moosehunter
PMA Member
My Texas hog hunt went quite well finally. Two prior years was a bit ruff with no hogs and few opportunites. This year I headed over to my brothers lease on Wednesday by myself because my brother had some business to attended to and wouldn't make it until Thursday afternoon. It was a windy rainy day so I threw on some Goretex and I headed to a tripod setup for a bow.
I hadn't been there to long and knew I would not last 3 hours there with the wind and rain. Only twenty five yards away was another tripod with an umbrella top that looked pretty inviting so I switched stands.
I likely was not gonna get a bowshot but I came prepared and had a 22-250 with because I was determined to get at least one hog on the ground this year. Around 5:00 two sows with a bunch of piglets came out of the woods behind me and into the field. I think they smelled my trail coming in cause thats about where they stopped and turned back around. I never saw them again. Around 6:00 I caught movement from the west. Alright, a big white boar was headed towards the feeder along a fenceline. I could not wait for him to reach the feeder cause it was directly downwind from me so I put one right in the boiler room at 50 yards when he cleared some brush. He hit the ground but was back on his feet just as quick snarlin and squeeling. He turned around and ran back west. I gave him an hour then climbed down and started the trailing. It was not to hard to track for a while. I had good blood and also muddy tracks to follow. But soon the fading day light and rain forced me to quit my tracking. I also was off my brothers lease so I needed to talk to him and find out who I needed to talk to so I could continue the search. Turns out it was the same landowner so I was good that way but the next day I could not find him. I guest-i-mated he was a 350 lb boss.
So now it was mid morning and my job was to go around to bait and set a couple traps.
These pictures are compliments of a trailcam I didn't know was there. That feeder was 120 yards from a box stand and another feeder was 99 yards on the other side of the stand. I dumped some corn at each feeder and also hit a few other feeders on the lease. Around 2:00 I decided to do a bit of still hunting on the far side of the lease. The weather was pretty nice. Sunny, a good breeze and quiet walking was great conditions for that kind of hunt. I had only walked about 300 yards when a bunch of hogs busted from cover not 10 yards from me. Now I'd like to say I was stealthy enough to spot them and sneak up on them from a 100 yards but I did not see them until they busted. I ran around one prickly brush and dumped one on the run right through the head. To my amazement she got back up and half charged towards me, then turned broadside where I dropped her for good. I finally had one down.
I had her hanging by 3:30, now it was time to head for the stand. I went to the blind where I had dumped some corn earlier. This time I brought a ML and the 22-250. 4:30 I saw a good boar at the feeder I didn't know a trailcam was on.
I had to wait exactly 13 minutes before he turned broadside and I let loose a 265 gr barnes. He dropped on the spot.
I watched him kick for a bit but knew he was not gonna go anywhere. I called my brother who now was on his way to see what I should do with that boar. Leave him there or drag him away since I had until dark thirty to hunt yet. He said just leave him. If more hogs come in and they don't like that they will just go to the next feeder. So as I am on the phone I looked out and said "oh sh#t" and hung up.
That hog was up and walking away. Since I had not reloaded I grabbed the 22-250 and drilled him in the ear where he again fell where he stood. Now I'm watching him laying there kicking again. After a minute or so he starts crawling into some brush. I know the first and second shots have killed the boar but I didn't want to see him make it to a washout so I left the stand and put one more into the bean. All my brother could do was laugh when I tolt him the story back at the blind. So now it is late and I could barely see anything anymore. I pack up my stuff and take one last look before leaving and guess what.
After confirming it was not a cow I unleashed another Barnes. When the smoke cleared I could not see the hog. I leave the blind not knowing if I killed the hog or even hit it. With no flashlight I causiously moved close to the feeder.
Dang, I heard some brush cracking behind the feeder.
I'm gettin the hell out of here and go get some light. I few minutes later I arrive back feeling a bit more brave but still not brave enough to go without some backup.
1st things 1st, Yep the other hog is still where I left him.
I ended up finding the other hog 15 yards behind the feeder in the middle of some prickly brush. Finally killed one with one shot. But something I learned from my brother was they almost always shoot hogs in the head just for that reason. They are tougher than hell and it's not uncommon for then to get back up after being shot, even in the earhole.
So now I had three down and my brother dumped one where he was that night. My two boars and my brothers were all around 200 lbs. We had a truck full.
So the next couple hours were spent celebrating with a few cold ones and skinnin out backstraps. Since it turned out to be a late night and a productive day I was in no hurry to get up for a morning hunt. We spent the morning sittin around talking about things brothers talk about. Thinking back now that was one of my favorite times of the trip. Anyway, by mid afternoon on Friday my son got there where he wanted to do some turkey hunting. So a bit of scouting for him was done. Then we were close enough to check one of the traps I had baited and set.
