Early Success in Suburban Feral Hog Control
Published#0027
Continuing this account of suburban feral hog control. The story resumes after cameras and bait in place.
As additional background, the feral hogs began their destruction of the city soccer field after considerable late summer rain softened the soil. During a normal Texas summer, our clay soil become as hard as a rock. The rains came and so did the pigs.
Success!
Just at 2200, the phone went off with the attached photo. I packed up and rolled. (Please look at the time stamp on each photo to get correct order.)
Everything went according to plan except that the pigs didn’t stay at the bait.
I walked along the gravel road paralleling the fence. The moon was nearly full so there was lots of light. Plus, the back of the fire station is well lighted.
(One item forgotten: the tripod.)
The fence line is very overgrown. I approached a gap in the hedgerow scanning with the thermal. There they were.
Thermal down, rifle up.
It was only a 15 yard shot. The pig’s head was down as it was feeding. When I got on target, all I had was a “Texas heart shot.” I waited and I waited. (If you are unclear about the definition of a Texas heart shot, just think about it for a moment. It isn’t intended as a compliment toward Texas or Texans.)
Finally, the pig turned and I had a good broadside neck shot. I took it.
The hog ran. Then, I saw it, or another, standing about 25 yards away. I took that shot as well.
I couldn’t see any pigs in the weeds which are pretty tall. I’ll look again tomorrow.
Back at the house by 2230.
0500 update:
I have added a few more photos from the same camera.
The first one came in at 0300, another pig. Look closely. It’s the same pig that was with the black pig at 2200. This time he was alone, partial validation that I got the black hog from the 2200 photo. I made my same approach as before. The pig simply wasn’t there. Considering that the primary mission is to keep the feral hogs off of city property, the objective was satisfied.
I was back in bed before 0400. Then, at 0430 the next photo came in. Look closely, same pig with the spot on its neck. Get dressed and out the door. Got parked, geared up. Then, a passenger vehicle came down our road from the highway, turned down the gravel road along the fence line, drove in 30 yards or so, then backed out and left. How strange is that? That’s the final picture as the hog with the spot on his neck departed the area.
Again, mission of keeping the hogs off city property was accomplished.
So, now it’s coffee time.
More updates as the hog control action continues.
Porcus Hogrelius
Make Yourself a Better Hog Hunter
