Well, I made it back safe and sound from my April vacation at Tioga Ranch. That's the new name now, so I understand. Three of us arrived on Friday at supper time it was poring down rain. The weather wasn't looking any better for Saturday; high winds, cold, and rain were expected with possible snow flurries as well. I did go for a ride to check things out. WOW! There was game all over the place. I saw 500 Fallow Deer, looked like 10 Buffalo, four or five red stag, and some Elk. This was like nothing I have ever seen! I did not see the Rams as they were in another area and I did not see any hogs.
We sat down around 5:00pm for a good dinner. After dinner we all started talking. I was a surprised that the place was full. You have the option of staying at the Lodge or staying down the road. We chose to stay at the lodge and enjoy the whole hunt. All three meals where included in our package. While all sat around talking about what we were all shooting and with what gun we were using. I, in around about way, was the crazy one in the group. I offered up I was shooting 200grain bullet and using a Muzzleloader. The truth behind this 200grn bullet was; I really didn't want to use it! Or, I should say I really wasn’t sure if I should. Sabotloader really gave me the confidence to use it. Everybody thought 200grains was light to take a pure Russian Boar. After a lot of talk, I explained that I was testing some bullets and we'll wait and see what happens. Don’t worry, they all thought I was nuts. LOL The truth is; I was a little nervous but not much.
I really am not sure what I was shooting the last four or five years at Loshbaugh Hunting reserve in TN. I thought Russian Boar were Russian Boar well after the morning hunt I really don’t think so.
The alarm went off bright and early, got up and had breakfast. We were served eggs, Boar sausage, and Home fries, that was perfect for me. Mark came down and we began to calculate plan. It really was pretty simple, I went with Mark, Craig and Ryan went with Mike?
?? I think that's his name, I hate that when I forget a name.
Right away 100yds in the woods I see two Boars, of course I want to shoot them. LOL - They were pretty small and Mark said let them go. We decide to go down the Hill and set up a little out of the wind. The wind is easily blowing 35mph. I lost my hat three or four times. So about 10 minutes later Mike called on the radio saying some pigs were coming towards us. All of a sudden there are pigs above below and all around. Sheesh! Which one do I shoot? We decided this big reddish Boar was the one.
I was just getting ready to shoot it at about 80yds, and Mark says “wait!” He says, “Here comes a management Boar”. Wow! The Boar is walking right at us, I mean it came with in 15 feet; Mark spooked it. The Boar ran about 20yds and stopped. I shouldered the Knight Disc Elite and bang! This Boar went 10 to 12 feet staggering and died. I looked at mark and he smiled, he was a little surprised and so was I. First thing I did was walk right to where I shot him. Blood was all over the place, man I am really excited now. My 12 foot tracking job was a red carpet. LOL This bullet went in right behind the right shoulder and right thru the center of the left shoulder. No recovering any bullets on this one. Mark right away said “holy crap”, I just laughed. I think I took a picture on my phone and sent it to sabotloader right away. He probably was laughing to. He didn’t have a doubt about these 200grn bullets. Or at least he didn’t show it.
Now it was time to find a trophy Boar and end the day before the really bad weather comes. The reddish boar I was looking at before ended up being smaller then I thought. Then all of a sudden this one Boar comes down the hill looking mad and ready for a fight. That was really something to watch. The Boar was kicking the crap out of all these other pigs. He had to be one of the dominant pigs around. I looked at him and said I want him. He keeps moving further away from me. Mark suggests we will move and get closer.
So we get to within 100yds and he says “let it come on closer”. I said quietly “no, I want him right now. I had already shot one close”. He said “okay, it's up to you”. The wind is blowing so hard I can’t really get a good hold. The tree I was using is shaking hard; so we back up 5 or 10 yards to a solid tree. He said “we can get closer”, I said “no this will do”. Now, I’m waiting for the pig to give me a good clear shot. Several times he was broad side, but another pig was next to him. I really didn't need three pigs. The shot came at 105 yards, I pulled the trigger. Bang! The Boar dropped in it's tracks, he did not even flinch! Mark really gets all excited… He shouts “awesome shot Tom”! It was almost unbelievable. The pig was down and not moving. You have no idea how excited I am. All I wanted to do run up and see this great Boar that I shot.
Mark spots a management Boar and calls Mike to bring Ryan over. Ryan has never been hunting before. Seemed like two hours, before Craig and Mike got here. LOL - I still haven’t go to see my Trophy Boar I shot. That's what they call there full price hogs.
Ryan gets to his shooting spot and leans up against a tree getting ready to shoot and the pig moves! Now, Ryan needs to relocate to another tree. It really seemed like a long time, but he was a beginner yet he was doing a pretty good job with five people standing around watching. Then all of a sudden the management Boar stops and he pulls the trigger. I'm watching with my Leopold Binoculars, right away I see blood it was shot pretty far back behind the leg and low. Yes! A gut shot but I didn’t say it. I am thinking “here we go tracking a wounded Boar”. NOPE! This Boar goes 25yds and collapses, kicks its legs and dies. I'm thinking okay? I was at a different angle. He must have made a better shot then I thought.
I walk up to this Pig to look; I said nothing about the shot. We looked and the shot entered about 14 inches behind the left shoulder and exited three inches in front of the right rear leg very low. I couldn’t believe this pig died so fast. It was a perfect gut shot. That really became obvious when it was gutted – yuk!. This shot was with the 250 grain Lehigh. I was totally amazed at this pig did not go farther. Ryan was really very excited and so was I for him. It's a lot of fun watching other people shoot. Now we have three dead pigs and it's around 9:30am Saturday.
