Well, it was another hot July evening, but I needed to go sit and watch the stars some more, so I rolled out of the driveway at 9PM, stopped at the corner store for a coke, and headed for the ranch. When I drove through the first gate, I noticed the cows had eaten every slip of grass they could reach through the gate bars-just like someone had mowed on the pasture side, leaving the other side untouched. That 5" of rain we got in May is long gone.

Got in the seat about 9:40 and immediately drank about a pint of water--sweating profusely. Winds were out of the ESE, so right in my face, and were appreciated. About an hour later, I saw a dark spot moving across the pasture through a screen of branches (near full moon), and then the flash on the game cam went off. Picked up the rifle, eyeballed the pig, found the "spot" and bang-flop. Didn't even have to turn on the red light. Young boar about 65 lbs or so.

Note from the picture that the .22-250 really creates some internal pressure-makes their eyeballs pop right out of their head. Also, I got rid of the duct tape thanks to advice about using a Weaver ring to mount the red light--much better.

Oh, and I took him to the back side of the place to field dress him and cut off his head-and put the game cam over the gut pile, just to see what sort of cleanup crew shows up. I have to go fill the feeder this week so I'll retrieve the pictures and give a follow-up report then.

Here's the results:

Nice going! You've got this night hunting down to a science!

It seems nothing other than deer stirred around here last night. Maybe they'll move tonight. I hope so; my trigger finger is getting mighty itchy.

Can't wait to see your pictures -- and find out what may have visited the gutpile.

As to the eye-popping results of the 22-250, I have a photo somewhere around here of our oldest (then about 10) with a hog he shot using an 85 grain HP from his 6.5x55. The effect was quite pronounced on the 150 pound piggie.

Dustoffer,
sounds like that stand of your is a honey hole. Gotta love it.
I like the fall and more temperate climate, but it feels pretty good when your wet with sweat sittin' out in the light of a near full moon, with the wind in your face feeling the cool of evaporation, knowin' that for a little while the world can take a flying leap. Its you, the wind the moon and that ol' pig your fixin' to put down. Gotta love it.
GWB

Geedubya--couldn't have said it better myself. Might have been a tad better if I had a cooler full of "adult beverages" sitting beside me--or at least a couple.

Folks that don't hunt just don't understand -- how many times have you been asked "Don't you get bored?" Answer--NO!

Congrats!!!!!

I "popped" and eyeball this weekend too!

Bob

Bob--read your report on the NVG hunt--it was a hoot flying a chopper with those, but if you were a passenger in the back without them, it must have been terrifying!!!

Here's how I've patterned my piggies' presence at the feeder--I just created my own scatter diagram on Excel. Times are from top to bottom, beginning at noon and ending at noon, with midnight in the middle. Dates and moon phases, kills, etc across the top. I just check the times of the pics on the game camera, then fill the appropriate block in red, and you have an instant visual reference of when they have been there. But, obviously, your mileage may vary-as I've sat a few dry runs. There is a gap in the dates from when the batteries died in the camera. My wife can't seem to understand why I'd rather do this than sit and watch re-runs.

The more recent activity seems to indicate they are feeling the drought too--and coming to the feeder for groceries. It's easy to see as the red is more dense. However, they had 2 weeks off so it may be a response to less pressure perhaps?

VERY nice, Buddy!

needs a bag and some cumino!

Mais vous ave' fait bein, bein sur. Good work, nice shooting.

lm.

Reminds me of my first job after high school...I was the clean up guy at a meat plant. We would get the calf heads in with eyes hanging out. Then walk around with the eyes in our pockets, pull them out when around the ladies and scream " I got my eye on you"

Had to be there. It was funny as hell

Boarman--that sense of humor is right down my alley--had a buddy in college that worked in a hospital ER. One night he came home with some dude's finger and put it in the package of hotdogs in the refrigerator for one of the other two roomies to find.