Posted: 3/24/2010 7:58:40 PM EDT
|
So, this year, for the first time ever, I decided to try my hand at hog hunting and decided to try it with my AR… Prior to this, my only hunting experience was hunting varmints (woodchucks) in farmer’s fields in PA a few decades ago…
Rifle: Defensive Edge SLR-15 Commander – carbine length rifle Sight: EOTech 516 Ammunition: Hornady .223 – 55 grain soft point (80255) Distances: 35 yards (give or take) 1st day in a tree stand – saw no hogs 2nd day in a tree stand – 2 hogs (siblings) trotted into the clearing that the stand was overlooking… they were 2 smallish (about 75 pounds each) males – not trophies but definitely “fit for eatin’”. I cherry picked the first shot on the first hog – 1 shot just behind the left ear – he dropped in his tracks and twitched a bit… To my surprise, the second did not high tail it out of the clearing!!! He startled and ran about 5 yards – then stopped… looked around… and then decided to just trot out of the clearing. Unfortunately for him, he chose the wrong path – one that presented me with a broad side shot at about 35 yards… I tracked him for a second or 2 and squeezed off the second shot. Hit him in the right shoulder and dropped him in his tracks! I then just sat there in the tree stand in disbelief… 2 shots & 2 hogs DRT in about 15 seconds… this hog huntin’ thing sure is great fun!!!… Obligatory photo of pig with rifle >>> 
Closer photo of entry wound on the first hog >>> 
I had so much fun that I had to go back the next weekend. Ended up in another tree stand... got this 150 lb sow. (1 in the left ear = game over!) 
|
|
Congratulations! You are the man!
You did everything, hit the right kill zone and you made a kill shot on a moving target (both of these things are harder than they loo)! If you had 'hog fever' (adrenaline and heart thumping out of your chest) then you were able to overcome it and make precise shots. Many of my friends who have been in the military and/or are experienced shooters and/or hunters say that they missed their first hunting shot and/or they missed a kill shot on a big deer due to 'deer/hog fever'. You beat both like I did. |
|
I thank you all for your kind words.
My 2 weekends hunting hog were great fun. When we (a small group of good friends/family) weren't out trying to shoot hogs, we were eating great food, telling tall tales, savoring good wine and/or single malt scotch, and engaging in general guy bonding. I must say that I earned every bit of the kill shots on the sow (another left ear shot) and the first male (first photo) - hog fever didn't enter into the equation... I have the skill set and the focus... The shot on the trotting hog though was just good fortune - I haven't shot at a moving target since shooting clays about 30-ish years ago... but in the words of a good friend and ex-fighter pilot - "sometimes it's better to be lucky than it is to be good!!!". I do understand the addiction comments though... I don't know much about crack but I do know that I am already planning the next hog hunting outing (scheduled for March 2011) with great anticipation. With a little luck, I might be able to get in a few warm up trips (fixes) between now and then... ...speaking of night activities - the folks that I was out with have an interesting night activity with hogs. They go out with dogs, lights, and knives - no guns are allowed when you are using lights at night (Florida)!!! They ride around on a swamp buggy and when they see a hog or when the dogs get the scent of a hog, they let the dogs loose and follow them with the buggy... the dogs will eventually corner a hog... when they do, the folks on the buggy jump off the buggy and catch up with the dogs/hog. Then they will do one of a few things. If the hog is a good size sow (aka "meat hog"), they will either kill the hog with a knife or just let it go! If the hog is a male, they will wrestle the terrified, pissed off male hog to the ground and then castrate & release it - this results in what they call a "bar hog". Large uncastrated males are not good eatin' but large bar hogs ARE good eatin'. The hope is that the castrated hog will grow into a good sized bar hog that they will bag another day (in a year or 2 or 3)... As night time activities go, I must admit that it's not my cup of tea but they seem to enjoy it just fine nonetheless!!! For the adventurous types out there - give it a try, you might enjoy it! Until next time - safe hunting all... 
|
| Great hunting story...thoroughly enjoyed it! I'm hoping next year to go hog hunting in Florida. I have a son who lives in Tallahassee and one who is stationed about 2 hours away in Alabama at Fort Ruckers ...I'm currently putting together an AR in 6.8 caliber but it will take a little time since I'm paying as I go. You got me pumped up for hog hunting now!! |
|
Quoted:
Yes sir, Florida hog hunting is great fun! Great hunting story...thoroughly enjoyed it! I'm hoping next year to go hog hunting in Florida. I have a son who lives in Tallahassee and one who is stationed about 2 hours away in Alabama at Fort Ruckers ...I'm currently putting together an AR in 6.8 caliber but it will take a little time since I'm paying as I go. You got me pumped up for hog hunting now!! If you are hunting on private property - season is open year 'round, there is no hunting license required, no bag limit, no size limit, and no magazine capacity limit. .223 is very adequate and 6.8 will work well too... My favorite time to go is winter/spring - weather is cooler and humidity is lower... since my friend with the hunting lease likes to hunt deer and deer seasons run through mid-January in the souther region of FL, I generally end up going to the lease with a few other guys for spring turkey season (starts the first weekend in March in southern FL). The weather is beautiful. Most of the guys I am there with are interested in Osceola turkeys so I have my pick of about a dozen tree stands to sit in to try to ambush a hog from!
Hunting on public property (aka Wildlife Management Areas or WMAs for short) is governed by different rules... A hunting license IS required, magazine capacity limit is 5 rounds, and "season", size limits, and bag limits are (or can be) unique to each individual WMA so you have to know the rules for where you will be hunting (specifically). Florida hunting information can be found at myfwc.com... PDFs >> "Season" poster (map) for Florida >>> link. Florida hunting regulations handbook >>> link Enjoy!
|