I shot these hogs last night in two different fields that have recently been planted with oats. As dry as it has been in south texas this year, an irrigated field is like an oasis for big packs of hogs. Our plan was to locate the hogs from a distance, figure out the wind, and then get close and pick out a big one. Well, the wind was coming out of 3 different directions over the course of about 2 hours so it made the stalking sort of difficult. Needless to say, even when the hogs caught a smell of us, which was obvious at times, I still managed to get a shot off.

I shot the first one right before a big group left the field. The wind shifted on us when we got to within 150 yards and the hogs began to make their way out of the field. I set up for a quick shot and hit this boar in the shoulder. He turned and ran right at me where I dropped him at about 50 yards.






The next hog came out with a group of about 30 and again the wind changed on us, this time when we were at about 75 yards. This hog got curious and began circling to figure out what we were. I shot him at about 25 yards as he was staring right at us.



The last hog I shot at a little over 200 yards as the last group was running out of the field after the previous shot. I spun him around with the first shot and finished him off with a shot in the shoulder. This running shot at 200 yards (stepped off) redeemed my broadside miss at 50 yards from Christmas morning.

More good work!

You certainly have some big ones -- ours are not so large but have to get by on native brush and the occasional deer corn.

Are those snake leggings? If seems like it will be warm for a few days so I suppose the snakes may be out.

And yes, I am still at home (or in this case the office) coughing up a storm.

I think we have the right combination of thick brush next to farmland that creates the perfect habitat for hogs. Safety and food. Further south and you have very little farmland. Further north and you don't have as much thick brush. I think that's why we have so many hogs. I know there are some big hogs around where you hunt becasue I've hunted them around there before but you just rarely see the big ones during the day. Just like when I'm deer hunting, I rarely see any big ones even though I know they are out there.

Yep, those are snake leggings. With the warm weather I don't like to take any chances. My uncle ran over a big rattlesnake two days ago on his ranch, so with this hot weather, we know that they can be out. Supposed to be 91 in Cotulla today.

Hope you get to make it down here for a few days this weekend.

I'm sure we have some bigger hogs in the brush that do not show themselves but I also agree that the farmland helps get the size up. The largest I can recall being taken down on our lease was just over 200 -- maybe 215.

91 degrees -- that is just about too hot.

I have some things to do this week but hope to get down there before the end of the year. This has not been a good year for me as far as getting some Texas hunting in.

Thanks for the reports and pictures and good luck on thos big pigs.

Awsome! Just awsome!

Those are some impressive hogs. That wind is always doing the wrong thing it seems, but it doesn't look like it held you back too much 'eh. Your .308 is really delivering the goods too it would seem. Still using the factory loads 'eh. Any plans for a handload or are you just going to stick with what works?

By the way, I like the looks of the background (bare dirt) and the sound of the weather. I just came inside from shoveling about 10"s of "Whiteis Shitis" otherwise known as snow in about 30mph wind. My hunting yesterday and today has been cancelled due to wheather, Crap!

Keep up the good work and leave a few little ones for me.

Rattlesnaker, tell us about the glass atop your rifle please. Buncha pork ya got there dude!

finaly got registered. looks like you must be close to Dilley. was thinking about shooting some sausage meat today, but yeah, it's to warm(80+). btw awsome hogs.

Nice hogs! Looks like a lot of fun shooting them at night.

Dan - the scope is a D760 gen 3 night vision scope with 6 power. Great scope but expensive. The only way we could justify buying it is because we knew wed hunt with it a lot.

Kweber - you were close. We hunt around pearsall but often close to dilley. A guy from hondo hunted with us on christmas eve. My wife has a bunch of family in hondo.

Nbhunter - we'll have plenty of hogs when you make it down here. By then we will be starting up the dog hunting so we will have several different ways to find some. Going out again tonight to find some.

Rattlesnaker--that red mud is a dead giveaway. I hunt further south-near Fowlerton where it is all brush and no agriculture, and we have lots of hogs too. Last trip down, I saw 26 from a blind in the east pasture, and one of our other hunters and wife saw 22 from the west pasture blind. We've shot 18 so far this year (since March) and 15 were sows. Hasn't had any effect on the population and every sow we are killing now is pregnant.

quote:

Originally posted by dustoffer:
Hasn't had any effect on the population and every sow we are killing now is pregnant.

The most recent recent info I have seen indicates that virtually all of the sows killed in Texas are either pregnant or producing milk.

Rattlesnaker,
I have no doubt there will be hogs left. I just want you to leave me some small ones. Don't want my first up close knife kill to be on a big angry boar. A nice little 40lb'er would be a good starting point I think!!

I think they are born pregnant.Kurt.

Thanks...always used moonlight and a shotgun before...