The pigs on our lease have become way to comfortable. Last year I only saw them one time during daylight. The year before we killed 2 big boars and saw them about 25% or less of the time we sat in our blinds. This year we have pictures of all hours of the daylight hours and fewer deer pictures because of them.
So I decided I was going to go sit in my blind since it was 37 degrees and see how the hogs were effecting the deer movement. I walked up on a group of 12 or more smaller pigs and sows and when I got to my blind there were 9 bedded up in a big pile about 90 yards in front of my blind in one of my cut out shooting lanes. I have never went hog hunting with a gun prior to the season opening, but I was going to make an exception this year because of so many hogs on camera. I was really wanting to wait on a big boar so I held off till I finally saw one with a small group about 50 yards thru the thick cover. He was easily 300+ but just would not move out of the thick cover. As it got darker and colder (35 degrees by now) I knew I was going to shoot one of the smaller boars if the big one stayed in the cover. Finally the big boar chased 2 smaller boars away from him and I was able to confirm it was the bigger one and he gave me a very small window thru the mesquites and when he walked back thru the small opening I let the big dog bark. I think I may have shot to early because it was a neck shot and they all ran in different directions. It was almost dark and made it difficult to spot any blood and I only looked close to where I shot since there was no way I knew what direction he ran. My main goal was to try to get them out of their comfort zone, run them off for a while or make them go nocturnal. In all I saw 6 different groups of pigs for a total of 50+. I really do not like shooting any firearms at out lease prior to the season , but I do not think it will do as much damage to the deer hunting as the hogs do since they are keeping the deer off of the feeders. I do not like feeder pens , but I may have to go that direction if things do not change. Thoughts.
So I decided I was going to go sit in my blind since it was 37 degrees and see how the hogs were effecting the deer movement. I walked up on a group of 12 or more smaller pigs and sows and when I got to my blind there were 9 bedded up in a big pile about 90 yards in front of my blind in one of my cut out shooting lanes. I have never went hog hunting with a gun prior to the season opening, but I was going to make an exception this year because of so many hogs on camera. I was really wanting to wait on a big boar so I held off till I finally saw one with a small group about 50 yards thru the thick cover. He was easily 300+ but just would not move out of the thick cover. As it got darker and colder (35 degrees by now) I knew I was going to shoot one of the smaller boars if the big one stayed in the cover. Finally the big boar chased 2 smaller boars away from him and I was able to confirm it was the bigger one and he gave me a very small window thru the mesquites and when he walked back thru the small opening I let the big dog bark. I think I may have shot to early because it was a neck shot and they all ran in different directions. It was almost dark and made it difficult to spot any blood and I only looked close to where I shot since there was no way I knew what direction he ran. My main goal was to try to get them out of their comfort zone, run them off for a while or make them go nocturnal. In all I saw 6 different groups of pigs for a total of 50+. I really do not like shooting any firearms at out lease prior to the season , but I do not think it will do as much damage to the deer hunting as the hogs do since they are keeping the deer off of the feeders. I do not like feeder pens , but I may have to go that direction if things do not change. Thoughts.
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