Hog Hunt

[Batch]

Went out Friday for a hog hunt. Shot a hog on Saturday evening. Had to drag this big sow out several miles at night and man am I beat up today.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

[crashdive123]

Yummmmmm. Bacon.

[your_comforting_company]

What a haul!

Do you gut them before dragging them out?
I started carrying rubber gloves in my pack when hog hunting for handling them. It's surprising how much weight they have just in guts. The other hogs eat 'em up. I've field dressed them and left the guts right in the same area, came back the next day, and hogs had eaten the hog-guts I left behind.

Kudos for helping control invasive species!

[rebel]

Nice hog. It looks like you are holding a pistol in addition to a long gun, what did you use? What range? I've never hunted hogs.

[your_comforting_company]

rebel.. when you step into hog territory, your life is in danger. They will attack you and can do some very serious damage with them tuskies. When I go hog hunting I carry my 30/30 for long range, and if one gets too close for comfort, my Glock .40 with hollow points will do the job. Smart to carry a sidearm.
I've had HUGE hogs run out from the bushes within just a few yards of me. I was lucky I wasn't in the path. Had to clean my shorts. they are powerful and merciless beasts.

[rebel]

rebel.. when you step into hog territory, your life is in danger. They will attack you and can do some very serious damage with them tuskies. When I go hog hunting I carry my 30/30 for long range, and if one gets too close for comfort, my Glock .40 with hollow points will do the job. Smart to carry a sidearm.
I've had HUGE hogs run out from the bushes within just a few yards of me. I was lucky I wasn't in the path. Had to clean my shorts. they are powerful and merciless beasts.

A side arm sounds like good advise for anyone in hog country. Hunting or not.

[Batch]

I actually carry rubber gloves in my pack and truck. I usually have the blue thicksters and only had surgical gloves on that day. I always rip the gloves some how. I was videoing a snake and didn't see the wait a minute vines and ripped my hands up a bit. So, I was trying not to gut or cut in the field. Dragging a sow that big is incredibly hard. It will give you the best cardio and grip strength on the planet. It is like a crossfit workout.LOL

I ended up getting the biologist to check it out with out ever seeing it and quartering it in the field. I had to waste some to save most. If I had realized she was that heavy and I was that far in I would never have taken the shot. But, my brother wanted a kill this weekend and we had worked so hard on the tracking.

Never again though. I like the little pigs...

It was in the 80's yesterday and it held high enough at night and with a high humidity to make movement through hog country taxing.

[your_comforting_company]

Started my day at 28 degrees, and by 10 I was taking off clothes till I wasn't even wearing a shirt at dinnertime while scraping a hide. When it's hot like that you gotta work quick. Glad you were able to save some of it at least.

Have you ever heard that you need to , ummm.. castrate, a boar right after you kill it or it will spoil the meat? I was wondering if there is any truth to it. That part makes my skin crawl LOL

[Pocomoonskyeyes3]

Looks like she had some decent sized tusks! Smart move taking a sidearm too. People just don't realize how dangerous they are. I've heard of them killing Bear even, though I don't know if it's true or not. Anyone who's ever watched "Ole Yeller" gets an idea of how dangerous they can be.... those were just "Free range" Hogs in the movie, and not quite as Feral as true "Piney woods" hogs can be. When I was a kid I almost never went into the woods without a gun of some kind. When I carried my 12 Ga. Dbl barrel, I carried it with one chamber of Buckshot and one of Birdshot, no matter what I was hunting.

[hunter63]

Congrats on a successful hunt.
And kudos on dragging it that far...I don't even care to drag a 150 pound deer anymore, if I can help it, LOL.

Guys have been getting a few east of here, NW La.
SIL got a call from a beef rancher, had one in a trap that had been tearing up his cattle feeders.
Rode over there, and sure enough, had a big sow in the trap.
Mean nasty thing and not in a good mood......

So shot it in the head, dragged it out of the cage (located next to a trail) into the back of his pick-up, 300# or there abouts.
Off to do the cleaning, and as this was the 3 or 4th one so far, gave it away.

PS, he likes the smaller 130--170 pounders, as well.

[BH51]

Oh Yea!.......that a good'n, Batch........I can see why you was so beat-up.....
I avoid huntn' no further from my pick'm-up than I care to drag something that
big.....Tho, most times it just don't work out that way.........................BH51

[beetlejuicex3]

I believe you are supposed to castrate them 6 months before slaughter to get the effects of testosterone on their meat out of their system.

[hunter63]

I believe you are supposed to castrate them 6 months before slaughter to get the effects of testosterone on their meat out of their system.

I asked a couple of big boars if they could stop by to be casterated 6 months before hunting season.....They declined..... then chased me up a tree. (sorry couldn't resist)

[rebel]

...the effects of testosterone on their meat...

...that and alcohol has been a bad combo for any hog.

[Batch]

I never heard of castrating a sow. I spent the last couple of days in the hospital. I passed out Monday at work and went to the ER. I got out today and they said it was exhaustion from the hog.

I don't know why the effect was delayed. But, I got messed up... I had Cat Scan, EKG, Blood tests, ex-rays. cat scans, MRI. MRA, ECG, EEG, scans of my carotid artery.

[crashdive123]

I never heard of castrating a sow. I spent the last couple of days in the hospital. I passed out Monday at work and went to the ER. I got out today and they said it was exhaustion from the hog.

I don't know why the effect was delayed. But, I got messed up... I had Cat Scan, EKG, Blood tests, ex-rays. cat scans, MRI. MRA, ECG, EEG, scans of my carotid artery.

Dang! I hope all the tests come out OK and that you are feeling better.

[Rick]

Just saw this post. Hope you're okay. Maybe dehydration? That's a nice sized hog. Couldn't you make a drag to pull something that heavy? Something like a travois?

[your_comforting_company]

A rope with a handle, like used for water skiing is a BIG help when dragging out a heavy animal. I started carrying one in my hunting bag just for that purpose. I find that I can go 100 yards or so without a break, as opposed to 25 or 30 yards hunched over.
Tie the legs to the body to keep it compact and you can stand erect.

Get well soon!

[hunter63]

WOW, Hope everything works out for you.
That is why I don't drag heavy stuff any more, no animal is worth having a attack of some kind.

I pick my spots, have a 2 wheeled cart ( never used it), but more importantly, hunt with a partner (younger, LOL).
Get well soon.

[Pocomoonskyeyes3]

Man! I'm sorry to hear that and hope all those tests come back fine. Get better soon.