Buddy of mine has been bemoaning his fate with the damage the ferals are doing in his coastal bermuda pastures. I offered to help him out, so have been given a key to the gate and free run of the place. He finally came to the determination that we needed to put out a feeder to attract the varmints for elimination--he says KILL 'EM ALL!!!

Got the feeder up, and a game cam out, and in 4 days had hog pics. One small inconvenience--they seemed to show up between midnight and 3 AM.

So--I went to the stand last night about 8:00 expecting to sit for a while. Feeder went off at 8:30 as scheduled, and with much anticipation I sat, and sat, and sat, turning on the red light about every 30 minutes to peek at the feeder 80 yds away. Well, at 9:30, when I peeked, there were a bunch of eyes peeking back. I shut the light off quickly, got my bipod up, and switched the red light back on--tried to line up two under the feeder, but at 80 yds with a red light and all black hogs it proved to be too hard, so I just lined up on an eyeball and squeezed the .22-250 off. Big muzzle flash, but I kept looking through the scope and hogs were going everywhere. Two or 3 actually ran towards me, or just to one side, so I picked the larger of the 3, swung through and when the crosshairs looked right, touched off another. Hog went down but rolled over and scrambled on up the hill. After I marked the spot where the hog hit the ground, I collected my stuff, walked to the feeder, and had about a 60-lb sow on the ground dead. Figured out why my game cam flash wasn't going off--it was tilted upwards--apparently due to the cows jostling the fence trying to get to the feed. Walked to the truck, drove back and into the field to where I shot the second hog--no blood anywhere. Since it was just open pasture I walked on up the hill and found the second sow about 50 yds up the hill--my shot was a bit far back through the liver. Guess I stopped my swing.

At any rate, it was a good night--two sows, one probably pregnant, and the landowner was most happy. Couple of nights off and I'll be back in position come Wednesday.

Didn't have my camera, but here's what it looked like under the feeder last week:

Good work! Looking forward to the next report. Oh, and good luck!

whew!! Broke the dry spell and good eatin!

It is good to see you with another "hog hole" to hunt!!

Bob

Hey Dustoffer, it looks like you've got your work cut out for you. Nothing like job security. With the number of young in that picture you should be able to hunt hogs for a long time. Hope you brought enough bullets
GWB

Landowner said if I didn't have any 12-ga buckshot that he had plenty, and if I didn't want to do it, he would.

Gonna put a ladder stand in the tree in the background--perfect archery range. I'll take my bow for the solo hogs, and the 12-ga pump w/buckshot for a "wad" of them.

Dustoffer,
google "tannerite".
Enjoy
GWB

Nice going! And here's hoping you take a few more.

I've taken 2 boars in the past week but did not get pictures, either.

The one I shot Saturday evening found me suffering a bit of Mother Nature's revenge. I went to retrieve the piggie -- a boar of maybe 200 pounds -- and found myself swatting away some hornets that I had stirred up. (Why do hogs always seem to fall in the thickest, nastiest brush/huisache/cactus around?)

They got me on the head, the neck and the arms.

I headed back to the house as I figured maybe some Benadryl and alcohol (not for drinking, but I probably could have used some at that point ) might be in order.

By the time I got doctored up, some heavy mist was falling, and so there are no pictures.

No pictures from the one earlier in the week was just the result of an aging, slow -moving person being lazy...

quote:

Originally posted by Bobby TomekWhy do hogs always seem to fall in the thickest, nastiest brush/huisache/cactus around?)

It's payback, Bobby.....

try some of the low-voltage "solar" lights from wal-mart.... they give plenty of light to shoot by, tie them on the legs of your feeders.... hogs don't seem to notice them at all.... and with a low-power scope, its as light as day....

jimatcat--what a coincidence--I just bought two of the spotlight type lights at WM for just this thing. Was going to put them on the fence posts of the "cattle exclusion device" (AKA barbed wire fence) the night I shot these two, but got busy with other things. Going back tomorrow night and will install them before I leave. Probably won't get back for another sit until Sunday or Monday so they will have a few nights to get used to them.

I also just bought another red light as the one I have is 12v and is too bulky. I bought one of the smaller versions that is longer and more slender like a flashlight, but is only 6v so I'll need a bit more light or else have to sit in the closer spot I fixed up.

Went out last night to do some more population control, but it wasn't meant to be. I sat in the same spot as before, wind was the same, and the pigs came again--23 of them from downwind (up the hill behind me). They walked down a trail about 20-25 yds from me and when they were abreast of me they stopped and stood around for a while. I was hoping they weren't planning a charge, as I only had two rounds in my rifle, and I have a bum knee and move about like the proverbial one-legged tap dancer.

Eventually about half of them went to the feeder and the remainder stood around doing whatever pigs do in the dark when they know there is corn but they are a bit shy. I managed to get my rifle into position for a shot and got all snuggled up. I switched on the red light and the "covey" flushed. They didn't stand still for 2 seconds even. This was a new light and first time used, so I wonder if the lens color is different from the one I used last time, or if this is a different bunch of pigs that has been shot at a few times by red light shooters?

At any rate--no shots fired and after I limped back to the truck and drove back to the feeder, I installed the two solar powered landscape lights which will allow me to use my scope w/o the red light once the pigs get accustomed to the new ambiance--I'll report back on that next week.

