I had a rough month in March.

Went on a hog hunt March 8[sup]th[/sup] and being stupid while sighting in my 9.3 x 74R, got scope eye. Split my head open right between the eyes. Don’t know whether I had a concussion, but I bled like a stuck pig. Got back late Saturday and spent most of the week putting up pork.


Friday the 17th, instead of putting a 60 qt. pot on the burner, then filling it with water and hog skulls for boiling, I filled the pot, put the skulls in, then lifted it on the burner. Stupid me, pulled my back out, so It was more Ibuprofen an laying up healing.


The next Tuesday March 21, I had a basal cell carcinoma removed from under my right eye (I shoot right handed). They took a gouge out about 1-1/4” long by 5/8” wide, then sewed me up and put a pressure bandage right under my lower lid.Talk about distracting. Well that had me messed up for a week.Got the stitches out on the 28[sup]th[/sup].



I had scheduled to go to my lease on March 31 as our spring Turkey season starts April 1.As it turned out it was a nasty stormy weekend and I used that as an excuse to miss my first spring turkey opener in about 20 years.


However, I did manage to go up last Wednesday morning.Got back about midnite last nite.


As the title of the post states, not bad for a quickie!


I didn’t do a whole lot of shootin’.But I did do a bit of perforating.


Anywho, I scored this Dakota 76 Alpine in 280 Remington a while back.Due to circumstances I had not had a chance to blood it before last Thursday.

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As mentioned previously, went to my lease Wednesday afternoon, but did not hunt that afternoon.



Started to sleep in Thursday morning, but I knew it was going to be a bluebird day, and I decided I did not want to miss the woods coming alive.



Got into the stand about 6:20.First hoglet wondered in about 6:55. I nailed him.DRT.



A few minutes later I spied a sounder that had a big sow and a bunch of shoats off to my right.

Nailed the sow.



About an hour later a sounder of 30 pounders came in to where I'd shot the first hoglet. I waited, held fire, lined two up, and got a double.


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Not bad. Maiden voyage and the Dakota perforated 4 hoglets! Four pigs the first morning between 90 and 125 yds.


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Next, I went and set snares and then back to camp for my noon siesta.


Went back out about 5 PM. Made two stalks on Turkey.

First time I stalked about 200 yds. Got within 50 yds of a nice tom. Put my rifle on the stix and drew a bead."Click". I never carry a rifle with a shell in the chamber and I seldom do a stalk. I had forgotten to put a shell in the chamber. The tom heard the click of the firing pin. I was busted and he took off.

My second stalk was aborted about 20 yds.in when the tom saw me at about 220 yds. Well I climbed back in the stand and decided that I'd not stalk this time. I'd take my chances and fling a bullet.

About 6:30 three toms flew onto the flats about 200 yds from me. There were a couple hens between me and them and they started moseying our way.


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I decided to try a shot on the tom that I could see the clearest. I nailed him at 180 yds.


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The bullet caught the bird right at the junction of the neck and back.


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Ruffled a few feathers, broke his neck, but did not mess up any of the meat.


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Turkey leg soup and jerky on the menu!


All and all it was a good day for the Dakota.


My bud and I tossed back a few adult beverages that night and I decided to sleep in Friday morning.

Did go out later and run my snares.

I snared this guy on Friday morning


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When I rode up on the 4 wheeler, I could not see the snare. I had forgotten that it was not attached to a fence post, but rather to a big juniper adjacent the fence. I attach a 10' leader to the snare, and did not see the hog under the low lying branches of the thick juniper. I figured he'd worried the snare till it broke. When I bent down to pull on the cable, the boar came alive, snorted and charged me. I already had my pistol in my hand. I jumped back and started firing. Let fly with six 200 grainers, at which point he dropped. Nailed him with the Glock G20.


That will get your blood up and make your scotum pucker!


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I’d a stayed longer but I got tired of skinning!




JAPPFT,



GWB

I agree....not bad!

Except for attempting a frontal lobotomy on yourself and having to have surgery to remove something that really did not need to be there, sounds like you had an interesting time.

Hope all is well with the eye surgery.

shhhhh....there are piggies sleeping under the feeder.

