They're back. The ground is clean as a dog licked plate. So, I turned the feeder back on for a morning spin and an evening spin. Last night there were over 500 pictures taken. Some of the familiar faces appeared but there were several newcomers. The big boars didn't show. Some piglets. Looks like a whole community of pigs down there, and the big sows have kept some of them away, but now they are showing up too. As predicted the competition will draw them in.

I have one of those Leupold variable 2x7 scopes in 30mm tube with the variable intensity red dots. I checked it and the battery is apparently run out. I think I'll get a fresh battery. I'm thinking that red dot may prove handy, plus as I remember this scope gathers light well. If I can see the hogs, silhouette or whatever, then with the red dot I don't have to find the cross hairs too. I've noticed that I've run out of focus adjustment on the standard Leupolds - in other words with the adjustment turned all the way in, I'm still seeing double crosshairs.

Also I'm going to reassemble my custom 8x57 CZ 550, which is fresh back from W.E. Birdsong. When I moved out of AK, this rifle got some rust while in storage, so the simplest and best solution was to Black T all the metal including the rings. The bore was fine, but the blued finish was toast.

KB

Kab, I spin morning corn early morning only. After awhile they started coming in on occasions except for the dominate boar which is still late night only.
As far as the scope goes, I use a Lecia with an adjustable red dot as well. I took a hog last week so late in the evening I could no longer see my black center dot so I turned on the red dot just right and smacked him right behind the eat from 61 yards with a 7 x 57, It only weighed 99 pounds on the scale live weight.
I have enjoyed your updates and look forward to the pig roast I am hoping you will throw so you can send photos of that too.

I tried to set up the 8x57, but I can't find the 30mm rings to fit it. Misplaced somewhere and I hope will show up. I usually send the rings to Birdsong along with all the other metal, but this time the rings are not with the stuff received back, so apparently the rings are somewhere in a safe place.

I got a new battery, then remembered that I already have a 30mm Leupold VX-R 2x7 red dot mounted on my Armalite AR10 and I sighted it in about ten days ago. I forgot it was a red dot because the battery was dead in it too, but not anymore.

That AR10 is a real firearm/weapon. I've killed hogs with it in Texas and it just slams them. It's the one with the 16" stainless target type barrel with the free float tube, flash hider and fixed stock. When Armalite was advertising the rifle, they had it shown with hogs in the background. Last time I looked I didn't see it available on their website. The reason I bought it was because I had a friend who had one, and I was so impressed with it at the range.

I have been using an AR15 in 6.5 Grendel setup almost the same as the AR10, with Armalite lower and butt stock, and Armalite float tube. I forget the brand of upper receiver assembly but it's wearing a Shilen barrel. Now seems to be a good time and excuse to break out the 308. After seeing how well the Red Dot works I may put the other scope on my AR15 Grendel instead of the bolt action.

So, a question -- does anyone shoot left handed an AR15 or AR10 which ejects on the right side? How's that working out for you?

KB

Checking the weather forecast, it's expected to rain a lot here, thunder storms too, until Christmas day, when it's supposed to turn cooler and clear.

Looks like pork for Christmas.

KB

I'm not sure how far you are set up from your feeder, but, if you're reasonably close, from experience, when you can't see your reticle, all you have to do is put the shoulder area of pig you want to shoot in center of scope and squeeze it off. Dead pig.

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:
from experience, when you can't see your reticle, all you have to do is put the shoulder area of pig you want to shoot in center of scope and squeeze it off. Dead pig.

That seems rather practical.

Of all my hunting experiences, this is a new one. I've just never had a situation where I took a shot not seeing the reticle. Once upon a time we used to shine rabbits and I learned to shoot them with a scoped 22LR. The shot was easily made with the spotlight on the rabbit.

I suppose I'm being overcautious and perhaps overthinking it. In a way that's part of the fun. We're all technical to some degree. But the motive is really that I hate tracking wounded hogs. Given the setup, I won't bother until the morning - daylight, if at all.

Also, I don't want a stinking dead hog out there for several reasons. One is that it may prevent others from coming in, and another prime reason is that the survivors may eat it, and thus get stinky meat themselves. Not a pretty scenario - best avoided.

The goal with this setup is D R T.

Then I fetch the tractor with the bush hog (rotary mower) and roll the hog up onto the deck of the bush hog, which will be lowered down almost on the ground, with the rear wheel supporting it. Judging from the size of the big sows, just rolling one up onto the bush hog may be too much for me alone. I may have to drag it out with the tractor, or call my cousin to come over and help me, or figure another solution such as using my hoist pulley system to pull it up onto the bush hog.

It's great to have these new challenges to solve. It will be even better when they are not just hypothetical.

KB

In case the pig is too heavy to easily pick up, take along a chain or a stout rope/piece nylon strap and wrap/tie it around one of pigs hind legs, make it a fairly short lead (so he won't get caught on a tree, fence post, etc. as you turn) and tie or chain him to tractor or shredder. Then simply drag him out. The hide is so tough it won't do any damage to meat. I keep about a 8 foot length of fairly light chain on my 4 wheeler for just such occasions.

Remember, you don't have but one back, and pigs can be heavy.

This has been mentioned before, but if you're doing this primarily for meat, then pick out a good big sow and shoot her in the head/neck. It is likely that when you kill her, the pigs will abandon that spot for a while, so make your first effort count.

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:
In case the pig is too heavy to easily pick up, take along a chain or a stout rope/piece nylon strap and wrap/tie it around one of pigs hind legs, make it a fairly short lead (so he won't get caught on a tree, fence post, etc. as you turn) and tie or chain him to tractor or shredder. Then simply drag him out. The hide is so tough it won't do any damage to meat. I keep about a 8 foot length of fairly light chain on my 4 wheeler for just such occasions.

Remember, you don't have but one back, and pigs can be heavy.

This has been mentioned before, but if you're doing this primarily for meat, then pick out a good big sow and shoot her in the head/neck. It is likely that when you kill her, the pigs will abandon that spot for a while, so make your first effort count.

This is good advice. What are you waiting for KB?

quote:

Originally posted by Whitworth:
What are you waiting for KB?

I prefer to wait till the thunderstorms pass. I'm waiting on better weather and wind direction.


http://www.wunderground.com/q/zmw:31709.1.99999


Click on the link, look at the 10 day forecast. Click on the 24th - see 7pm - wind from the west

click on the 25th, see 7 pm, wind from WSW

the 26th, 7 pm, wind SSE


When the wind is from the west it's blowing my scent right towards the feeder. WSW is better. ESE is much better. They can't catch my scent when the wind is from the E or S.

When I setup this stand and feeder I had already been watching the weather/wind patterns here for some time. I studied the area and potential sites. There are some really interesting spots back in there, but it's getting there that's the problem. I wanted to be able to drive the truck or tractor there, and with even a little rain it turns to swamp.

Also, I wanted minimal intrusion when getting on the stand.

So, I had to pick a spot kinda on the outskirts of hoggy epicenter - just on the edge - close enough to get their attention, and a place where they would cross sooner or later and find the corn.

The feeder is almost due East of the stand. The wind rarely blows from the West.

KB

As expected, visitation at the feeder for the last two nights has been sparse. Night before last a nice little eight point buck came until the hogs drove it off about 10 pm.

Last night it stormed all night with wind and lightening and lots of rain. It looks like the spotted boar was the only visitor and he was late.

Tonight and for the next several days, the conditions look good.

KB

Good luck to you, KB! And Merry Christmas!

I got one. Details later.

Now the work begins.

Merry Christmas

KB

Good deal KB, looking forward to details. If I was near you I would loan you a knife to help make it go better.

This is not one of the big ones. There were lots of hogs tonight. So many that it was hard to pick a shot. I waited till one of those moving around the perimeter presented a shot. It was a lot more difficult than expected. The red dot helped. It was really difficult to pick one out and also tell which way it was pointed. I would hate to shoot it in the wrong end, or shoot through and wound a second one, or etc. The solar LED yard light made it possible, but barely. It was full night, and the only light was from the LED.

In the future I'm taking someone's suggestion and make little piles of corn in the best spot for whacking one. Tonight they seemed to cluster under the feeder which made it difficult to pick out just one.

I wonder how long it will be before they are back.

This was a young sow without piglets. It hardly had any smell when I cleaned it. Very fat, and the fat is real clean and white, not yellow.

