slim_shady
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Remember the last time a close friend from out of state said they were coming in to visit and would love to go hog hunting! Well that was my call a couple months back.
Pastor Wayne served in the military here in TX, I don't remember all the details but he has gone on several different hunts over the years for different kinds of game. He's a man of few words, but when he speaks its usually about the bible, and stories about his children growing up.
Having known for years its been a desire of his to go hog hunting I've always left an open invitation. Over the last couple of years I've often sent pictures and told stories of some of my more exciting hunts. Now Im on the line to produce a hog when I haven't seen a hog on my own in about 6 weeks on the property I hunt.
After spotting several nights in a row this last week, setting up new bait areas and and 2 extra cameras I still got nothing. So I suggest we go out both Sat and Sunday night to improve our odds, However I still haven't told him Its been a ghost town around here. Thursday night I spotted something moving about 400 yards away that looks like it might be a hog, in an area I've seen activity before so I decide thats the spot to bait up and watch.
I was off work before 3 on Saturday, and had everything packed into the truck by 5. I headed off to bait up the sight, and check the zero on the rem 700 in .308 with my new hornady eldx hand loads. Yep ready to roll and stare at corn on the ground.
We were setup and in position just before the sun went down. Wayne is well over 6' tall and had trouble holding the riffle steady with my tripod sticks extended as high as they would go. So I suggested he line up using the hood of the truck. He's tall enough he can almost see over the top of my Suburban so I dug out two old couch cushions out of the back of the truck, piled them on top of another for him to rest the gun on. Ok were at the wait and watch phase.
Tick Tock, Tick tock, Yep the corn is still there. OK...... after an hour and a half he said "If you want to drive around and try to spot any Im game. I think to myself "Yep its over, were not going to see anything".
I decided if we were going to roam I would head to the farthest point and work our way back, so we hit the FM road and headed East. The first stop was a pasture we had cows in. Once in the gate I did a quick scan. The lower part of the pasture has many old native pecans and have known to have plenty of hogs and I rarely hunt the area. Nothing nothing nothing. Another field next to the pasture had recently been cut and bailed, and all the bales were left in the field so the gates were closed to keep the cows out. I drove down and out about 500 yards to a position I knew I would have a good view of the majority of the 3 pastures.
As I was panning around I spotted a bunch of movement in the field with the round bails about 500 yards out. The way they were running around it looked like a bunch of doe's and bucks chasing each other around. But it also looked like they were moving closer. After watching about 30 seconds I started thinking it was a sounder of hogs. I said to Wayne he should get out of the truck to take a look. I never suspected they would get close enough for us to take a shot and told him they were too far out.
We took turns looking into the scope and even though they running back forth and all around they were still moving towards us. I explained to be within range they needed to reach the fence line that was about 125 yards away. We too a few more turns looking then he said it looked like they were almost at the fence. I peaked quick and yep they were almost there. I said take a shot.......
Boom..... Boom..... One's down and not moving "here look" yep... they regroup and stop, Im thinking "He hit the lead sow" I line up raise just above and send off a round. They run, regroup and stop again. Now 400 yards out give or take I aim a bit higher and pull again... Squeal... Ya a hit! Now they are off running and heading for the fence-line on the opposite side of the field. I still see 2 down fore sure, and a 3rd that is moving slow.
Yep 2 are still down. Now considering the creek crossing is out, we have to head out and over to the neighbors property to use their creek crossing and enter the field from a side gate.
After searching for about 20 min we only spotted Wayne's 2 hogs. The big sow in the back taped out at 43.5" Merry Merry Merry Christmas!
Pastor Wayne served in the military here in TX, I don't remember all the details but he has gone on several different hunts over the years for different kinds of game. He's a man of few words, but when he speaks its usually about the bible, and stories about his children growing up.
Having known for years its been a desire of his to go hog hunting I've always left an open invitation. Over the last couple of years I've often sent pictures and told stories of some of my more exciting hunts. Now Im on the line to produce a hog when I haven't seen a hog on my own in about 6 weeks on the property I hunt.
After spotting several nights in a row this last week, setting up new bait areas and and 2 extra cameras I still got nothing. So I suggest we go out both Sat and Sunday night to improve our odds, However I still haven't told him Its been a ghost town around here. Thursday night I spotted something moving about 400 yards away that looks like it might be a hog, in an area I've seen activity before so I decide thats the spot to bait up and watch.
I was off work before 3 on Saturday, and had everything packed into the truck by 5. I headed off to bait up the sight, and check the zero on the rem 700 in .308 with my new hornady eldx hand loads. Yep ready to roll and stare at corn on the ground.
We were setup and in position just before the sun went down. Wayne is well over 6' tall and had trouble holding the riffle steady with my tripod sticks extended as high as they would go. So I suggested he line up using the hood of the truck. He's tall enough he can almost see over the top of my Suburban so I dug out two old couch cushions out of the back of the truck, piled them on top of another for him to rest the gun on. Ok were at the wait and watch phase.
Tick Tock, Tick tock, Yep the corn is still there. OK...... after an hour and a half he said "If you want to drive around and try to spot any Im game. I think to myself "Yep its over, were not going to see anything".
I decided if we were going to roam I would head to the farthest point and work our way back, so we hit the FM road and headed East. The first stop was a pasture we had cows in. Once in the gate I did a quick scan. The lower part of the pasture has many old native pecans and have known to have plenty of hogs and I rarely hunt the area. Nothing nothing nothing. Another field next to the pasture had recently been cut and bailed, and all the bales were left in the field so the gates were closed to keep the cows out. I drove down and out about 500 yards to a position I knew I would have a good view of the majority of the 3 pastures.
As I was panning around I spotted a bunch of movement in the field with the round bails about 500 yards out. The way they were running around it looked like a bunch of doe's and bucks chasing each other around. But it also looked like they were moving closer. After watching about 30 seconds I started thinking it was a sounder of hogs. I said to Wayne he should get out of the truck to take a look. I never suspected they would get close enough for us to take a shot and told him they were too far out.
We took turns looking into the scope and even though they running back forth and all around they were still moving towards us. I explained to be within range they needed to reach the fence line that was about 125 yards away. We too a few more turns looking then he said it looked like they were almost at the fence. I peaked quick and yep they were almost there. I said take a shot.......
Boom..... Boom..... One's down and not moving "here look" yep... they regroup and stop, Im thinking "He hit the lead sow" I line up raise just above and send off a round. They run, regroup and stop again. Now 400 yards out give or take I aim a bit higher and pull again... Squeal... Ya a hit! Now they are off running and heading for the fence-line on the opposite side of the field. I still see 2 down fore sure, and a 3rd that is moving slow.
Yep 2 are still down. Now considering the creek crossing is out, we have to head out and over to the neighbors property to use their creek crossing and enter the field from a side gate.
After searching for about 20 min we only spotted Wayne's 2 hogs. The big sow in the back taped out at 43.5" Merry Merry Merry Christmas!
