Big Yeller

daddyflea

Active member
I have been asked several times by the Ranch Foreman if I had seen a Big yellow, Black, and White hog. So far I had seen nothing looked like that. Hunted today but just did not try real hard. It was getting late and the Wind shifted to the North. I headed in and drove past a Feeder that is usually always Down wind. Today with the North wind I stopped and glassed it. I saw two big bucks standing looking at me. I watched them for a while in no hurry to get back. Suddenly the Deer snorted and ran off. Then a big hog ran in. He stopped looking dead at me. I got on my scope but I knew he was good size and past experience has taught me shooting big Hogs between the eyes, often results in the bullet bouncing off and the Hog running off. I held my fire and eventually he looked to the side. I aimed for his Ear and pulled the trigger. He started screaming and I knew I hit him. I walked down to the Feeder and no Hog. I figured he ran back the way he came and burned the rest of my Daylight looking for him. I eventually gave up and went back to the Feeder. I made a Semi circle and there he was. Only made about 20yds but rooted in some brush. I got my Mule and had to cross two gulleys to get to him. He was big. In fact he was right at 300lbs. I noticed as well this was most likely Old Yeller. With the help of my Lift, I got him loaded and it started pouring down rain. I hauled him out but I had no light to gut him. I called two of my Son's Buddies who came out and helped me gut him in the Rain. After dressing him, we got him loaded again and it quit raining. I hauled him to the Packing Plant and arrived to find that the Hoist there did not work. I had to use my Mule Hoist to get him on the scale, then I had to drag him by hand to the Cooler by myself. Worked very hard for Old Yeller but I got him. He Dressed out at 238lbs.



 
Nice! And great that you recovered him before dark. I have made a few head shots straight on that glanced off their skulls and generally wait for a more presentable shot too.
 

Originally Posted By: daddyfleapast experience has taught me shooting big Hogs between the eyes, often results in the bullet bouncing off and the Hog running off.


Originally Posted By: SkyPupNice! And great that you recovered him before dark. I have made a few head shots straight on that glanced off their skulls and generally wait for a more presentable shot too.

And I thought it was just due to my .223 being too light + angle of bone @ POI. I saw the splash of red when I hit a big boar between the eyes at about 35-40 yds which then got up and ran off and figured the light bullet just blew up. Know daddyflea shoots a 308, not sure of your caliber, SkyPup. Know both of you have a lot more experience than I shooting hogs; do you guys have this issue even w/the heavier calibers, as well?

Regards,
hm
 
My experience is that head on skull shots are not a good idea no matter what caliber you are using as often times the bullet glances off the hogs skull angles and he gets away with a headache.
 
I have managed to kill a couple head-on by shooting under their chin and puncturing their sternum and blowing out their heart and lungs, but that is a tough shot too....
 
Thanks, SP. I found out the hard way w/a 223, but thought it was just not enough bullet. Haven't done much hog hunting since, but had made up my mind not to make same mistake again, because I saw the bullet hit and splash. I really like side shots between ear/eye w/the .223. Thanks again.

Regards,
hm
 
Originally Posted By: daddyfleaI have been asked several times by the Ranch Foreman if I had seen a Big yellow, Black, and White hog. So far I had seen nothing looked like that. Hunted today but just did not try real hard. It was getting late and the Wind shifted to the North. I headed in and drove past a Feeder that is usually always Down wind. Today with the North wind I stopped and glassed it. I saw two big bucks standing looking at me. I watched them for a while in no hurry to get back. Suddenly the Deer snorted and ran off. Then a big hog ran in. He stopped looking dead at me. I got on my scope but I knew he was good size and past experience has taught me shooting big Hogs between the eyes, often results in the bullet bouncing off and the Hog running off. I held my fire and eventually he looked to the side. I aimed for his Ear and pulled the trigger. He started screaming and I knew I hit him. I walked down to the Feeder and no Hog. I figured he ran back the way he came and burned the rest of my Daylight looking for him. I eventually gave up and went back to the Feeder. I made a Semi circle and there he was. Only made about 20yds but rooted in some brush. I got my Mule and had to cross two gulleys to get to him. He was big. In fact he was right at 300lbs. I noticed as well this was most likely Old Yeller. With the help of my Lift, I got him loaded and it started pouring down rain. I hauled him out but I had no light to gut him. I called two of my Son's Buddies who came out and helped me gut him in the Rain. After dressing him, we got him loaded again and it quit raining. I hauled him to the Packing Plant and arrived to find that the Hoist there did not work. I had to use my Mule Hoist to get him on the scale, then I had to drag him by hand to the Cooler by myself. Worked very hard for Old Yeller but I got him. He Dressed out at 238lbs.











