Sometimes you get lucky - 2nd pig down

[Flyonline]

Last weekend I had a bit of spare time so I grabbed the rifle and headed out to the spot I spent an evening on with the intent of picking up my game camera on the way and then push through a new bit of area for a bo peep. This is the south side of the main range I usually hunt, nice and wet year round with sambar and pigs as a possible target and the slight possibility of goats drifting over (though probably only in the driest months). I'd already passed plenty of sambar sign, rubs, prints and a piles of pellets. I came across a nice little soak and a little above it a well used scrape. As is often the case, there was a disused mining road which contoured around the side of the hill giving easy access. Passing a few more scrapes and rub trees I put up a spike from it's bed 25m below me which disappeared before I could get off a shot. Dropping down to have a quick look at the bed, I bashed around a bit and the looked up into the gully bottom below me and in amongst the ferns I could see a huge wallow. Pushing down for a closer look, I could see the tracks out on all sides as the mud was plastered on the thigh high ferns all around it from the wallowing stags.

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Thinking it would be a great place for a game cam, I pushed up the gully looking for more sign before making it back to the car.

I've spoken elsewhere of having an awesome boss who is very flexible, so I knocked out an hour of OT yesterday with the hope of sneaking off early and putting up the game cam ahead of the possibly rough weather due tonight/tomorrow. Loading up the car I parked on the side of the bush track just above a nice clearing I found last time. Moving through the large opening I found game trails everywhere, though most likely from the '000s of roos and wallabies. Picking my way through the slightly thicker west side, I eased my way along to join the old road just above the scrape I'd found last w/e. The aim was to find a nice quiet track in/out for a sit and wait over the wallow - though I'd have to play the winds carefully as a usual NW or W here in the cooling evening would see my wind drift down the gully and potentially spook any deer coming up it. Part of todays scope was to see if I could find a nice spot to sit and at least let my wind drift as far away from the gully bottom as most game trails were contouring in on the opposite face some 60-100m away. Sliding quietly down the small finger where the side gully joined the main drainage and just above the wallow I cast around a bit not really finding any decent spots to sit, though I figured it probably didn't matter as the only place that really gave me a lot of coverage of the open opposite face was slightly uphill of the wallow. Looking down into the gully below me I saw another well used wallow some 20m below the main one I'd first seen.

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It was as well used, though much smaller in size. A quick scout around for cast antlers brought up nothing, so I turned uphill to look for a nice branch to poke into the ground to strap the game camera onto as there were no suitable trees within detection distance of the main wallow. Moving up the hill, I looked down the gully and saw a dark blob. As I hadn't brought my binos, I shouldered the rifle fully believing it to be at best a wombat or a burnt stump, but a pair of floppy ears and snout proved otherwise. I was on!!

Sliding down to a nice horizontal trunk below me, I made myself comfortable and slid a 168gr Barnes TSX via a Hog Hammer into the chamber. Taking a rest, I had to wait a few minutes for the pig to move into a clearing between the trees between us and I lined up the crosshairs on the centre of the shoulder and gently squeezed of the shot. The 30-06 spoke with authority and the pig whirled at the shot and raced unsteadily off down the game trail for about 20m and I had a bad feeling my shot had been a little off before it suddenly diverted down into the gully and flipped end over end to finish up in the bottom twitching occasionally. Quickly chambering another round for a follow up shot if needed, I made my way closer but after a few more twitches it stilled. Crossing over to the other side, I made my way to the impact site but couldn't see any sign in the ground to give an indication of a bullet exit, but looking down the game trail my mind changed as I could see a blood trail that Stevie Wonder could probably follow - big sprays of deep red blood, looked like a heart shot to me.

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Making my way down to the pig, I checked it was dead and found what I'm guessing was an oldish sow, before dragging it uphill as far as i could out of the waterway for a photo and a quick shot placement check - dead through the centre of both shoulders. The exit would was possibly a little on the small size, but the results were fine. Snapping a couple of quick picks, I returned to my job of putting up the game camera before following the road back out again smashing down any rubbish to give an easy run in again before packing everything into the car and off to a celebratory beer via my folks to pick up my daughter on the way passing dozens of rub trees and another couple of possible scrapes.

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Gotta be happy with that

[Billo]

I love a little bit of hog action, great read flyonline

[Wm.Traynor]

Excellent story. Excellent pics. Makes me happy to just read and see the pics

[bigpete]

Did you take any meat?

[Flyonline]

Thanks gents, always a pleasure to get new material!

Pete
I didn't, was very low on time and I still had to hang the camera, plus she looked old and tough. Will do on the first young/small one I get all going well.

[Oldbloke]

Bloody grouse

[Flyonline]

Geez OB, you need your eyes checked, that's a pig not a grouse!!

Thanks

[Oldbloke]

Geez OB, you need your eyes checked, that's a pig not a grouse!!

Thanks

[bigpete]

Thanks gents, always a pleasure to get new material!

Pete
I didn't, was very low on time and I still had to hang the camera, plus she looked old and tough. Will do on the first young/small one I get all going well.

We ate an old sow dad arrowed years ago,after that delightful culinary experience we never wasted a wild pig ! Was absolutely delicious!

[Flyonline]

We ate an old sow dad arrowed years ago,after that delightful culinary experience we never wasted a wild pig ! Was absolutely delicious!

There you go, good to hear! I might have to next time, especially as I'm fully keen to do both a smoked ham and prosciutto (have done domestic hams before).