figured i'd post my good luck. She's not big..but it was a half scared/half 'WOW" experience for me. Happened at my small lease I have to myself in Archer County, North Texas

This is only my third seaons of all out hunting. I've been two other times in my life with a good friend that got me hooked, and so got my own leas last year. SO far, only 2 bucks, both 6 points in my 'career' but the 2nd was bigger than the first. The land owner is seeing hogs, wants them gone, but i've yet to EVER see one except on my game cam..until last sundayQ!

Went out on Sunday, 12-3-05, early and got into my north blind. Cold..28 degrees, north wind that was brisk..hadn't seen anything up to about 9a ( i got there at 0600 before first light) so..i decided to move south to a hill that I can get to and watch the back 50 acres or so taht are thick thick and have two tanks with water on them. so I go, and start to crest the hill, and there is a thick thick thicket to my left about 30 yards...figured i'd set up really quiet and watch the trails heading to the south feeder ...great spot...

So...BAMMMMM suddenly a rush of brown to my lower right down the hill. TWO BIG hogs (ok..they were big to me) bust out of the thicket and head east...i see piglets and some medium ones...i mean i'm just bebopping quiet but steady up that crest..kinda half hunched to lower my outline....

I throw up my rifle (a Weatherby Vanguard, .243 that I inheritied from my grandfather, his primary game getter according to him, with the orginal Leupold 3x9 he put on her, a 7xxx serial number rifle..using Remmie core-loks 100 grainers) and luckily i took my old friend's advice and never move with it higher than 3x, snick the safety and find brown in my scope and track...and boom...i'm freaking out and work the bolt..man i missed...man i shoulda done this or that..and i watch the bigguns' disappear in the brush...

i walk down along the thicket and there she was..i guess she dropped and I missed it in the scope...


I stalked a ways but never found the main group again ( how far do they run when spooked) so head back and get my deer dragger out of my day pack and drag her out...

I found i need a tripod for pictures...never thought about that!

so anyway...not sure how much she was..never asked the processor after i dropped her off..he's going to save the skull so i can skull mount her...

I'm sorry for the long post..i figured i'd share and i'm still pumped at a running shot at 30ish yards...I think my Marlin 336 woulda been quicker, I think i'll start reading the posts and make me some bait holes to attract some! that was wild! you'd think at my age of 38 yrs old, i'd be a bit calmer and not like a 10 yr old at Christmas

I think it was alot of luck. I have on ly hunted a few years, but I've shot firearms since I was younger, and competeted at the amatuer level in IPSC and skeet, so that definatly helped. Plus I'm a FPS video game addict...good training right?! hahaah

anyway..thanks for all the help, i usually lurk the deer forums but NOW i'm hooked on that hog running stuff!

Ken B

Hey, nice Porky! Congrat's!

very cool........thanks for sharing.

Congrats!

-john

congrats bet that wont be your last hog lol

nah not hardly my last one! i have to fill feeders anyway..so i'll probably dig me a hole at the same time, and try the corn/strawberry jello/corn trick...and....diesel on an old piece of carpet?

might not get deer but i'll get hogs?

I can hunt this winter too after deer season...so yeah i'm kinda liking that...

thanks for the help (those of you that posted on the 'baiting hogs' post)

Baker

Really nice hog. Congrats!

yeah i really like having the option of getting a hog if you aren't seeing deer.