Ft Hunter Ligget, 1/19 - 1/21 2013

[Uncle Bambi]

To uncle: I will say congrats on the kill, looks like a nice pig. To justify what I was saying, I have talked to people after seeing a TA posted on here and they were planning on hitting the TA after reading about it. Word of success travels quickly. Like you said, pigs are nomadic. If the word of their location is blasted on the internet, there will be more pressure, and that surely will make them nomadic. But I do appreciate your tips despite how my first post came off.

No worries. I've hunted FHL enough to know that chasing yesterday's success is a fool's errand.

Any time you want to go, drop me a PM. I don't know much. but I'll be glad to share the thimbleful of knowledge I do have. Besides - I can use all the help I can get in case I score again.

You have no idea how frickin' hard it was to get that pig in the back of my truck all by myself. I have no way of knowing how heavy he was, but it had to be close to 200 pounds. After gutting him, I could barely drag him on flat ground, and it took me an hour to figure out how to get him up in the back of the truck. There was no way I could lift him by myself, and I never saw anyone else back there. I ended up having to use a tow-strap to drag him with the truck up to a cut in the road, and then backing up to the cut to roll him into the rear. It was exhausting.

After I got him loaded up, I still had to dress him out. Since the cleaning station is closed, I was directed to "use a tree"..... but then someone told me about the makeshift cleaning station by the campground. That worked OK, but it was a darn good thing I had a come-along to hoist him up to the hooks. That was another half hour of hard work to get sorted out.

Killed at 7:30, loaded into the truck by 8:30, and I finally finished cutting him up by 10:00 or so. Good thing it was cold outside.

 

[Daveyboy]

No worries. I've hunted FHL enough to know that chasing yesterday's success is a fool's errand.

Any time you want to go, drop me a PM. I don't know much. but I'll be glad to share the thimbleful of knowledge I do have. Besides - I can use all the help I can get in case I score again.

You have no idea how frickin' hard it was to get that pig in the back of my truck all by myself. I have no way of knowing how heavy he was, but it had to be close to 200 pounds. After gutting him, I could barely drag him on flat ground, and it took me an hour to figure out how to get him up in the back of the truck. There was no way I could lift him by myself, and I never saw anyone else back there. I ended up having to use a tow-strap to drag him with the truck up to a cut in the road, and then backing up to the cut to roll him into the rear. It was exhausting.

After I got him loaded up, I still had to dress him out. Since the cleaning station is closed, I was directed to "use a tree"..... but then someone told me about the makeshift cleaning station by the campground. That worked OK, but it was a darn good thing I had a come-along to hoist him up to the hooks. That was another half hour of hard work to get sorted out.

Killed at 7:30, loaded into the truck by 8:30, and I finally finished cutting him up by 10:00 or so. Good thing it was cold outside.

Will do, I will PM you with some further info here in a second.

As for getting it out, I was thinking about making a skedco type deal.
http://www.skedco.com/

 

[Huntr Pat]

Good job leaving in the am for a days hunt.

 

[thewolfman]

Bro...congrats to ur pig...howeva...the way i pack out my porker by myself is i cut the sucka into two halves...if ur pack is big nough...u can pack it...or tie it on the outside... better 2 trips than draggin tha 200 lb out...but thats how i do it

 

[MGDeer]

Bro...congrats to ur pig...howeva...the way i pack out my porker by myself is i cut the sucka into two halves...if ur pack is big nough...u can pack it...or tie it on the outside... better 2 trips than draggin tha 200 lb out...but thats how i do it

And sometimes the wolf gets luck and a roaming coyote comes along...wolf knows the drill:lol bashing sign:

 

[Gunfighter77]

TA-9 was really busy Saturday. TA-2 wasn't that busy today and we saw two bobcats and a coyote. John you da man. Thanks for the scoop on the PM and the follow up. We didn't harvest anything this trip but it was our first time there and I'll never forget how incredible this area is. I am definitely coming back, it's difficult to find places like this in CA.

 

[Mjp62]

Congrats Uncle! Nice work!

 

[outbrakeridah]

Congrats!

 

[Bubblehide]

No worries. I've hunted FHL enough to know that chasing yesterday's success is a fool's errand.

Any time you want to go, drop me a PM. I don't know much. but I'll be glad to share the thimbleful of knowledge I do have. Besides - I can use all the help I can get in case I score again.

You have no idea how frickin' hard it was to get that pig in the back of my truck all by myself. I have no way of knowing how heavy he was, but it had to be close to 200 pounds. After gutting him, I could barely drag him on flat ground, and it took me an hour to figure out how to get him up in the back of the truck. There was no way I could lift him by myself, and I never saw anyone else back there. I ended up having to use a tow-strap to drag him with the truck up to a cut in the road, and then backing up to the cut to roll him into the rear. It was exhausting.

After I got him loaded up, I still had to dress him out. Since the cleaning station is closed, I was directed to "use a tree"..... but then someone told me about the makeshift cleaning station by the campground. That worked OK, but it was a darn good thing I had a come-along to hoist him up to the hooks. That was another half hour of hard work to get sorted out.

