For the past four years I have been able to get down to Texas to hunt pigs and get together with people I’ve had the great pleasure to have met on the internet. My cousin Joe and I were able to go to hunt in Burlington this year with high hopes of killing some primal pork. The month before leaving the frozen north, up near Chicago, we were told that Burlington was covered up in pigs, and I’m sure they were then, but pigs move around without giving any indication as to when they’ll come or go and for the most part….they were gone. A Burlington rancher was allowing a group of Texas hunters I know from another web site, and us Yankees, to hunt his property and some adjoining properties, but the only luck we had getting onto pigs were the 8 watermelon’s that the rancher had trapped a couple of days before we all got there. Two of us had brought turkey fryers to the get together because every time I’d ask the question about deep frying small pigs, people would normally say “I’ve always wondered what it’d taste like but never have done it”. What a great time that was, we butchered the eight pigs, cut the heads and feet off, halved them top from bottom and fried their……, we also cut and made French fried potatoes to go with chili and anything else people brought to eat.
I towed my Jeep behind my Dodge Sprinter van so that we had transportation around the properties, we made good use of it by taking off the soft top and standing up in the back with a FLIR unit as we drove the roads looking across thousands of acres of plowed and planted fields of corn and wheat. We saw lots of rabbits, skunks and a few coyotes, but no pigs. Another reason for taking the van is for all the stuff needed for a two week trip and since there is a power inverter in the van, I can put a full size freezer in the back to freeze the meat while in and returning from Texas. Out of the eight little pigs that were trapped we ate two, tow were taken by other hunters and they told me to take the other four home, so now, after five days, we have four pigs in the freezer.
Time for plan “B”
A good friend of mine lives outside of Rockdale, just a half hour south of Burlington, invited Joe and me to his ranch because he said he has pigs, I knew that was true because TLM had shot one there just a couple of nights previous to our arrival. We got there on a Wednesday just after noon and by 9:30 that night I had this guy on the ground. He measured 40” around the chest which equates to approximately 200 pounds.
What happened was, we were in an elevated blind, Joe was in the left seat, I was in the right seat. Using the FLIR we spotted a pig straight in front of the blind about 175 yards away, I decided to look around the area and make sure there wasn't anything else worth shooting since there wasn't any reason for both of us to shoot the same hog. Well, about 100 yards away out the left side of the blind was this really nice hog, BOOOYA, two hogs at the same time. We did the count down and what could be heard was BOOM and CRAP. Joe shot at his pig, I forgot to take off the safety on my gun. I clicked off the safety, put the EOTech dot on the pig’s nose and touched off the gun for a resounding BOOM and SQUEEEEEL of a hog that had just been kissed by a 6.8 with Hornady 120 grain SST’s. We only had to track 25 yards to find him lying in the brush waiting for the knockout punch. Dead pig. The next night Joe and I were in the stand again, same positions, similar situation and probably the same hog from the previous night. We looked out into the field and to our surprise there he was but further away this time, unfortunately we had not measured the distance to the back of the field because what I thought was 150 yards was closer to 300 yards. We aimed three inches high when we should have adjusted up 15 inches. We counted down and punched holes in the ground. No joy that night and no hogs the night after that.
Friday night rolls around and I go to another area of the ranch that I had seen a BIG pig on the night before but had not gotten a shot at, I had high hopes. About 9:00 I saw a pig to my left at 130 yards, I used my range finder before dark so that I knew all my distances in the area, he was slowly moving along the tree line between me and the tank, I took aim, exhaled and squeezed the trigger. BOOM, the pig dropped flat on the ground but his back legs started pushing him into the tree line, I fired another round as it entered the woods, time to go get my pig. Well it wasn't as easy as I was hoping, there wasn't any blood and almost no sign except where he did a hole shot off the line with those hind legs. We looked for well over a half hour with no luck, time to call it a night, not really, it was only 10:00 and I wanted to wait until at least 2:00 AM before considering leaving the stand. Some people will not believe this, but it’s true, while in the stand I was talking to God and told him that I knew I’d hit that hog and I sure would like to get another crack at it, no promises were made no tears shed, just a simple one sided conversation. Ten minutes go by and while scanning the same field but to the RIGHT this time, at 150 yards there was a pig standing there eating the corn we put out. I put down the FLIR, dialed in the IR so that there wasn't too much light, I took aim, BOOM. The pig dropped on its chest just like the other one, the back legs kicked two times and I said “not this time buddy”, POW, I gave him one more but what I saw was dust fly up just short of his body, he wasn't moving so I got down to check him out. Joe and the rancher showed up just a few minutes later, we loaded it on to the Jeep and we went to the barn to butcher it. When we strung the hog up by the back legs on a gambrel I noticed entrance and exit holes in the front of both legs. It was the same hog. I was and am still in awe.