So you guys get about $95 for big yeller then?
 
WTG. Good mews all around !!! You got Yeller,,, and your hoist was tall enough and strong enough for the big ones.. Good ethical shooting. Glad the bullet performed for you.
 
Originally Posted By: hm1996
Originally Posted By: daddyfleapast experience has taught me shooting big Hogs between the eyes, often results in the bullet bouncing off and the Hog running off.


Originally Posted By: SkyPupNice! And great that you recovered him before dark. I have made a few head shots straight on that glanced off their skulls and generally wait for a more presentable shot too.

And I thought it was just due to my .223 being too light + angle of bone @ POI. I saw the splash of red when I hit a big boar between the eyes at about 35-40 yds which then got up and ran off and figured the light bullet just blew up. Know daddyflea shoots a 308, not sure of your caliber, SkyPup. Know both of you have a lot more experience than I shooting hogs; do you guys have this issue even w/the heavier calibers, as well?

Regards,
hm

I have actually had this happen to me twice now using a 308. Once with a 128gr Bullet and once with a 168gr. The 125 was at a range of about 20yds. The 168 was about 150yds. Both Hogs went down instantly and did not even wiggle. In both cases I started looking for other Hogs to shoot, In about 30 seconds they both started thrashing around then got up and run off never to be seen again. I have been told by a Guy shooting a 300 Win Mag the same thing happened to him. I no longer take shoulder shots either. I always find them dead about two days later. I shoot just behind the Ear. Big Yeller was facing me so when he turned his head to look to his Right, I figured right in the base of the Ear was best. Not sure about that reasoning because he still ran enough to crawl in some thick brush. These Hogs are intelligent they stick to cover and purposely hide when wounded.

I shot one from about 130 yds that had crossed a road from thick cover then entered about 10 yds of thick cover before getting to a Feeder. I shot him and hit him hard in the shoulder. Took him off his feet. His Sanctuary was back across the road. I watched the road thinking I could shoot him as he crossed the road. He scooted into the thick 10yds of cover and never came out. I gave him time and walked to where he should be and no Hog. I found him three days later. He had went into the thick brush then turned to avoid crossing the road. He followed the thick brush until the road made a bend then crossed into his Sanctuary where he died. By the way this is very Private Property and the Road is just a Two Track.

I also shot one behind the Ear that lived long enough to crawl into a 4 ft deep hole before he died.

223 is great for the Army. It is light and a lot of rounds can be carried by Infantryman. It takes three Soldiers out of the fight because it takes two to carry one. It is a terrible hunting round though. It is just way too light. Remember Buzzards will not even eat Hogs until after they swell up and pop. Their hide is too tough. Then you have to get through the Armor Plate, all the Fat, and possibly a bone before it hits anything Vital. There is rarely a Blood Trail because the Fat seals the hole. The one really good thing the 223 has going for it is the Accuracy.

Big Yeller only dressed at 238 but the guys that process these Hogs told me this was a really big Hog. They see hundreds in a day. My 308 using 168gr bullets hit him in the Ear and he still ran at least 20 yds. I would rethink 223 as a Hog Rifle.
 
Originally Posted By: cherokeetrackerWTG. Good mews all around !!! You got Yeller,,, and your hoist was tall enough and strong enough for the big ones.. Good ethical shooting. Glad the bullet performed for you.

According to Hornaday AMax is a Hunting Bullet. It is either that or VMax and I think I would prefer the Penetration. Jacket on the AMax is thicker.

I knew my Lift would work because I picked up a big one before I added Reinforcement.
 

