PIGS!

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FredC
Posts: 1991
Joined: Fri May 31, 2013 4:38 pm
Location: Dewees Texas

PIGS!

Post by FredC »

I had my plans ruined for this week end, was going to finish irrigating, burn part of a field and start plowing it and build some threading tools. Found these pig roots when I went to check on the sprinklers this morning, AARRGGHH!! The one with the center pivot, house and shop in it is in a newly planted Klein grass field AARRGGHH!!!. Looks like a crazy person with an excavator was out there. The other 2 photos are from the small field next door, right now just volunteer clover and other winter weeds, but I was planning on grazing it next (Cows not me).
So instead of doing some other productive stuff I am cleaning rifles and will be loading cartridges. Got the Krag cleaned and lubed and settled on a load for it. It will be in case I can catch the pigs while it is light. The Savage 222 with night vision will be for after dark. I will have to sight it in after dark also as it is night vision only. Then I will spending the evenings and nights hunting pigs.

Br, I am still planning on doing one thread tool.
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Bunch of  rooted areas
Bunch of rooted areas
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Root in Klein field
Root in Klein field
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Root with hungry  cows
Root with hungry cows
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butlersrangers
Posts: 9827
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:35 pm
Location: Below the Bridge, Michigan

Re: PIGS!

Post by butlersrangers »

Wow, that is some destruction!

Do they eat 'rattlesnacks' ?
If wild hogs were cooperative and orderly, you wouldn't have to plow; maybe you could train them!

The early French settlers in Detroit and Niagara let their pigs run free, to eradicate the venomous serpent problem.

FredC
Posts: 1991
Joined: Fri May 31, 2013 4:38 pm
Location: Dewees Texas

Re: PIGS!

Post by FredC »

They do eat rattlesnakes, but also king snakes and other snakes that eat rattlesnakes or compete with them, so the net result is negative. The first year we were here that did "plow" up about 20 acres of the fellow's peanuts that had the first lease. Pretty thorough plowing too, about a foot to 18 inches deep, looked like a BIG tractor had been out there but no tire tracks. First time I saw thermal pig hunting on the Jager Pro youtube channel I recognized the peanut fields by the way they looked. Back to loading!

Knute1
Posts: 1077
Joined: Sat Sep 10, 2016 3:22 am

Re: PIGS!

Post by Knute1 »

If I lived 15 hours closer I'd ask if you needed any help exterminating the vermin. Three years ago on Christmas Eve I was in a treestand in Louisiana hunting pigs at some inlaws. Few nights later a got one with my Dad's M1917 sporter. Life is different down there and it is agreeable with me.

FredC
Posts: 1991
Joined: Fri May 31, 2013 4:38 pm
Location: Dewees Texas

Re: PIGS!

Post by FredC »

Ah, the 1917 Enfield, killed many pigs with mine. Got me in trouble a couple of times. Shoot a pig here and go in, shoot another under the full moon. Because of the 7 round capacity I forgot to reload a couple of times. Good to have a big revolver for backup, saved me from a thrashing or maybe death once. Only one pig ever charged me, dropped him at my feet with a Ruger single action in 45 Colt.
My first few years here we killed around 300 of them on this and the neighbors places. Lots of hunting at night under a full moon.

First kill, I know this guy was not big enough to do the damage seen. About 150 pound boar, probably too stinky to eat. Will haul him off in the morning with a tractor. Saw him from about 400 yards away and closed to about 150 yards, rested the rifle on a fence post. He was further than I thought, hard to judge the distance at night through a 4 power scope.
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FredC
Posts: 1991
Joined: Fri May 31, 2013 4:38 pm
Location: Dewees Texas

Re: PIGS!

Post by FredC »

Went out about an hour before light this morning one more solitary pig about 50 yards further out than last night's pig. Rested on the same fence post and heard my first shot connect and it ran. Led too much with the follow up shot. Target 222 bullets are just too light for pigs, you have to get a good head shot to work. Back to loading as that was my last 222 round. Could not sight in the Krag each click was about 5 inches on the sight. I have another Fast Fire III sight and the instructions say 1 minute per click. Maybe the old one was for pistols at short range, I do not know.

Whig
Posts: 1992
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2016 12:53 am

Re: PIGS!

Post by Whig »

Looks like you need a Wolverine Nightvision Scope for your Krag to get those pigs!

Merry Christmas!

https://www.agmglobalvision.com/night-v ... rine-4-nl2
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FredC
Posts: 1991
Joined: Fri May 31, 2013 4:38 pm
Location: Dewees Texas

Re: PIGS!

