Bubblehide
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- Aug 3, 2010
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Well, I spent a little time on a combo trip or working and hunting, and managed the above sow. To start with, let me tell you all that their food supply is plentiful, so they are not concentrated anywhere, but rather well dispersed. Really fresh sign was lacking, but fairly fresh to old sign was everywhere. It all made for some tough hunting.
I'd post a pic, but I can't seem to get it from my phone to my photobucket account. Yes, I am tech challenged.
The difference between work, and work
I have been grooming this one particular hill and saddle for a few years now without taking a pig on it. I cut a trail along it's spine, and managed to figure out where the pigs generally bed on it. I haven't concentrated on this particular spot at any time, other than a one time walk through and trim whenever I am there. The spot is small, but there is almost always fresh pig sign there; so I figured it was worth some effort. The issue here is that the area has plenty of brush, with some open oaks scattered in it. It's very very far from open country that offers lots of shot opportunity on an animal. Nope, this area provides very limited shot opportunity, and if they know your there, your not going to get one. So, finally after a few years, my efforts paid off with a nice sow.
Getting tips doesn't hurt
My buddy hunted the base the evening before I got this sow, and he told me he could hear them rooting the hillside, but they wouldn't come out and play. The next evening, after a unfruitful morning hunt, and a day of work, I decided to hit the spine and see if I could execute my now long standing plan. I was now sneaking along the spine of this hill, approaching the saddle. I stopped and quietly pulled out a Hog Bomb, sow in heat canned scent, and sprayed a little atomized scent into the air, put it away, and continued. As I approach the saddle, I see two pigs feeding along. One nice sow, and one young pig following. I look to my left to try to find additional pigs, but come up empty. I take a couple steps to get a better shooting position, and I am made by the pigs. I immediately hit the Cass Creek pig call, hitting the content feeding option (guys, I swear by this call, it's the bomb) and the pigs literally stop in their tracks, look right at me, and then continue feeding; behind a couple oaks, leaving me no shot. To top it off, they are a few feet from cover, but hey, back to feeding. Another pig comes into view, and this one is on the steep slope close to the top of the saddle. I pull up my rifle, feeling the pressure of the short shot opportunity, I try to make out the sex of the pig; I come up empty, as the pig goes behind an oak. I have about a 40 yard semi circular area of shot opportunity, and this new pig is about in the middle of it, quartering away heading for the thick stuff, but luckily for me, not in a hurry.
The payoff
The pig comes out from behind the oak, and is still quartering away from me, now feeding, but still moving along. I put the cross hairs on the pig and line up the bullet's exit with a deadly head shot, and slowly squeeze the trigger. I see the pig go ass over tea kettle down the hill and out of sight; not running, but rolling. I love those head shots, as the dispatch the animal before they hit the ground. The pig would have been right where I shot it if not for two things, the steep slope, and gravity. The other two pigs left the scene at the report of my rifle. I could hear other pigs running through the brush, but no more opportunities at taking another. Simply said, I blew any second opportunity by taking my first shot. I walk into the saddle, and look down slope for the pig. I don't see it, but i know it's down there, and not going anywhere. So I walk over to where I can look into the next finger. A minute later, I am heading down slope for the dead pig.
First times only happen once
The pig ended up tangled up in a downed oak, but upon seeing it up close, I could tell she was fat, to fat. At this point I also knew she was a, she. But I couldn't do a thing with her in her current position, so I drug her the rest of the way off that slope. That was the easy part, as gravity did most of the work. All I had to do was keep her pointed in the right direction. I got her down to a nice flat area, and my buddy came by to assist me. The first thing out of his mouth, was not congratulations, but she's preggo (okay, I might be remembering it out of sequence). All I could say is I'm hoping not. Well, boys, and ladies, sure enough, this pig was my first ever pregnant sow. To my dismay, I am now a confirmed baby killer. Most all other animals, if not all we hunt, are not capable of continuous cycling, but pigs are. And if you hunt them long enough, this same situation is bound to happen to you. It's the main reason I try to do my best to take boars instead of sows. So for those of you that might be put off by harvesting a pregnant sow, I suggest you use the gutless method, or pull the innards out and don't look at them.
