Some afternoon thunderstorms cooled things off so I decided to head out to the "Hog Ranch" to see what was moving. About 9 o'clock this morning, Lost Creek Joe and I filled my River Bottom Feeder. We also threw corn down at all the power poles along the pole line right-of-way.

I spent the evening in the bottom watching a feeder with just deer coming into eat... eleven deer all together. I got off the ladder stand and as soon as I came up out of the bottom I could see hogs several hundred yards up the pole line. I started to hoof it as I had the wind in my favor. The hogs were stopping briefly at each pole to eat and that allowed me to gain on them. Hogs that are moving are tough to keep up with let alone gain on. At one point 3 pigs about 60# each decided to back track and ran all the way back a pole... the pole I was just moving up on. They paid no attention to me and about 10 feet, yes feet, I told them to leave which they did.

This group of hogs got up to a pasture gate and where going under it but a large sow decided to lay down in a large mud puddle next to the gate. I rapidly closed the distance to about 50 yards... all I could see was the hump in her back and the tips of her ears. I knew if she stood up she was gone so I shot standing up without a rest and broke her back...she never left the mud hole. I think that 444 knocked all the water out of that hole... never seen anything like that splash!

Lost Creek Joe met me for the pictures and the fellows working fence for me took the hog. The old gal had a heck of a snout on her!

We are moving to Alaska in August and I'm looking forward to the great hunting up there, but I sure am going to miss shooting pigs.

She sure does have a long snout. I bet she's gonna taste real good.

Get your bullet back, or did it go on through? If it broke the spine and held together, I'd say you have some pretty darn good bullets !!!!

Hmmmmmm, my 444 Outfitter is getting jealous! Here yours is getting year 'round action, and mine is beginning to collect dust!

Job well done. Those Triple-Fours are pure poison on things with four hooves!

Thanks for the report and pix.

God Bless,

Some guys just have all the fun and luck! :D

I'm jealous!!

The bullet cut her spine in two and smacked the water. I shot her between the ears to end the wiggling and not sure where that one went.

I also got to tie a cord onto my ear plugs. Dang that gun is loud! I wasn't able to fish them out of my bib pocket and the shot needed to be out!

I feel bad... told Marshall I would shoot one with a BTB but I need to shoot at a target as the point of impact is different. I've just stayed tied up and unable to take that step. Got to do something!! 5 of my bullets left.. got a hundred or so ready but the only loaded ammo is 290 and 300-grain BTBs.

Picked up a 444T today and one shop and a brand new Savage 411 Double-barrel shotgun at another!

Michael

Two questions RD; how do you keep the vermin off of you in this hot weather? Also, how do you deal with the hot weather when cleaning your hogs?
Nice shootin' Tex! You'd been in hog heaven (pun intended) if you could have made the hunt with us last month down in Pleasanton. All three of us used our .35 Remingtons, plus I used my Marlin .45 cowboy gun on one hog as well. We could barely stand the heat and humidity, and despite all the foul smelling bug spray, I still came home with a few chiggers and one tick, so any advice would surely be appreciated.

The bullet cut her spine in two and smacked the water. I shot her between the ears to end the wiggling and not sure where that one went.

I also got to tie a cord onto my ear plugs. Dang that gun is loud! I wasn't able to fish them out of my bib pocket and the shot needed to be out!

I feel bad... told Marshall I would shoot one with a BTB but I need to shoot at a target as the point of impact is different. I've just stayed tied up and unable to take that step. Got to do something!! 5 of my bullets left.. got a hundred or so ready but the only loaded ammo is 290 and 300-grain BTBs.

Picked up a 444T today and one shop and a brand new Savage 411 Double-barrel shotgun at another!

Michael

Two questions RD; how do you keep the vermin off of you in this hot weather? Also, how do you deal with the hot weather when cleaning your hogs?
Nice shootin' Tex! You'd been in hog heaven (pun intended) if you could have made the hunt with us last month down in Pleasanton. All three of us used our .35 Remingtons, plus I used my Marlin .45 cowboy gun on one hog as well. We could barely stand the heat and humidity, and despite all the foul smelling bug spray, I still came home with a few chiggers and one tick, so any advice would surely be appreciated.


Well SFT... I guess it's like DI said the first day I was in the Army... "get used to it, it isn't going to get any better!"

