Had the opportunity to take my oldest son with me this weekend. Its bow season and I wanted him to have the opportunity to hunt for some venison. He scored on a decent ten point at 21 paces. I took the opportunity to hunt hogs. I sure like shooting and eating those critters.
I nailed five in four hunts.
We ended up leaving Houston at 11:00 PM Thursday night, and got to the lease in Uvalde about 5:30 AM. I left the keys to my 4-wheeler at home, so by the time I got it hot wired it was close to 6:00 AM. Got my son in a ground blind I'd set up the week before about 6:45 and then on to one of my honey holes. I got set up and about 7:10 the corn feeder spun. It was to dark to see, and I didn't hear any corn coming out. Well I waited until 7:40. It was now light enough to see, but no pigs. Being the impatient sort, and having another spot close by, I climbed down to go inspect. Sure enough, by time I got to the feeder to check, a sounder of hogs was about twenty yards away in the brush. They saw me before I saw them, and they took off. Bummer. Well I decided to walk a couple hundred yards up the side of a hill to where I had another stand set up that looks down on another feeder. I climbed up and just as I get to the top of the ladder I look down at the feeder and my rifle clangs against the steel ladder. Wouldn’t you know it. Well the hogs at that feeder skeedaddled. Not even in the stand for an hour and done ran off two sounders of hogs. Not a great way to start the day. No sleep since the day before and it’s already in the 80’s, humidity is up, I’m sweating like a politician telling the truth and been busted twice. Luckily my son arrowed a nice10 point buck, so that helped. Friday evening I got in the tripod where the hogs first busted me. I sat there for 2-1/2 hours in the direct sun. Boy those gnats sure made a meal out of me. About dead dark, I noticed some shapes under the feeder, I don’t know if I would have been able to see them if one had not had some white/tan grizzle. I have an illuminated reticule on the Leupold scope which definitely helps see the cross hairs in the dark. I picked out a shape, waited till he looked broadside, estimated where I wanted to place the shot an squeezed. Luck was with me and I nailed this 100 lb. boar. A 180 gr. 8mm Nosler ballistic tip below the ear works every time.



Saturday morning it was misting rain. I’d not expect this and did not bring my rain gear, but what the heck. Soaking wet at 80 degrees aint that bad. I went back to a good spot that I’ve cut a hole in the brush and set up a corn feeder.



It’s a 164 yd shot. I put out some moldy corn and hog wild, then climbed in my stand at the top of the hill. As it was overcast and misting rain, shooting light came late. It was still to dark to see distinctly, but a sounder came out about 7:25 AM. Luckily I was using the lighted reticule on my 325 WSM. This rifle will do an inch at 100 yds, so I was good. I picked out a shape and squeezed. I don’t know how much you shoot, but with a bullet of substantial weight at under 3000 fps. Muzzle velocity at a distance of 100 yds., plus, you can hear the “whaaap” of the bullet impact.. I heard the whaaap and when I could get back on target, there was a shape under the feeder. I waited another hour or so but nothing else showed.

Saturday evening was the most fun. I loaded up a ground blind, a chair, my Foxpro FX3 caller, a couple hand call, a Sako Riihimaki in 222 Rem. and my Merkel K1 in 7-08. I figured I do some varmint calling, and perhaps nail a fox or coyote before dark and maybe have some hogs come in also. I went to a friends location that has been pretty productive in the past. I got set up about 5 PM and did the gnat and sweating thing once again till close to dark. Just as it was about too dark to see anything but shadows I heard a sounder coming in way before I could see them. I had set the ground blind up about 50 yards from the feeder. I waited till I could hear them munching the corn. I set the Merkel up on some shooting sticks, waited for a broadside shot and aimed for the estimated sweet spot. The flash from the 19” barrel temporarily blinded me. When I was able to see through the scope again, there were still shapes under the feeder. Amazing, I had fired a 7-08 at 50 yards and they hadn’t scattered. Well pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered. I had not expected to get a second shot and did not have another round in my hand. It was totally dark, and I could not find another 7-08 round. I remembered I had the 222 Rem. I have it loaded with 45 gr. Barnes triple shocks just for hogs, so I was comfortable with a 50 yd shot. I put the Riihimaki on the sticks and found another target and let another round fly. At that distance I had not heard either bullet impact. Amazingly the shapes were still under the feeder so I chambered another round and got back on the stick, when all hell broke loose. They started charging straight at me and the ground blind. I picked out a shape and let fly. As soon as I did that pig let out a god awful scream and veered off to my right running and squealing. For the next minute or so I must have had 10 different hogs running all around me. I thought a couple of piggies were going to come in the blind. After a few minutes and things calmed down I found my head light in my pack and got out of the blind, then went over to the feeder. I had these two on the ground.



