So I started out the night just watching a large wheat field that is adjacent to the Red River. I sat and waited about an hour and then decided to drive my normal loop. I crept down the gravel roads near the orchards and spotted a lone boar about to cross he road from a large empty pasture and into an orchard. He semi alerted and started heading back towards the Red River. I just kept slowly driving and about 300 yards later I spotted a sounder of over 30 hogs. I slowed the truck to a crawl as to limit the gravel noise, rolled up the window because the wind was blowing towards them, and kept driving until I was about 400 yards past them. Then, I turned the truck around to look. The hogs were gone!
I could see the cows in the far field (over 700 yards away) in the X320, but I couldn't find the pigs. I know they didn't double back on my and head back to the river because they would have ran right past me. Then I saw the cows running. Cows don't typically run so I figured they had chased the pigs into the orchard. I kept easing the truck towards the pasture with the cows, but I just never saw the pigs. I parked the truck about 200 yards from the pasture and gathered my stuff.
So here I am, carrying a tripod, rifle, X320, chest rig, pvs 14 on a helmet, and I'm walking into a huge orchard with a small chance that the hogs are still there. If there were there they were in the very back of the orchard about a mile from where I am parked. I start working my way through the multiple barbed wire fences. Dropping the tripod and rifle, then hopping over the wire and grabbing all the gear again. After walking about 300 yards I hear a SQUEAL! YES! PIGS! But, they are ont he far side of the orchard. Suddenly this longer than normal walk was paying off.
I stalk to about 150 yards and setup the tripod to record through the X320 and the Ultimate Night Vision MDVR, but I didn't get any video besides the sounder moving through the screen from left to right then part of the sounder sprinting through the screen from right to left. This sounder was on the move and hunting for left over pecans. It was 30 minutes from the time I setup the thermal until the first shot went off.
I ended up dropping 3 right off the bat and the sounder split. most of them ran back towards the cows and headed north and did not provide me any more shot opportunities. However, the other part of the sounder ran south, towards other cows and houses, again, not providing a shot opportunity. But, the cows helped me out big time. The cows made the hogs double back towards me and slow way down. there were 3 different herds of cows that kept chasing the small sounder of hogs around until they were worn out. Then the sounder started heading West and they were only about 100 yards from me. I knew the trail they were heading to so I started running down a cow path while paralleling the hogs.
The hogs were trotting now and it was easy for me to keep up with them at a mild jog. I jogged along with them from about 3/4 of a mile and then turned it into a sprint the last 10o yards or so before their trail turned North and I would have a shot. This gave me time to get my PVS 14 back on the rifle before they turned North to head out of my shooting area. I made it! I beat the hogs to the turn and was ready and waiting. Albeit, I was sucking wind and my heart racing I was there.
The hogs made the turn and gave me a good broadside shot at 40 yards. I dropped 2 more and then they were heading toward a herd of cows so I had to shut it down.
This was probably one of the most exciting hunts I have ever had. Not everyday do i get to stalk, shoot, chase, and shoot again. Good thing I keep up with my PT! I ended up with 5 hogs total, one was a 250 pound sow, and a huge s@#$ eating grin!
I could see the cows in the far field (over 700 yards away) in the X320, but I couldn't find the pigs. I know they didn't double back on my and head back to the river because they would have ran right past me. Then I saw the cows running. Cows don't typically run so I figured they had chased the pigs into the orchard. I kept easing the truck towards the pasture with the cows, but I just never saw the pigs. I parked the truck about 200 yards from the pasture and gathered my stuff.
So here I am, carrying a tripod, rifle, X320, chest rig, pvs 14 on a helmet, and I'm walking into a huge orchard with a small chance that the hogs are still there. If there were there they were in the very back of the orchard about a mile from where I am parked. I start working my way through the multiple barbed wire fences. Dropping the tripod and rifle, then hopping over the wire and grabbing all the gear again. After walking about 300 yards I hear a SQUEAL! YES! PIGS! But, they are ont he far side of the orchard. Suddenly this longer than normal walk was paying off.
I stalk to about 150 yards and setup the tripod to record through the X320 and the Ultimate Night Vision MDVR, but I didn't get any video besides the sounder moving through the screen from left to right then part of the sounder sprinting through the screen from right to left. This sounder was on the move and hunting for left over pecans. It was 30 minutes from the time I setup the thermal until the first shot went off.
I ended up dropping 3 right off the bat and the sounder split. most of them ran back towards the cows and headed north and did not provide me any more shot opportunities. However, the other part of the sounder ran south, towards other cows and houses, again, not providing a shot opportunity. But, the cows helped me out big time. The cows made the hogs double back towards me and slow way down. there were 3 different herds of cows that kept chasing the small sounder of hogs around until they were worn out. Then the sounder started heading West and they were only about 100 yards from me. I knew the trail they were heading to so I started running down a cow path while paralleling the hogs.
The hogs were trotting now and it was easy for me to keep up with them at a mild jog. I jogged along with them from about 3/4 of a mile and then turned it into a sprint the last 10o yards or so before their trail turned North and I would have a shot. This gave me time to get my PVS 14 back on the rifle before they turned North to head out of my shooting area. I made it! I beat the hogs to the turn and was ready and waiting. Albeit, I was sucking wind and my heart racing I was there.
The hogs made the turn and gave me a good broadside shot at 40 yards. I dropped 2 more and then they were heading toward a herd of cows so I had to shut it down.
This was probably one of the most exciting hunts I have ever had. Not everyday do i get to stalk, shoot, chase, and shoot again. Good thing I keep up with my PT! I ended up with 5 hogs total, one was a 250 pound sow, and a huge s@#$ eating grin!
