...I got a hog yesterday afternoon.
After putting my 72+ y.o. hunting partner on stand, I parked the truck, got dressed, and walked toward the rear SE Corner stand, but didn't get there right away. At the turn by the Big Field, there was new hog rooting and hoof prints. Sure enough, I saw the hogs making those footprints.
A big sow and 7 or 8 piglets were in the Big Field. There was no tree on which to steady my rifle, and I suck shooting off-hand, so I went backward toward the truck, cut off a palm frond, fashioned a shooting stick, and returned to the field.
The sow was feeding intently at the far southwest end of the field. I advanced about 25 yards into the field and while feeding she advanced toward me. At a separation distance of 45 yards, when she turned broadside, I hammered her with a 270-caliber, 150-grain, Nosler Partition at a nominal chronographed muzzle velocity of 2500 fps. Dead Right There shot through the neck.
I called Dave on the radio and told him to watch for the little ones, which he saw about ten minutes later 250 yards away leaving the property like "little rolling turds" with the Devil was on their tails. At 4:45 PM, Dave took a crack at big one coming in from the west and 250 yards south of his position, but missed. Twenty minutes later, as the temperature was taking a nose dive, Dave took a crack at a smaller one, 80 yards from his position, he says he shot it, but didn't put it down. It too exited the property 250 yards away. After searching a half hour for blood sign and finding none, we both said, "Adios!"
Cleaning, gutting, and taking the pig to the Processor all proceeded with practiced ease. Finally! After all of the waiting, sitting, and anticipation the hogs gave us something to shoot.
Still no deer though and that is sad. The Big Field is COVERED in sand spurs. Nearly 3/4 of an acre in a 1.25 acre field is covered. I now have to get in there and STERILIZE the soil to prevent their germination and spread. The only other defense is fire. Sad really. I don't know from where they came and suspect the woods are full of them too.
