I got a chance to go out for a quick Friday evening and Saturday morning hunt. With the hot weather here the pigs really only come out at dawn and dusk so an evening and morning hunt works great so I don't have to sit thru the 100 degree day waiting. We can't night hunt here. Got this skinny guy, Slim Jim I called him, about 300 yards, entered right front and exited out the left ribs. He ran 60 yards then tipped over. Seeing more of these skinny ones presumedly due to the drought.
The morning looked like a wash until I saw a group of 3 along a ridge across the canyon. I dipped behind my ridge then took off running trying to head them off. After an uphill quarter mile run I found they had beat me to the crossing and were already over the hill. I free handed a 120 yard shot on the 1st one and thinking I had missed pumped off a second but he kept going. Took another shot at about 200 yards on a really fast moving pig he dropped like a rock with his front foot slowly pawing at the air. I was pretty happy with that shot, the 3rd quick shot with the bolt gun, off hand and out of breath. I went after the 1st on and found him 200 yards downhill(of course) squirting blood like a hose the whole way. He had two chest shot about 3" apart and still ran all that way with no heart and lungs.
Went back to get the "dropped" one and found 2 giant blood puddles but no pig. Looks like he laid there bleeding for a while then decided he had better get moving. I tracked steady red blood drops, no watery gut juice, for about 600 yards until it crossed the property line. I hate losing a pig especially knowing he's not far off.
Like I said it was a quick trip so no ATV and the Subaru hauls pigs pretty well on the roof. the chubby one was tough to get up there though.
A fun trip and now I am restocked with jalapeno burgers !!
The morning looked like a wash until I saw a group of 3 along a ridge across the canyon. I dipped behind my ridge then took off running trying to head them off. After an uphill quarter mile run I found they had beat me to the crossing and were already over the hill. I free handed a 120 yard shot on the 1st one and thinking I had missed pumped off a second but he kept going. Took another shot at about 200 yards on a really fast moving pig he dropped like a rock with his front foot slowly pawing at the air. I was pretty happy with that shot, the 3rd quick shot with the bolt gun, off hand and out of breath. I went after the 1st on and found him 200 yards downhill(of course) squirting blood like a hose the whole way. He had two chest shot about 3" apart and still ran all that way with no heart and lungs.
Went back to get the "dropped" one and found 2 giant blood puddles but no pig. Looks like he laid there bleeding for a while then decided he had better get moving. I tracked steady red blood drops, no watery gut juice, for about 600 yards until it crossed the property line. I hate losing a pig especially knowing he's not far off.
Like I said it was a quick trip so no ATV and the Subaru hauls pigs pretty well on the roof. the chubby one was tough to get up there though.
A fun trip and now I am restocked with jalapeno burgers !!
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