A Sow Down, Again

#0053

This is beginning to be repetitive, but it remains exciting.

The phone went off just before 0100, more pigs at the camera. The bed was very warm and comfortable…but adventure awaits.

Up (again), rigged (again), out the door (again). It occurred to me to put on the single-point sling for the AR15 and glad to have it.

It’s crisp outside with the very bright moon almost at its zenith. Down the drive again, stay in the shadows, use the thermal scanner to see if there are any pigs anywhere other than at the camera, clear.

Off the roadway and behind the trees. The green motion light is on, noise of pigs pushing the pig pipe around as it trickles out the midnight snack. Move to the same tree to shoot. Rifle up, night vision on, adjust illuminator. Three or four pigs at the pig pipe. Focus on one only this time, no delusions about a twofer.

All the pigs are in nearly constant motion as they pick up individual kernels of corn while they keep pushing the pipe. Pick out the pig to shoot, watch it move, broadside, aim at neck, bang, smoke clears, down.

Rifle down scanner up hoping that there is still a pig in the open, there is. Scanner down, rifle up, looking, there’s a pig moving north, very quick shot, bang, smoke clears, no pig. Back to the scanner, nothing. Dang, almost a second pig. (Very glad to have the single point sling as I can let the rifle simply hang from my neck as I use the scanner, good call.)

Look back at first hog, still down, motion has stopped. I move in to take a closer look. Another sow out cold. This one could be a twin of last night’s pig. One more breeder out of action. (One photo attached shows me approaching the pig, the light at my feet is the infrared illuminator on the night vision scope. In that the camera uses an IR flash it likewise sees the IR illuminator.)

I walk up to where the second hog might have run. There is nothing in the thermal scanner. And, no, I’ll leave it at that. I know I’m no expert at the snap shot, so that may have been a clean miss.

(During the day before, I did adjust the scope since my neck shots consistently became shoulder shots. This hog was bleeding out of its nose, so I think it was a good neck shot.) I’ll probably let the processor turn this pig into Italian sausage and Jalapeño-cheese brats, yes. The last two hogs I deboned myself and will make my own sausage when the family arrives on Wednesday-get some work out of them before the Thursday Thanksgiving feast.

Morning update: I was in the stand well before dawn hoping for a deer to show, no joy. After dawn, the buzzards started to gather. I left the deer stand earlier than I intended since the birds were on the ground moving toward my pig.

It was a good neck shot exiting through the opposite shoulder. The 25-45 Sharps really does well. And…this sow had no ears. After delivering to the processor, he said it is unusual, but he has one mounted.

Also, no joy looking for that second pig. Probably a clean miss.

Pig circumference is 37 inches which corresponds to 170 pounds. Last three hogs: all sows, 160, 170, and 190 pounds. As Brian at Carpe Sus would say, they were unfarrowed meaning that they have not produced a litter of pigs. Their bags were perfectly flat.

Other photo is from my elevated stand showing downed pig and pig pipe on the left. To the right (east of the food plot) is the thick patch of trees that I have referred to in these narrative.

Back at home now, will get more sleep tonight.

Porcus Hogrelius
Make Yourself a Better Hog Hunter