Had been seeing the hogs come out early in the evening on the game camera for the past couple of nights, and decided on a whim to go hunting tonight out of my deer blind. Normally I hunt hogs when the moon is out (can't afford a NV scope for my crossbow), but somehow thought I might be able to see a least a little tonight. Boy was I wrong...it was so dark I could barely see the legs on the feeder. As I predicted, around 7:30pm three hogs came out to snack on my deer corn. I was having a heck of a time even seeing them through my Red Dot sight. I could barely make out their silhouettes, and when I turned on the Red Dot, the dot was glaring out the background, even on the lowest setting. Therefore, I had to do some quick adjustments. I turned off the red dot on the sight and managed to sight one of the legs on the feeder (luckily one of the hogs was standing just to the right of the feeder leg). I compensated for the angle of the leg and pointed just to the right of it, about where I figured the hog's lungs should be for its height. I let the crossbow bolt fly, and I hear the "thunk" of a solid shot and a very loud squeal. I turned on my flashlight, and there it was...a nice eatin' size sow flopping about under the feeder. That lasted about a minute, then she finally expired. Since it was so cold (35 degrees already in Floresville and temperature dropping like a rock), I had just enough time to take a couple of pictures before my iPhone battery died and I had to head back home. I'm probably going to have a "sow-sicle" in the morning, with it getting so cold tonight. I just hope the coyotes have enough sense to sleep in tonight and leave her alone. Hey, at least the pork won't spoil!

I'd gut that tonight if you are planning on keeping it tomorrow.

I would agree with you, and when I got home, I tried to talk my family into coming back out there to help me at least quarter it. However, no one wanted to go out in the cold to mess with it. I guess it's partially my fault...going hog hunting was a last minute decision on my part anyway. No worries, though...even if the coyotes get to it tonight, that sow still has 6 of her sisters running around out there according to the game cam, so there are definitely more pork opportunities. I'm just glad that a)She won't be raiding my feeder anymore, and b)She won't be able to breed and make any more little porkers. One down, 6 more (that I know of) to go.

wish could aford the thermal, even cheaper 1st gen. night vission. use lazer under scope over. scope gathers the light to make sure it hog. got cheap cellular lights down bye electric feeder&deer food plot. no hogs. don't do no good ta complain. on red dot method. edit: boy i not two bright. U talken crossbow. several years ago, sugested a crossbow with NV, crossbow quiet. not gonna go inta details, but they just laughed & made fun of me. they said JB wouldn't hold up on crossbow. Tis not first time got made fun of. i still say it will work

Nice job of working through a problem and arriving at a viable solution!