One of these years - maybe, just maybe, this spring - I hope to get to Texas to shoot a feral hog or two. There's no season, and some landowners will let you shoot as many as you can, just to get rid of the bastages.

Has anyone here done this? A guy I know lives ~90 miles west of Fort Worth, and says they have lots of the critters around there. So many, in fact, there are helicopter 'gunships' hired by the local government to kill them!

I'd treat it like a Colorado elk hunt, and bring a freezer in the back of the truck. Cut into chunks, freeze, and bring home.

jb

I've been thinking the same thing.

I have a friend that has a decent sized ranch down near Rice TX. She and her husband told me that I'm welcome to come down any time and shoot as many as I want.

It'd be a good excuse to drag out the SKS and a case of ammo. Besides, I'd like to try out my new scope.

Oops. I neglected to mention 'tools'. I'd probably bring several:

Thompson .54 side-lock muzzle loader
Remmie 870 w/ slug barrel
S&W 6" Model 29 with 300-grain hard-cast (Buffalo Bore?) bullets

Additional gear:

Sharp knife
Running shoes!
Fat, slow hunting partner

I have two sons, a nephew and at least one brother-in-law that would cheerfully accompany me. Only one of them is fat & slow, though...


jb

Do you think they'll be able to carry you out of there?

Ouch!

I'm neither the fattest nor slowest of the aforementioned group. Just because I'm old doesn't mean I'm fat & slow. Of the five of us, I'd be the second-most-fit and the second fastest. OK, maybe third. Definitely the oldest, by nearly 20 years.

I'm a lean, mean huntin' machine! Don't believe me? Just ask me.



jb

I think I qualify as being neither the fatest, or the slowest, I just might be the fastest of the group listed, so I am covered!

I was thinking more along the lines of

DPMS AP-4 in .308 with some Winchester (the black box with ballistic tips)
REM 870 with some slugs and buck shot
P99 (in .40 of course) with some 180 gr FMJ
Buck 7" blade and a long stick to tape it to!

I'm slow, I'd be happy to come along. I have always wanted to take one the old fashioned way and have a boar spear just for the job.

I might sling a Mosin Nagant as back up. . . spear. 180 gr heavy ball.

I suppose I could sport an Alaskan in .454 if the other doesn't sound adequate.

I really am slow though . . . I'd love to go with one of you guys.

Group hog hunt?

Sounds fun!

I for one would be interested.

Find someone with catch dogs and you dont need the stick.

This sounds like a good excuse to bring out the .45/70

Anyone hungry for pork and bacon?

Welll, in that case, count me in. I'm fat, slow AND old! Sounds like a grand time.

we have had good luck on Missouri hogs with .44 and .45 cal trapper model 94's we made some really stout loads then decided they weren't necessary and now just use standard hardcast loads with them. A 275 grain hard cast at 1200 or 1300. FPS will drill through four or more feet of hog.

Any deer rifle will kill them if you the right bullets. But its a fun reason to use thumpers.

Just found this on an aviation forum that I visit:
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In Texas a bill is in committee that would expand aerial wild pig hunting to include ordinary citizens (presently only state-approved hunters can gun pigs from the air). Right now it sounds like the bill is aimed at hunting from choppers only, but it's still possible to petition your representative to include fixed wing hunting. Here's a brief article: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... wD96ETA4O6

This could spawn a whole new industry: fly-ins organized around pig hunts, STCs for externally mounted guns, wild pig roasts, etc. Looks to me like the farmers win, the pilots win, and the piggies, well, not so much. Write your representative today!
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Any rotor-heads here?

jb

Is feral piggie as tasty as farm-raised?