Just wanted everyone to know I did not get a shot at a deer over the weekend. But, last night at 5:36PM I was almost over-run by a group of at least 50 hogs.

I got into my climbing stand & went up about 12 feet. I checked my watch & it was 12:35PM in the afternoon. I had this thought that the deer would be moving throughout the day because of the temperatures. Well, it was windy. Really windy. Like so loud I could not hear anything except the wind in the trees. I'm blaming the wind on the deer not moving.

Anyways, I sat the entire day, and round about 5PM or so, the wind began to die down and it soon became quiet & still. Only thing I could hear was crickets. Shortly after this weird silence I hear faint foot steps directly behind me.. I sit and listen as intently as I can. Then I think my brain is playing tricks on me as it is all quiet. A few minutes later I hear footsteps in the leaves again and this time it is unmistakable. It sounds like a single animal so I don't move, I just sit perfectly still. Then, 1 animal turns into 2, then 5, then it sounds like an army is rushing towards my position from behind my tree! I know I'm not supposed to stand up and start moving around but I had to see what the heck was coming up behind me. I stood straight up, turned around so I was facing the tree I was hung on, and slowly leaned to the left side only to see a hoard of pigs coming straight at my tree!

I quickly turned, sat back down, pulled my rifle off the hook, clicked the safety off and waited... Man pigs are NOISY when they don't know anyone is around! At first a few small ones came right from under my feet it seemed like and they were heading straight out in front of me.. I waited knowing that a bigger one would be right behind them.. Sure enough it got to the point where at least 25 pigs were out in front of me heading straight away giving me only Texas heart shots.. I decided I would pick one out, found a decent sized pig, brought the rifle up, focused through my scope and then hollered one time real loud. The entire troupe stopped dead in their tracks and the one I was focused on actually turned broadside as if she knew I needed her to do that.. It was only a split second between the holler & the shot and then there were pigs running everywhere! I have no idea how many pigs were in that group but after they split up I could hear mamma sows grunting to get the babies to come back to her. The little ones ran right back under my tree stand in the same direction they had come from. I counted at least 15 little piglets that probably weighed no more than 10 lbs. each. The sow I shot was 125 lbs. and was very healthy & plump. She was the perfect eating size.

It was very exciting getting a pig in Sam. Honestly I think it's harder to kill a pig, than a deer in Sam. The wind had been swirling all afternoon so I don't know how they did not bust me other than it was a cross-wind from my right to left, as the pigs approached.

Good luck to everyone who is hunting this season! I hope you guys get to put the smack-down on something-even if it's only a pig!

great story, maken me wanna head out. Enjoy hog hunten . congrates

nice!!

I've thought about those little tiny 10 pounders- on a turkey platter with an apple in their mouth.

We used to take the lil guys with head shots only, clean 'em real good, bend them around in circle and tie 'em off with the the leg stumps turned in side by side so they'd lay flat on the grill of a Weber rub'em down in sumpin or spinkle flavored Olive Oil or ??? marinade yadda yadda & only turn them over one time & smoke 'em until the meat was falling allllmost off the major bones ...OMG that was good stuff.

The big Boss at work's snotty "I don't eat wild game" secretary made a absolute fool of herself over the amount she ate the 1st time we took one too work. One piglet was just ONE meal for sure.
Ron

hogs the other wild game backstraps, i call em steaks, hey, hamburger doesn't come from pork. on bigger hogs get few steaks from hind quarters, lots of sausage for hambuger helper, chilly, tacoes, spagetty, yada, yada, yada, & jerkey, saves at grochery store. & see more deer. well, on cam's anyway. best wishes

That'd beat dry-arsed turkey all over the place.

What a great hunt story . . . or as I think of it, the public-land dream come true.

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even middle income can afford the $48.00 permit.

Great story and congrats! That's one thing I love on this forum; living vicariously through others when I am not able to be out there myself!

Nice job!

AGREED!!

wishen twas at OSBWMA

Great story. Congrats.