Been a while since the wind was right for my friend's place, Friday night it was good! Got there in a light rain. Damp ride on the ATV! Rained hard twice before the feeder went off. A foggy mist set in when the first deer showed up. They were really nervous, hoping that meant pigs! A little before 10 I could not sit anymore and stood up to move some and here they came! Two big light colored pigs and strange little black one. The two bigger ones kept the little one on the fringes. The little one really looked weird! I was looking for a two-for but the bigger ones did not make it happen. The largest one finally settled down and I mashed one off. When the fire cleared I saw the pig stagger off to the left, figured it did not go far. Waited 20 minutes in case the little black one came back but it did not. Rode down there in the mist/rain, no pig. There was a pile of blood and even blood splattered on the feeder leg! Atved around with the flash light to the usual places they die but no! Could not get back till noon Saturday taking my dog. He picked up a couple of blood stains on grass stems then the owners cows showed up and chased my dog around! Yes he is a cow dog breed, funny. Still not pig. Cows had broken a wire on the feeder pen so I went back this morning. There were buzzards! Pig had gone out of the pen to the left and jayed back to the right maybe 50 yrds. I had not looked well to the right. I rode 10 to 15 yards from it but the dead grass is so high I missed it. Dead pig, owner was happy! Not a real bust just no pictures!

I wasn't sure what I'd think of it, but I got one of the Leupold LTO thermal units for situations just like yours last night...and so far, I really like it. Even if the carcass is shielded by grass and wouldn't show up with a flashlight, this little unit will pick up the heat signal. It picks up small critters at reasonable ranges and deer-sized animals at a couple hundred, though you can't tell what they are. But considering how pigs can make a 20-30 yard death run into the thickest stuff, I figured I'd try and see if it would make retrieval easier. So far, I have nothing bad to say about it -- well, maybe a bit expensive for such limited use.

Been thinking a thermal something! Might try the one that plugs in to a IPhone. Then again it they make it far enough a way that the buzzards don't mess on the feeder or lights it is OK!