Hog Hunter's Hideaway

[daggaboyblog]

Calling all hog hunters! We want your posts!

It seems that there are a large group of people here who are joined by the common link of hunting in Africa. Many of us get to the Dark Continent once in a lifetime and the fortunate get there on a more regular basis.

I have no doubt that we all like to get out there and hunt when we're at home, and for a lot of us, the search for swine has become somewhat of an addiction. So whether it be in Africa, North America, South America, Australia, Asia or Europe - if you have a picture or a story about your hog hunting adventures, let's share them and enjoy each others hunting experiences.

I'd love to see this thread running hot in the months ahead. Don't give it all away at once, let's savour the experience!

 

[daggaboyblog]

Dan's first pig

To get the ball rolling, I thought I'd start with my very first pig. I got my first job after school in 1991 and bought my .308 Winchester with the first $1100 I saved. I was ready to hunt "big game."

At dawn on 05 January 1992, I was walking across a stubble paddock not far from the township of Nymagee in Central New South Wales. This was a wheat property, running a few sheep as well. I spotted a black boar trotting across the stubble and at about 150 yards, I thought I had no hope, so I moved in closer with a bit of speed...

I was 15 years old and there was a lot I didn't know. Turns out that wind direction is important! I got to within about 80 yards when the boar winded me and started to run. It was the first pig I had ever seen and he was getting away. I raised the .308 on her maiden hog hunt. As soon as I saw the black body through the scope I let her rip. The bullet struck the pig and knocked it off it's feet; turned out to be a high shoulder/spinal shot. More arse than class I reckon.

So impressed with what I had achieved, I caped out the boar with his 3/4" tusks and took him home - that was the first pig I tanned and mounted. I was hooked from the moment I spotted my first black pig in that sea of stubble.

 

[monish]

Schembridan,

There you have procured fine porkiiieess !!! and loads of ivory ,Its a adversary one relishes in taking the most in the sport of hunting .

Monish

 

[Thunder head]

Switchbacks first kill

I made my first kill with my new bow this morning.
Was an awsome stalk too. The pigs went 180 degrees from where i expected them to go. I went over the hill and down into the little strip of trees lining a creek that runs thru the pasture. My plan was to get into the big woods before the pigs ,Well halfway there i spot movement. There are 4 or 5 smaller pigs rooting arond a dead tree. This pasture is slam full of cows so every green thing a cow can reach has been eaten. I dropped down a few feet and put a big tree trunk in between me and them. I ease forward. Range finder says 54 yds. I move slowly ahead to some smaller trees. Range finder says 38 yds. too far. I move one step at a time halting when any of the pigs raises its head. I make it too this small tree about as big as your calf. The biggest one looks up and bores a hole thru me. Finaly she puts her head down. I have too squat down to clear a limb. The sow i have picked out actualy lays down to take a nap. She is quarting away hard. I fiqure it is 28 yds. or so, I hold a little high and center the front off the offside shoulder. I drilled her, entering just behind the last rib and exiting in her arm pit. She ran down hill abot 20 yds. and died in the creek.

 

[daggaboyblog]

Hey Thunder head - nice fat sow you've harpooned there. Are you planning to take that bow (or another) to hunt in Africa?
I am going to hop in the car in four hours for a 5 hour drive to a new spot I have just gained access to. This is the first trip to this property so today is more a meet and greet than anything. I expect to find wild goats and wild pigs in this area, as well as rabbits and foxes.
Let us know if you bowl over any more hogs.

 

[1Shot2Kills]

Nice one!

 

[Thunder head]

Actualy thats a tale from a couple of years ago. I have made many kills with that bow since then. I took it to africa last summer and got 6 animals with it.

 

[daggaboyblog]

On another hunt not so long ago I bumped into a few pigs...

Glen Innes is famous for its fallow deer herd and I have hunted the area with a local guide a couple of times. The PH I use in the area was born and raised in Tanzania and has since settled down in the foot hills of the Great Dividing Range, chasing deer for a living!

We were sitting around the fire with a port and I asked John about pigs in the area. He stated that they averaged one pig a year. They were around, but almost completely nocturnal due to the hunting pressure and being deer hunters, there was no hunting at night.

So having had a successful hunt, we went out on the last afternoon after a good looking stag we had spotted the day before. We were making our approach “the long way ‘round” as the wind was all wrong. Walking through waste high grass, I spotted what I thought was the back of a pig and the heard the odd snort.

“Pigs!” I hissed to John. “I’d take them Dan,” whispered John in response. I had the deer I was after already, so I pushed a long Weatherby case into the chamber and lined up the pig. At the shot the pig crashed to the ground and another three grunters burst out out of the grass and took a wide arc to my left as their getaway route – perfect.

The second shot dropped another, the third shot missed! But the fourth shot connected with a lovely strawberry blonde sow. 3 pigs, 4 shots, 5 seconds! “Pork!” cheered John - “I was getting sick of venison!”

We kept all the meat that the .300 had left in tact – the tough Woodleigh bullet hardly opened up at under 75 yards for all three pigs. And I took the strawberry blonde home as the missus, an animal scientist specialising in pigs, loves to have unusual pigs mounted to liven up her office!

 

[Thunder head]

They look yummmy !!!!!

 

[Thunder head]

Its an early summer morning in the mountains of georgia. The air is muggy and heavy with humidity. I am easing through the pastures as daylight breaks. I am headed for the creek bottoms, when pigs start fighting below me. I can barely see to shoot so I go slow. They are realy going at it. There has got to be a sow in heat in the group. The fighting has moved up the hill, but there is a good size pig lagging behind in the creek. I put the sneak on it. About the time I get in range a breeze touches the back of my neck. Busted! The pig takes of for the woods. I cut a half circle through the tall weeds trying to cut them off. I am half way there when the fighting breaks out again. I move in fast. I do not have a shot. All I can see is ears and backs through the weeds. I try to shimy to the side but get picked off by a small pig. The stare down seems to last forever. Finaly they start to head out. I draw on the biggest one and he stops with his chest behind a tree. He only stops for a few seconds. He takes a few steps and pauses. I smoke him from 15 yards slightly quartering away. He of course runs back down in the creek before piling up.
Man he liked to have killed me getting him out of that creek. He even broke my deer cart half way to the truck.

The cut behind his eye is from fighting, not me

 

[daggaboyblog]

Great looking pig Thunder head! I still don't get how you bow hunters can stalk to 15 yards of an animal! Now I love stalking, but to get within 15 yards of a wild animal is tough. There are the odd occasions when weather and terrain make it easy, but these aren't common. My shots at 15 yards are usually at pigs breaking from cover where the shots that present are rear end or spinal (looking down at the animal!). I had an encounter with a few boars around a sow in heat a couple of years ago. Will post shortly...

 

[daggaboyblog]

Cape York hunting

I was hunting with my father on the western coast of Cape York Peninsula in far north Queensland. It had been a late wet season so most of the grass was above our heads, we had to wade through a lot of water, it was difficult to get around in a vehicle, and the crocodiles where everywhere!

We were walking through thick bush on high country, heading down towards a flood plain that was sure to hold a few pigs when we heard squeal in the distance. The wind was blowing firmly in our favour so I jogged down the hill with my father following at a casual pace.

A big sow stepped out of some cane grass and stared me down from some 20 metres; big pig, but we'd come a long way to chase boars. I let her go and kept moving. As the country levelled out I spotted a cloud of red dust in the bush ahead. The squeals were piercing and I could here the pigs pounding each other and the bush around them.

I eased out into the clearing and in front of me were six mature boars and a sow that might have been 30kg, a small pig in oestrus. The commotion stopped and for a split second they all looked my way, then they ran like 'roaches in bright light! The tallest pig copped a round from the ol' .308 to the shoulder and dropped. Before he'd finished kicking in the dust I put a bullet in the last behind as it disappeared into the bush. Two down.