I decided not to go traipsing through the brush after the other one. A regular pig rodeo. Man that was fun.

Anyway it ended up that I shot five hoglets and recovered four. The brindled boar was 100 lbs. live weight. The black sow was 110 lbs. live weight. The smaller hogs were about 30 an 50 lbs respectively.



Between my son’s deer at 150 lbs. and my hogs we’ve got enough for the first round of venison and sausage. Good thing as I had turned the last pork hind into pulled pork sandwiches about two weeks ago.

Back one day, and I’m itching to go again. Man I love poppin’ porkers!

Best

GWB

Great story Geedubya. You are having way too much fun, I am jealous.

WOW, beautiful country you hunt, nice rolling hills. I've hunted west of San Antonio in Hondo, allot dryer, and flatter, not as pretty.
LOVE that single shot rifle in photo #3, is that the Merkel? Would love one in 9.3x74R. Great shooting GW, thank you for sharing.

quote:

Originally posted by Hawaiian_Hunter:
WOW, beautiful country you hunt, nice rolling hills. I've hunted west of San Antonio in Hondo, allot dryer, and flatter, not as pretty.
LOVE that single shot rifle in photo #3, is that the Merkel? Would love one in 9.3x74R. Great shooting GW, thank you for sharing.

HH,
It took several years to find this particular Merkel on the "pre-enjoyed" market. I've been in touch with Steyr/Merkel about purchasing another barrel. It's interesting, as the 9.3 x 74 would be my choice.

Our lease is about 16 miles north of Uvalde near Reagan Wells, Tx. It is 6 miles in on a ranch road west of Hwy 83. No power or live water, cisterns that are gravity fed. It is wild, rough and beautiful. I think my bones could rest easy there. I've put my order in to the big man upstairs to let me die in the stand when the time comes. I've instructed my buds to roll me out and let the hogs recycle me. Lord knows it would only be fair considering how many of them I've shot and ate.

Here are some photos of this particular lease.

Best

GWB

Uvalde? Sheesh that's just a stone's throw from Hondo (actually 3 miles south of Hondo off Hwy 173) where I hunted but looks more hilly. Beautiful country. The Texas hospitality towards an island boy first time in Texas was beyond awesome, made a few good life long friends.

When I go I want to be out on the open ocean on my canoe and feed the sharks who let me swim with them for so many years.

Nice work, Geedubya!!

YeeHaw!
Good for you Geedubya.
Pigs for dinner.

Congrats GW. I'm jealous of the Nosler 48 Custom.

quote:

Originally posted by scottfromdallas:
Congrats GW. I'm jealous of the Nosler 48 Custom.

Scott, I got that a couple years ago when they were doing the NRA discount. It is chambered in 325 WSM and the Leupold scope has an illuminated reticle. It is what I've been using quite a bit for low light/inclement weather applications.

Would you believe I found one chambered in 270 WSM for right at 50% of MSRP. I jumped on it like a duck on a June bug. Now I've just got to figure out how to pay for it.

GWB

Outstanding! Looks like you had a lot of fun in a target rich environment!

I gotta find another lease...........my daughter is gonna kill me if I don't.


.

quote:

Originally posted by Geedubya:

quote:

Originally posted by scottfromdallas:
Congrats GW. I'm jealous of the Nosler 48 Custom.

Scott, I got that a couple years ago when they were doing the NRA discount. It is chambered in 325 WSM and the Leupold scope has an illuminated reticle. It is what I've been using quite a bit for low light/inclement weather applications.

Would you believe I found one chambered in 270 WSM for right at 50% of MSRP. I jumped on it like a duck on a June bug. Now I've just got to figure out how to pay for it.

GWB

That is a good deal. I really love the looks and weight of the 48 Custom.

great work thanks for sharing my friend ,nice Merkel.

Great Hunting tale! thanks for sharing it!