Posted: 2/23/2009 2:54:42 PM EDT
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Driving around the ranch on saturday - decent wind out of the west - not heavy but not light. Temperature about 53 degrees with a high pressure dominance.
Just driving around checking feeders - Drove up on two separate sounders in what became two very fun excilerating experiences of running and gunning. First group; just passed through an interior gate in the truck, making noise, typical gate stuff - got back in the truck drove fifty feet, hogs broke cover 50 yards to the right. WTF OMG!!! jumped out of the truck; I went left running down the road full speed and my buddy went right into the tree line. I ran about fifty yards and cut in just in time to see them run right in front of me in the open for about one second - decent sized group with all the sizes represented - while at a dead run I leveled my M1a with aimpoint and let loose with 5 rounds into the group before they got cover again. Kept up the pressure until they made it through a giant hole in the fence - gone; All the while I am doing this, my buddy and I yelling back and forth at what we are doing so we know where we are. Total body count: one 75 lbs. young male  . He took a round of 150gr ball in the back of the head when I let loose on the sounder - when my buddy quartered around and found him he was running around in a circle. He finished him with a high neck shot of Hornandy sst that left a wicked wound. SHIIIT!!!! I felt like I needed to puke - holy crap - first thing in the morning, I just had a huge breakfast with lots of coffee and just ran about 100 yards full speed while shooting and yelling. WOW. Since we were not really hunting my poor buddy sitting in the back seat of the truck with an empty benelli just got to watch and listen - HA HA!
Second group; after driving around and checking out the entire ranch we got all the way back to where the headquarters is when coming into a clearing by the barn HOLY CRAP!!! another sounder of hogs consisting of 4-5 young sows and about 6-8 little footballs at a dead run. These were much smaller and were heading straight for a slot in the fence line about 75 yards ahead to the right. Again, out of the truck, but this time I just had time to get to the front of the truck and proceeded to offhand dump the remainder of my magazine (15 rds) centered on the sounder as it was trying to line up to get out of the fence  - WTF??? all my rounds were going everywhere except into the hogs - What this did do though was made them change there mind and proceed to turn left and run down the fence line to the left - in front of us like a shooting gallery.
HOLY CRAP!!! As my mag emptied,I yelled "empty!" and fell back by the driver's door just in time to see the whole world slow way down. Both my other buddies were on the right of the truck. buddy number 1 settled down enough to take a knee while buddy number 3 who went way right and let loose with the now loaded benelli. As he fired I could see every pellet impact the area around the hogs - some of the little footballs were tumbling with the impact but still were able to keep running (we were actually a little out range for the benelli but again his fire helped further separate and confuse the group) Now it was buddy number two's turn to open up.... while all the little footballs were slipping through every little hole, several of the larger sows were now trapped along the fence line and where the barn is - I watched in amazement as my friend - former Marine with his M1a proceeded to drop two of the sows - BOOM BOOM - all of this slow motion! Once these were down he closed the gap and rushed the fence line. As he was dropping the sows I quit naval gazing and grabbed another mag, reloaded on the run and ran up calling out "on the right!!" and joined buddy number one and three at the fence; but by this time they were all either dead, limping off or at a dead run across the neighbors pasture - WOW again what a rush. Total count: two sows with many more probables. Lessons, I will probably get flamed by some folks but here goes: I had just recently put the aimpoint on my rifle and had just slow fired it up to this point - the heavy firing of the M1a during my mag dump had knocked my aimpoint loose - the mount on the aimpoint is the one that was on it when I got it. This will now be replaced with a Larue before I go back out. I would not normally go blasting away at the whole sounder but the hogs out in the Northern Hill Country of Texas are getting to be a terrible problem - where we are, hogs are a great game animal, but given the opportunity I am going to do what it takes to get every one I can, hence the mag dump, The terrain there is very hilly and rough making for excellent backstop. If the aimpoint had not come loose I would like to think the situation would have been different.
We had got in the truck with cups of coffee, unloaded guns and were busy yacking it up when we got into the first sounder - both times were completely unexpected. This has been proven to me time and time again. If you want to see a hog, untie your shoes, empty your guns and be driving around the ranch at noon on a 100 degree day with a hangover - you will see hogs. Expect the unexpected. The only reasons we got any of the hogs at all, given the less than ideal situation we were in, was that my friends and I have spent a lot of time in the field together and know what to do without talking about it. Hunting over a feeder is great and all but having the ability to jump out of the truck and run them down or just let loose on them sure does increase your chances. A full grown human can run nearly as fast a full grown hog, don't just stand there and "awww shucks, he got away.." get in there and get after them. Both of these instances happened very quick... possibly only a minute or less with components taking only seconds, it is amazing how the mind processes these things. If you get an opportunity at a shot - take it. Always think safety, communicate with your partners and know when to hold back. Exiting and engaging hogs from a vehicle - actions locked open in the vehicle, practice getting out in a safe but quick manner, know what your buddies are going to do - practice, talk about it. Clear the vehicle before firing. Do not shoot over a open truck bed 
The reason for us being able to just drive up on them was the wind I spoke of earlier... their strongest sense, smell, and slightly weaker hearing is messed up by a decent wind. They simply did not smell or hear the truck until we drove up on them - sucks to be them. Watch cattle in the pasture - if they are hunkered down then chances are the game is as well. On Saturday the cattle just happened to be up and about - should have paid attention. R |
Kill as many as you can, as often as you can. Eat what you want and feed the buzzards with the rest.
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The action was over so fast even if you could use BUIS with an elevated cheek rest I would not would have had the chance... but yes, unacceptable as far as being a soup sandwich with my aimpoint flopping around I did not even realize it was loose until afterward.
I was at Academy today getting a rod and reel for my wife and this guy looking at some rifles was telling the counter guy almost the exact same story but with an AR. Almost home, hogs, twenty round mag dump. Good times, I love learning the ins and outs by really using my gear. R |
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I was not implying that one could run and overtake a hog... that would be very cool - my statement was meant to mean that an adult in decent shape
can overtake them enough to gain a chance for a shot not otherwise available from not chasing after them. That would be great if it were an even playing field. Yes, you are right, hogs during deer season are on the move big time - they cover a lot of ground very fast. r |