Thanks for the update, dustoffer. Keep us posted. Some of us are living vicariously through you.......

Whitworth--I know exactly what you mean--I spent 3 years in serious withdrawal after leaving a S. Tx lease that was overrun with hogs. The only thing that kept me going was reading about others' experiences here. Now I have my "own" place, all to myself, and I'm loving it.

"Hello, my name is Dustoffer, and I have a problem."

quote:

Originally posted by dustoffer:
"Hello, my name is Dustoffer, and I have a problem."

Hello Dustoffer!!

You are not alone......the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem......

Recovery? That is not my objective!!!! And, my name on the S. Tx lease was the "Pig-Murdering Fool" but I'm not sure why? I only killed one (with my bow).

and to think, the look on your face, holding to hams... LOL...

jeffe

Vicariously is the word from the sunny State of Misery! Packy

Well . . . .

Last night was a good night, but not a great night. I sat from 7:30 until 11:00 and all I saw was the moon, a rabbit, and a big raccoon. The landscape lights I installed last week work great. I can see any animal near the feeder, and can easily pick up my reticle (std Leupold Duplex). I pulled the card from the game camera as I left and the lights don't seem to bother the pigs a bit. Had visitors 3 of the last 4 nights, but a bit later than I wanted to sit last night. The brighter moon may have something to do with that--but we'll see on Wednesday.

Last two nights I've sat in the ladder stand about 20 yds from the feeder. Saw two raccoons one night and nothing the next. Wind direction may have played a part, or the next to full and full moons too, as I didn't see a thing. However, the two sits were both wonderful--clear bright moon, 150 yd visibility, nice breeze, and few mosquitos.

Going back in a couple of nights, only later with plans to stay later as the hogs seem to be coming after midnight.

Hey guys-
Get a third generation night vision scope, mount it on an M-16, when the piggies come into the feeder, it is rock and roll time!!!!!

How about a first generation on my M70 .22-250? I don't like black rifles--guess that's from my 30 yrs in uniform.

However, I'm heading out in about an hour--with the M70 plus my 12-ga pump stuffed with 00 buck.

Good luck Brother!

Give 'em hell, dustoffer!

Dustoffer,
After the fine time my son, son in law and I had with your help in the pursuit of feral hogs, I too have relived the adventure through the tales of others. Hats off to you for the great time we had. Wishing you much success in the challenge ridding this land of the current crop of pests.
Jon In Tucson

Jon--good to hear from you--been a couple of years. You and "the boys" were nice to me--5 hogs gone and I didn't have to field dress them (at least not all of them).

No pigs last night, but the "spy" on the fence post showed this visitor---and I was 20 yds away, 15 feet up a tree with a 3" 00 buck up the spout waiting. Back tomorrow night.

OK all you "vicarious" ham slammers--here's one for you. I plotted all the times my game cam has taken pics of hogs and the results clearly showed 10PM to 2AM was the most likely to be fruitful. So, I climbed into my stand at 9:15 tonight. It seemed like I had hardly gotten the gun loaded, the pack situated, taken a drink of water and got a cough drop started when this guy showed up to get his picture taken before supper:



The camera flash was the next to last thing he saw--the last thing he saw was a flash as well, but a 12-ga muzzle flash, before he caught a load of 3" mag 00 buck in the head.



Down and out, and it was 9:50, so I had been on stand 35 minutes. I estimated his weight at 150 and do know I would have really had a hard time loading him without the hoist that fits into the receiver hitch. Just dragged him to the truck, hooked the cable to a back leg, and hoisted him up, then swiveled the rig to put him into the truck bed.

I love it when a good plan comes together.

Way to go Dustoffer. They say patience is a virtue. You done good.
GWB

Very well done, Dustoffer! That will make good eatin'!

I'm on vacation for a week or so, so they'll have time to settle back into their routine. Be a full moon when I get back, so watch out.

I also noted something in the first picture--there is a shiny spot above the hog by the tree in the background--that is the reflective spot on my jogging shoe-so I got my picture taken too.

Nice going! Within reasonable range, buckshot can be incredibly effective, as you well know.

I really enjoy hunting by moonlight and can't wait for the next full moon (and hoping for clear skies, too!).

It's a rush, no doubt. This past fall, I got myself in the midst of 20-25 hogs, and some were only a few steps away. I finally got a bead on a decent boar at about 25 yards, and when I touched off a .308 WCF round -- talk about all he-- breaking loose...

Bobby--when I was on the S. Tx lease, one of my favorite summertime (non-WTD Season) activities was to use the tailgate feeder to grain the roads just at dark, go back to camp and eat a bite, and then walk the ranch roads into the wind with my rifle and redlight. Only thing I didn't like was the fact that grain on the roads attracts rodents in addition to the hogs, and rodents attract rattlers. So, with a look down for about every 3 steps, I strolled along until I got within redlight distance of the hog/hogs. Like you, I found myself in the midst of about 20 one night and when the rifle went off, it was pure pandemonium. All I did was stand still for about 10 seconds, and they were all gone but one.

Very good post !!
I have notice that with full moon they are a litle bit shy, specially the big ones, but there is nothing better than sitting under a full moon...

What a wonderful place you have !!!!
In two weeks I will have full moon and I will give them a try...

Keep us update, I am always interested in learning from other night hunters experiences.

L