Now it's time to find Craig a Trophy Boar. And boy! He really shoots a Trophy no doubt! We start packing up and all of a sudden I drop my gun right off my shoulder on the rocks. It wasn’t loaded, but I was more concerned about keeping my hands warm. The first thing I said thought, I’m glad it's a Knight. I thought for sure the scope would be toast, I didn’t even look thru it. I just reached down and picked the gun up and started walking up the mountain. Not really worried at all about the gun. We were headed up to find Craig a Trophy pig. We went up about 100yds and ran into a large group of Fallow Deer, probably 50 in the group with several pigs. I pull up my binoculars and saw a great Boar. We start after them; we walked pretty far trying to get into position for another shot. We decide to split up and try and head them off. I keep seeing Craig pulling up his T/C Triumph but not pulling the trigger. We walk another three or four hundred yards and they stop and kneel down. We are about 100yds to the left of them. I pull up my binoculars to see. I can’t see any pigs! All of a sudden bang. I still don’t see any pigs. Then on the radio I hear “bring the other gun”. I didn’t ask why, we just moved over there very quickly and Ryan handed Craig the Knight Vision. All of a sudden I see this pig staggering around. 20 seconds later it lies down. It's still alive and I'm thinking where did he hit this pig??? So he gets about 20yds away and pulls the trigger with the Knight Vision. This Hog is pretty big and has some long teeth for sure. He shoots it right in the shoulder. So it stands up and falls right back down dead. We all walk up, it gives a couple twitches and dies. After telling him good job, I start looking for where he hit the Boar the first time. The guide said the hog turned right as he shot, so okay, the bullet went in his left shoulder. I could not find an exit. The armor on this pig is unbelievable! I have seen a lot of pigs the last 5 years or so and have seen nothing even close to this! It was amazingly thick and ugly, Not even the second shot could we find an exit.
So now it is about 11:30AM our hunt is over and we are very happy! The weather is getting even worse. We head back to the lodge and start looking at what every one shot. A lot of nice animals were harvested but, I really was concerned about cleaning my gun since I dropped it on the rocks and mud. After that, I start taking pictures of the hogs while they are being skinned. We found that Craig’s shot was in the right shoulder and went straight back thru the hog to the right rear leg on the far side against the hide, the bullet was retrieved. Then the second shot went thru both shoulders and was coming out the hide. Both bullets looked identical and I was really pleased to find them. I finished taking pictures and went in to eat lunch, hot meat loaf and mash potatoes with corn and corn bread. It was good!
Later in the afternoon, Mike tells me he is going to Quebec on a spring Bear hunt and would really like to switch to the 250 grain Lehigh. He asked for the number and web-site, I suggested right away “I would like to give you the bullets for the hunt”. I gave him a few bullets with MMP sabots to see how they shoot in his rifle. If they shoot well, I will send him some more bullets and sabots for the hunt. All I want is a full honest report on how they preformed on a Canadian Black Bear. That would be cool.
There are several people now looking at the hogs we shot, no one was talking crap now! The guide did all the talking. LOL A guy from Long Island was using an air gun with a 250 grain bullet. He asked right away if he could try some 250’s in his air gun. The weather was so bad though, he didn’t shoot them.
It's now supper time but my brain is thinking way too much… I really need to see how well these bullets do on Deer size game. We are all talking about hunting and I ask about the fee for two Corsican rams? They quoted a price, but I didn’t like it. They know I’m thinking now, so I say, let’s go look at them. The guides suggest, bring your gun. I really do not want to do that and I also remember I dropped mine. So, I run over to the range, shoot a fowling shot to see where it hits out of a clean barrel. Hell, it shot right on! I was shocked after the drop the gun and scope took. We decide Craig is going to shoot one with a 250 grain, I’m going to shoot one with a 200 grain.
We head out, Craig goes one way, I go the other. After awhile I hear bang. Craig has shot his Corsican ram. It is really getting late but, we keep moving around with no luck. Later I see a few nice Boars and then I see a few Rams. I can only shoot a ram that has been discounted by the guides. The guide picks one out and says “that's the one”. Bingo, it is broad side to me and it is a safe clear shot. I say “nope, I want to wait until it angles away from me. He said “are you ___ nuts”. I reply, Nope! Okay he starts walking away at about 50yds. I aim right in front of the back left leg and try to shoot thru the animal between the shoulders favoring the right shoulder if possible. The ram stops and I squeeze the trigger. Bang! It doesn’t move then, all of a sudden it collapses right in its tracks dead on the spot. We walk up and I touch the left eye with my barrel and it is dead. Seven animals shot and know tracking at all. This is unbelievable and so good! I did look for the exit wound, but I could not find it. I took some pictures and we head back to the Lodge.
We start walking out and half way out we run into the other guy's. Craig say's his shot was at 150 yards. I said, “That is awesome in this wind”. I was really surprised, but he proved it was very possible. When we get back to the lodge and start skinning mine and I still can’t find the exit wound that I'm looking for, finally find it. It went the whole way through the animal and exited through the right shoulder. I have to say I was very impressed and so were all the others. Craig’s bullet went in behind the shoulder and out behind the other shoulder, animal dead on the spot - again.
Looking back, my trip really went well. I actually can’t wait to get back. I might go back for a spring Turkey hunt sooner than later. I will should also mention all three muzzleloaders where shooting 130grns of Blackthorn 209 and Federal 209A primers
This is my management Boar.
Look at the teeth on Craigs Boar.
Ryans Hog
My Corsican Ram.
This was my Trophy Boar.
