The hogs just keep showing up!

When I began hunting, roughly eight years ago, I made 5-6 trips out to the property for every time I actually saw hogs. Starting about 18 months ago the hogs just started appearing. Nowadays it's pretty rare that I DON'T see hogs. Now that the heavy rains have ceased in Central Texas, I've been able to get back out and hunt again. Last Wednesday I actually spotted four different groups (well, one was a lone hog).

I missed a shot at the first group. It was a sow with about 6-8 juveniles and they were in a pasture which provided little opportunity to sneak up close. I got up to the closest tree, which was still about 150 yards distant, and decided to use it as a brace and shoot from there. Missed!

About 7PM I called my wife and while we were talking a large, single hog came out of the trees no more than 100 yards away. Naturally I had put my rifle down to use the phone. I quickly hung up and walked slowly back to the truck, hoping that by moving away I'd not seem like a threat. No such luck, the hog disappeared back into the brush. I waited ten minutes and then called my wife back, and of course the hog then reappeared. He made another fast exit and didn't come back. Oh well . . .

Not more than 15 minutes later I spotted a large sounder across a pasture and started moving their way. It was a long stalk, probably a little more than a quarter-mile. There was a small rise between the hogs and myself (I started out on the top of a hill) so I used it. When I topped the rise the hogs were still over 250 yards away but moving across and slightly away from me. They weren't looking my direction so I crept closer to a cross fence that was maybe 120 yards or so from the nearest hog. Having missed the earlier shot I paused to catch my breath and calm down, then made a shoulder shot on a 150# sow.

I went back to the truck to put down the rifle and get my 'Hog Hauler'® AKA the two-wheeled hand cart. It took me a while to find the hog in the knee high grass, and by the time I got it back up the hill to the truck I was pretty winded. I paused to rest, and what do I see in a nearby field but another sow and more juvenile hogs. They spotted me and started trotting away, but I managed to grab my rifle and put down a 75# sow before they got away.

I smell bacon frying...

Thanks for posting... I'm having serious withdrawals since the rain caused all my spring time hunts to be canceled.

Great story and good shooting!

good job

Fine job! Those hogs look like they could be related.

Awsome

Congrats!

Congrats...nice eating size.

Looking quite healthy.... and not pregnant whcih is a good thing