30 yards, but couldn't tell

[myfriendis410]

One of my hunting friends and I went out after a boar we'd been seeing. Set up in a field of oat hay with the bow and right on time the hog came out. Problem was, I couldn't see his pecker and I don't want to be called "sow boy" so we let him pass. I think it was the dude we were after--I'm guessing about 175 lbs. gutted, but no cutters and no other typical boar characteristics. We tried again on him this evening with a slightly different setup but they were a no show. Oh, well; that's hog hunting.

 

[sancho]

i would have spent a tag...i would have anchored he/she/it..

awesome story.

 

[hasbowwillhunt]

What's wrong with a sow? They eat better in my opinion. And with a bow? C'mon, whack it and show us the pic's, besides you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Stick it for all of us stuck hunting public!

 

[jindydiver]

You aren't going to be eating his pecker are you? Just whack them and get them in the freezer

 

[richracer1]

I'm the friend 410 mentioned. There are sows with piglets that the boar is hanging around with. I know some of you don't care, but some of us have decided NOT to shoot a sow with young piglets. We have the right to be selective, so if you don't like are way of hunting, to bad.

 

[hatchet1]

You aren't going to be eating his pecker are you? Just whack them and get them in the freezer

that has to be the funniest post ive read in awile:rotflmao: man!! i laughed so hard i barfed a little in my mouth and swallowed it!!:rotflmao::rotflmaoAMN...:10 sign:

 

[myfriendis410]

Let's put it this way: I don't NEED to shoot a hog, so I'm going to put my tag on something that I think is worth my time. Shooting a wet sow is up there with some of the more inconsiderate acts to be performed on (almost) public land. That's next years' hogs! We get a fair amount of pressure on Vandenberg and I don't like people thinking only of themselves, which is what I would be doing if I shot that hog without id'ing it.

As to sows tasting better that's a bunch of hooey. I ain't yet had a bad pig. We've killed 'em up over 350 lbs. live weight and they're all good. Sure, a boar stinks, but get the skin off and clean 'em up and they're just fine.

 

[CATManReid]

IMO, a sow definitely tastes better than a boar...of any age. The two pigs we killed awhile back were a mixed set with mine being a sow and my buddy's being a boar. The boar was younger than the sow and he said it was tougher than leather. My sow, on the otherhand, was tender as can be. I'd shoot a sow over a boar any day. It's not like this state has a shortage of wild hogs. Take what you can get!

 

[richracer1]

We all have our opinions about what is better. Here's mine, I've taken hogs/piglets (sows & boars) weighing (gutted) any where from 16lbs to 288lbs(current VAFB record). I have yet to get any pork that has tasted funny or was tough. I'm a firm believer that the quality of wild game is directly related to how it's dealt with after the shot, such as getting it gutted, skinned/cooled off, letting it hang for at least 5 days to age, and butchering. Screw up one or more of those tasks and you risk the chance of funky/tough meat. Agree or disagree, it matters not.

I'll reference my first post, several of us have decided NOT to shoot sows WITH very young piglets as we do not need pork that bad. Also, I/we do not need to take what I can get, as I/we can get more pork than I/we need just about any time I/we want. Now piglets are fair game as they are absolutely fabulous smoked.

 

[richracer1]

Oh, I forgot to mention that I spent last Friday evening watching these hogs (1 boar, 2 sows and about 12 -15 very young piglets). I had a good time watching that boar interact with the little piglets. It was hilarious. I had no desire to try to close the distance to within my bow range as I had a good time watch the boar's and piglet's activities.

 

[myfriendis410]

What Rich said.

 

[m57jager2]

I know, I know, but sorry I have to do it. Shooting a wet sow with piglets is a no go, but you'll shoot 16lb piglets. Are you kiddin! :reagan-bangin-head:
You can run around in circles and believe what you want but sows are definitely more tender than boar. More muscle = tougher, hence veal.

I laughed out loud at the can't eat the pecker comment, then, choked when Hatchet barfed a little. Too funny!!

 

[myfriendis410]

Come on, guy: get a clue. You shoot a wet sow and ALL of the pigs are dead. You shoot a piglet and you have a fantastic meal on the smoker! There is NOTHING better than suckling pig cooked just right. It is a fantasy that any wet sow will "adopt" other sows' piglets. So, all you are doing is feeding the coyotes as well as killing next years hogs. There isn't even any comparison between shooting a piglet and shooting a wet sow.

