A couple years back I was living in the San Antonio, TX area and a friend of mine, Max, was planning to come visit.  He proposed the idea of going hog hunting and I set on the trail of looking for a guide/hunt.  I called quite a few people, got a lot of runaround, and was getting pretty frustrated.  I didnt often stray from my familiar jaunts on AR15.com and decided to hop over to the Outdoors section.  Thankfully, The Dehoganator was an avid poster and I saw some of his handiwork and sent him a PM.  That PM turned into a call and a hunt was booked.  My buddy flew down and we killed one pig that night with another ARFcommer in tow (shout out to Likebuddha).

With my job taking me all over the US annually we ended up leaving Texas, moving to Mississippi, and finally wound up back in Texas (hopefully we can stay here).  Well, as luck would have it, the same buddy wanted to come down and visit again!  Living further north this time (closer to Dehog's "base of operations") I sent Joe a text and the process started all over again.  We booked a hunt on a weeknight, 3/31/15, and decided we would keep in contact with Dehog until the week before arrival to determine the best location with the most activity.  Low and behold, the day of the hunt, Joe calls and says he has a hot property and if we hadn't left yet we could change locations to this more prime location!  It was a half hour further away, but hardly a tough decision to make...we wanted to shoot some pigs!  We arrived at the designated location at 6:35pm and went over some safety procedures, Joe answered any questions we had, and he had the entire place pre-scouted and ready to show us.  Provided with the hunt were two .300 Blackout AR pistols outfitted with free floating rails and suppressors!  We flicked on the EOTech sights, charged the rifles, and set out on the extensive property to scout.  

Having dropped a portable box blind at one location we expected to have the most activity we spent a good deal of time early that night scanning the area.  Between stalking in and around the area and using PVS14s and handheld thermal cameras from the elevated Honda Big Red we were spotting all sorts of wildlife: deer, skunks, coyotes, irrigation pivot tires*, etc.  Since our "honey hole" appeared a little dry we hopped back into Big Red and set off for some of our other predetermined hunt spots.  This farm was mighty large and had a lot of uneven terrain but Joe maneuvered us in and out of areas driving with his night vision monocle.  Just as we rounded a bend we came up over a hill and Joe called out to scan forward and sure enough...a lone hog was chowing in the field in front of us.  Before we could react, the pig took off running to our right!  Max and I jumped from the side by side and grabbed the rifles and shooting sticks watching this hog run further and further away.  We thought this was it...had a hog right there and he is gonna run away right in front of our eyes!  Just then, the pig stops!  Its like he knew we wanted to use him for target practice, that nice little piggy!  Max and I counted down and fired a total of 6 shots at the pig.  Did I mention he had run out to about 150+ yards?  He was further out than we accounted for and while a few shots sounded like they hit home, the pig kept running and hit the treeline.  We did the best we could to find blood, a trail, etc. and ultimately decided we just didnt make our shots count and hopped back in the rig.  It was 9:30pm.

Shooting those suppressed guns really kept the noise down!  Despite firing a volley at the pig we drove around and found many critters were still quite active on the farm.  We circled back to the blind and attempted to scout more at that location...by far the most rooted place on the farm.  In my head, I had told myself that 12:00am was my limit and I was gonna go home at that time no matter what.  Thankfully, I didnt voice that opinion aloud and Max chimed in that we should circle back to where we had seen the first hog.  We hopped back in Big Red and set off.  As we crested the hill...it was empty.  We kept driving toward the back of the property passing an old rooted up area that had been repaired and finally arrived at the edge of the property.  Scanning with thermal I laid eyes on a large mass of pigs a few hundred yards ahead of us in the treeline...THOSE WERENT THERE A FEW SECONDS AGO!  We disembarked the side by side, grabbed the guns, and stalked in.  Slowly, step by quiet step, we made our way.  150yd.  100yd.  75yd.  At this point I think we are pushing our luck!  Joe presses on and we get within 60yd.  The hogs are so close we can see their black forms by the moonlight and hear their squeals without straining.  We line up the guns, discuss strategy and decide to aim for a pack of 4 large pigs right next to...yep, another set of irrigation pivot tires!  We didnt want to miss and pop one of those!  I gave Joe the signal, I started the countdown, and PFF! PFF! PFF! PFF!  Four total shots.  The hog I aimed for had dropped right where it stood.  Max felt he had made a good set of hits as well but his hog had made it to the trees.  A pack of twenty pigs and we had only shot two!  Id rather be accurate..and in the end we agreed it was best we hadnt "magdumped" as we may have wounded several but not recovered any.  We wanted meat!