Four more backstraps will now make the trip back to Iowa. That day I ended up with another sow and my brother hit another that he didn't find. The rest of the trip I sat with a bow and had nothing come close enough for a shot but at that point I didn't care anyway. We had a blast and am already looking forward to next year.
I hadn't been there to long and knew I would not last 3 hours there with the wind and rain. Only twenty five yards away was another tripod with an umbrella top that looked pretty inviting so I switched stands.
I likely was not gonna get a bowshot but I came prepared and had a 22-250 with because I was determined to get at least one hog on the ground this year. Around 5:00 two sows with a bunch of piglets came out of the woods behind me and into the field. I think they smelled my trail coming in cause thats about where they stopped and turned back around. I never saw them again. Around 6:00 I caught movement from the west. Alright, a big white boar was headed towards the feeder along a fenceline. I could not wait for him to reach the feeder cause it was directly downwind from me so I put one right in the boiler room at 50 yards when he cleared some brush. He hit the ground but was back on his feet just as quick snarlin and squeeling. He turned around and ran back west. I gave him an hour then climbed down and started the trailing. It was not to hard to track for a while. I had good blood and also muddy tracks to follow. But soon the fading day light and rain forced me to quit my tracking. I also was off my brothers lease so I needed to talk to him and find out who I needed to talk to so I could continue the search. Turns out it was the same landowner so I was good that way but the next day I could not find him. I guest-i-mated he was a 350 lb boss.
So now it was mid morning and my job was to go around to bait and set a couple traps.
These pictures are compliments of a trailcam I didn't know was there. That feeder was 120 yards from a box stand and another feeder was 99 yards on the other side of the stand. I dumped some corn at each feeder and also hit a few other feeders on the lease. Around 2:00 I decided to do a bit of still hunting on the far side of the lease. The weather was pretty nice. Sunny, a good breeze and quiet walking was great conditions for that kind of hunt. I had only walked about 300 yards when a bunch of hogs busted from cover not 10 yards from me. Now I'd like to say I was stealthy enough to spot them and sneak up on them from a 100 yards but I did not see them until they busted. I ran around one prickly brush and dumped one on the run right through the head. To my amazement she got back up and half charged towards me, then turned broadside where I dropped her for good. I finally had one down.
I had her hanging by 3:30, now it was time to head for the stand. I went to the blind where I had dumped some corn earlier. This time I brought a ML and the 22-250. 4:30 I saw a good boar at the feeder I didn't know a trailcam was on.
I had to wait exactly 13 minutes before he turned broadside and I let loose a 265 gr barnes. He dropped on the spot.
I watched him kick for a bit but knew he was not gonna go anywhere. I called my brother who now was on his way to see what I should do with that boar. Leave him there or drag him away since I had until dark thirty to hunt yet. He said just leave him. If more hogs come in and they don't like that they will just go to the next feeder. So as I am on the phone I looked out and said "oh sh#t" and hung up.
That hog was up and walking away. Since I had not reloaded I grabbed the 22-250 and drilled him in the ear where he again fell where he stood. Now I'm watching him laying there kicking again. After a minute or so he starts crawling into some brush. I know the first and second shots have killed the boar but I didn't want to see him make it to a washout so I left the stand and put one more into the bean. All my brother could do was laugh when I tolt him the story back at the blind. So now it is late and I could barely see anything anymore. I pack up my stuff and take one last look before leaving and guess what.
After confirming it was not a cow I unleashed another Barnes. When the smoke cleared I could not see the hog. I leave the blind not knowing if I killed the hog or even hit it. With no flashlight I causiously moved close to the feeder.
Dang, I heard some brush cracking behind the feeder.
I'm gettin the hell out of here and go get some light. I few minutes later I arrive back feeling a bit more brave but still not brave enough to go without some backup.
1st things 1st, Yep the other hog is still where I left him.
I ended up finding the other hog 15 yards behind the feeder in the middle of some prickly brush. Finally killed one with one shot. But something I learned from my brother was they almost always shoot hogs in the head just for that reason. They are tougher than hell and it's not uncommon for then to get back up after being shot, even in the earhole.
So now I had three down and my brother dumped one where he was that night. My two boars and my brothers were all around 200 lbs. We had a truck full.
So the next couple hours were spent celebrating with a few cold ones and skinnin out backstraps. Since it turned out to be a late night and a productive day I was in no hurry to get up for a morning hunt. We spent the morning sittin around talking about things brothers talk about. Thinking back now that was one of my favorite times of the trip. Anyway, by mid afternoon on Friday my son got there where he wanted to do some turkey hunting. So a bit of scouting for him was done. Then we were close enough to check one of the traps I had baited and set.
Four more backstraps will now make the trip back to Iowa. That day I ended up with another sow and my brother hit another that he didn't find. The rest of the trip I sat with a bow and had nothing come close enough for a shot but at that point I didn't care anyway. We had a blast and am already looking forward to next year.
