Seldom from the West

11 December 2017, 05:34

Live Oak

The wind that is! Here it blows seldom from the west that's why I try and put my feeders to the east of the blind(tower). One of the places I hunt, the lay of the land and the partition fences did not allow that. Friday night the wind was forecast to start out from the south west and change to westerly. There have been game cam pictures of sows and pigs but I have not caught them there. Figured a southwest wind might trip them up I bundled up and headed out for a sit! The deer have been hitting my pig feeders hard so I was hoping with the rain and snow there was a little water under the feeder. If the corn in in mud or water the deer wont go after it but the pigs relish it! Feeder goes off and two bucks show up. They stay until 9, then head out. Little after 9 a doe comes in. About 9:30 she takes off as if hit with hotshot! At this location the pigs always come in from the back right corner. Two stand barbed wire fence, deer walk through it anywhere but the pigs always back right! I did not have to wait long and he comes in. Shine black big pig! Why they always start out behind the feeder leg I not understand but they do and it can be painfully slow for them to expose their vitals! Put the binos down and the pig suddenly appeared shiny silver. Binos back up, still black pig. Different! Finally cleared the feeder leg and I touched one off! Pig's gone in a cloud of dust! Again that's different! It is still wet everywhere. Wait a few, then rode to the feeder, blood and lung in the water, that's good! I went out the back right and turned right about 10 to 15 yards found the first blood. Got back on the ATV and found him about 40 yrds away. Right side shiny black curly pig, flipped him over to look at the exit and that side is covered in dried caliche. That explains the silver and dust! Old warrior pig. When I peeled him I cut a little too for forward in to the shield, it was probably 2 inches thick. Dulled my knife really fast. I guess I was cold and in a hurry this is the only picture that really came out.

Bobby
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The most important thing in life is not what we do but how and why we do it. - Nana Mouskouri

Even the rocks don't last forever.

Mike

What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.

Life itself is a gift. Live it up if you can.

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When considering US based operations of guides/outfitters, check and see if they are NRA members. If not, why support someone who doesn't support us? Consider spending your money elsewhere.

NEVER, EVER book a hunt with BLAIR WORLDWIDE HUNTING or JEFF BLAIR.

I have come to understand that in hunting, the goal is not the goal but the process.

18 December 2017, 05:35

Live Oak

The picture makes him look bigger than he is. I guess 250 maybe 275. He has the height and length but no the width. They have to be thick to get much over 250. There are no row crops around where I hunt. Without the calories from the cereal grains and time no thickness! When I first started hunting under lights I kill maybe two that went 350 and they were thick! I believe they came in from farm country. Biggest feral pig I have been on the kill was a 400 lbs sow. Very special conditions she had. We weighed her on a certified scale. Funny thing, a few miles away on the river, a friend kills some with really long cutters in farm country. I have never had one with impressive teeth!