We approached the downed hog and Joe put a suppressed .45ACP into it for good measure.  We hefted it onto the Honda and hightailed it back to a lit area to collect some tenderloins.  By the time I had cut them out it was 3:30am.  I was exhausted from the time, coupled with the harvest, and yet...Max wanted to try for another!  Spending another hour or so at the box blind we only saw more skunks.  We had good luck out near the property line so we hopped back in Big Red and set off.  Just as we got to the previously rooted/repaired area I got a hit on thermal...but the spots werent moving?  Joe did some scouting and signaled us to grab the guns and stalk down.  Two pigs were sitting/rooting on a pile of "dirt" about 75 yards ahead of us.  Once again we lined up; Max was going to do the countdown and make the first shot this time.  As we fired upon the pigs, Max made a clear initial hit and it ran off for the open field to his left.  My pig took a hit and made the smart decision to run over the dirt pile and into the closest treeline.  Just as we thought we were done, Max's pig emerged at a crest and was visible again, stopped.  I swung my rifle over and connected with a second hit and the pig was off to the races.  Max was determined and we fired shots seemingly in unison as the pigs distance increased.  I heard and felt the tell tale signs of my gun running dry and knew Max was a bullet behind me.  And then it happened.  Max fired his last shot and the pig went down!  It appeared to be crippled and bleeding pretty good.  I ran back for more ammo and by the time I united with Dehog and Max they were deep in the treeline looking for the creature.  Did anyone mention pigs love to hide in thick, nasty brush?  They like to do that before they are crippled...but a pig crawling on just its front legs can get into some even worse spots!

Dehog had brought his young pup "Bohrloch" in case we had this happen!  We rounded him up and initially he seemed confused.  He was all over the woods, back and forth, almost as if circling...he had to poop!  After he did his business the dog hit the blood trail and dove into the woods dragging Max as if he was on roller blades.  Which wouldve been fine...but again, the thick brush!  Max got as far as his body would let him and the dog would not relent.  Finally, we confirmed that with the amount of blood we found coupled with the wounds we inflicted that even if we got to it we would find a dead hog.  And itd be impossible to get it out.  

In the end, Max and I fired at 5 unique pigs and saw right at 20 pigs total for the night!  We had meat in the cooler, stories for a lifetime, and we were EXHAUSTED!  It was 6:15am.  It was worth it.

Successful hunt!
http://i.imgur.com/FwoKEOJ.jpg

Video footage!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0hDchKWXvU

After driving two hours to get home, I had been awake over 24 straight hours.  Hadnt done that in a LONG time.  Have had the meat soaking since then to get all the blood out.  Will get it marinading soon.  And then its dinner!

Thanks again, Joe!

Sounds like a good time was had by all.

Also sounds like you were undergunned. I realize that they are nuisance hogs, that happen to be some of the best eatin' game there is. I still feel they deserve to be dispatched as humanely as possible. Just the way I was raised. Sounds like a lot of rounds went downrange and missed their target. jmtcw

Flame suit on

Honestly, this is my second time ever shooting using NV.  Its a little disorienting trying to determine yardage and whatnot.  I agree, we sent a lot of rounds to their demise in the dirt and too few hit hogs.  More so our error as "rookie" shooters.

Got done on the grill last night about 7:30pm.  Two backstraps were enough to feed all four of us (hunters and gatherers) and I had two small sections left for the neighbors to try.  I think we all agreed it was some of the best eating hog we have ever had!  

Gave them a light splash of olive oil and then covered the straps in Larue Tactical Dillo Dust.  Wrapped in bacon and pinned it in place.  Seared each side on the grill for 2 minutes and then let it cook with the lid on for about 20 minutes to hit 160 degrees internal.  Delicious!

 

Na, even out of a short barrel 300BLK is just fine if you are shooting supersonic.  Even with full blown 308 Win, you get plenty of pigs that will run off and die if you don't hit them in just the right spot.

Thanks lee tell max also, fun fun times.
This is my seventh straight day at the same spot and got five more nights at least,
There is 11 less hogs, they are on the lookout for me I think, doesn't matter I'm gonna start sleep walking and kill 'em.

Some people have all the skills to kill enough hogs out of one sounder for a particular night.
I have people that never shot a gun or came close to a hog therefore muplital first shot ambush is my way to go with the blackout .
I have said they sux but they are so so quiet and give you the ability to get on hog all night on the same property is just more medicine for my sickness.

Oh yea bohrloch and I are just wired for hog, guess I met my match.