Another decent Boar down, .54 cal patched roundball

[Howie1968]

Howie, like others said, try some WW's. I have cast some pure WW's and they aren't any harder to load than plumbers lead using cloth patch, and they certainly penetrate deeper.
I used to hunt the Neches between Palestine and Rusk, on pulp wood land. They grow BIG there too.

There was a processor in Clay county who had a HUGE plastic clear bucket full of shrapnel taken from gristle plate of hogs that came in ...12 ga slugs, ML balls flattened out, broadheads, 30-30 bullets, CF bullets, buckshot, you name it. Most shot on BLM land on the Red River. The feral hog is definitely the toughest critter around here, being all the longhorns are gone. I have yet to get a passthru with my bow on a hog...I think my old bow is too slow for that. A friend's new Mathew's bow shot thru and thru a big bore in close brush.

150 years ago the old timers in Africa found a soft lead ball was hard pressed to break bone on the big 5, so they mixed tin with their lead to toughen them up and increase penetration.

I also think you need MORE powder, not less.

Keep hunting and posting.
ET

The neches is real close to the property. I used to hunt big slough wilderness area in Houston county ive killed some huge hogs in there as well. my spot in trinity county is the best spot ive ever had in nearly 40 years of hunting them. LOL I almost watch the deer for something to do but come dusk im in one of my groundblinds at least 4-5 nights a week. and you are right about Palestine and rusk area. ive huted some along the mud creek and took my biggest piebald boar there. I think in general most people shoot to far back or to high. in comparison to a hogs body its vitals are small. I wait for broadside shots go straight up the leg about 1/3 of the way up the body and that usually gets me a piece of the heart and both lungs. the heart is low and forward. most people shoot them like deer. had the land ownsers 28 yr old son in a blind the other day shot one no recovery no blood now nothing, for all I know he missed but I still helped him for about 2 hrs try to find it.

 

[Einsiedler]

Good morning Howie,

A bunch of us used to trapse all over that Big Slough area. A la 18th century kit! We had lots of fun. We did a primitive canoe hunt on the Neches one year! I used to hike in from the Neches overlook on the north end of the 4C’s trail. Great woods!!!

 

[Eterry]

The neches is real close to the property. I used to hunt big slough wilderness area in Houston county ive killed some huge hogs in there as well. my spot in trinity county is the best spot ive ever had in nearly 40 years of hunting them. LOL I almost watch the deer for something to do but come dusk im in one of my groundblinds at least 4-5 nights a week. and you are right about Palestine and rusk area. ive huted some along the mud creek and took my biggest piebald boar there. I think in general most people shoot to far back or to high. in comparison to a hogs body its vitals are small. I wait for broadside shots go straight up the leg about 1/3 of the way up the body and that usually gets me a piece of the heart and both lungs. the heart is low and forward. most people shoot them like deer. had the land ownsers 28 yr old son in a blind the other day shot one no recovery no blood now nothing, for all I know he missed but I still helped him for about 2 hrs try to find it.

Howie, you made me dig out my 1999 Type 2 booklet. We hunted unit 120; a small unit of only 25,932 acres. We camped on a small creek about 400 yards from the West bank of the Neches river. A group of friends/coworkers would stay a week or more at a time.

I have fond memories of Breakfast on rainout days at the old general store in Maydelle, Dancing with other guy's wives/girlfriends at the Dolphin club on Friday nights ( not much more than orchestrated fights), how the little cat squirrels don't sit still like the fox squirrels do here, (a shotgun is a must for us rookies), getting invited to a neighboring camp for squirrel stew, (complete with yellow teeth, eyes, skulls and brains), and many many more.
The only bad thing was it was 4 hours away from home, but sometimes that was JUST PERFECT!!!

You are totally correct; if you shoot a hog behind the shoulder like a deer you will rarely have pork for supper. I've shot several with CF rifles, some low in the shoulder, the ear or the gleaming eye and haven't lost one yet. My best friend has shot several behind the shoulder, never found one...last fall he shot the shoulder and brought a nice boar home.

Unit 120 sold, its now a private hunting lodge, so as they say...you cant go back anymore...But it was a blast.

