Hunted this past weekend south of the Red River. The prospects weren't very good. Helicopter hunting on adjoining ranches have crushed the hog population, but it was worth going if for no other reason than to crank-up a 4-wheeler and get out with a rifle in my hands and a bullet in the chamber.

I was advised Friday afternoon to go across "the culvert" where there was some evidence of rooting and sit in a stand 'til dark, might be the best bet.

The stand was occupied. I flushed a buzzard out the window as I started my climb. Found two eggs on the floor of the stand and carefully kept them between my feet while I waited to see what might happen.

The answer was.....nothing. Never saw anything, other than that mama buzzard sitting in a tree about 100 yards away, eyeballing me.

Rode back to camp and called it a night.

Plan-B was to get up about 4:30 and ride to the "northwest corner". That was supposedly the only other spot on the ranch with fresh sign of pigs rooting.

(Word was they had hunted across the road with dogs the previous weekend and nearly got skunked; getting only one 175lb. boar. Normally they would get more than half a dozen.)

I found the creek was outside the banks as I got close to my destination in the dark. The ruts and mud were so deep that I got "stuck" and after determining reverse wasn't an option started slowly fishtailing the front tires until I was able to snowplow my way forward. (I sure wasn't looking forward to calling Randy and telling him I had stuck his 4-wheeler and had to walk out.)

I got within range of the "First-Cut Stand", parked the 4-wheeler and started my walk in. Three hours later, it's broad daylight, I'm sitting there, and I hadn't seen shit. Not what I had hoped for. I decided it was time to go. I started my walk on towards "Charlie's Stand" at the "second cut".

I've waylaid hogs on these cuts before so I eased out to where the shredded terrain came into view and sure enough, at least ten (10) hogs were rooting at about 200 yards in the open.

I had a decision to make. I had about 20 yards of open terrain to get to a fair sized tree to set up a shot, or I could try a little dicier move by trying to traverse a little more open ground, get to Charlie's Stand", and set up a rock-steady shot. I decided to try that option.

I moved quickly, but low to the ground, and when I climbed into the ground-stand and looked up over the window ledge, they were still calmly feeding, but approaching the tree line.

I took a quick shot with my range finder on a large hog and it bounced back as 151 yards. I spun the scope to 10X, held low behind the shoulder and touched it off. The 300WSM 130Gr Barnes TTSX reload did what it always does, if I do my part. It hit home, spun the hog around and she took one step and dropped.

I fetched the 4-wheeler, chained the big sow behind it and started the long drag back toward camp and the skinning pole.

I would guess she weighed 130 to 150. She broke the winch cable on the hoist, which pissed me off, meaning I had to gut her to make sure she cooled out and then wait on reinforcements with a new cable.

I never saw another hog the entire weekend, but she will provide enough sausage for me and three of my friends..........and seeing as how I didn't know a few months ago whether I would ever hunt hogs again.....this hunt was pure cream gravy.

Great hunt Ken, and congraulations on your pork harvest. Damn, I have yet to see a live hog here in the Rolling Plains, but by the road kill I know they are about.

For being knee deep in pigs here in Texas they are sure hard to come by! A bad day in the woods with a rifle is way better than the best day at work!

Well-done, Ken. Congrats!

Like Live Oak said, pigs sure are hard to come by. The last one I saw on this place was a boar I shot right around Christmas.

I feel the state's population estimates are highly exaggerated.

My two spots are really not having much traffic. One closest to home is due to a couple of Montana cowboys with tons of night vision/thermal gear come down and spend 4-6 weeks hunting the cowman's three places and any other folks that need their help. But, things are beginning to pick back up. And learned how the Montana cowboys cover so much ground--they ride electric bikes!

I may have found a honey-hole. My brother has 100 acres east of Austin. One evening last week he counted 28 hogs. The next night he counted 30. He's not a hunter. My 300WSM plans on visiting him next month. Hopefully they won't have moved out.