For those of you heading out, keep in mind that as I said earlier, right now there is plentiful food for pigs. As such, they are well dispersed. But as the weather is on the warm side, they will prefer those east and north facing slopes, canyons, cuts, valley's...
I'd post a pic, but I can't seem to get it from my phone to my photobucket account. Yes, I am tech challenged.
The difference between work, and work
I have been grooming this one particular hill and saddle for a few years now without taking a pig on it. I cut a trail along it's spine, and managed to figure out where the pigs generally bed on it. I haven't concentrated on this particular spot at any time, other than a one time walk through and trim whenever I am there. The spot is small, but there is almost always fresh pig sign there; so I figured it was worth some effort. The issue here is that the area has plenty of brush, with some open oaks scattered in it. It's very very far from open country that offers lots of shot opportunity on an animal. Nope, this area provides very limited shot opportunity, and if they know your there, your not going to get one. So, finally after a few years, my efforts paid off with a nice sow.
Getting tips doesn't hurt
My buddy hunted the base the evening before I got this sow, and he told me he could hear them rooting the hillside, but they wouldn't come out and play. The next evening, after a unfruitful morning hunt, and a day of work, I decided to hit the spine and see if I could execute my now long standing plan. I was now sneaking along the spine of this hill, approaching the saddle. I stopped and quietly pulled out a Hog Bomb, sow in heat canned scent, and sprayed a little atomized scent into the air, put it away, and continued. As I approach the saddle, I see two pigs feeding along. One nice sow, and one young pig following. I look to my left to try to find additional pigs, but come up empty. I take a couple steps to get a better shooting position, and I am made by the pigs. I immediately hit the Cass Creek pig call, hitting the content feeding option (guys, I swear by this call, it's the bomb) and the pigs literally stop in their tracks, look right at me, and then continue feeding; behind a couple oaks, leaving me no shot. To top it off, they are a few feet from cover, but hey, back to feeding. Another pig comes into view, and this one is on the steep slope close to the top of the saddle. I pull up my rifle, feeling the pressure of the short shot opportunity, I try to make out the sex of the pig; I come up empty, as the pig goes behind an oak. I have about a 40 yard semi circular area of shot opportunity, and this new pig is about in the middle of it, quartering away heading for the thick stuff, but luckily for me, not in a hurry.
The payoff
The pig comes out from behind the oak, and is still quartering away from me, now feeding, but still moving along. I put the cross hairs on the pig and line up the bullet's exit with a deadly head shot, and slowly squeeze the trigger. I see the pig go ass over tea kettle down the hill and out of sight; not running, but rolling. I love those head shots, as the dispatch the animal before they hit the ground. The pig would have been right where I shot it if not for two things, the steep slope, and gravity. The other two pigs left the scene at the report of my rifle. I could hear other pigs running through the brush, but no more opportunities at taking another. Simply said, I blew any second opportunity by taking my first shot. I walk into the saddle, and look down slope for the pig. I don't see it, but i know it's down there, and not going anywhere. So I walk over to where I can look into the next finger. A minute later, I am heading down slope for the dead pig.
First times only happen once
The pig ended up tangled up in a downed oak, but upon seeing it up close, I could tell she was fat, to fat. At this point I also knew she was a, she. But I couldn't do a thing with her in her current position, so I drug her the rest of the way off that slope. That was the easy part, as gravity did most of the work. All I had to do was keep her pointed in the right direction. I got her down to a nice flat area, and my buddy came by to assist me. The first thing out of his mouth, was not congratulations, but she's preggo (okay, I might be remembering it out of sequence). All I could say is I'm hoping not. Well, boys, and ladies, sure enough, this pig was my first ever pregnant sow. To my dismay, I am now a confirmed baby killer. Most all other animals, if not all we hunt, are not capable of continuous cycling, but pigs are. And if you hunt them long enough, this same situation is bound to happen to you. It's the main reason I try to do my best to take boars instead of sows. So for those of you that might be put off by harvesting a pregnant sow, I suggest you use the gutless method, or pull the innards out and don't look at them.
For those of you heading out, keep in mind that as I said earlier, right now there is plentiful food for pigs. As such, they are well dispersed. But as the weather is on the warm side, they will prefer those east and north facing slopes, canyons, cuts, valley's...