Originally Posted By: daddyfleaOriginally Posted By: hm1996
And I thought it was just due to my .223 being too light + angle of bone @ POI. I saw the splash of red when I hit a big boar between the eyes at about 35-40 yds which then got up and ran off and figured the light bullet just blew up. Know daddyflea shoots a 308, not sure of your caliber, SkyPup. Know both of you have a lot more experience than I shooting hogs; do you guys have this issue even w/the heavier calibers, as well?

Regards,
hm

I have actually had this happen to me twice now using a 308. Once with a 128gr Bullet and once with a 168gr. The 125 was at a range of about 20yds. The 168 was about 150yds. Both Hogs went down instantly and did not even wiggle. In both cases I started looking for other Hogs to shoot, In about 30 seconds they both started thrashing around then got up and run off never to be seen again.

I shot one from about 130 yds that had crossed a road from thick cover then entered about 10 yds of thick cover before getting to a Feeder. I shot him and hit him hard in the shoulder. Took him off his feet. His Sanctuary was back across the road. I watched the road thinking I could shoot him as he crossed the road. He scooted into the thick 10yds of cover and never came out. I gave him time and walked to where he should be and no Hog. I found him three days later. He had went into the thick brush then turned to avoid crossing the road. He followed the thick brush until the road made a bend then crossed into his Sanctuary where he died. By the way this is very Private Property and the Road is just a Two Track.

I also shot one behind the Ear that lived long enough to crawl into a 4 ft deep hole before he died.

223 is great for the Army. It is light and a lot of rounds can be carried by Infantryman. It takes three Soldiers out of the fight because it takes two to carry one. It is a terrible hunting round though. It is just way too light. I would rethink 223 as a Hog Rifle.

Most of my hog experience was while doing ADC on three ranches. The rancher developed a hog problem and asked me to continue the coyote program but shoot every hog that crossed our path. My partner and I hunted hogs 16 days on the ranch with hog problem and killed 36 hogs between us. Due to the severe drought, the rancher was feeding his cattle a lot more than usual & the hogs were jumping up in the feed troughs to eat, but deficating in the troughs, thus cattle would not use them.

We were primarily hunting coyotes, but shooting hogs as targets of opportunity, so, for the most part, I carried my favorite M4 coyote rig, supplemented by 243 WSSM AR when chances were good for hogs, my partner used a 243 Win. bolt gun. Didn't keep score, but believe most of the hogs I shot happened to be with the .223 (I'd guess probably 10-15 of the hogs). Having said that, I never take shoulder shots on hogs.

I lost two, both head-on shots; the one previously mentioned where I saw the .22 cal bullet splash between his eyes at short range, and the other shot was a 200 yd. shot with the 243, trying a head on shot. Knocked the big boar down, but he got up and ran 100 yards to heavy brush. I figured I must have made a bad shot on that one, but have since wondered if the bullet may have ricocheted off his skull between the eyes??

I know the .223 is marginal, especially on body shots, but have not lost one hog with carefully placed shots between eye/ear on broadside shots. Maybe just been lucky.

This target was not so carefully chosen under the circumstances, and provided quite an adrenaline rush, but ended w/the hog DRT. I generally hold out for a broadside head shot, especially the with lighter calibers.



We were driving back to camp right about dark one evening and saw this big boar in a feed trough in a small corral adjacent to a trap pasture. I had to get to the fence in order to stick my rifle muzzle through the wire and prevent the bullet from hitting the wire. I had just barely enough light to see my scope but I managed to slip up to the hog wire fence surrounding the corral within 30 ft. or so of the hog. I was feeling pretty secure with the hog wire fence between us when I poked my rifle through the fence. Just as I got him in my scope, he bolted towards the fence. I had been concentrating on the hog as I stalked toward the fence in the dark and had not noticed an open gate in that fence 15 ft. to my left. As I struggled to withdraw my rifle in order to turn and face the hog, he came through the gate at full speed. Now we're both on the same side of the fence no more than 15' apart!
scared.gif
Thinking back, I don't believe that he knew I was there, he just spooked and was merely getting out of Dodge, but I wasn't really convinced of that in the heat of the moment! Any rate, I swung on him as he passed by me and cranked a round off, fortunately connecting with that sweet spot and rolling him up.

Regards,
hm

 
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