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This time of year we are very cautious when it comes to single pigs on the baits to ensure that it is not a nursing sow with piglets in a nest somewhere nearby that has come out for a feed.

One of the lease holders always warns that if anyone shoots a nursing sow then they can pack their bags and goodbye. He has seen piglets that had starved to death after the sow was shot once in the past and he has not forgotten it.

Last night I was siting on a bait site when a single pig appeared at the edge of the clearing around 20:30. Early. Very early. The pig was extremely nervous and skirted around the bait site for over 30 minutes, occasionally coming in to feed for a moment, always looking up towards the 'Kanzel', and walking back into the woods. Very unusual overly nervous behaviour. I could not make out any tuft of hair on the belly nor get a clear look at the pigs arse through the thermal to check for balls, with the pig always head on to me and it was not possible to see any tusks.

This went on for some 45 minutes with the pig coming and going a number of times and me thinking that it was gone, only for it to return a few moments later.

And then it turned a full 180 degrees and through the thermal I saw two glowing orange balls and knew it was a boar! The 30.06 Norma Geco entered the pigs ear and exited below his left ear and he dropped on the spot.

A 60 kg 3 year old boar!

Don't ask me how I loaded him into the Landy on my own but I did and I was home by 22:30 enjoying a single malt!






Ps. Not my pictures as I left my iPhone on the kitchen table!


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He's a grizzly fella---my way is to shoot the sows first and don't let the rest of them get away.

Funny how things are different depending on geography/custom.

Here in Texas, there are places where if you see a hog and do not take a shot, you are shown the gate!

ya!

GWB