Look; different places require different approaches. Texas is overrun with hogs so shoot 'em all, any way you can. Private hunts for pay are also different and managed for the property and the hunt. Where there is intense agriculture and hogs are damaging crops, kill 'em. I realize that pigs are a big problem in some places, but not here. VAFB is hunted by a LOT of people--around 10% of the state's "public land" hogs are killed here. If there is going to be a sustainable hunting population of hogs for people to take yearly, us locals need to exercise some restraint and refrain from being greedy.

I have been personally involved with well over a hundred hogs taken on Vandenberg over the years, and the only hog that was questionable was an old boar that had a frozen hind leg, was underweight and smelled "off". He ended up being given away. Other than that, all the pork, aged and cooled for five days and butchered by us, was outstanding. Couldn't tell a boar from a sow by the packaged meat.

You guys can hunt any way you want. I don't think I've ever bagged on Hatchet for killing a hog every week. It's up to him to decide on a sustainable "take" on his land. I think that's just fine and I'm glad of the stories he and others have told on this forum. But don't "flame" me for showing a certain degree of consideration for, maybe, YOU when you have to drive five hours to come down here and hunt hogs. Like Redneck 75 and Rampage and Weekender 21 etc. If I killed everything I saw the last few years there would be FAR less hogs here to be hunted. And that, 'cause I can hunt every evening if I choose.

I'm hunting for the hunt. Not the kill (not any more). Anyone who's ever killed hogs knows that it's a pain in the butt once you drop the hammer. And I've always preferred getting my exercise with a weapon over my shoulder than without one. I just get a charge out of seeing them. Any of you ever go hunting with a video camera? I have. Try THAT sometime.

 

[hatchet1]

410,,thank you for not "bagging"on me ,i have thin skin and would cave....
i was going to refrain from commenting on this ridiculous topic..but since
i was named in your post..i will tell you that out of the 4 pieces of property that i hunt which total over 70,000 acres and for the last 25 years of hog hunting
{11 of them being a licensed guide and outfitter}i have seen a significant increase
in the hog population..i say again..significant.. bottom line boss..to each there own..
im happy to see you guys at vfb trying to "manage"the feral hog.. i will speak for
most private land owners here,especially the ones that are under cultavation..
that only good hog is a dead hog.. im not a huge fan of shooting pregos either..
i have a hard time pulling the piglets out while gutting..as long as its legal..
i could care less what other people due.. this topic has been going on for many,many years..it will still be going on for many,many,years.. i have 2
sets of pregos right now that are coming into a particular field..
they are fixen to "get it" this weekend.. they will be consumed by the 3 familes that live on the property that dont have the money to by a license and tags..{field workers}so i will donate.. i guess the moral to my story is everybody has
there own set of {ethics} as i see you clearly stated above.. so carry on
with the mangement and keep us posted the hog take out there at vfb..ig-laughing:

 

[myfriendis410]

Will do and keep whacking 'em!

 

[sancho]

i posted my response from pure jealousy. i'll never knock a guy for not shooting. i am just jonesing to get one. BAD!

i wouldnt shoot a wetsow. a group of piglets starving to death is hard for me to swallow. i just need to get within 50 yards of a shooter...then game on.

 

[jindydiver]

When did this become a choice between a boar and a wet sow?
You originally wrote that you were concerned about what your mates would call you, not about piglets starving.

I couldn't see his pecker and I don't want to be called "sow boy" so we let him pass

And no-one is flaming you, we are all friends here and we are just discussing our own preferences and thoughts on what we might have done.:toast-yellow:

ig-laughing::archer green:

 

[weekender21]

Either way, we sure appreciate the management!!!

 

[richracer1]

I know, I know, but sorry I have to do it. Shooting a wet sow with piglets is a no go, but you'll shoot 16lb piglets. Are you kiddin!

Let's see, shoot a sow with, say 8 piglets, now there are 9 dead hogs with one shot. Shoot one of the little piglets to smoke, there's only one dead hog and several meals of some of the best pork I've ever ate.

Hunt/shoot hogs how you like, but don't bust my :mooning:about how I hunt hogs.

 

[bighorn67]

you guys keep huntin' hogs however you like. It sounds like you have a great spot!!

Dave