The next night I sat at another stand but had no luck, nothing but deer, coons, cows in the adjacent field and an armadillo. Tomorrow night its back to the good luck stand.
I got in the stand about half an hour before dusk to settle in and get ready for the night hoping for another pig. I sat there for the next four hours scoping and listening for sounds that might be pigs in the woods behind me, nothing. Finally at about 11:00 I took another look around and to my right at 175 yards I see a nice pig, I wait for it to come closer but it just won’t come my way. As it turns towards the woods I knew there was only a moment to make the shot, so I did. The shot rang out and the pig dropped DRT. Number three.
Now it’s Monday night, tomorrow we are set to leave for home. I’m sitting in the same stand I’d gotten two pigs in, I took a shot at another pig that night and missed, but that’s all right, I’d had a great time and was satisfied with the trip. Joe, unfortunately, was not having the same luck, twice he shot at pigs and twice he missed, with the night drawing to a close the pressure was on. Joe was in the elevated blind with Texas Boar hunting lights illuminating the area in front and to the sides, finally a pig appeared to the left of him down the power line about 300 yards away. The pig took about half an hour to close to 200 yards and at that point he wandered into the woods where my first pig took his dirt nap. It took about 15 more minutes for the pig to come back into view, but now he was at about 65 yards. The perfect opportunity arose as the pig turned broadside to receive his just deserts, a 175 grain soft point from a 7MM magnum. DRT, no blood loss no dance just a thunderous boom calling an end to a wonderful vacation. We butchered the 200 pound hog and went to bed, tired and mentally ready to head back to our homes and families.
This was truly an enjoyable time spent with truly wonderful people. We were able to kill four big boars, 1 at 175#, 2-200# and 1-220# all measured with a tape yielding about 260 ponds of meat, we also brought back 4-30# piglets that have a hot date with a Weber smoker/grill.
I towed my Jeep behind my Dodge Sprinter van so that we had transportation around the properties, we made good use of it by taking off the soft top and standing up in the back with a FLIR unit as we drove the roads looking across thousands of acres of plowed and planted fields of corn and wheat. We saw lots of rabbits, skunks and a few coyotes, but no pigs. Another reason for taking the van is for all the stuff needed for a two week trip and since there is a power inverter in the van, I can put a full size freezer in the back to freeze the meat while in and returning from Texas. Out of the eight little pigs that were trapped we ate two, tow were taken by other hunters and they told me to take the other four home, so now, after five days, we have four pigs in the freezer.
Time for plan “B”
A good friend of mine lives outside of Rockdale, just a half hour south of Burlington, invited Joe and me to his ranch because he said he has pigs, I knew that was true because TLM had shot one there just a couple of nights previous to our arrival. We got there on a Wednesday just after noon and by 9:30 that night I had this guy on the ground. He measured 40” around the chest which equates to approximately 200 pounds.
