Well, went out as the landowner says they are killing him. in the seat at 8:30, feeder spun at 9:00 and nothing by 10:30. Not even the usual pig parade across the east fence. So got up and went for a walkabout to check another feeder--nothing but a 'coon. Winds had shifted a bit so I didn't expect much. As I walked back into the winds towards my truck I scanned the pasture -- cows, and PIGS! A bunch of them. Decided the best approach and started walking due north with an east/southeast wind, and the pigs due east. Got far enough north that the wind was perfect and began my approach. Got within range and set up on the shooting sticks and popped the first one and it was pigs running everywhere. Another sow ran almost directly at me and I hammered her and swung and shot at several more. Oh yeah, forgot to say there were 36 pigs on my side of the fence and I didn't bother to count those on the other side. After the first shot it was all runners and I hit another 4 or possibly 5 before they got into the woods. Had two pregnant sows about 120-130 lbs each dead. Scanned the woods but found no other dead or wounded ones. Dragged the sows to the buzzard buffet and called it a night. Checked the river bottom on the way out but it was clear.

Nice...
No hogs in the area I maintain for a local farmer in over a year now, I sort of miss the stalk and shoot events as you describe here, seemed always the first shot was a DRT (Dead Right There) or a flopper but the ensuing mover event was "try to get at least one decent round in each glowing blob".
At first I used an AR-15 (5.56/223) and had many run-offs but then switched to an AR-10 (308) and decreased the run-offs to about 25%.
.
Thanks for posting.

You guys have interesting jobs, that's for sure.

Sounds like you found 'em for a change.

Good to nail the sows, cuts down on the population increase.

George

More like they found me--after about 2 hours sitting where I could scan that area I walked away, and when I came back, there they were.

Spring time! More sows with buns in the ovens! Good going!

quote:

Originally posted by DKing:
Nice...
No hogs in the area I maintain for a local farmer in over a year now, I sort of miss the stalk and shoot events as you describe here, seemed always the first shot was a DRT (Dead Right There) or a flopper but the ensuing mover event was "try to get at least one decent round in each glowing blob".
At first I used an AR-15 (5.56/223) and had many run-offs but then switched to an AR-10 (308) and decreased the run-offs to about 25%.
.
Thanks for posting.

I agree. A .223 can get the job done with perfect shot placement. But when jumping up pigs while stalking, or blasting a sounder at a feeder, the .308 is the better choice.

A POF Revolution in .308 has become my go-to pig hunting rig. The POF starts out at 6.8 lbs, significantly lighter than most AR-308's.

I shoot 150gr bullets and have a Deadair suppressor w/ ebrake. Recoil is minimal, allowing for fast followup shots. It's been a really nice setup.

Back out this week and nothing-not a hog. Coons, skunks, and deer. Both the cameras verified that the hog numbers were down. While I was sitting I heard a bunch of shots from the north and sounded like they were a mile or more away. Hopefully someone connected with pork. Stopped to scan the river bottom pasture on the way out and nothing there either. Just a matter of time before they will be back.

I can't figure one thing out. You boys down south complain about the pigs all the time. Yet if us Yankees want to come down & shoot some of them you want to charge us to do it. You should be paying us to take care of your pigs.

quote:

Originally posted by larry miller:
I can't figure one thing out. You boys down south complain about the pigs all the time. Yet if us Yankees want to come down & shoot some of them you want to charge us to do it. You should be paying us to take care of your pigs.

My landowners ask me to come shoot ‘em, and the guy who owns the land on either side of one place says the same thing (and I do). I think the main thing I have learned about land access in Texas since I arrived here in ‘69 is that there is so little public land that landowners have learned that they can charge and do.

I am a recent Texan, and had sort of wondered the same thing until I read a rancher describe his side of the story in a thoiughtful and enlightening post on the Texas Hunting Forum. There's just a lot of liability in a whole lot of areas that the landowner is exposed to, and some recompense seems pretty fair. That said, if some landowner should find it in his heart to ask old Bill if he would like to give hog-shooting a go, I would not hesitate ...