Actually, I've found ways to deal with it after the realization that you are just going to end the day sopping wet. For starters, I used Deep Woods Off for Sportsmen. I actually spray my clothes with the stuff before I put them on. I get out to the woods in T-shirt and shorts spray myself lightly and then put my camo on. I learned how to use the wind to spray your own back, etc., that you can't reach otherwise. The pictures don't show it but I am completey camo'd for the hunt. I use Bohning Archery's face paint. It's light and easy to remove and doesn't streak with sweat. I spray some DWO in my palms and mix it good with the paste and my face is completely covered. I wear camo gloves etc. but the DWO is what keeps the bugs off. I was shooting a gun but always hunt like a bowhunter. I had eleven deer within 35 yards of me, down to a few feet at times, and none ever saw me or knew I was there. You got to think about everything. I even spray the seat of my pants. As you are sitting on the expanded metal of a tree or ladder stand, or just hunched over squatting those sketters will attack your backside!

Not to much you can do about the sweat. I use the Pete Rickard odor eliminating products and have used those all my life.

When I kill something, I'm gone. You actually have more time than you think. The "Hog Ranch" is about 1/2 mile out of town and my ranch hands met me within 20 to 30 minutes. If that would not have happened, I would have gutted it promptly, quartered it, and got it on ice in the same time frame.

I guess the bottom line is that some fellows see my tales here and think... "boy I'd like to be doing that", but you've really got to want to do it this time of year. There is a lot of hunting around here but I know of very, very few that pursue it year round like I do. I hunt several times a week like this. Sometimes it can be like "**** week" wrapped up in a single evening... ask MikeG.

The funny thing is on the way in I could smell these hogs uphill and upwind of where they came out on the pole line. I've only smelled this smell once or twice before. It was a drift of wind carrying really bad breath... I'm serious. Not the smell of hog odor but just plain bad breath... so bad that it almost takes your breath away. You got to figure that it's over 90F and over 90% humidity and that pack of hogs was laying on a slight rise in terrian trying to catch any breeze. Of course their sides are heaving as they try to catch their breath. I figure the times that I've smelled that, it's a passel of large hogs. There was about 25 keepers in this pack.

Your hunt sounds like it was fun!

Michael

That old sow had the longest snout I've seen. She must have been telling lies.

You mentioned you are hunting river bottoms?

Great place for hogs. Especially during a drought.

We have had 12.8 inches of rain in one week up here in Jack County so the hogs are spread out.
I can't hunt until we finish moving and boy am I jealous!

Our rancher saw a pure white one on our wheat field the other morning. Short snout and fat. Must be just off the farm. Probably same one I saw a few months ago.

Ticks/Chiggers - hunt in an area with lots of fire ants :) Not sure which is worse, to be honest.

Just gotta get the guts dumped out, and meat on ice. If you accomplish that within an hour, I've never had problems even in the hottest weather with meat spoiling.

I also personally like to dump a container of salt over the ice after the hog is in the cooler.

For those not used to hunting in hot weather, it might seem strange that you need to buy 60-80lbs of ice on your way to the camp. But it's necessary, that's for sure.

Not sure how people lived in Texas before A/C, LOL......

Sometimes it seems like you'll lose more blood to mosquitoes, etc., than the critters do when you shoot them.

Michael, don't feel too bad about not getting to the Beartooth bullets yet, I've - ahem - 'researched' that a bit in the past and they DO work :D

TPV...

Our rivers are up from massive amounts of rain. In this part of Texas I think that tends to get the pigs moving. These hogs where not in a bottom but up on a mesquite and pear flat... all that country is flooded with about 1" of so of rain water. I think it makes the ground easy digging!

MikeG hit it on the head... "Not sure how people lived in Texas before A/C, LOL......" I'd hate to have to go back to a camp without at least a hot shower. I was pretty much covered in mud from head to toe besides the sweat, camo, and skeeter spray. I also think MikeG is right about the fireants... they have pretty much eliminated the ticks and chiggers in this area. Of course, them little guys kill other stuff also.

I got a nice email from the ranch owner for killing one of the "Barn Rats". This group of hogs has been working the barn yard the last couple of days and you cannot drive my Jeep across the rootings!

Nice Hog RD! I don't know if it's possible to wear a Marlin out, but I suspect your on course to find out.

Phil

Deuce...

Hey, these Marlin rifles are made for this type of hunting!

Michael

Hey RD! Did the Ranch Doggie accompany you on this hunt? I was curious. Neither my Rott or my Aussie Shepherd could stand to stay with me. They would go for the pigs and probably get hurt. Not to mention fouling a chance for a shot. Later boys. 'Dito :cool:

Bandito...

Sheila is always out with me but when I'm really serious about hunting or sitting on stand she is waiting at the Jeep. She is a pretty good blood trail dog.

Michael