No video 
I forgot to put the SD card back into my video recorder after my last hunt. Normally the video recorder makes a unique sound to indicate a missing card, but not last night. Honestly my video recorder is so weird I seldom really know what it's doing.
Anyway —
The landowner said beavers are gnawing down some large trees along a small creek, and she wanted them added to the kill list. I sat out for a while last night waiting for beavers, but they didn't show. I moved over near a feeder that had game camera photos showing hog activity. The wind wasn't in my favor and I had to move. Normally I set up for a southerly wind behind some small youpon bushes that are in an open area, but the wind was from the northeast and blowing directly from that spot toward the feeder. I moved to the west as far as I could, which put me right up against the tree line. Any farther and I've have been in the brush! It wasn't the perfect setup and the wind eventually shifted even more to the north, carrying my scent almost toward the feeder. However, the hogs usually approach from the southeast so I was hoping I'd get a shot before they detected my presence.
That happened, but not in the way I anticipated.
Here's where I ended up waiting. The feeder is to the south. Typically hogs come from directly behind the feeder or out of the woods farther to the left. About 1½ hours after sundown I started hearing hogs. However, instead of coming from in front of me, they were coming through the trees and brush behind me! They passed within 15 yards of my position, rooting and shuffling as they went. I was somewhat (okay, a lot) nervous because I worried that, if a sow suddenly detected me, they might think I was a threat to their piglets. This was clearly a large sounder from the noise they were making. I swiveled around to face the trees just yards from me with my rifle ready. I doubt that I would have hit anything but I was prepared to make a bunch of noise if they got feisty. I occasionally caught glimpses of them moving through the brush with my thermal monocular.
They passed me by, and I turned back to keep an eye on the feeder. A raccoon came out, then two more raccoons. I watched them, figuring they'd give a clue as to when the hogs were about to emerge from the brush. Indeed, after several minutes the raccoons decided they needed to be somewhere else. Soon after a piglet ran out into the open followed by a larger hog. I waited, figuring the largest hogs would wait until they decided it was safe. A few more smaller hogs came out, then another large one. The all stopped a few yards from the woods and waited. Then the second large hog turned around and disappeared. Immediately after that I saw the first two hogs lift their noses. I was busted! They turned and started for the trees and I figured it was now or never. I took a quick shot at the larger hog, and managed a lucky shot that nailed her in the eyes. The bullet entered the right eye and exited the left one. No tracking involved!
She taped at 28 inches behind the front legs indicating a weight of about 80 Lbs. I took all four leg quarters and the backstraps. They're destined for the smoker!
Rifle is a 300 Blackout. Bullet was a Hornady 110 grain VMAX. Scope is an IR Hunter MKIII 60mm. Suppressor is home made on a Form 1.
Afterwards I went back and searched for beavers some more, but they remain elusive.
I forgot to put the SD card back into my video recorder after my last hunt. Normally the video recorder makes a unique sound to indicate a missing card, but not last night. Honestly my video recorder is so weird I seldom really know what it's doing.
Anyway —
The landowner said beavers are gnawing down some large trees along a small creek, and she wanted them added to the kill list. I sat out for a while last night waiting for beavers, but they didn't show. I moved over near a feeder that had game camera photos showing hog activity. The wind wasn't in my favor and I had to move. Normally I set up for a southerly wind behind some small youpon bushes that are in an open area, but the wind was from the northeast and blowing directly from that spot toward the feeder. I moved to the west as far as I could, which put me right up against the tree line. Any farther and I've have been in the brush! It wasn't the perfect setup and the wind eventually shifted even more to the north, carrying my scent almost toward the feeder. However, the hogs usually approach from the southeast so I was hoping I'd get a shot before they detected my presence.
That happened, but not in the way I anticipated.
Here's where I ended up waiting. The feeder is to the south. Typically hogs come from directly behind the feeder or out of the woods farther to the left. About 1½ hours after sundown I started hearing hogs. However, instead of coming from in front of me, they were coming through the trees and brush behind me! They passed within 15 yards of my position, rooting and shuffling as they went. I was somewhat (okay, a lot) nervous because I worried that, if a sow suddenly detected me, they might think I was a threat to their piglets. This was clearly a large sounder from the noise they were making. I swiveled around to face the trees just yards from me with my rifle ready. I doubt that I would have hit anything but I was prepared to make a bunch of noise if they got feisty. I occasionally caught glimpses of them moving through the brush with my thermal monocular.
They passed me by, and I turned back to keep an eye on the feeder. A raccoon came out, then two more raccoons. I watched them, figuring they'd give a clue as to when the hogs were about to emerge from the brush. Indeed, after several minutes the raccoons decided they needed to be somewhere else. Soon after a piglet ran out into the open followed by a larger hog. I waited, figuring the largest hogs would wait until they decided it was safe. A few more smaller hogs came out, then another large one. The all stopped a few yards from the woods and waited. Then the second large hog turned around and disappeared. Immediately after that I saw the first two hogs lift their noses. I was busted! They turned and started for the trees and I figured it was now or never. I took a quick shot at the larger hog, and managed a lucky shot that nailed her in the eyes. The bullet entered the right eye and exited the left one. No tracking involved!
She taped at 28 inches behind the front legs indicating a weight of about 80 Lbs. I took all four leg quarters and the backstraps. They're destined for the smoker!
Rifle is a 300 Blackout. Bullet was a Hornady 110 grain VMAX. Scope is an IR Hunter MKIII 60mm. Suppressor is home made on a Form 1.
Afterwards I went back and searched for beavers some more, but they remain elusive.
