83Yota
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2007
- Messages
- 285
- Reaction score
- 3
Well, I finally was able to take my fist Hog and a huge hog at that. I wish I could say I was hunting when I got him but I will take what I can get. To make a long story short, I have been giving a hand on a 2000k+ acre cattle ranch for the past two years, a weekend or two a month here and there. This place is crawling with coyotes and has plenty of hog sign all the time. I have seen a few hogs here and there. I just do not always get to go out and explore the rest of the ranch unless were working. About 6 months back the owner says to me the sweet words every hunter would love to hear. “You should come out and help knock down the coyote population some”. He prefers I target the coyotes, but said I could take a hog if I wanted, he is not bothered to much by them. So I was allowed to hunt on the property for the first time, and have been able to gain access to the property twice for just that. The first trip out missed about a 150lb?? sow, before she escaped into the thick stuff. Then the second trip just could not get on any, not to sure where to locate them, plenty of sign though.
I had not been out to the ranch since before all the holidays, so I headed over for the weekend to give a hand and I always bring my rifle along, just in case an opportunity like the below arose. After two long days of working, the rancher was going to head out Sunday and make his rounds and drop some hay and check his water troughs. He mentioned I could hang out for the rounds and hit a few coyotes if I wanted. Then he proceeds to tell me he’s seen a few dandy hogs out and about at dusk the last few weeks, and ends the note with “Have at it and whack one of those big bastards if you want.”
After running into a couple of coyotes, but not being able to get off a shot, we are about a hour into the rounds. We enter one of the flats and I am in the back of the truck tossing hay as we are slowly moving down towards one of the troughs. As we get to the trough the rancher yells out to me that it looks like the hogs might be close. I look over and see that the float on the trough was busted and the water had been over flowing for a while. The hogs must have loved this, there were four large wallows, and a good 100ft circle had been turned upside down. The rancher said he had replaced the float two days earlier, but there had not been sign the hogs were around. We replaced the float and moved on our way. As we work our way out of the flat and over to the next spot to drop hay, the rancher yells out to me that just around the corner is where he has seen the hogs the last few nights. At this point there’s about 45 to a half hour left of shooting time.
Sure enough just as I was opening the gate to the next pasture, I spot five hogs side hilling it about 70 yards from me, in no hurry. As I am spinning around to get my rifle out of the truck, the rancher was two steps ahead of me, out and handing me my gun, “I seen um as you were getting to that lock”, he says. I walk over to a downed oak tree and setup. At this point they are at just under 100yrds at a nice stroll. I pick out the biggest in the group of five and he is quartering away from me & heading up hill. As I remove the safety, I let my 7mag pipe one off, “HIT” he does a 90* turn and heads down hill dragging his right shoulder then levels out and turns broadside and stops for a second, “POW” another round in him, this one sends him rolling down the hill and into the creek. I am pumped at this point, not having ever shot a hog before. The rancher and I start walking over to see where the hog ended up. As we approach the fire roads edge, there he is about 30 yards below up flopping and snorting and chomping his teeth. At this point we both look at each other and say “Damn that is a big SOB”. Just as I chamber a round(to put in the finishing touches) the rancher steps down the hill to head towards the hog, and the damn thing stand up and starts after him, “BAM” the 7mag puts him back on his side and finally end of story for him. Seems my first two shots were high on his front shoulder, and just really blew out his front leg. The third shot did the trick right trough the vitals.
I had not been out to the ranch since before all the holidays, so I headed over for the weekend to give a hand and I always bring my rifle along, just in case an opportunity like the below arose. After two long days of working, the rancher was going to head out Sunday and make his rounds and drop some hay and check his water troughs. He mentioned I could hang out for the rounds and hit a few coyotes if I wanted. Then he proceeds to tell me he’s seen a few dandy hogs out and about at dusk the last few weeks, and ends the note with “Have at it and whack one of those big bastards if you want.”
After running into a couple of coyotes, but not being able to get off a shot, we are about a hour into the rounds. We enter one of the flats and I am in the back of the truck tossing hay as we are slowly moving down towards one of the troughs. As we get to the trough the rancher yells out to me that it looks like the hogs might be close. I look over and see that the float on the trough was busted and the water had been over flowing for a while. The hogs must have loved this, there were four large wallows, and a good 100ft circle had been turned upside down. The rancher said he had replaced the float two days earlier, but there had not been sign the hogs were around. We replaced the float and moved on our way. As we work our way out of the flat and over to the next spot to drop hay, the rancher yells out to me that just around the corner is where he has seen the hogs the last few nights. At this point there’s about 45 to a half hour left of shooting time.
Sure enough just as I was opening the gate to the next pasture, I spot five hogs side hilling it about 70 yards from me, in no hurry. As I am spinning around to get my rifle out of the truck, the rancher was two steps ahead of me, out and handing me my gun, “I seen um as you were getting to that lock”, he says. I walk over to a downed oak tree and setup. At this point they are at just under 100yrds at a nice stroll. I pick out the biggest in the group of five and he is quartering away from me & heading up hill. As I remove the safety, I let my 7mag pipe one off, “HIT” he does a 90* turn and heads down hill dragging his right shoulder then levels out and turns broadside and stops for a second, “POW” another round in him, this one sends him rolling down the hill and into the creek. I am pumped at this point, not having ever shot a hog before. The rancher and I start walking over to see where the hog ended up. As we approach the fire roads edge, there he is about 30 yards below up flopping and snorting and chomping his teeth. At this point we both look at each other and say “Damn that is a big SOB”. Just as I chamber a round(to put in the finishing touches) the rancher steps down the hill to head towards the hog, and the damn thing stand up and starts after him, “BAM” the 7mag puts him back on his side and finally end of story for him. Seems my first two shots were high on his front shoulder, and just really blew out his front leg. The third shot did the trick right trough the vitals.
