slim_shady
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I have on several occasions in the last 6 weeks gone out to the hayfields between 8 and 11 pm to only see deer and skunk. Could it be even with 600 acres of dried corn field alongside the hayfield the hogs are on to me and know I usually hunt before 11 pm and call it a night. Well the last few times out I switched it up. After my early morning trio a few weeks back, I decided to repeat the process last Sunday morning, and this Sat morning.
I set my alarm clock for 2:30, and was in the hayfields by 3:15 am. With game cameras setup at high traffic crossing points, I made my best guess of where to position myself. After spot checking the field for 30 min or so I set down the gun and used the bathroom. Once finished I did a quick scan only to discover a small group had crossed from the corn field and were 10 or so yards from crossing out of the hay field, over 600 yards from where I was setup. I had no chance to catch up to them These days they cross in just a few min.
After another hour and a half I decided on a different spot. It wasn't 15 min and a hog popped out of the corn, and another, and another, it wasn't 30 seconds and there were more then 40 hogs about to make the 800 yard trip to the river. I needed to act fast. With tripod in hand I started to move towards them. After a quick 50 yard stalk, I took a peak and decided if I didn't take a shot now Id loose the chance as they were about to move away from me.
The were nearly broadside, I took aim at one of larger sows in front. Bang were off to the races again. The new 6.8 preformed flawlessly. I quickly rang off 9 more shots before they were all back into the corn field and out of sight. I did hear a few "Thuds" and a couple of Squeals, but when the smoke cleared, there was only one on the ground in sight. A great big sow. She taped out at 46"
On the way back to the truck I spotted another small group 30 min later crossing another spot in the field about 500 yards from my position. I hopped into the truck and decided Id try to head them off. They were gone by the time I got close to the spot they were heading for. Sure enough tracks in the dew right up to the fence line. A bit later I spotted a single hog, who was walking funny. It was so odd looking in the thermal scope, I waited much longer then I usually would before I was 100% sure, and took the shot. As it turned out he dropped 30 yards from where I stalked up to. Much much closer then I usually get.
A small 75 lb give or take boar, lame in his front leg which was why he was walking funny. Once the sun came up I went back to collect the sow, and decided I couldn't pass up on taking some meat off from her. Once open It was hard to believe how much fat was on her. I filled 4 gallon zip lock bags, one of which was mostly fat. It will come in handy the next time we make sausage. Sundays hunt proved to be very productive.
With less then a week away from the harvest I couldn't pass up another early morning hunt. I was able to get Saturday off, and spent Friday night in preparation for the hunt. While still on the hunt for one kind of ammo Im happy with in the new 6.8 I picked up a box of Hornady v-max 110. After a quick trip to the range I was able to get ten rounds in to a group that measured under 2", not great but not any better or worse then anything else. So I took the remaining 10 rounds and topped of two mag's with 5 rounds in each.
With the Alarm set for 2:30 I was off to bed. Once up, cup of coffee in one hand gun in the other, I was on the road by 3, and once again in the fields by 3:15. I did a spot check all the way back to the same spot I had seen the big sounder last Sunday, then back tracked 500 yards to setup. Within 10 min I spotted a pair who were crossing the spot I had just came from, and once again they way to close to the fence line to make it to them. Sigh.
After 40 min or so more, another lone boar was crossing the same spot, however I spotted him early, and decided to make a run for him in the truck. Ya know it almost makes me laugh. Im not using NV but know the hayfields so well I can often drive lights out. Once stopped and out, I spotted the boar in a few seconds. Its almost like he was confused about what was flying through the field and what to do about it. After the first shot, he was on the run back to the corn field. This time I had the advantage. He had 800 yards to make it back, and I had noting but short hay between him and me. Once he was too far away for a decent shot I was back in the truck to cut him off one more time. Now with lights on I stopped 100 yards from the corn, and jumped out. Bang Bang Bang Bang, all totaled 21 rounds. He dropped 3 ft from the fence line. Heart pounding, and sweat dripping, I breathed a sigh of relief. Count em, One!
Plenty of night left to go. Where oh where should I setup next. High ground next to the center of the Irrigation Pivot. This way I can see 95% of the fence line in the 100 acre field. After setup for 15 min or so I heard noises in the corn near my 12' stand, and decided to walk the 600 yards to it. Setup on the fence line overlooking the bottom of the cornfield & hay field I climbed the ladder as quietly as I could. Sure enough a lone boar was feeding in what was left of 10 acres of destroyed corn and high weeds. Ping one shot in the neck and he was down. After a few min I took a seat on the edge of the stand and decided to stay put till the sun came up.
After an hour, and just as it was getting light enough you could barely see I heard noises behind me in the corn and turned around to take another look. Another small Boar 25 yards away, he must have seen me. I took a shot and he leaped. I lead him and took a quick 2nd shot, and watched him do a flip out of view. The stand is positioned next to a tree, and from where I was standing a branch was blocking my view. I was able to move a foot to the right, and spot him shaking as the spine shot I had made was keeping him down.
