I got a chance to meet up with Afalex1 in Wichita Falls on Monday night for a couple nights of stalking hogs in the dark. The first night was really slow, but an excellent night for thermal. I couldn't believe how many skunks, raccoons, rabbits, and field mice we were seeing. Unfortunately, there weren't any hogs. Alex's once dependable honey hole was drying up. Around 11:00 we thought we spotted a lone hog mixing in with some cattle so we stopped and started to look a little closer. Sure enough, Alex identified a single hanging around the young cattle grazing in the pecan orchard. We got out and started our stalk, and soon realized we wouldn't be able to sneak up on a deaf person. It had snowed the night before and started to thaw then re-froze. The snow now sounded like we were walking on bags of potato chips with each step. As soon as we started, the cows got curious and wanted to check us out. Then they decided to run away, straight toward the hog we were trying to close the distance on. Realizing this was our best chance, we picked up the pace and got as close to the hog as we could before the cattle had cleared the firing lane. We had gotten to about 75 yards and set up for the count-down. We both fired at the exact same time and the hog went down instantly. Not a huge boar, but nice looking with some of the longest cutters I have seen in a long time. I went to the Lancer school of photography, so this is a masterpiece of photography.
After several more hours of driving around in the dark telling stories and seeing no more hogs, an unlucky raccoon payed the ultimate price for our frustrations. Alex asked me if I would like to shoot him with his suppressed .45ACP. I jumped at the chance and two well placed shots later he hit the ground like a sack of potatoes.
Night two was even less productive. The only bright spot was when we caught a coyote out in the open. Being the flash that I am, by the time I got out of the truck and set up for the shot, he had covered about 200 yds. Alex kept telling me I had better hurry up or he would be gone. I finally got set up and nuc'ed my MK II and made the shot. He went down instantly and kicked a few times. Alex advised me to stay on him just in case. Sure enough, after a few seconds, he gets up and starts running again. A bunch more shots later I watch him cross the fence to adjacent property never to be seen again. I have the worse luck recovering shot coyotes.
Anyway, It was a very enjoyable trip and fun to spend all those hours with Alex and practice with my new equipment. I don't have to kill every time I go out to still have a good time. Hopefully, Alex will add the video of the kill shot to the story. Its not very long, but fun to watch anyway.
I waited too long to post this, so I couldn't add it to the kill counter, but it was in 2015.
After several more hours of driving around in the dark telling stories and seeing no more hogs, an unlucky raccoon payed the ultimate price for our frustrations. Alex asked me if I would like to shoot him with his suppressed .45ACP. I jumped at the chance and two well placed shots later he hit the ground like a sack of potatoes.
Night two was even less productive. The only bright spot was when we caught a coyote out in the open. Being the flash that I am, by the time I got out of the truck and set up for the shot, he had covered about 200 yds. Alex kept telling me I had better hurry up or he would be gone. I finally got set up and nuc'ed my MK II and made the shot. He went down instantly and kicked a few times. Alex advised me to stay on him just in case. Sure enough, after a few seconds, he gets up and starts running again. A bunch more shots later I watch him cross the fence to adjacent property never to be seen again. I have the worse luck recovering shot coyotes.
Anyway, It was a very enjoyable trip and fun to spend all those hours with Alex and practice with my new equipment. I don't have to kill every time I go out to still have a good time. Hopefully, Alex will add the video of the kill shot to the story. Its not very long, but fun to watch anyway.
I waited too long to post this, so I couldn't add it to the kill counter, but it was in 2015.
