Pasture has finally dried out enough to hunt, so I went tonight. Drove by my other spot to check for pigs in the pasture--but nothing there. However, I did see this critter behind the high fence across the road. WTF? Surely it isn't an elk, is it?


Went on to the spot and this is where it gets interesting. I go thru the gate and load the rifle, and drive into the pasture. I was idling along looking at the new rootings and all of a sudden I hit a hole. Oh well, I'll just drive out of it. No go--my left rear tire was about 3" in the air off the ground and I was sitting on my differential/trailer hitch. This was a new gully from that last rain--so I walk back to the house, get Jim the landowner and his Dodge diesel and pull it off the hump. Drive on into the pasture to my normal parking place. Stop, look at a doe down by the feeder, roll down the windows, fire up the thermacell for skeeter control, prop the rifle on the window ledge, and pick up the binocs to look over the doe again. Still seems to be pregnant and it is late in the season. Put the binocs down and pick up my book. Take a glance at the feeder before I open the book and there are 2 pigs there! Before I can get my earplugs in, they walk into the tall grass. Dang. Oh well, open the book and glance back at the feeder--now there are 4-5-6 small to medium pigs at the feeder. Rifle up, safety off, aim, bang-flop. Rest of them scatter and I'm not in a position to take a running shot at them. Then I notice one standing in the weeds about 20 yds from the feeder so I hammer it--WOP!!! down it goes. So, I put the rifle on safe, turn off the skeeter thingie, and start the truck. Drive to the feeder and there's the first one.

Walk over to where the other one was standing when I shot and nothing--no blood, no pig, nothing. Spend about 20 minutes walking trails and clearing spider webs but didn't find any sign. Went back to where he was standing and went the other direction--no sign that way either. Must have missed maybe? Nah-not at 125 yds off a rest, surely not. But we'll never know unless I find a carcass in the next few days.

So, I put the first one on the tailgate and drive to the back of the pasture to gut it and leave the head. Driving out and turn the corner and there are pigs everywhere--two sows and probably 15-20 little ones. What to do? Landowner says if I don't kill 'em I'm fired, so I shut down the truck, poke the gun out the window, and they start moving off--I hammer the sow in the back of the line and she goes down, then gets up and staggers off. I walk over to the spot-blood everywhere, and see her in the cactus about 10 yds away. Pop her in the head and she's done. Roll her over and she has a nasty infected wound in her left ham--it even smells bad, so I just opened her up and left her for the buzzards. If I'd had the 12-ga with #4 buck I probably would have killed 7-8 of the ones in that wad. So, another hunt is in the books. 62-lb sow.

quote:

WTF? Surely it isn't an elk, is it?

Sika?

Keep hammering the piggies.

Charles--I think it is too big for a Sika--looked to weigh about 250+ to me. Perhaps a bara singha?

http://www.ephotozine.com/u96260/gallery/1217195

Pere Davids deer I think

So I take it that the landowner didn't fire you!. If you need someone to put in an app. to be your understudy, let me know.
Fine shooting and good work.
Best
GWB

quote:

Perhaps a bara singha?

I think you're correct - perhaps a fugative from an Exotic Park?

As usual Piggie story colorful & amusing ..... keep hammering them.

quote:

Originally posted by shankspony:
Pere Davids deer I think

+1

Congrats on the latest pork patrol........

Bob

In the old days it was so much easier to ID the deer!

Does look like a Pere David's -- never seen one in person that I can recall.

Here's what one of my hunting buds says it is:

http://www.allaboutexotics.com...-species/texas-silk/

All I know is if it shows up at one of my feeders, it will probably catch a bullet or a broadhead. Looks like jerky/dried sausage raw material to me.

And, no, I did't get fired, so I gotta go refill the feeder tomorrow plus go to the other two places and see if I can get back in good graces with those landowners. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it!

BTW--went out to refill the feeder and confirmed the third kill--smallish pig, maybe 50 lbs.

quote:

perhaps a fugative from an Exotic Park?

This is behind a high fence on a place called the Silver Wolf. You can google it up and read about the "owner" of the place. Has all kinds of exotics, including blackbuck, ostriches, emus, bison, elk, axis, and this one--at least these are the ones I've seen and IDed.

barasinghga
http://www.allaboutexotics.com...-species/barasingha/

little spindley horns ..

silver wolf ranch - at least the front is an animal sancuary + church grounds ..

Folks don't have a lot of good things to say about the Silver Wolf's owner either.

http://www.merchantcircle.com/...639-4958/review/list