Killed at 7:30, loaded into the truck by 8:30, and I finally finished cutting him up by 10:00 or so. Good thing it was cold outside.

Your one class act! My hats off to you UB.

 

[spectr17]

Johnm please post them pics of how your copper worked on the hog. Thanks.

 

[JONFSH]

Great Pig and thank you for all the useful information, I'm not hunting FHL, but did take note on all your difficulties and will be sure to bring a come along. I'll be hunting Tejon in March and will be by myself, so thanks again and Great Job on the succesful hunt.

 

[Uncle Bambi]

Johnm please post them pics of how your copper worked on the hog. Thanks.

Sure thing.....

The shot was somewhere around 150 yards or so, downhill, with a 30-06 that I built myself on a Mauser K98 action using a Shilen barrel. Ammunition is hand-loaded: RP brass, Win primer, Barnes TTSX 150gr lead-free bullet, and 50.5gr of H4895.

Sub-moa at 100 yards. Not sure of the velocity as I haven't chrono'ed it yet, but the terminal ballistics tells the tail - one shot drop and perfect expansion:

 

[Uncle Bambi]

Great Pig and thank you for all the useful information, I'm not hunting FHL, but did take note on all your difficulties and will be sure to bring a come along. I'll be hunting Tejon in March and will be by myself, so thanks again and Great Job on the succesful hunt.

Two words: Harbor Freight

The 8,000lb capacity come-along is $24, and while you're there they have inexpensive tow-straps and poly rope. They make excellent drags and will be useful if you drive into a ditch, and since the come-along only has about 6' of cable they are extremely useful for extending the lifting reach.

Also - I have a Schrade 1580T skinning knife with gut-hook that I've used successfully for years. It was no match for this pig - whether it was because it is winter or the hog was particularly robust I don't know, but he had the thickest hide I've ever seen. Get a big gut-hook skinner with a T handle, you'll thank me later.

Oh yeah, one more thing - either have sharpening tools with you, or bring a bag full of sharp knives. I sharpened 6 knives of various blade size and dimensions beforehand, and used them all in the process. Nothing dulls a razor sharp knife like skinning a hog.

Oh, yeah, and another thing - go find a big ice chest. No.... bigger than that.

The upside of hunting by yourself - you don't have to split up the kill. The downside is that you have to do all the work. This was my first successful hunt solo, and even though I've killed and help dress several pigs, I just wasn't prepared for how much labor is involved when there is no-one to help.

 

[NastyNate]

Congrats John. Nice pig. Still smellin' like #9? LOL!

Nasty Nate

 

[Daveyboy]

That is very good expansion on that 150 gr. Anyone have any exp on the barnes 165gr TTSX 30-06 expansion? Also the Hornady 165gr GMX? Unfortunately, I am living in a smaller apartment now while at school down here and don't have room to setup my reloading station. So I left it up in Sacramento and haven't been able to make any hand loads... I need to figure out how to get it rocking again, as factory lead free loads are a rip off.

I am worried the 165gr may not get the velocity needed on these pups to get good expansion...

 

[Uncle Bambi]

Congrats John. Nice pig. Still smellin' like #9? LOL!

Nasty Nate

Thanks Nate!

Oh, man........ I almost passed out from the fumes on the way home. The pants still smelled after the wash - my wife was NOT pleased.

Let me know the next time you're going - I'll show you how it's done.

 

[Uncle Bambi]

That is very good expansion on that 150 gr. Anyone have any exp on the barnes 165gr TTSX 30-06 expansion? Also the Hornady 165gr GMX? Unfortunately, I am living in a smaller apartment now while at school down here and don't have room to setup my reloading station. So I left it up in Sacramento and haven't been able to make any hand loads... I need to figure out how to get it rocking again, as factory lead free loads are a rip off.

I am worried the 165gr may not get the velocity needed on these pups to get good expansion...

You'll need to put some giddyup on it to get proper expansion, I'm told. I only have experience with the Barnes TTSX, and what I know is all recently gained knowledge. I can tell you what I did.......

I got the Barnes load data from their site, and starting at the minimum load for my powder/bullet loaded 5 rounds in half grain increments all the way up to the Max load. Then I went to the range and shot for groups, looking for signs of overpressure. I then picked the best group on the high end of the spectrum - the max was 51gr, and I chose 50.5 because it had the best group while still being close to the highest in velocity. I do not have a chrono, but a lot of folks told me that velocity is extremely important in getting proper expansion. You're gonna have to get that 165gr bullet up close to 2800fps.

 

[johnboy31]

I have used the gmx bullet in the past an like that way
Better then the barnes

 

[XDHUNTER]

You did good John. sorry i miss your PM.em so sick the past few days and so lazy to open them.. next time you want to head out to FHL let me know.....
Congrat's again... you will eat good in the next month or so....

 

[Hikingwithguns]

The upside of hunting by yourself - you don't have to split up the kill. The downside is that you have to do all the work. This was my first successful hunt solo, and even though I've killed and help dress several pigs, I just wasn't prepared for how much labor is involved when there is no-one to help.

Nice work and yeah its a lotta work.