What a Trophy

#0010

My friend Eric came to visit one February for a pig hunt at Manx Farm in Corsicana.

Saturday, after breakfast of eggs and pork sausage, we drove to Manx and arrived in time for more eggs and sausage. Richard had told me that there was no reason to get there before dawn as the pigs would not be up and about until after 8:00 this time of year (and due to air temps).

To our surprise, we were the only two hunters this weekend. After visiting with owner Richard and guide James, we drove into the pasture.

Eric wanted a “trophy” hog, so James picked a location to begin our stalk where we moved through a gully. We eased along for a while and saw some smaller hogs. We came upon a group of hogs that we could see through the brush. James selected one with very visible tusks for Eric to shoot. He let go the 338 Win Mag, and the pig dropped with a great shot through the neck.

To our surprise, it wasn’t a huge hog, but it did have nice tusks. James promised that he would find Eric a larger hog. At this point, we had been hunting for less than an hour. 

We continued our stalk in a different location. Shortly, James began to study one particular spot. He moved closer, and looked more closely. Eric and I did not see anything, but we dutifully stayed quiet and let James do what James does. Even with binoculars, I could barely make out a large patch of black hair. James positioned Eric to take the shot. Eric could see the black mass and occasionally saw an ear twitch. With the rifle on the tripod, Eric squeezed off the shot. The big black mass did not move. We moved closer and saw a really BIG pig. It was still except for an occasional spasm. Choosing caution, we put a couple of pistol rounds into its body which finally stopped all movement.

Two men could barely drag the thing from its bed.

Eric’s initial shot had held the pig in its place; perfect. The 338 Win Mag in capable hands had done its job.

We called Richard to make the pickup. It took all four of us to lift the beast into the side-by-side. Richard and James agreed that it weighed in excess of 300 pounds. Also, it was a “bar” hog which means that he had become transgendered by mechanical means at a young age. Bar is short for barrow hog, one that sings soprano. Like a steer, it had grown very large. It was covered with scars and had broken tusks. Richard also stated that it was in the top ten hogs of all those taken at Manx. What a trophy.

It was nearly lunch time, so we went to the cleaning shed to gut the big pig and place it in the walk-in chill box. Then we had a nice lunch of sandwiches at the cabin (one of the older houses on the property nicely fixed up).

After lunch, we went back out to get me a couple of meat hogs. James put me on a hog which I took with a neck shot with the 30-06. (It was kinda small.) We continued our hunt. We saw a nice meat hog off behind a tree. James suggested I move in and take a pistol shot. What great fun to stalk within 10 yards of a feeding hog. Everything went well except my shot did not connect. (Another way of saying that I missed.) (A reminder of why I prefer rifle shooting.)

The hunt continued with me taking a couple of more (not so large) pigs. 

Both Eric and I had a great day. The temps were in the high 30’s when we arrived and climbed into the 60’s later in the day. Perfect. 

Manx Farm does a great job, again. Thank you Richard and James!

Porcus Hogrelius
Make Yourself a Better Hog Hunter