Post by FredC »

The one I have is almost 10 years old also Gen 2+. That one in your link is about the same but it only weighs 2.6 pounds! My 3 pound scope makes a light weight rifle into a heavy one. I saw the pig this morning from about 500 yards away. Normally traffic noise covers the sound when you are walking up on them. Funny thing there was no traffic noise this morning, you would think it is a holiday or something. I probably should have crossed the fence and gotten closer and taken a sitting down shot. 200+ yards and he was busy eating I shot just a little behind the head.
Too late to cross that bridge on the Krag. The mount would not allow for it. Even with only 2.6 pounds it would take a very well engineered mount to take the recoil from a 35 Krag. With that kind of mount plus the weight of the Krag and scope would be a lot to carry, you would almost need wheels under it. I had this 3 pounder on a 10-22 till I could not buy 22 ammo anymore and it was hard to carry. This Savage is fairly light with a plastic stock and it is all I would want to carry.

This little Savage in 222 with Lapua brass and Sierra match bullets is very accurate with this scope, you can cover 5 shots with a nickel. The surprising part of that is the cross hairs are appear about 1/2 thick at 100 yards and with only 4 power and complete darkness. I use two 1/8 inch wide reflective strips in an X shape to sight on with the illuminator. With a 20 power target scope and the same ammo I think this rifle could put them all in the same hole. The down side to this little gun is the bolt handle sticks out to far and just a little lift on the handle will keep the firing pin from connecting causes a misfire.

A little late, tried to post this morning then many times during the day.
Spamhaus keeps getting in the way.

Whig,
I thought about it some more, I takes an arsenal to keep these pigs off a place. My 35 Krag fits for the fast on target follow up shots from a blind and when hunting in heavy cover, 12 gauge with buck shot in a confined area, 22 when dispatching a bunch in a trap, 30.06 when hunting in open fields on running pigs, a heavy hand gun for real close work. I could use a little bit heavier caliber for the long range night use, but I am "running what I brung" to borrow for hot rodder slang. I went out with my Krag this morning at first light, and did not see any pigs, but I did see a congregation of vultures on my center pivot. Pretty sure yesterday morning's pig that ran died in the hay grazer residue. That recommended night vision could be put on an engineered side mount , but the front lens is about 3 inches in diameter. It would really be offset, kind of problematic for long range shooting where you really cannot estimate the range.
I did find the pig that ran off. I will call it an it as I could not tell gender as the coyotes and buzzards eat the soft parts first. It died less than 50 yards into the hay grazer on the 4th wheel track so it was 200 + yards out when I hit it. So quiet at night you can hear the bullet connect after the muzzle blast dies, I knew it was hit solid.

FredC
Posts: 1991
Joined: Fri May 31, 2013 4:38 pm
Location: Dewees Texas

Re: PIGS!

Post by FredC »

Went out early this morning. Too foggy for to use any optically enhanced sight so I carried the shotgun with 00 buck shot. Will take these to the house and load them up for next time. Notice the box says "Law Enforcement"? With that .650 diameter ball in front this should be very lethal stuff.
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FredC
Posts: 1991
Joined: Fri May 31, 2013 4:38 pm
Location: Dewees Texas

Re: PIGS!

Post by FredC »

Had a whoops event about a month ago. 5:00 in the morning before even a hint of light I came across about 8 adult pigs rooting up a field, crossed the fence and lined up on one and pulled the trigger and nothing happened. GRRR!
I tried to cycled the bolt with out spooking the pigs and the next round did not chamber correctly holding the bolt open. Tried another and another and could not close the bolt. Turned my head light on and picked up the rounds and dusted the dirt off them and got one to chamber. The pigs had payed no attention and were still rooting. It went bang this time and one of them went a few feet and lay down. The others ran into the Klein grass field. Messed around for five minutes trying to get another round in and close the bolt. Finally got one in and looked around with the night vision and the herd was still in sight about 400 yards away. Took the shot into the group but they ran this time, no splat so this was a clean miss. Another few minutes of messing around and I got another round to chamber and was going to dispatch the one lying down, fouund a bunch of little little ones looking for mama in the original root. Cattle were behind them so I circled to get a clean shot, when I searched the area again with the night vision they were gone as well as the wounded one. What a night!
I went out after the sun came up hoping to catch the little ones with the 10-22 and dispatch the larger one. No little ones but the big one got up and ran, hit her with about 7 of the 11 rounds. Crossed a fence into the next pasture with tall grass and got close and she charged me. The Ruger in 45 Colt saved the day again. She dropped about 5 feet from me.

I found the round that did not go bang, no primer. First thought it popped after ejecting it (hang fire). Nope, not it. The action was full of loose powder which kept the later rounds from chambering.

Lapua packs the cases in a oversize blue plastic box. The best I can figure I did not turn the box over and find the last case in the box when I was priming them. Returned the primed case to the box and charged them several months later and did not catch it. There was loose powder in the box, so I added powder and seated the bullet without catching it. Checked the other box of primed cases and every single one was primed. One bad round out of 60 or so in the box and it was the top one in the magazine! I had one other box with just primed cases and every single case was primed.

Include this tale so maybe it will help someone else. After another month of hunting and have not run into the herd again. There did make one more foray into my place, but it has been weeks with no activity here. I have walked the neighbors place and they have been active there but I have not seen them over there while hunting on my place. This neighbor has with drawn permission for me to shoot over the fence.
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