What happened was, we were in an elevated blind, Joe was in the left seat, I was in the right seat. Using the FLIR we spotted a pig straight in front of the blind about 175 yards away, I decided to look around the area and make sure there wasn't anything else worth shooting since there wasn't any reason for both of us to shoot the same hog. Well, about 100 yards away out the left side of the blind was this really nice hog, BOOOYA, two hogs at the same time. We did the count down and what could be heard was BOOM and CRAP. Joe shot at his pig, I forgot to take off the safety on my gun. I clicked off the safety, put the EOTech dot on the pig’s nose and touched off the gun for a resounding BOOM and SQUEEEEEL of a hog that had just been kissed by a 6.8 with Hornady 120 grain SST’s. We only had to track 25 yards to find him lying in the brush waiting for the knockout punch. Dead pig. The next night Joe and I were in the stand again, same positions, similar situation and probably the same hog from the previous night. We looked out into the field and to our surprise there he was but further away this time, unfortunately we had not measured the distance to the back of the field because what I thought was 150 yards was closer to 300 yards. We aimed three inches high when we should have adjusted up 15 inches. We counted down and punched holes in the ground. No joy that night and no hogs the night after that.
Friday night rolls around and I go to another area of the ranch that I had seen a BIG pig on the night before but had not gotten a shot at, I had high hopes. About 9:00 I saw a pig to my left at 130 yards, I used my range finder before dark so that I knew all my distances in the area, he was slowly moving along the tree line between me and the tank, I took aim, exhaled and squeezed the trigger. BOOM, the pig dropped flat on the ground but his back legs started pushing him into the tree line, I fired another round as it entered the woods, time to go get my pig. Well it wasn't as easy as I was hoping, there wasn't any blood and almost no sign except where he did a hole shot off the line with those hind legs. We looked for well over a half hour with no luck, time to call it a night, not really, it was only 10:00 and I wanted to wait until at least 2:00 AM before considering leaving the stand. Some people will not believe this, but it’s true, while in the stand I was talking to God and told him that I knew I’d hit that hog and I sure would like to get another crack at it, no promises were made no tears shed, just a simple one sided conversation. Ten minutes go by and while scanning the same field but to the RIGHT this time, at 150 yards there was a pig standing there eating the corn we put out. I put down the FLIR, dialed in the IR so that there wasn't too much light, I took aim, BOOM. The pig dropped on its chest just like the other one, the back legs kicked two times and I said “not this time buddy”, POW, I gave him one more but what I saw was dust fly up just short of his body, he wasn't moving so I got down to check him out. Joe and the rancher showed up just a few minutes later, we loaded it on to the Jeep and we went to the barn to butcher it. When we strung the hog up by the back legs on a gambrel I noticed entrance and exit holes in the front of both legs. It was the same hog. I was and am still in awe.
The next night I sat at another stand but had no luck, nothing but deer, coons, cows in the adjacent field and an armadillo. Tomorrow night its back to the good luck stand.
I got in the stand about half an hour before dusk to settle in and get ready for the night hoping for another pig. I sat there for the next four hours scoping and listening for sounds that might be pigs in the woods behind me, nothing. Finally at about 11:00 I took another look around and to my right at 175 yards I see a nice pig, I wait for it to come closer but it just won’t come my way. As it turns towards the woods I knew there was only a moment to make the shot, so I did. The shot rang out and the pig dropped DRT. Number three.
Now it’s Monday night, tomorrow we are set to leave for home. I’m sitting in the same stand I’d gotten two pigs in, I took a shot at another pig that night and missed, but that’s all right, I’d had a great time and was satisfied with the trip. Joe, unfortunately, was not having the same luck, twice he shot at pigs and twice he missed, with the night drawing to a close the pressure was on. Joe was in the elevated blind with Texas Boar hunting lights illuminating the area in front and to the sides, finally a pig appeared to the left of him down the power line about 300 yards away. The pig took about half an hour to close to 200 yards and at that point he wandered into the woods where my first pig took his dirt nap. It took about 15 more minutes for the pig to come back into view, but now he was at about 65 yards. The perfect opportunity arose as the pig turned broadside to receive his just deserts, a 175 grain soft point from a 7MM magnum. DRT, no blood loss no dance just a thunderous boom calling an end to a wonderful vacation. We butchered the 200 pound hog and went to bed, tired and mentally ready to head back to our homes and families.
This was truly an enjoyable time spent with truly wonderful people. We were able to kill four big boars, 1 at 175#, 2-200# and 1-220# all measured with a tape yielding about 260 ponds of meat, we also brought back 4-30# piglets that have a hot date with a Weber smoker/grill.
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