Had planned to go back to Matt's farm on Wednesday, but severe storm warnings and rain kept me indoors from 1 pm on, so I decided to try for the big ghogs he said he saw when he cut the hay on Sunday.
Arrived about 4:30 and positioned myself on a knoll overlooking a hole @ 70 yds where one of the big ones is supposed to be. In line with my sniping spot is another hole @ 40 yds where I saw one hog the very first time I hunted there a couple months ago. I missed an offhand shot then and haven't seen anything since.
I was prone with the .17 on my shooting sticks. Periodically I would raise myself up on my elbows to take a peek with the binos. This routine continued for an hour and a half when I decided to raise up higher to take a look at the closer hole. Sun of a gun, there's one sitting right there. I can see it from the chest up.
Unbelievably it sits there watching as I get into a sitting position and lower the crosshairs on its ear. It's facing slightly to my right. I pull the trigger and hear a loud smack! I see the ghog go down, but I'm not sure if it's in the hole or not. When I get there it's piled up on top of the tailings from the hole, about a two feet from the hole. It's a good size male. Looks like I may have shot high, just above the ear???
I hung around another half hour, then decided to take a walk to see if I could find anything out and about down where I was on Monday. Nothing. Grabbed my gear and headed to the truck, checking one more hole closer to the house where the other big one is supposed to be. I lives under an old chicken coop. I've yet to even see this one. Again, nothing. I'm out of here.
Make up my mind to go back to the garden center where I got the third shed hog last night. On the way I check out the farm that houses the landscaping operation. Again, nothing. I'm gone.
Arrive at my garden center a little after 7. Set up in the same location as last night and wait. Forgot to mention that when I pulled in last night I immediately saw a huge black bear. Had to be close to 500 lbs. Tonight I see and watch for a short time a red fox cruising the edge of the corn field looking for mice and voles. When I turn my attention back to the sheds I see one in front of a shed that's in back of the brown one where I've shot the 3 hogs.
I range it @ 90 yds. The .17 is ready and I use the side view mirror, steering wheel and driver's door to get a good solid rest. It's facing right at me so I place the crosshairs on its nose. It must have dipped its head just as I shot cause it looks like it entered at shoulder level. Either that or it went into it mouth and out the back??
Anyway, looks like this years crop. A female, I think? It's hard to tell.
I usually don't go back to the same farm two nights in a row, but I saw the owner at a breakfast place I frequent on Thursdays with a group of guys, and he is real happy with my results and urges me to "get em all". I'm doing my best.
Arrived about 4:30 and positioned myself on a knoll overlooking a hole @ 70 yds where one of the big ones is supposed to be. In line with my sniping spot is another hole @ 40 yds where I saw one hog the very first time I hunted there a couple months ago. I missed an offhand shot then and haven't seen anything since.
I was prone with the .17 on my shooting sticks. Periodically I would raise myself up on my elbows to take a peek with the binos. This routine continued for an hour and a half when I decided to raise up higher to take a look at the closer hole. Sun of a gun, there's one sitting right there. I can see it from the chest up.
Unbelievably it sits there watching as I get into a sitting position and lower the crosshairs on its ear. It's facing slightly to my right. I pull the trigger and hear a loud smack! I see the ghog go down, but I'm not sure if it's in the hole or not. When I get there it's piled up on top of the tailings from the hole, about a two feet from the hole. It's a good size male. Looks like I may have shot high, just above the ear???
I hung around another half hour, then decided to take a walk to see if I could find anything out and about down where I was on Monday. Nothing. Grabbed my gear and headed to the truck, checking one more hole closer to the house where the other big one is supposed to be. I lives under an old chicken coop. I've yet to even see this one. Again, nothing. I'm out of here.
Make up my mind to go back to the garden center where I got the third shed hog last night. On the way I check out the farm that houses the landscaping operation. Again, nothing. I'm gone.
Arrive at my garden center a little after 7. Set up in the same location as last night and wait. Forgot to mention that when I pulled in last night I immediately saw a huge black bear. Had to be close to 500 lbs. Tonight I see and watch for a short time a red fox cruising the edge of the corn field looking for mice and voles. When I turn my attention back to the sheds I see one in front of a shed that's in back of the brown one where I've shot the 3 hogs.
I range it @ 90 yds. The .17 is ready and I use the side view mirror, steering wheel and driver's door to get a good solid rest. It's facing right at me so I place the crosshairs on its nose. It must have dipped its head just as I shot cause it looks like it entered at shoulder level. Either that or it went into it mouth and out the back??
Anyway, looks like this years crop. A female, I think? It's hard to tell.
I usually don't go back to the same farm two nights in a row, but I saw the owner at a breakfast place I frequent on Thursdays with a group of guys, and he is real happy with my results and urges me to "get em all". I'm doing my best.
I'll try to better next time. :
