I wasn't involved with either of these hunts but my dad emailed me the pictures from two of his hunts last week. The first picture is of 3 boars that he shot with the night vision in the same field that I missed one two weekends ago.




This picture is from a spotlighting hunt where they killed 21 with shotguns. As you can see there are pigs in all shapes and sizes.

About how much do the pigs in the top pic weigh? I've seen some big ones on property I bought between Cuero & Gonzales but haven't had a decent shot yet. I see them at dusk, haven't hunted at night yet.

I weigh so few hogs that I'm really not good at guessing weights.

But, I would estimate those hogs to be about 200 lbs live weight. We seem to kill quite a few in this size range.

What do you do with all of the hogs you get? Eat most of it?

I'll make sausage with some, keep a little for BBQ'ing, and give the rest away to anyone that wants it. You'd be surprised at how many people in rural south texas will eat wild hog meat...damn near everyone.

Work is slow right now so I'm taking off for 12 days around the Holidays. I hope to be doing non-stop hog hunting over those 12 days.

I bet you are giving those hogs away with the skin still intact. If you are processing them and then giving them away, I'll nominate you for a Nobel Pig Prize.

Congratulations to your dad -- good work on the piggies. I probably saw 50 or more the past few days but was looking for Mr. Muy Grande so I let them walk. Will try to get some sausage-in-the-making after Christmas.

Enjoy your 12-days of Piggie Christmas. Will you be doing any deer hunting?

Yes, I've been deer hunting but just haven't seen anything I've wanted to shoot. The tail end of the rut is my favorite time to hunt because new bucks start showing up almost every day.

I'm like you, I seldom shoot pigs when I'm deer hunting unless they are really causing problems.

It's easy to get burned out when you are hunting hogs at night and getting up early in the morning to deer hunt for several days in a row. I can't sleep during the day so napping in between deer hunting is out. I'm usually exhausted by the time I get home and back to work.

You still hunting around Asherton?

quote:

Originally posted by Rattlesnaker:
Yes, I've been deer hunting but just haven't seen anything I've wanted to shoot. The tail end of the rut is my favorite time to hunt because new bucks start showing up almost every day.

I'm like you, I seldom shoot pigs when I'm deer hunting unless they are really causing problems.

It's easy to get burned out when you are hunting hogs at night and getting up early in the morning to deer hunt for several days in a row. I can't sleep during the day so napping in between deer hunting is out. I'm usually exhausted by the time I get home and back to work.

You still hunting around Asherton?

Yes, same ranch as the last few (or many) years. I've seen a couple of wide eights and a busted ten that is still a bit young (or so I am told). I have not yet seen the cruising bucks that you talk about showing up later in the rut. I enjoy that time as well and hope to catch some of that soon. I seem to remember that you had your eye on a bruiser you have been watching -- I hope you catch up with him.

The weather was damp and cool enough the last few days that the hogs were out virtually all day. Many of them are fairly small but there were a number that were good eating sized. None of the really big ones you are taking.

Some multi-colored ones in this group:



All black ones over here:



If the pictures do not show up, they are all in this year's hunting gallery.

Here's the big one that I was hunting. He went from a nice 10 to a big 8 point. I'm attributing that to the lack of timely rains in the mid to late spring since he's not past his prime. He probably scored in the low to mid 160's last year as a 10 point and now he's probably a mid 150's 8 pt.

There's another deer that was beleived to have made the year that no one has seen since last November. He was a mid to high 160's deer last year and I hope to catch a glimpse of him this year. We're seeing more 8 pts this year than we have in the last several years, and again, I think it has to do with rainfall, or lack thereof.

Here's a picture of the big 8 point.



Here's a picture of a random 21" wide 8 point.


Here's a picture of a nice young 11 point that could be a good deer in a year or two, especially if he turns into a typical 12.

quote:

We're seeing more 8 pts this year than we have in the last several years, and again, I think it has to do with rainfall, or lack thereof.

I think the lack of rain is a big factor. Hopefully we will get good spring rains and some summer thunderstorms to follow.

I am always amazed that some bucks can overcome that. There is a small pasture (about 2500 if I recall correctly) that adjoins the ranch I hunt and is leased for cattle with it. The group that hunts it took a deer that grossed in the low 170s (I did not see it but I have this from those who were there). The guest who shot it videoed it because he wasn't sure it was big enough. Amazingly they told him to go ahead instead of changing places with him.

Nice pictures by the way. It looks like the eleven is standing his hair up to impress another buck.

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:

quote:

We're seeing more 8 pts this year than we have in the last several years, and again, I think it has to do with rainfall, or lack thereof.

I think the lack of rain is a big factor. Hopefully we will get good spring rains and some summer thunderstorms to follow.

I am always amazed that some bucks can overcome that. There is a small pasture (about 2500 if I recall correctly) that adjoins the ranch I hunt and is leased for cattle with it. The group that hunts it took a deer that grossed in the low 170s (I did not see it but I have this from those who were there). The guest who shot it videoed it because he wasn't sure it was big enough. Amazingly they told him to go ahead instead of changing places with him.

Nice pictures by the way. It looks like the eleven is standing his hair up to impress another buck.

Yeah, here's another picture of that 11 point following another buck. Not a very good picture but you were right on. Always makes them look bigger and badder than what they really are.



Here's a somewhat better picture of that other buck. Another nice young deer with good potential.

Very nice pictures -- looks good for the future.