smoking some serious pig this year

[relicshunter]

Well it's been a ridiculous year for deer. During archery neither Jay or I could get a deer to just be in the right spot at the right time. They were either running or sneaking or the wind was swirling :cursing: We hunt crowded public land and no one did very well. On to Muzzle loader season. Hardly any rubs, very little deer sign, I always have a hard time not getting distracted by hogs when I am set up for deer. So Jay rattles his antlers and I hear something run toward me but still out a bit. I am thinking deer, but nothing show up. A short while later I hear a pig fussing, so here I sit hoping they come my way. I usually would sneak off into the woods after them, but I am up a tree. Now a bit of time has passed and it's close to sundown, I decide to check out the area deeper in and plan the morning hunt. It's a beautiful mixed hardwood and 8'or so palms with grass here and there. You can see fairly well past the palms but so can the game. I get in a little ways to where I heard the pig and I see a black pig moving along. I am waiting for it to slow down a bit and It joins another larger one that's not moving. Well ok the red one it is. I pulled the trigger and I see it to the left past the smoke, looks like it won't be going far. I quickly reload because the black one has not run off to much. I head slowly after it and scanning for the red one to make sure it dropped. I just can't get the black one through the brush. It not worth the risk with a 45 RB. I call Jay and tell him grab the cart. This was my second pig with a smoke pole. A couple weeks later we head out to a place with coastal tide marshes to find some pigs. Usually :redface: 99% of the time we load the guns when we get past the gate. Well we didn't, and just as we get almost to the marsh a group of nice size pigs cross the road. Quick park and load, I fumbled through the process, I missed with some of the powder( I thought) when I pushed the ram rod down it seamed to far. I showed Jay and he was sure I goofed some how. Pigs are a bad addiction for me, I scurried off after them. Well that group just got to far to get on and we went in search of others. about an hour later we had a group run right up on us( traveling along the marsh). I was pretty sure that I was carrying a dud and made sure Jay knew he better shoot first. He shoots one and the smoke blew over me, I tried anyway but confirmed I had messed up the loading. We found the pig and headed out. He reloaded and sent me way ahead with his properly loaded 50 cal to see if I could redeem myself. It's a very hoggy place and as luck would have it I heard a couple feeding by a fresh water marsh on the way out and waited for one to clear the thick brush and dropped another one for the freezer. They both had really curly hair. The pictures are lousy, too tired to think, too hot to work.

 

[Christophero]

Shooting like that a deer doesn't stand a chance once you line one up in your sites. :hatsoff:

 

[pab1]

Congrats! Looks/sounds like a lot of fun! I've always wanted to hunt pigs! :hatsoff:

 

[Britsmoothy]

Good going :hatsoff:

 

[Patocazador]

Congrats on the sausage. :thumbsup:

 

[Sean Gadhar]

There's 3 of us that hunt together that have never hunted hogs, and last week we were just talking about needing to "GET ER DONE".

Way to GET ER DONE :thumbsup: twice! :bow:

:hmm: I might quote you on a tee shirt for next summer :haha:

too tired to think, too hot to work.

 

[Silky921]

Looks like some good eating! And some really curly hair. Congrats.

 

[wattlebuster]

Two thumbs for 2 pigs :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[stombaug]

YES!! Two fewer pigs on the hoof and lotsa good pork on the table! :hatsoff:

 

[Spikebuck]

I've never hunted pigs, but it sounds like a lot of fun. Some day when my wife and I retire, we will head south to avoid some January cold and partake in a southern state hog hunt!

Congrats to you both! :thumbsup:

 

[Patocazador]

If you don't mind telling, what WMAs do you hunt?
I saw two decent-looking bucks in Tide Swamp but wasn't hunting that day.

 

[relicshunter]

The single hog was at Devils Hammock wma and the other two was Tide swamp.

 

[hanshi]

Congratulations on your good shooting and great hunting.

 

[robinsroost]

Congratulations! Those are just about the perfect size meat hogs. I have found some hogs at Three Lakes but many more along the St. Johns Water Management areas. My largest came from private property on Merritt Island......robin :wink:

 

[Brokennock]

Nice work, congratulations. :hatsoff:

 

[agill]

:hatsoff:

 

[Supercracker]

Awesome!

I love pigs!

 

[relicshunter]

I started hunting 6 years ago and a hog was my first quarry, I've been hooked since. I took my first by muzzle loader last year, and it's been a hog filled season this year. I drug out a 135lber two nights ago. I've really got to remember to think about how far I am from the truck. I had a quota to a game heavy place this weekend. I wasn't seeing much the first day. I took the advise of an other hunter and over estimated with how far I could go with my game cart. So way up in this beautiful oak head I sit. I watch some turkey go by and make a note to self for next spring. I see a buck a good 70 yards away and seems to be moving way with some intent. Then I hear hogs! I've got a travel trail to my left, maybe they will head this way. Of course not! From what little I see it's a nice size group and making lots of noise. I work my climber down the tree and head out after them. It took a little bit to catch them, using their noise to hide mine. A nice fat young boar gave me the first choice. It's now 30 mins to sunset, and I managed to pull off a spine shot. My wind was in my face so of course the smoke blew right at me, but he was down right there. It being a boar with the heavy shield I was lucky it went down, as it didn't even exit the other side. I did another shot to finish him, quickly dressed him out for the drag and realized the stalk added another 150 yards through the woods to my already over 1000 yards to the truck. I have got to be more careful on distance. I finally got it to the cart in the dark, and tried to make it out before the check station got worried. so I forgot pictures until I was half done skinning, I was just on automatic at the point. Again too tired to think. If you have the chance for hog hunting, don't miss it.

 

[Patocazador]

I'm glad you're killing them. Over the last 8 years I've killed about 15 and only one had enough fat for me to turn into sausage. I gave the other scrawny ones away to anyone who wanted them. Only two were boars so people wanted them. I've seen 2 large smelly boar hogs killed by others who had no takers when they were offered. :barf:

 

[Ben K]

:thumbsup: