hunting. I know a few guys who would have given up after they missed two shots, but you nailed one fine boar instead!

Eric, at the time I was thinking along the lines of, "If there's lead in the air, there's hope."

Excellent story! Thanks Sevens. As Rattlesnaker pointed out it's nice to hear an honest hunting story! It happens to everyone sooner or later -- just part of hunting. But in the end, you got yourself a nice boar. Once again, congratulations.

Congratulations on the first of many hogs.

Good story. Hell, don't feel bad about missing. If you ain't missed, you ain't shot at much. I missed one once at about 2 feet. Was "frozen" as a bunch of hogs and pigs came out of the brush, finally a 50 pound type shoat was literally stepping on my boots, stopped, looked up and I knew the jig was up. I had a Marlin .45-70 in my rt hand. I tried to be John Wayne. Guess I shot over his back. I've seen John Wayne and I ain't him.

Another time, I got excited, jerked the trigger and missed a whole damn pig with no excuses, both hands on the gun at a maximum of about 8 yards. I still can't believe it, but it's sad but true.

Sevens,
Congrats!! Very nice pig.
Don't feel bad for poor shooting, it happends now and then. Some months ago I completely missed a hole buff standing still at 80 metres!! with the second shot I gutted it and with the third one I broke one of his back leg, the buff finally was killed and not by me . Last weekend I shot one running at 160 yards..stone dead in the same place !!

What I'm trying to say is that if you hunt sometimes you will miss and sometimes you will hit, it's part of our sport !!

Someday I will give a try to those diurnal pigs you have up there, I'm sure they are great fun !!!

Good hunting !!

L