My neighbor and I went out Sunday to fill feeders.

That quickly turned into a winter pig hunt while driving around the pastures listening to the Eagles clobber the Falcons on the radio.
There's about 700 acres of mesquite flats that are covered in hog ruts. Finally found about thirty of them close to the road and managed to kill two or three 100- 150 lb porkers.

Here's Steve Raulerson with one 7mm-08 piggy. With 25 degree temps tonight, its great time to kill them and clean them then let them hang a while. Winter pigs seem to taste better than summer pigs.

Good Luck to all
Tom

Hope you saved some for seed, Tom!!!

Nice pig, Tom. If you ever need someone to eradicate those rascals from your land, I'll just run up the road and meet you at the gate! Surely you don't want those hogs to ruin the mesquite crop now do you? ;)

Hope you saved some for seed, Tom!!!
There's plenty for seed. Too many!
That's me in the pic with the stetson on, "ALL Hat , No Cattle"

Almost headed your way today - daughter is down in the back and wife left here with the phone hanging by it's cord and the door flappin' on the hinges! Flew out at 4 AM (wonder if RD was driving that Southwest bus?) and left me to fend for the housecleaning, birds and fish!

Looks like the best I can manage is around the 1st part of April - when the turkeys come in! Keep those hawgs fat with the grain and I'll replace it when getting there!

Ken

Almost headed your way today - daughter is down in the back and wife left here with the phone hanging by it's cord and the door flappin' on the hinges! Flew out at 4 AM (wonder if RD was driving that Southwest bus?) and left me to fend for the housecleaning, birds and fish!

Looks like the best I can manage is around the 1st part of April - when the turkeys come in! Keep those hawgs fat with the grain and I'll replace it when getting there!

Ken
By the way, the guy cutting up that hog in the pic, runs a first class deer hunting operation in Fredericksburg but their ranch has no pigs.
Since he butchers his own deer and uses all that good german sausage seasoning that you can get down in the hill country, he wanted to process the hog.

It was the best sausage I've ever eaten. plus he made bacon out of the sides. It was great. As many as I shoot, its rare when I get to eat them. However, having a neighbor who likes to process them, I'm going to change my ways and start "bringing them home" He also did the tenderloan smoked and rolled in cracked pepper. I could go on, but I was impressed!

Stop! You're making me hungry!!!!:D
By the way, the guy cutting up that hog in the pic, runs a first class deer hunting operation in Fredericksburg but their ranch has no pigs.
Since he butchers his own deer and uses all that good german sausage seasoning that you can get down in the hill country, he wanted to process the hog.

It was the best sausage I've ever eaten. plus he made bacon out of the sides. It was great. As many as I shoot, its rare when I get to eat them. However, having a neighbor who likes to process them, I'm going to change my ways and start "bringing them home" He also did the tenderloan smoked and rolled in cracked pepper. I could go on, but I was impressed!

Stop! You're making me hungry!!!!:D

Just for FYI.
Yesterday evening, I had a friend of mine driving through the pasture with me. About a 250lb boar stood up facing us at 50 yards.
My friend had been bragging about his new reloads for his .270 Win.
Well, at 50 yards, he hit the boar right on the forehead between the eyes. I saw the dust fly and the big boar rolled over backward. Then he got up and ran away with only a small blood trail that eventually played out.
He didn't think his gun was big enough, and said that from now on he'd use his 338 Ultra Mag.

That skull plate is about 3 times the thickness of a whitetail so if anyone is thinking about that particular shot, don't do it.
I think with any gun, the results would be about the same.
Shot placement is critical with any animal, but I've had it proven to me once agin how tough these hogs are.

I shouldn't have let him do that, but I though he was going under the chin instead of between the eyes.

Anyway, let that be a lesson to us all.

I live near Seattle. I'm approaching this eagerly. I feel that hunting feral species around the state may be a good way to stay active and still bring home some good animals to show for it. I'm interested in smallish game, a sort of camp +eat experience. But I like the idea of filling the freezer too. I'm waiting to hear back from WDFW. Between them and my hunters ed class next week shoud answer a lot of questions but I thought I'd ask you guys too.

1.Whats good hunting year round? Are feral animals such as pigs and yotes good eats? Rabbits of course, some birds?

2. I've heard guys mention varmint and birds as targets of oportunity. Does that mean they shoot them and leave them? Is that Kosher?

3.I'd like to stay within an hour or two of seattle. Is there even territory to hunt that close to town? I think near the coast?

This is repost. Sorry. I need some answers and didn't get any hits. I appreciate your input.

I live near Seattle. I'm approaching this eagerly. I feel that hunting feral species around the state may be a good way to stay active and still bring home some good animals to show for it. I'm interested in smallish game, a sort of camp +eat experience. But I like the idea of filling the freezer too. I'm waiting to hear back from WDFW. Between them and my hunters ed class next week shoud answer a lot of questions but I thought I'd ask you guys too.

1.Whats good hunting year round? Are feral animals such as pigs and yotes good eats? Rabbits of course, some birds?

I can only speak of the hunting regs here in Texas, but wild hogs are considered non-native game, thus there is no closed season and they may be taking year round, night and day. You must have a valid hunting license and obey the land owner's wishes if on private land, but there's no limit on the number you can shoot. Just about any size hog is good eating, no matter what percentage of feral, European (wild boar), or Russian they are, providing they are cleaned correctly and as soon as possible. Since hogs have a layer of fat over their entire bodies added to the fact that fat insulates, the bacteria in their gut begins to multiply rapidly after death, so learn how to gut them and perhaps skin them as well. Coyotes are NOT to be eaten, but their pelts may be valuable depedning on your local. Some counties and private land owners here in Texas offer a bounty on them, sometimes it's enough money to pay for your hunt if you kill a few.
Hogs can be hunted all year long, it all depends on your own tolerance for heat, cold, rain, mud, bugs etc. Rabbits can carry a virus in warmer months of the year, your local Parks & Wildlife, game warden or county extension agent should be able to give you more information on that.

2. I've heard guys mention varmint and birds as targets of oportunity. Does that mean they shoot them and leave them? Is that Kosher? Short answer is yes if you are comfortable with that, and provided the species is not protected, out of season or will not cause you to loose your primary quarry. Gophers, crow, and other type varmits can over populate and cause great land and agricultural damage, as do wild hogs, so check you local hunting laws first.

3.I'd like to stay within an hour or two of seattle. Is there even territory to hunt that close to town? I think near the coast?
Check out public land hunting in yoiur area, and make friends with land owners in your area. Game wardens will sometimes know of places where invansive species such as hogs are plentiful, and you may get lucky and find a land owner willing to pay you to kill all the hogs you can!

This is repost. Sorry. I need some answers and didn't get any hits. I appreciate your input.

Final word of advice, join your local/state/national gun rights organization of YOUR choice, after you have done some research into each one. Look for the issues they represent, how they address preserving your right to hunt and own a firearm (whether or not you own one or not, rifle or handgun) The Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA) is (one) of my choices of membership.

Those are exactly the kind of answers I need.

Glad I could help get you started, but please continue to ask questions and educate yourself. Most of all, pass your knowledge and love for hunting on to the next generation.
Those are exactly the kind of answers I need.