 

[Howie1968]

[QUOTE=" I then poke holes in it as the heat hits it, it will drip. it helps as most dominate trophy boars circle the bait area. when they get a whiff of the rank smell they charge in looking for a fight

I hope you are very careful where you wipe your hands after poking holes in that stuff.[/QUOTE]
yes sir rubber gloves!!!!

 

[Howie1968]

Howie, you made me dig out my 1999 Type 2 booklet. We hunted unit 120; a small unit of only 25,932 acres. We camped on a small creek about 400 yards from the West bank of the Neches river. A group of friends/coworkers would stay a week or more at a time.

I have fond memories of Breakfast on rainout days at the old general store in Maydelle, Dancing with other guy's wives/girlfriends at the Dolphin club on Friday nights ( not much more than orchestrated fights), how the little cat squirrels don't sit still like the fox squirrels do here, (a shotgun is a must for us rookies), getting invited to a neighboring camp for squirrel stew, (complete with yellow teeth, eyes, skulls and brains), and many many more.
The only bad thing was it was 4 hours away from home, but sometimes that was JUST PERFECT!!!

You are totally correct; if you shoot a hog behind the shoulder like a deer you will rarely have pork for supper. I've shot several with CF rifles, some low in the shoulder, the ear or the gleaming eye and haven't lost one yet. My best friend has shot several behind the shoulder, never found one...last fall he shot the shoulder and brought a nice boar home.

Unit 120 sold, its now a private hunting lodge, so as they say...you cant go back anymore...But it was a blast.

you need to come join me. I generally camp at alabama creek WMA ive camped and hunted big slough wilderness area and I know Alazan bayou WMA like the back of my hand. the property I am is right in the middle of alabama creek WMA and have 3 major creeks running through it

 

[Howie1968]

you need to come join me. I generally camp at alabama creek WMA ive camped and hunted big slough wilderness area and I know Alazan bayou WMA like the back of my hand. the property I am is right in the middle of alabama creek WMA and have 3 major creeks running through it

Alabama creek WMA is only 14,000 and some change acerage alazan bayou wma is 2063 acres, they have the old river tract to the south of the Angelina river I normally kayak down to it, ill strap a climber on my kayak take one of the muzzleloaders some food water purifier and hammock and spend 3-4 days in there tons of hogs in there

 

[Howie1968]

Good morning Howie,

A bunch of us used to trapse all over that Big Slough area. A la 18th century kit! We had lots of fun. We did a primitive canoe hunt on the Neches one year! I used to hike in from the Neches overlook on the north end of the 4C’s trail. Great woods!!!

I love the 4c I hike it from ratcliff to neches overlook at least 3 times a year. ill take 3 days I hike the 20 miles from ratcliff to the overlook takes about a day spend a day roaming the overlook then hike back to ratcliff Texas. along the way there are tons of ponds to fish in. when you cross hickory creek bridge heading north there is a small shelter there its really neet ill post pics.

 

[Einsiedler]

Howie!!! I know that spot with the foot brodge and little shelter!!! Haven’t been there in years!!!!! Man is it ever nice down in there!

 

[Howie1968]

Howie!!! I know that spot with the foot brodge and little shelter!!! Haven’t been there in years!!!!! Man is it ever nice down in there!

yes sir that's why I do 3 hkes a year there. you can go miles and never hear a vehicle. as ive gotten older I now cache water in various locations just in case. ive got some really good filtration systems, however up river there are a lot of poultry farms, a lot of the creeks are almost stagnant with little movement. but I did find some small streams that go through the rocks. that's how I normally got water. it usually takes 8-9 good hours of hiking from Ratliff to get to the overlook, that's me taking pictures my longtime hunting buddy is 68 and he makes the trip with me. he is 18 years older than me but he is in incredible shape

 

[Howie1968]

Howie!!! I know that spot with the foot brodge and little shelter!!! Haven’t been there in years!!!!! Man is it ever nice down in there!

 

[Renegade Dan]

Way to go Howie, Good Shootin. Nice photos too.


RD

 

[Wallaby Pete]

Nice looking pig Howie. Just wondering what you would consider to be the maximum distance with your .54 cal on a hog like that?

 

[Howie1968]

Not sure on what maximum range it could do. I set up as I would archery deer hunt I limit my shooting on animals at 25 yards, I can shoot farther I just limit shot distance