Aggressive Hog Encounter

[Shinesintx]

Get you a headlamp and put in on your head at the 10:00 position, lines up nicely when you go to draw and aim at night. I've shot many pigs and coons like this in pitch black.



Boom. Roasted.

Thanks for this tip!

[ttechdallas]

ummmm yeah they kind of are
They are omnivores, they will eat all kinds of stuff, fawns and calves for sure

I would check the laws pertaining to CC, I would rather have a ticket than go hand to tusk with a hog

They are not predators in that they do not naturally hunt and prey on other animals. They'll eat dead animals, including pigs, and might kill a calf or fawn if they stumble across one.

I'm keeping a pistol in my pack from now on no matter what. And I put a white flashlight in the external pocket of my pack.

The ranch manager told me he was seeing more hogs during daylight hours than ever before and he didn't think they were scared of anything anymore.

[ttechdallas]

[QUOTE=Patton;13750142]Get you a headlamp and put in on your head at the 10:00 position, lines up nicely when you go to draw and aim at night. I've shot many pigs and coons like this in pitch black.

Done. I wear one in the mornings and keep it in my pack. Never thought about using in evenings, much less to shoot. Thanks for the tip.

[Iehooligan11b]

Dang. I blink too loud and scare off everything around me.
Lol should be easy to hunt

[HYDRO_69]

Record the noises you made to make this situation happen. You will be a wealthy individual in the end if it works for others. Pigs can be so unpredictable and make you into a sissy in a hurry with a bow only after dark.

[Fishndude]

I used to have this problem at Dallas Night Club. I’d just point out the buffet and they’d walk off.

[BigD12]

Yikes!

[bowtecmike]

sounds like you went hunting, then forgot what to do when the quarry showed up
what am i missing?

[TP3]

Maybe it's a good thing the ranch manager didn't hear you screaming for help.

[ttechdallas]

sounds like you went hunting, then forgot what to do when the quarry showed up
what am i missing?

I think it is what you are choosing to ignore. I wasn't hunting hogs. Or maybe you are such a stud that in the dark, with a clearly peeved hog looking straight at you, you have an archery shot that will stop him in his tracks and therefore you have a different perspective than I did. I've shot a lot of hogs with my bow including straight on, but from above. And save for a spine shot, I've never seen one NOT shoot straight forward - whether the target hog or in the group - even if in the same direction as where the arrow came from. So IMO, taking a shot at that hog with my bow in that situation would have been stupid.

As for those entertained by "screamed for help", I thought that sounded better for narrative purposes. Truth be told, if the ranch manager, who has a home nearby, heard me yelling at that hog like I was, he would have come checked it out and as it was well after dark and he knows I am meticulously quiet when hunting, including coming and going. So did I actually scream "help me, help me" like I needed my mommy? No. Now was I yelling as loud as I could at the hog hoping that if it didn't scare him away, the ranch manager might hear me and come shine a light in my direction? Hell yeah, I was.

That all said, I admit I was scared. I've seen thousands of hogs and never had an encounter even remotely similar to that one. If in the exact same situation, someone else wouldn't have been then you have my admiration. All I can say is that I will never be that unprepared again. And I am really looking forward to arrowing that pig and every pig in his immediate and extended pig family.

[JayB]

This reminds me of a situation I was in last year. Went to the lease by myself one evening. Got there with just a bit of daylight left. It was not deer season. I saw something at a feeder, from camp. Looked like a hog. So I strapped on my 22 revolver and jumped on my little Honda motorcycle. Wind was at my face and I was able to ride to about 60 yds from that feeder. Stopped the bike and started a stalk towards this hog. It was now getting dark. This hog was about 150 lbs....so not huge but a good sized hog. I managed to get within 20 yds and he was starting to get a little restless. So I aim my trusty Heritage 22 revolver at his ear and squeeze off a shot. He blasted out towards the wood with a squeal. I laughed and thought I may have hit him.

With my flashlight, I look around and don't see other eyes, so I make a slow track to the area I saw him go. I don't find blood, but did not expect too with the 22. I track in about 40 yds until it's just to thick. I am not going after a potential wounded hog on his turf.

So back out to the feeder I go. As I approach I hear some movement just off to the side. I duck down below a bush and see 2 more coming. These are about 60 lb hogs, so they don't scare me. I draw up to aim and one of them sees the movement and they scram.

I laugh at how fun this has become. I stand at this bush about 5 minutes and here a group of hogs coming in from the same wooded area. This time I decide to be still and let them come to me. Takes about 10 minutes before they make it up to where I am, but they are now on my downwind side. They move off away from me and it gets quiet.

I give it another few minutes and decide to make my way back to my little motorcycle to get back to camp. As I approach my scooter and just about to swing my leg, I hear the chomp/grunt in the trees about 5 yes from me. This one is too close and sounds big. We are at a stand off. When I try to swing my leg over, he chomps and grunts. So, with the bike between me and this mad boy I just start rolling the bike away from him. I never could see him, but he was NOT leaving the area. I have a good idea it was the same one I shot at originally.

I don't mind saying that one scared me just a bit.

.....and God Bless America.

[ttechdallas]

Well, I got 2 of his cousins last night but didn't see him.

I think I must be having some critter karma. Last night back at camp, I was doing something in my ranger and had my trailer door open. I looked over and there was a skunk on the second step. I screamed, I mean yelled loudly and threw a water bottle above the skunk into the trailer. It worked in that it scared him from going in.

Of course, he sprayed too and up close, that stuff is ammonia strong in addition to stinking.

[Big pig]

That'd tick me off. I say go back with a gun and calm them down.

Like a pet that growls at me. Nope.
Great story. Thanks.

[bowtecmike]

I think it is what you are choosing to ignore. I wasn't hunting hogs. Or maybe you are such a stud that in the dark, with a clearly peeved hog looking straight at you, you have an archery shot that will stop him in his tracks and therefore you have a different perspective than I did. I've shot a lot of hogs with my bow including straight on, but from above. And save for a spine shot, I've never seen one NOT shoot straight forward - whether the target hog or in the group - even if in the same direction as where the arrow came from. So IMO, taking a shot at that hog with my bow in that situation would have been stupid.

As for those entertained by "screamed for help", I thought that sounded better for narrative purposes. Truth be told, if the ranch manager, who has a home nearby, heard me yelling at that hog like I was, he would have come checked it out and as it was well after dark and he knows I am meticulously quiet when hunting, including coming and going. So did I actually scream "help me, help me" like I needed my mommy? No. Now was I yelling as loud as I could at the hog hoping that if it didn't scare him away, the ranch manager might hear me and come shine a light in my direction? Hell yeah, I was.

That all said, I admit I was scared. I've seen thousands of hogs and never had an encounter even remotely similar to that one. If in the exact same situation, someone else wouldn't have been then you have my admiration. All I can say is that I will never be that unprepared again. And I am really looking forward to arrowing that pig and every pig in his immediate and extended pig family.

I'm not ignoring ****. And I am not a stud, but I know an armed bowhunter is as deadly as anything on the planet. There is not a land animal on earth that hasn't been killed with bow and arrow.
If you think you can do better with a pistol, go get you one, but I doubt you can drop one in its tracks with a handgun.

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[Kurdawg]

I snuck up on a heard of hogs by accident in bow season a few years ago. The sound of that boar snorting and shakeing the brush had my blood pumping. Bow drawn back ready for the charge when my mind said HEY BUMBASS you have a .45 colt on your side put the bow down lol.