Another decent Boar down, .54 cal patched roundball

[Howie1968]

Great job Howie!
Another trophy hog in the bag.
As stated above, cast some .530s with some WWs added to the mix will improve the penetration.
And as for loading, the patch compresses so you shouldn't notice any loading difference.
Sam

thanks mr. sam how are you doing neigboor

 

[FishDFly]

When I was hunting coons for hides, the buyer said if you walk up to a boar hog and it does not smell it is okay to eat. He said if it stinks, to walk away from it. He said if they are stinking, they are chasing sows and are not fit to eat.

I take the back straps if they do not stink.

 

[Juice Jaws]

[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[/QUOTE]

I hope you are very careful where you wipe your hands after poking holes in that stuff.

 

[lwscrim]

Doing good Howie, too much work and not enough play...
However, I still get out and burn a little powder when I can.
Went looking for a squirrel or two for the pot but none were in my woods.
And no hogs have come on my place or to the feeder this season! Still trying to figure that one out?

 

[Einsiedler]

Yes sir most people do overestimate the weight. I learned along time ago to never guess their weight,now I can tell you approximate age tusk lentgth and get a girth and length measurement

I always tell folks, "that big boar was as heavy as a dead Baptist preacher!"

 

[FishDFly]

And no hogs have come on my place or to the feeder this season! Still trying to figure that one out?

If you are in East Texas, there were too many acorns for feeders to be of much use.

 

[Einsiedler]

And no hogs have come on my place or to the feeder this season! Still trying to figure that one out?

If you are in East Texas, there were too many acorns for feeders to be of much use.

Good point. They do like the acorns. My old son prefers to not molest the hogs much on his place when they have a big acorn crop like this year (Lee county, post oak crosstimbers). As they help clean up the acorns which helps prevent the cattle from picking them up when they get into the motts. Lots of acorns are not good for bovines.
So we leave em alone until the clean em up a bit. Helps the cattle and provides us with ample pigs. Sometimes a whole bunch of acorns in a pigs diet will transfer the tannin to the meat ( depending on the type Of acorn). But if you let em feed out a while on other available fodder. It will help clean em up.

 

[lwscrim]

Well, that's the strange part, we did not have a strong mast this year but still plenty of acorns.
And I still have some on the ground for the squirrels.
Pigs never ate any but the deer visited late in the season for a meal.
I looked for sign in the usual feeding places and placed cameras but only got pictures of deer and squirrels.
I know they are still in the area, they just haven't visited me.

 

[FishDFly]

Acorns lasted longer this year on the ground than normal, even with all the rain we had and the freezing temps., they did not go bad.

Talking to neighbors, they said the hogs did not go to feeders like normal, nor did the deer.

Trapping was tough this year.

Lately we have quite a few sows which are snow white with a couple of black spots on them, look like Dalmations. Most of our hogs are black or brown.

Strange year in the woods.

 

[Einsiedler]

Last pigs I had here on the place was summer before last. But I think they get a lot of pressure in this neighborhood. Last pigs I trapped here were in summer of 2014.

Son texted me one morning from his creekbottom back in deer season saying that he could have swore someones big Chester White sow just walked thru bottom on his neighbors place! LOL.

Lots of all red and all black hogs here. But we’re staring to see more spotted, black & white ones too. They do eat good. That’s what I’m interested in! We’ve got our annual spring break hog hunt coming up in about a month!!! This will be hunt # 36! Lots of fellowships and good food. For those of us still around to attend. We’ve lost a few over the years.

 

[Shooter1]

What do you do with all that meat? Feed the whole town?

 

[FishDFly]

I give some of mine to a local church where some of the members need the meat, but after awhile when they know who is calling they will not answer the phone. From some of them I take the back straps, but the 2 of us can only eat so much pork. After that, they are deposited in the woods and let the vultures and coyotes have them.

The thing with hunting them with a M/L is all you are doing is educating them, you only get one out of the group. Once they are educated, they are in charge.

In Texas we have over 2 million feral hogs and that number continues to grow. We saw 3 sows Saturday and the wife counted 17 piglets. South of me where it is more open they are hunting them from helicopters to reduce the numbers.

 

[Eterry]

thanks mr. sam how are you doing neigboor

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

 

[Smokinfeathers]

keep hammering em!! my places keep floodin and all the hogs went across the highway with all this rain!! ive got a little harder alloy poured up if you want to try it, but i still dont see rb pass throughs on deer ive shot with them in the 50, why i like a 54 n up like you

 

[yakipreacher]

Hey guys.... if any of you all have a good spot for hogs and will let an outsider come hunt them please advise! I have been looking for a place to go hunt them. We don't have them in northern New Mexico! I keep hearing about hunting them, but all I can do about it is drool! I haven't been in a position to pay for one of those canned hunts. I would love to come thin them out for you. Don't have a helicopter though.... Just an old suburban!

 

[Howie1968]

keep hammering em!! my places keep floodin and all the hogs went across the highway with all this rain!! ive got a little harder alloy poured up if you want to try it, but i still dont see rb pass throughs on deer ive shot with them in the 50, why i like a 54 n up like you

we got a ton of rain mike in Trinity county. I created another spot on the high grounds. im in a bottom at the main hog spot in 3 years off that spot 2018 I killed 58 big hogs 2017 67 big hogs 2016 about 40 or so in my journal

 

[Howie1968]

we got a ton of rain mike in Trinity county. I created another spot on the high grounds. im in a bottom at the main hog spot in 3 years off that spot 2018 I killed 58 big hogs 2017 67 big hogs 2016 about 40 or so in my journal

ive got some trade bait other bullets and such I can drive your way also. we have the same exact rifle in .54

 

[Howie1968]

we got a ton of rain mike in Trinity county. I created another spot on the high grounds. im in a bottom at the main hog spot in 3 years off that spot 2018 I killed 58 big hogs 2017 67 big hogs 2016 about 40 or so in my journal

Mike, im killing them but you know how thick east texas woods are, if I can get air into the chest cavity by passing through its usually 20 yards or less recovery but no pass through if it don't bang flop your in for a tracking job and a single hole don't leave a lot of blood. while you could neck or head shoot them im a body shot type of guy. ive seen way to many negatives from others trying to shoot head or neck. my set ups are 12 yards and 15 yards. im real close I have the wind in my favor. I may shoot a sow tonight, which I think I can pass through in one of my .54 it likes the .535 balls and .018 ticking patch. ive got 2 new lights for night hunting and have them mounted on 10.5 tripods

 

[hanshi]

Major hogs, there. I would NOT want one coming over to me to discuss the fact that it was I who shot him.

 

[Smokinfeathers]

ive got some 535 cast up, they are too big for mine it has a tight bore n have to shoot 530 with thinner patch in it.

yeah i prefer the body as well, i like to shoot them middle of the shoulders n break both of them and if hair high hit the spine, seen lots stuff go wrong as well with head shots and have had them go wrong my self!! good luck creeks out again today on my place and all the hogs are on the neighbors