20 more min and the sun was up. Hogs 2 & 3 were taken down by the 110 v-max. Im not sure if the short range made the difference, but a fun hunt just the same.
I set my alarm clock for 2:30, and was in the hayfields by 3:15 am. With game cameras setup at high traffic crossing points, I made my best guess of where to position myself. After spot checking the field for 30 min or so I set down the gun and used the bathroom. Once finished I did a quick scan only to discover a small group had crossed from the corn field and were 10 or so yards from crossing out of the hay field, over 600 yards from where I was setup. I had no chance to catch up to them These days they cross in just a few min.
After another hour and a half I decided on a different spot. It wasn't 15 min and a hog popped out of the corn, and another, and another, it wasn't 30 seconds and there were more then 40 hogs about to make the 800 yard trip to the river. I needed to act fast. With tripod in hand I started to move towards them. After a quick 50 yard stalk, I took a peak and decided if I didn't take a shot now Id loose the chance as they were about to move away from me.
The were nearly broadside, I took aim at one of larger sows in front. Bang were off to the races again. The new 6.8 preformed flawlessly. I quickly rang off 9 more shots before they were all back into the corn field and out of sight. I did hear a few "Thuds" and a couple of Squeals, but when the smoke cleared, there was only one on the ground in sight. A great big sow. She taped out at 46"
On the way back to the truck I spotted another small group 30 min later crossing another spot in the field about 500 yards from my position. I hopped into the truck and decided Id try to head them off. They were gone by the time I got close to the spot they were heading for. Sure enough tracks in the dew right up to the fence line. A bit later I spotted a single hog, who was walking funny. It was so odd looking in the thermal scope, I waited much longer then I usually would before I was 100% sure, and took the shot. As it turned out he dropped 30 yards from where I stalked up to. Much much closer then I usually get.
A small 75 lb give or take boar, lame in his front leg which was why he was walking funny. Once the sun came up I went back to collect the sow, and decided I couldn't pass up on taking some meat off from her. Once open It was hard to believe how much fat was on her. I filled 4 gallon zip lock bags, one of which was mostly fat. It will come in handy the next time we make sausage. Sundays hunt proved to be very productive.
With less then a week away from the harvest I couldn't pass up another early morning hunt. I was able to get Saturday off, and spent Friday night in preparation for the hunt. While still on the hunt for one kind of ammo Im happy with in the new 6.8 I picked up a box of Hornady v-max 110. After a quick trip to the range I was able to get ten rounds in to a group that measured under 2", not great but not any better or worse then anything else. So I took the remaining 10 rounds and topped of two mag's with 5 rounds in each.
With the Alarm set for 2:30 I was off to bed. Once up, cup of coffee in one hand gun in the other, I was on the road by 3, and once again in the fields by 3:15. I did a spot check all the way back to the same spot I had seen the big sounder last Sunday, then back tracked 500 yards to setup. Within 10 min I spotted a pair who were crossing the spot I had just came from, and once again they way to close to the fence line to make it to them. Sigh.
After 40 min or so more, another lone boar was crossing the same spot, however I spotted him early, and decided to make a run for him in the truck. Ya know it almost makes me laugh. Im not using NV but know the hayfields so well I can often drive lights out. Once stopped and out, I spotted the boar in a few seconds. Its almost like he was confused about what was flying through the field and what to do about it. After the first shot, he was on the run back to the corn field. This time I had the advantage. He had 800 yards to make it back, and I had noting but short hay between him and me. Once he was too far away for a decent shot I was back in the truck to cut him off one more time. Now with lights on I stopped 100 yards from the corn, and jumped out. Bang Bang Bang Bang, all totaled 21 rounds. He dropped 3 ft from the fence line. Heart pounding, and sweat dripping, I breathed a sigh of relief. Count em, One!
Plenty of night left to go. Where oh where should I setup next. High ground next to the center of the Irrigation Pivot. This way I can see 95% of the fence line in the 100 acre field. After setup for 15 min or so I heard noises in the corn near my 12' stand, and decided to walk the 600 yards to it. Setup on the fence line overlooking the bottom of the cornfield & hay field I climbed the ladder as quietly as I could. Sure enough a lone boar was feeding in what was left of 10 acres of destroyed corn and high weeds. Ping one shot in the neck and he was down. After a few min I took a seat on the edge of the stand and decided to stay put till the sun came up.
After an hour, and just as it was getting light enough you could barely see I heard noises behind me in the corn and turned around to take another look. Another small Boar 25 yards away, he must have seen me. I took a shot and he leaped. I lead him and took a quick 2nd shot, and watched him do a flip out of view. The stand is positioned next to a tree, and from where I was standing a branch was blocking my view. I was able to move a foot to the right, and spot him shaking as the spine shot I had made was keeping him down.
20 more min and the sun was up. Hogs 2 & 3 were taken down by the 110 v-max. Im not sure if the short range made the difference, but a fun hunt just the same.
