Weather in eastern PA has been a challenge this spring with the extensive rain and high winds. Yesterday it was heavy overcast but no rain so I went ghogging. Went to a farm I haven't hunted since last summer. There are no holes in the field. All the hog boys are in the tree lines, there are two tree lines, "L" shaped. I set up facing the tree lines, closest possible shot is 140 yards; longest 260 yards.
There's a 20 to 30 mph cross wind blowing. Not good. From 4:00 to 5:00 PM I'm seeing nothing.
At about 5:45 a hog rolls out of the lower tree line on my right at 154 yards. I set the Weatherby Super V up on my shooting cross sticks and sent a 55 Nosler BT at the crawler. I missed! I can't believe it even with the wind. I figure I shot over him because he doesn't panic, just calmly crawls back into the tree line. Thirty minutes later I see a head poke out of the tree line. He's back only more careful this time. We stare at each other for over twenty minutes. Finally he must figure I can't hit anything anyway so he rolls out. This time I nail him. One hog down.
Twenty minutes later one rolls out of the upper tree line. 238 yards. A long shot for me off the sticks especially with the strong cross wind. I try to time the shot with the wind. I send another 55 Nosler BT at him. Bingo, hit him but he spins around and runs into the tree line. He's hit good but manages to crawl 20 yards or so yards into the tree line. I'm having a bad day. I have to know so I walk up there and after searching I find him, dead about 3 feet from his hole. The shot was low and and back towards the rump but enough to stop him. Still a bad shot.
Around 6:30 things start to heat up. Wind is now down. One rolls out at 230 yards. I nail him, clean shot. About 10 minutes later one rolls out at 247 yards. Very long shot for me but wind is continuing to subside. I aim a the top of his back (crawler) and sent it. He rolls over! Clean shot.
Final drama of the day! At about 7:15 I see a monster hog stand up in a brush line in the center of another two fields about 600 to 700 yards away. He goes over the other side. I decide to try a stalk. I walk over until I'm in direct line with the brush line, 210 yards away. Several minutes later I see the hog standing in the brush line. I sent it and he disappears. I have to know. I walk over and he'd down, a perfect shot in the center of the chest. A monster hog.
Five down, best day of the years so far.
There's a 20 to 30 mph cross wind blowing. Not good. From 4:00 to 5:00 PM I'm seeing nothing.
At about 5:45 a hog rolls out of the lower tree line on my right at 154 yards. I set the Weatherby Super V up on my shooting cross sticks and sent a 55 Nosler BT at the crawler. I missed! I can't believe it even with the wind. I figure I shot over him because he doesn't panic, just calmly crawls back into the tree line. Thirty minutes later I see a head poke out of the tree line. He's back only more careful this time. We stare at each other for over twenty minutes. Finally he must figure I can't hit anything anyway so he rolls out. This time I nail him. One hog down.
Twenty minutes later one rolls out of the upper tree line. 238 yards. A long shot for me off the sticks especially with the strong cross wind. I try to time the shot with the wind. I send another 55 Nosler BT at him. Bingo, hit him but he spins around and runs into the tree line. He's hit good but manages to crawl 20 yards or so yards into the tree line. I'm having a bad day. I have to know so I walk up there and after searching I find him, dead about 3 feet from his hole. The shot was low and and back towards the rump but enough to stop him. Still a bad shot.
Around 6:30 things start to heat up. Wind is now down. One rolls out at 230 yards. I nail him, clean shot. About 10 minutes later one rolls out at 247 yards. Very long shot for me but wind is continuing to subside. I aim a the top of his back (crawler) and sent it. He rolls over! Clean shot.
Final drama of the day! At about 7:15 I see a monster hog stand up in a brush line in the center of another two fields about 600 to 700 yards away. He goes over the other side. I decide to try a stalk. I walk over until I'm in direct line with the brush line, 210 yards away. Several minutes later I see the hog standing in the brush line. I sent it and he disappears. I have to know. I walk over and he'd down, a perfect shot in the center of the chest. A monster hog.
Five down, best day of the years so far.