There was squealing coming from the hill I had just climbed down, so I ran in that direction and passed dad on the flat as he came to see how I was going. "Back in a sec," I called back without stopping. In a clearing ahead a big boar was attempting to mount the young sow as she attempted to make her speedy getaway! I couldn't believe my eyes! I walked straight at the couple and got to within 20 yards as they were rather distracted. A careful shot to the neck had the boar laying in the grass and the sow scurrying up the hill to parts unknown.

Three big boars, three shots out of the my Featherweight .308 Winchester. Dad and I hung out like two old mates and caped the best of the three pigs (pictured), ready for the long and steamy walk back to the Toyota.

That was April of 2004.

 

[Thunder head]

Very nice cutters on that one for sure. cool story

 

[monish]

Dan,

Great hunt report and nice piggees you got there, the 300 weatherby is an astonishing caliber what optics on it have you mounted ? are kangaroos too on the huntlist there ??

Monish

 

[monish]

Dan,

Thats a huge boar you took along with your dad must have been a great experience . the 7.62x51 is trusty caliber I believe, its a govt. prohibited caliber in my country never had an opportunity to use it. What are the RAZORBACKS ?? are they a different species ?

Monish

 

[daggaboyblog]

Hey Monish.

The Weatherby wears a Leupold 4.5-14x56mm VXL that I brought in from the US. I figured that I bought the .300 WBY MAG for long range hunting and more "serious" hunts where I was chasing a specific animal. These pigs just found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time! For rough hunting in the bush and general hog hunting, the Featherweight in .308 WIN is a light and handy rifle and with the Leupold 1.5-5x20 on low power, it's better than open sights when a pig bursts out of the budda bush or lignum at 10 yards. Beautiful rifle to handle!

Razorback are not a different species - some people just refer to them as such because of the erect mane of hair that runs from somewhere up near the ears to somewhere passed their shoulder, particularly when they are alert/threatened/aggressive. It is more prevalent in some of the populations we hunt. In other areas, the pigs look like they could have come off a feedlot with the stubby noses and barrel-shaped bodies. At the end of the day, they are all sus scrofa. Some are just a bit more "feral" than others!

 

[daggaboyblog]

Kangaroos on the hunt list

Kangaroos are not on the hunt list - they are a protected native animal. However, in some circumstances they are shot under strict control from the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS). We have had the opportunity to shoot kangaroos as part of culling programs - one such program resulted in the shooting of 1,500 animals off a 3,000 acre grazing property - and that was just the animals considered "excess".

Tags issued are generally kill only, so the skins and meat are not allowed to be utilised. There are also professional shooters who are allowed to shoot 'roos, again under a quota system. These operators are accredited and sell the animal for skins, meat or dog food. Again, heavily regulated and not available to recreational hunters.

Lots of mixed feelings on kangaroo shooting here in Aus....

You get the emotional approach (don't spend too much time here!):
Kangaroo shooting - the largest land-based commercial wildlife slaughter in the world

The tough, rough, perhaps a bit "too-in-your-face" approach:
Roo Shooter Australia

Or the clinical government department approach:
Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos

I'm not a mad 'roo shooter, but I am fortunate to have the opportunity to hunt them legally with NPWS issued tags from time to time. And a weekend out with my .220 Swift and 150 tags is a lot of fun. Shots range from 50 to 450 yards away on a still morning - the more often you shoot an area, the longer the shots get. Spotlighting is the most popular method - I prefer to cruise around in the Toyota at dawn and dusk and pick them off as far away as I can see them.

 

[monish]

Hi Dan,

Your weatherby does have a fine configured scope, must be great shooting with it, I do agree the 300 is a versatile caliber, U can take on any game with a well placed shot, I had some good experience with my weatehrby 300 mag. in taking Bharal or blue sheep in Nepalese Himalayan terrain , on long range shooting using 180 grains spire point by hornady & Nosler Ex, and 220 grain RN Ex for short ranges on a boar, does magic , its a wonder caliber by weatherby with astonishing kill power.You must have had taken good heads with the 300 I believe.
.308 seems to be a impactful caliber too, but never experienced shooting with it. Thanks for the all the info on the razorbacks, as I was quite intrigued about its genus . Must be fun taking them .

Thanks

Monish