Nice! (except for the scope eye thing)

quote:

First time I stalked about 200 yds. Got within 50 yds of a nice tom. Put my rifle on the stix and drew a bead."Click". I never carry a rifle with a shell in the chamber and I seldom do a stalk. I had forgotten to put a shell in the chamber. The tom heard the click of the firing pin. I was busted and he took off.

Good job on the pigs and turkey/

You should try stalking more often sneaking up on hogs in the thick stuff and shooting them up close and personnel is interesting.

The closest I have got to and shot them is 5 feet.

Nice hunt GW.I have serious emotional issues with your 280.

Todd,
280 Remington, 55 gr. RL-19, 215M Primer (magnum rifle) 140 gr. Nosler Accubond, 3.335 COAL.

Randall,
I've been heard to say on more than one occasion, I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than an frontal lobotomy. I now have a scar between my eyes and the scar from 10 stitches on an angle below my right eye. I'm thinking of practicing my "AARRRGH's", to see if I can get a part time job as a pirate.

PDS,

A couple years ago it was on a hot summer eve IIRC. I was about two miles from camp and it was past dark-thirty. I thought I saw some shadows at a feeder about 150 yds. from the spot where I was sitting at "the cliffs". I illuminated them with my kill light. Had it turned way down so as not to spook them. I aimed for the glowing eyes. I heard the scream of what I took to be a mortally wounded hog. From where I sat, in the dark it takes me about 20 minutes to climb down the rock-face and traipse through the juniper to where I park my 4 wheeler. I negotiate the half mile or so trek down the hill and across a rock strewn dry stream bed to the feeder location. I get my flashlight and head light and start looking for blood as there is no dead pig in sight. I find blood and start tracking. Naturally the blood trail heads to a tunnel that opens between two enormous patches of cactus and a trail that is about a foot wide and 18" high. I plunge in with my headlight on my Glock 20 in one hand and a flashlight in the other. I'd crawled about 10 yds and already was getting stuck and scratched when the thought occurred to me, My buds are back in camp cooking and enjoying a beverage, I'm a couple a miles away from camp. Nobody has a real clue where I am. Ya' know, I'm 60+ years old, have been doing this since I was 14 or so. One of these days my luck is going to run out and a mean bad ol' boar is gonna be in my face. There will be no way to back up.




And they can rip ya a new orifice.


I backed out, headed back to camp and a beverage and didn't look back



I may track during the day now but I've not tracked a wounded hog at night through the scrub since.


About as brave as I am these days is to ride up on a snared boar and nail him within 10' or so as he's charging or floundering.












ya!

GWB

Glad you are on the mend. I am on the disabled list for a bit. Got dog bit last Thursday so I am at home trying to keep my hand elevated. Crazy thing is the dog was my own, he was protecting his yard from the pit-bull trying to come through the chain link fence. Wish now I would have shot the other dog instead of putting my hand anywhere close to them. Just didn't think I reckon.

Outstanding my friend!

The Bobo's will heal.........and add character....like you need more character!

Damn fine!

Zeke

quote:

tunnel that opens between two enormous patches of cactus and a trail that is about a foot wide and 18" high.

those cactus patches can be painful like you I don't think I would chase a wounded hog in the dark.

Sneaking around the stuff during the day is total different the in the dark for sure

quote:

Anywho, I scored this Dakota 76 Alpine in 280 Remington a while back.Due to circumstances I had not had a chance to blood it before last Thursday.

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I love that maple stock! I'd also love to live somewhere where I had year around hunting like you do. Though I'm not sure I'd want all them hogs on my property that you seem to be killing all the time.

GW---I love your photos. Get some practice in with those shotguns. I'm bring more clay pigeons on our hog hunt next year. See you there. Bob

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Originally posted by Colorado Bob:
GW---I love your photos. Get some practice in with those shotguns. I'm bring more clay pigeons on our hog hunt next year. See you there. Bob

10/4

Other than getting scope-eye the hog hunt was a blast.



I do fair on birds and bunnies





but clays, not so much.



I'm thinking of practicing up for next year. I will bring 3 or 4 cases of birds. Leastways some of youse guys can break em'









ya!


GWB

That maple stock sure is pretty.

The stock on that Dakota is something special.