Nice cool morning....

[MrMajestic]

Made it out at 0730 yesterday to see if the ones I haven't been seeing were early risers. Nothing seen until about 0900 when one came out for breakfast. While I was dialing it in something spooked it and it ran back to the tree line however stopped at 396 yards and sat up prior to disappearing. Broke the trigger on my 6X47L chambered 788 pushing the 87 grain V-Max(thanks again 5spd!) and he disappeared. Made the trek and was greeted by this 8.98 lb. Sabertooth Boar!


Actually the second feared Sabertooth Chuck for the season. Here is the first from 06/23/2014.

After the weighing and photo op I started working my way back and spotted a Pup at 216 yards. Adjusted my tripod and sent one. While I was reloading I saw another at the same location. Sent another and started the walk kicking myself for a supposed miss. This is what I got when I got there!

Wasn't a miss, stupid Pups! ;D Brings my season total to 58.

 

[T 700]

Nice!!! i just got one today.

T 700

 

[K22]

That's some great shooting. I haven't been out in the AM for a long time but you've inspired me to give it a try. I see most ghogs from about 4:00 to 8:00 PM but from prior experience I know you can see them at any time during the day.

I'm up to 52 so far this year - it's been very difficult in my area since most of the farmer are planting rows of corn interspersed with hay so once the corn start to grow you can't see the ghogs anymore. I lost 3 of my favorite fields to corn.

 

[MrMajestic]

Yes I lost some productive areas due to the Corn height. Beans are getting big also!

 

[thekriebles]

That is some nasty dental problems. Looks like mercy killing to me. Great shots and thanks for sharing your post.

 

[Nomad47]

Agreed on the mercy killings. Good shooting, MrM.

Your pup double reminds of of one of my outings a few years ago. Range was somewhere between 250 and 300 the best I can recall. And the hay was around 3" or 4" tall - enough to hide a feeding chuck but very visible when they stand up. Anyway, I shot one and it disappeared. I thought I hit it, but a few minutes later it reappeared. Another shot and it disappeared. Again, I thought I hit it. And a few minutes later there it was AGAIN. Etc, etc. Anyway, curiosity got the best of me and I made the trek to where the pup should be laying. And there were three laying there. Woohoo.

 

[Quickoz]

Thats some good shooting there MrM.

 

[ARW]

Good shooting, those 87's are a hammer!

Alan

 

[lpreddick]

MrM: good shooting! dental abnormalities are not common...i'v had one. read an article by a guy in pa who had several thousand ghogs to his credit and he shot maybe a dozen with dental malformations. he skinned and saved their skulls and the teeth were very long and curved around such that they looked like mastadons! i once missed one but he came out later and i connected that time. examination revealed no upper teeth at all! how could he eat? closer exam revealed bloody upper gums...i shot his upper teeth out with the first shot. i harvested nos 57 and 58 yesterday. largest to date is 13# 5 oz. it's a hard job, i know, but somebody has to do it.

 

[Nomad47]

Jeez, I guess I'm going to have to add a scale to all the garb I carry now for shooting 'hogs. Well, maybe not. But I swear I've shot a couple big males that appeared to weigh as much as a 16 pound bowling ball.

 

[MrMajestic]

Bill, haven't got anything over 10 lb. yet this year but they are getting bigger everyday! Last year my largest after purchasing a small digital scale was 15 1/2 lb. and it was a very large Chuck! I keep track of weight and sex just for my knowledge and perhaps some sort of deduction from the information! ;D
Two Pups today, 6X47L/87 gr. V-Max from 12 paces! and .17 Fireball/25 gr. V-Max from 79 yards to take me to 60. While I was photo-ing the one shot close its Brother or Sister was reading me the riot act from down it's burrow! Made me chuckle....

 

[thekriebles]

"...dental abnormalities are not common...i've had one. read an article by a guy in pa who had several thousand ghogs to his credit and he shot maybe a dozen with dental malformations. he skinned and saved their skulls and the teeth were very long and curved around such that they looked like mastadons!..."

Yes, that was a really good article in Varmint Hunter magazine by Bob Bell. He wrote about a fellow PA hunter, Dana Calhoun, who had recently shot (at that time) his 5,000 groundhog during his 40+ years of hunting them. Nine of them had the "maloccluded" teeth, which is less than 1:500 and you're correct that it is not common. The gent even harvested a huge 20 pounder, which he had a full mount to show it off. It's an enjoyable article for any groundhog hunter.

 

[lpreddick]

yes! that was the article. he also listed personal records, like how many killed in 5 min or in one outing, in one month, etc. his stats were enviable, to say the least.