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The tales of successful hunts

This is a repeat picture from "The 5 minute hog hunt" post.  Brian knocked this one down 5 minutes after sitting in the stand.  He was a little large so I was worried about the meat tasting "gamey".  To our surprise, it turned out to be pretty decent.  The pork loin was as good as one "store bought".

Hog hunt turned Coyote hunt.  A Forester once said, "the only thing we have more of than hogs around here are ...coyotes".  Well, now there is one less.  Wayne knocked this one down on an early post Thanksgiving  fall morning.  In fact, we've all taken a recent liking to hunting coyotes and hope that we can bring you more pictures of successful coyote hunts soon.

A very nice sow.  Brian caught her on an early wet morning.  He actually pushed a group of them in to the woods as he walked to his stand.  They were dumb enough to hang around and he harvested this nice piebald one.  In fact, she made the best sausage we've had to date.  If you are shooting for meat, always choose the piebald hog.  Trust me. 

Chris was just about to give up after sitting 9 hours in the rain.  Finally at last light a group of 12 meat hogs appeared at the feeder.  Chris was able to knock down 2!  The pork shoulders from these guys were great.  

Brian was riding the property line and on the way home after an unsuccessful morning of hunting.  With the radio up and windows down, a group of 15 hogs shoot across the road 200 yards ahead of him.  He jumped out of the truck, loaded his rifle and took pursuit on foot.  A few minutes later he was successful in knocking this one down.  He walked back to the truck to find it still running, the door wide open and the radio still blairing.  At least he was focused on the hunt. 

This is an old picture but a memorable one.  Brian's first hog.  Not much to brag about but this is the one that started it all. (Note:  This pig did not have a tail.)

Wayne got this one on a 98 degree May afternoon.  This is the most memorable hunt to date.  We met face to face with this big brute while working our hunting property.  We shot at and missed this boar before seeing him again when filling a feeder.  This old guy actually chased Brian as he was corning the road behind our feeder.  Brian ran back toward Wayne who then shot the boar only to have his gun jam.  Wayne grabbed Brian's gun and chased after the Big Boar.  The final shot was at less than 10yds and suddenly our big adventure was over.  Wow!  What a nice boar.  He was nice and ripe too.  Imagine the stench this guy kicks off on a 98 degree day in the swamp.  Trust me, it will be stuck in your throat for 3 to 4 days easy.

 

There is another interesting story on this one.  Brian and Chris were stalking the soybean field in July.  They found 3 groups of hogs spread out across the field.  There were more than 50 hogs between the 3 groups.  The wind was just right and they started stalking the middle group.  100 yds to their left, a coyote was stalking the piglets in a group of hogs.  It was a very memorable event to watch the coyote working beside us with the same idea in mind.  I'll never forget it.  Long story short, they were able to knock down this nice boar.  Another successful day.  

The Boars Nest

We have a lot of respect for boars clacking their teeth together (sharpening their tusks) and drooling as it means that they are ready for action and it isn't far off.

Feral boars on our property exhibit characteristics of Spanish, Farm and European strains.  The Spanish are a solid color with large spots.  Typically, brown/red with black spots or black with brown spots.  The Farm are black with white bands, solid white, solid black, solid red/brown or mixed black/white. European are black, red or gray with large heads, humped shoulders and small rear ends.  Europeans are assertive and all boars in the rut are aggressive.  Sows with piglets are dangerous as they will charge under the right conditions.

Hogs are omnivores and eat virtually anything.  Popular belief is that they don't eat salt or mineral blocks because they cannot sweat and the salt dehydrates them.  Hogwash!  The trophy rock we placed below a feeder tells a different story.  They devoured this mineral block as well.   

  I am thinking pork chops, ribs, pork loin and Bar-B-Que (Eastern style of course).

This one is extremely lucky.  He outsmarted both Brian and Chris on 2 separate ocassions.  Neither individual was able to get a clear shot.  The splotch on his left hind side was the identifying mark.  He should be in our freezer but we've never seen him again. 

A nice boar. 

This is one of the most unique hogs we've captured on camera.  He has the most distinctive Mohawk I've ever seen.

This is a real brute that we're all itching to put down . Hopefully the upcoming 2011 summer months will keep them moving and we'll have another productive year of hunting.  Think BIG PIG!

Pig Epidemic

Doing the deed and creating the breed!!!

 

The phrase "Pig Epidemic" is real.  One mature sow can have as many as two litters per year.  With 8-12 piglets per litter, just two breeding pigs can produce as many as 24 piglets in a little more than a year.

We hear that pigs are prolific breeders and may have multiple litters in a year?  Take a look at these pictures and you be the judge.

The 5 minute hog hunt

This 150lb boar was spotted minutes after sitting down in the stand.  He moved through the swamp like a ghost and was only visible as a shadow in the mist.  He moved closer and closer through the mist as he was drawn in by the smell of "hog wild" and shelled corn.  Very quickly he was within 25 yards and fully visible.  The 30-06 took care of the rest.