I'll let Rick fill in the details.
Don't shoot the cows!!!
- Thread starter Oso Grande
- Start date
I'll let Rick fill in the details.
RattlesnakeDan
San Antonio Texas
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Just glad the title wasn't..."man shoots $2000 hog"
Yep I showed the video to the land owner and he about passed out. What I was trying to show with this video is it is almost impossible to mistake a calf for a hog. I keep hearing stories about people making that mistake and shooting calves. If you notice the closest cow did not even move until he starts doing the curly shuffle. I found this guy when I was walking back from looking for a bruiser that I saw on thermal cutting across the back pasture. He never even slowed down so I'll try to get him next time. This was a great night for thermal, low temps and hot animals. I was using the PVS14 to navigate with and then I would scan with the thermal. I was actually locating animals under the trees with the thermal that I never saw with the NV.
Later that night I located two more hogs under the trees with the thermal. Since it is mounted on the weapon I lowered the rifle to make my stalk. The wind swirled. I felt it but never saw them leave with the NV.
6.8 ***/120SST
IR Hunter MKII 35mm
MDVR
Later that night I located two more hogs under the trees with the thermal. Since it is mounted on the weapon I lowered the rifle to make my stalk. The wind swirled. I felt it but never saw them leave with the NV.
6.8 ***/120SST
IR Hunter MKII 35mm
MDVR
DaveABQ
Albuquerque, NM
Ditto, it's only a hog, I would have waited.
RattlesnakeDan
San Antonio Texas
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It was a good shot. Always looks more sketchy on camera when you're not there on scene.
In good conditions and at closer ranges it is hard to mistake a calf for a pig but not impossible. It's when weather conditions degrade the image or ground cover obscures the animal that people get in trouble. I have stalked up on deer that looked like hogs from 600+ yards away. It wasn't until I got closer that I realized what they were. So I disagree with saying it is almost impossible to mistake a hog for a calf especially with a hunter that is new to using thermal. With time behind the scope people get better at ID'ing critters. Nice shot but I would have also waited.
I would have in most settings. He was getting ready to wind me if I let him get much further to the right. It looks closer than it actually was as Dan said. So far I've never had a 120SST exit when I shoot them in the shoulder as I did this one. I said so far and I know anything can happen. That is why I shot him there and not the neck. I knew I was going to catch some flak about the video, but I'm very confident in my abilities and my weapons.
I've been working out you know. LOL
You answered my question, Was it your cows. I've shot a few hogs around my cows, but don't want anyone else doing it.
I can't believe you showed that to the land owner, cattle prices are high as they've ever been. One wounded calf/cow/bull and you'd be politely ask to never come back and also ask to get out your check book. Weaning steer around $1500, small calf $200-$300, cow $2000 and up, herd bull $3-5K and up, commercial herd.
Was a nice shot.
I can't believe you showed that to the land owner, cattle prices are high as they've ever been. One wounded calf/cow/bull and you'd be politely ask to never come back and also ask to get out your check book. Weaning steer around $1500, small calf $200-$300, cow $2000 and up, herd bull $3-5K and up, commercial herd.
Was a nice shot.
I was kidding about the land owner. He thought it was a great shot and was not worried about it at all. They are his cattle, but I've been hunting with him for over twenty five years and he is aware of my abilities.
I wasn't giving you flak. I just wanted the newer thermal users to understand that it isn't almost impossible to mistake one animal for another. Time behind the scope learning how pigs move and act is very important. Also to understand that weather conditions and ground cover can play a big part. You're video shows that that it is a hog without a doubt but had the weather degraded the image, grass be higher or the calves moving around more could spell trouble for someone with less time looking through thermal.
I concurr with HD, on what he said. At my age the shot would not be worth the potential hickup. Not being critical of you as we all have our own thoughts on these things. You made a good shot. Had I made that shot and had positive success as you did and shown the land owner he would have told me that was the last shot on his property. And we are friends, and I have taken his son hunting, but his cattle come first.
I agree 110 percent Eric. If anyone is not sure of the target do not take the shot. I spotted this hog with NV from about 150 yards and did not even see the cattle. When I move up to about 60 yards I could see them, but not very clear. These cattle are white and did not show up well in NV. When I looked through the thermal it made it easy to identify everything out there. I've had people that have not used thermal tell me they thought the bedded calves were other hogs. I had to show them the difference in the heads. There was no tall grass in this video, but everywhere else there is.
Navygator
LSB Active Member
I did this my last hunt. High humidity, woke up in the middle of the night and figured I would scan the front of the property. Saw a huge group of hogs about 600 yards away in an area they had been rooting. Got dressed, checked gear and headed out. Hiked about 400 yards until I figured out they were actually the neighbors cows and they were about 1600 yards away. Walked back to the house muttering the whole time.
Okay, while that was a shot I would not have taken, I see no problem with it so long as any problems are handled by the shooter. Hunting is pricey enough for me that I don't need to buy a cow.
Personally, I don't trust terminal ballistics to be consistent to know pass thru won't happen, but that is my call for my situation. I have seen too many bullets do squirrel things in the body.
Relationship between the shooter and landowner often determines what shots I will and will not take. rgilbert apparently has one that would allow for such shots. No problem.
Personally, I don't trust terminal ballistics to be consistent to know pass thru won't happen, but that is my call for my situation. I have seen too many bullets do squirrel things in the body.
Relationship between the shooter and landowner often determines what shots I will and will not take. rgilbert apparently has one that would allow for such shots. No problem.
Ok guys, here is the back story to this. The land owner told me a boar was hanging out with his cattle and told me to kill it. I explained to him that if the hog was using them for cover which they sometimes will do it would be a close shot. He told me not to shoot one of his animals. This is the second version of the video I had taken. I did not think you wanted to watch a hog walking around for five minutes in the cattle. This guy was using them for cover. If you will notice he walks left then stops. Oso edited my heavy sigh as I thought he would walk out. You can hear that in the video. When I finally got a clear broadside shot with nothing behind him, I took him out. He had walked closer during his last walk about. If you notice his back legs are at the back legs of the cow. I know she is behind him off to one side and I know bullets can sometimes do strange things, but felt confident in the shot. My bullet path was actually about five to six feet behind the cow. Tell me deer hunters don't take that shot every day when they have a heard of deer in front of them. If you will, notice the calf bedded down to the right. I knew it was there before taking the shot. I just wanted to see what kind of comments I could get without people knowing the whole story. Sorry for setting you up that way.
And that was about a fifty to sixty yard shot.
And that was about a fifty to sixty yard shot.
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