OK, so here's my hunting story from 2013.
I got out to the blind around 4pm on a Tuesday in Missouri when the temps were around freezing and steadily dropping. For hours after sundown I have the stock up to my face, scanning through the IR night vision scope attached to my AR.
Saw lots of wildlife, but no hogs until 9:15 when a single came out of the wood line toward the feeder. Had a great broadside shot, squeezed the trigger, and "click." The hog must have heard it and headed for the woods. Cleared the rifle, loaded it back up, started the wait again. That was attempt #1
At around 10:30 pm, another single hog came out of the woods. Repeat the above. That was attempt #2. I fiddled with the gun, used lots of sailor language, and started the wait again.
Around 1:00 am, a group of twelve or so hogs come from the opposite direction, making lots of noise. Three more times I have a decent sight picture, three more times I hear "click." Attempts #3-5.
(So by now has anybody reading this thought that I have been coating the gun with vapor? It is really friggin' cold out and high enough humidity that there is a quarter inch of frost on the ground. Is everything freezing up because there wasn't enough lube for the weather conditions?)
Finally, on the sixth attempt with the large group of pigs still milling around, the gun actually fires when I want it to. I wasn't sure at this point if it was a hit, and I was not going to wander around the woods in the dark to find out when I know the place is lousy with pigs.
Around 3 am another small group of hogs runs by, moving fast. I don't even try to take a shot because my fingers barely work any more.
I go back to camp at around 6:30 am, totally zombied out because I was up all night in a wood box sitting in a plastic chair in 20 degree weather with no source of heat other than two hand warmer packs. My rifle, my person, and all my gear are covered with frost. I am too tired and disoriented to speak proper English. My hunting buddy goes back to the hunt site with me and after a few minutes tromping around we find the dead hog on the ground.
This has never happened since that one time with my rifle. But I haven't hunted hogs in such cold weather again, either.
Moral of the story: Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.....
I got out to the blind around 4pm on a Tuesday in Missouri when the temps were around freezing and steadily dropping. For hours after sundown I have the stock up to my face, scanning through the IR night vision scope attached to my AR.
Saw lots of wildlife, but no hogs until 9:15 when a single came out of the wood line toward the feeder. Had a great broadside shot, squeezed the trigger, and "click." The hog must have heard it and headed for the woods. Cleared the rifle, loaded it back up, started the wait again. That was attempt #1
At around 10:30 pm, another single hog came out of the woods. Repeat the above. That was attempt #2. I fiddled with the gun, used lots of sailor language, and started the wait again.
Around 1:00 am, a group of twelve or so hogs come from the opposite direction, making lots of noise. Three more times I have a decent sight picture, three more times I hear "click." Attempts #3-5.
(So by now has anybody reading this thought that I have been coating the gun with vapor? It is really friggin' cold out and high enough humidity that there is a quarter inch of frost on the ground. Is everything freezing up because there wasn't enough lube for the weather conditions?)
Finally, on the sixth attempt with the large group of pigs still milling around, the gun actually fires when I want it to. I wasn't sure at this point if it was a hit, and I was not going to wander around the woods in the dark to find out when I know the place is lousy with pigs.
Around 3 am another small group of hogs runs by, moving fast. I don't even try to take a shot because my fingers barely work any more.
I go back to camp at around 6:30 am, totally zombied out because I was up all night in a wood box sitting in a plastic chair in 20 degree weather with no source of heat other than two hand warmer packs. My rifle, my person, and all my gear are covered with frost. I am too tired and disoriented to speak proper English. My hunting buddy goes back to the hunt site with me and after a few minutes tromping around we find the dead hog on the ground.
This has never happened since that one time with my rifle. But I haven't hunted hogs in such cold weather again, either.
Moral of the story: Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.....