After I shot I couldn't tell if the hog was dead or not. I couldn't see it from the stand because it's the same color as the grass and ground, and it was laying behind a little mound of stuff they had rooted up. I came home and got the tractor and found it DRT with the headlights. It was a bad feeling there for a bit, thinking maybe I had missed after all that trouble.

Everything went as expected, but I didn't get the big one. Tomorrow I may post some more pictures after getting the card from the trail camera. The good thing is that this one is very likely to be good eating.

See that boat trailer winch in one of the pictures - I rigged that up yesterday, expecting to have to lift and butcher a 300 lb hog. I took it off an old trailer and after lots of lube/grease got it working again. It works so well that everyone should have one.

It was much easier than expected to pull/roll the sow onto the bush hog. Of course this isn't a 300 lb hog, but I believe I could get one that big up there by myself. After all the rain, the ground is getting really soft down there where the feeder is. I probably won't be able to get the tractor in there much longer.

Another interesting thing was the amount of noise they made coming in. I could hear them coming a long way off. It was kinda spooky.

KB

NICELY DONE, KB!!!! Congratulations! All of this paid off! Great!

Excellent!

Do you still have your camera out? I am curious how long it takes them to come back.

Are you in Georgia permanently, or do you still live in Alaska part time?

I always figured on spending summers in Alaska when I retired, and have for the last two years. For many years I've wanted to finish my cabin up there, but it's difficult. Time, money, getting materials, tools and help, etc. Plus it's nice to do some fishing while there. For now it's still a plan. I hate to give it up, besides it's just too damn hot down here in summer. I figure it will be my dream until I can't do it anymore. Last week I got a job offer doing some consulting work for a small Alaska rural city. I would be a slacker for not taking it. Four to six weeks, travel and housing paid for. Perhaps the money can jump start my cabin project next summer. The pay is just barely enough to put up with politicians. I figure I can stand it and put on good behavior for six weeks.


Below is the sequence on the trail camera of the shot. Notice that Hawgzilla was standing behind the sow when I shot. I couldn't see him in the scope. The last picture shows why I couldn't see the sow from the stand after the shot. She's there, but even the camera can't see her.

Also in the last picture, if you look real close, to the right of the feeder stand, there is a spotted hog standing there. He is the one who came back within minutes, but by that time I was headed to the house.

Unbelievably, one or two hogs came back within the time it took me to go get the tractor. I didn't go down there right away but climbed down quietly and left directly. Also, some hogs returned after 4:00 am. They are visiting the other feeder too.

The sisters are back.

One new sow with a bunch of little piglets.

I'm planning on sitting on the stand this evening.

Lately I've been busy shopping. I noticed a bunch of motivated sellers lately. Must be tight in this part of the country and folk want to raise Christmas money. I wouldn't try to sell a boat this time of year, but there are a slug of them on Craigslist.

After looking at about a dozen, I found one at the right price, which seems will serve the purpose of inshore fishing the Georgia coast for specks and reds, etc.

Thinking ahead. Hog and deer hunting will be over soon, and a retired guy needs a plan.

I got another one last night. This one looks like a copy of the other one. It's apparent that I'm shooting sisters since there were four, then three, and now two. There are others coming to the feeder, but these are the four initial sows. The trail camera is deceiving as to size, and I figured they were much larger from the pictures. They are still plenty big. And of course that really big black sow hasn't shown up again after the shooting started.

Fantastic. Glad it is paying off for you!

I've been checking the neighborhood, and I'm seeing more hog sign than ever - and I mean all of a sudden. In the usual spots there is lots of rooting all along the roadside and in the edges of fields, and well worn trails where they travel from one head of woods to another, at night of course. In the dirt roads there are swarms of tracks. I'm sure I'm not the only one seeing that. I expect the farm boys to start their hog wars soon with the AR15, and night vision - as soon as deer season is over. I've seen fresh activity over at the dog kennels too, with visitation from out-of-town trucks with dog boxes. They are getting ready for the chase later this month. Also, at the local welding shop, someone has ordered some traps, as I see he's stacking them out back for pickup.

KB

Great job, KB! Nicely done!

well done! Keep after them...

Hey Bobby, I really like the way you whack um with your single shot carbines. Excellent reports.

Many times when I see or use my Encore (I see it a lot more than use it), I think of your success.

Now that I think about it, we're having a sighting in session tomorrow so I can do the Encore too, with the handloads I finally found, and hopefully use it before the season is out.

KB