This is just across the fence at my hog place east of here—-they are back. Wondering if Bobby ran them off and they ended up here?

Headed out this week to get things up and running again, and as close as the rootings are to my spot, I’ll have activity in a week. Reports to follow—

Give em heck!! They have rooted all around my tower, in between it and the feeder at my place. Only they know when they are coming to the feeder! I have sit 4 times, not seen a pig! Just for trigger time I went to my friend's place last night. Punctured a couple of coons, only one stayed behind! Fire ants said the other was leaving small parts!

The sure make a mess of things.

George

George—that isn’t even 10% of the area they have rooted up—and that is just in about 20 acres that is visible to me. Funny thing though—-the place to the east where I usually watch the hog parade when I am sitting, doesn’t have a bit of sign.

Got the feeder up and running, lights up and aimed, and camera out. As close as those rootings are (100 yds) to my feeder, I bet I’ll have traffic by end of the week. Got to go back out and install the solar panel (forgot I had removed it) and replace the spinner on the feeder inside the trap so I will give it a week an check cams then. Report to follow.

Shucks I expected to see dead pigs this post.

Ok, report back when you connect.

George

No hogs here at all...but I did get coyote #5 of 2023 early yesterday (around 2:30 a.m.). All I have is this crummy phone photo. I didn't feel like setting up a picture, and I didn't even drive down to retrieve him until around 8 a.m. -- after the buzzards had already begun their handiwork.

Funny thing is, I had walked outside to bring my rifle in from the shooting rest. I had checked a few times earlier and saw nothing but deer and rabbits. But I noticed the deer had huddled up and were straining their necks towards the creek. After a couple minutes, the large male coyote showed up.

From 165 yards, I put a 115 grain Ballistic Tip from a 25-06 into his chest as he faced me. It traversed the length of the body and exited in the crotch area.

After I cut off the ears for the bounty, we weighed him. The needle on the scale was nearly touching the 40-pound mark -- about as big as they ever seem to get around here.

Earlier in the week, we found the remains of a doe that appeared to have been killed by coyotes.

Good shooting Bobby.

Once the hog harvest starts again, how are you
going to stand the stink if no coyotes are around to
clean things up?

I can understand why shooting is needed for the deer. Fellow I bought a truck from in Dec sent a batch of pictures of mtn lions around his place. Has a set of triplet fawns hanging around. The doe was last seen three days ago. He feels the cats got her. Buck hasn't been seen for most of a week now either. Last fall's lion season collected 34 in that area. Hell of a lot of cats. Figure a deer a week per cat and it wouldn't take long to ruin the deer herd.

George

George-

You are right: We need predators in the food chain. But over here, the population has gotten ridiculous. Thanks to poor health, I can't get out and call or trap, and I don't leave the front yard to shoot them. And yet since the last day of October 2017, I have killed over 50 coyotes out here.

As to the hogs: I think they are about done out here. We may see a wave or two now and then but nothing like in past years. My hunch is that the state (Miller) has been able to poison certain areas -- and I hate to think of what may have been used. After all, our state Ag "leader" already tried circumventing FDA regs/guidelines with toxins but was caught in the act.

As to "stench" from a dead hog, we have tons of hungry vultures/buzzards that will gladly come in and clean things up in a big hurry. Possums and raccoons work on gutpiles at night, too.

Bobby:

Sounds like you have a bunch more birds feeding than up here. Don't think I have ever seen a vulture other than vids or Saeeds hunts.

Had good news today. Joe said the doe was back with her fawns, now just need to see the buck again.

George

George-

That's good news on the deer.

As to buzzards, it is quite common to see 70-80 at a time on a larger food source. We have both buzzards (a.k.a. black vultures) and turkey vultures (a.k.a. turkey buzzards).

We also have cara caras, though the numbers are far from that of the buzzards. They'll eat right alongside the others. There are often 3-4 of them out here.

George-I took this with the phone just before dark today.

I didn't try to count, but I'd guess there are at least 50 of these carrion specialists roosting here.

I had some trail cam pics I took years ago over the remains of 3 or 4 hogs I had shot and cut up. I would bet there were at least as many of the carrion vacuums in the pic as in yours Bobby--

Wow! Keep the pics coming!

Here are a pair that was lurking over the creek--

When there were pigs to shoot, I would open them up along the back, then around the belly. Vultures would clean it up before it could stink! Presents of vultures caused the area to smell but not the dead pig! That's a pair of black vultures in the picture. They probably have a nest near.

Bobby has coyotes I have raccoons! For the sixth pigless night I spent last night watching a parade of coons through the feeder at my place! At least two maybe five. Last one a 11:00 PM got punctured!

Wow Bobby, Randy, thanks guys.

Yep, no mistake I have not seen such birds
up here in my life. Ain't no spring chicken at 79 either. Getting into the scarry numbers!

In the high country we had lots of magpies, down here in the low country both magpies and crows. Both eat carrion. Coyotes usually get the majority of it as there are more of them.

Thank you for sharing the great pictures.

George