30 yards, but couldn't tell
One of my hunting friends and I went out after a boar we'd been seeing. Set up in a field of oat hay with the bow and right on time the hog came out. Problem was, I couldn't see his pecker and I don't want to be called "sow boy" so we let him pass. I think it was the dude we were after--I'm guessing about 175 lbs. gutted, but no cutters and no other typical boar characteristics. We tried again on him this evening with a slightly different setup but they were a no show. Oh, well; that's hog hunting.
It's good to have a plan. That way you have something to change.......
What's wrong with a sow? They eat better in my opinion. And with a bow? C'mon, whack it and show us the pic's, besides you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Stick it for all of us stuck hunting public!
Member
Knows The Secret Handshake
You aren't going to be eating his pecker are you? :) Just whack them and get them in the freezer :)
Mick
.
I'm the friend 410 mentioned. There are sows with piglets that the boar is hanging around with. I know some of you don't care, but some of us have decided NOT to shoot a sow with young piglets. We have the right to be selective, so if you don't like are way of hunting, to bad.
that has to be the funniest post ive read in awileOriginally Posted by jindydiver
man!! i laughed so hard i barfed a little in my mouth and swallowed it!!
Let's put it this way: I don't NEED to shoot a hog, so I'm going to put my tag on something that I think is worth my time. Shooting a wet sow is up there with some of the more inconsiderate acts to be performed on (almost) public land. That's next years' hogs! We get a fair amount of pressure on Vandenberg and I don't like people thinking only of themselves, which is what I would be doing if I shot that hog without id'ing it.
As to sows tasting better that's a bunch of hooey. I ain't yet had a bad pig. We've killed 'em up over 350 lbs. live weight and they're all good. Sure, a boar stinks, but get the skin off and clean 'em up and they're just fine.
It's good to have a plan. That way you have something to change.......
IMO, a sow definitely tastes better than a boar...of any age. The two pigs we killed awhile back were a mixed set with mine being a sow and my buddy's being a boar. The boar was younger than the sow and he said it was tougher than leather. My sow, on the otherhand, was tender as can be. I'd shoot a sow over a boar any day. It's not like this state has a shortage of wild hogs. Take what you can get!
"If you aint into that I don't give a damn"
We all have our opinions about what is better. Here's mine, I've taken hogs/piglets (sows & boars) weighing (gutted) any where from 16lbs to 288lbs(current VAFB record). I have yet to get any pork that has tasted funny or was tough. I'm a firm believer that the quality of wild game is directly related to how it's dealt with after the shot, such as getting it gutted, skinned/cooled off, letting it hang for at least 5 days to age, and butchering. Screw up one or more of those tasks and you risk the chance of funky/tough meat. Agree or disagree, it matters not.
I'll reference my first post, several of us have decided NOT to shoot sows WITH very young piglets as we do not need pork that bad. Also, I/we do not need to take what I can get, as I/we can get more pork than I/we need just about any time I/we want. Now piglets are fair game as they are absolutely fabulous smoked.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I spent last Friday evening watching these hogs (1 boar, 2 sows and about 12 -15 very young piglets). I had a good time watching that boar interact with the little piglets. It was hilarious. I had no desire to try to close the distance to within my bow range as I had a good time watch the boar's and piglet's activities.
What Rich said.
It's good to have a plan. That way you have something to change.......
I know, I know, but sorry I have to do it. Shooting a wet sow with piglets is a no go, but you'll shoot 16lb piglets. Are you kiddin!
You can run around in circles and believe what you want but sows are definitely more tender than boar. More muscle = tougher, hence veal.
I laughed out loud at the can't eat the pecker comment, then, choked when Hatchet barfed a little. Too funny!!
Come on, guy: get a clue. You shoot a wet sow and ALL of the pigs are dead. You shoot a piglet and you have a fantastic meal on the smoker! There is NOTHING better than suckling pig cooked just right. It is a fantasy that any wet sow will "adopt" other sows' piglets. So, all you are doing is feeding the coyotes as well as killing next years hogs. There isn't even any comparison between shooting a piglet and shooting a wet sow.
Look; different places require different approaches. Texas is overrun with hogs so shoot 'em all, any way you can. Private hunts for pay are also different and managed for the property and the hunt. Where there is intense agriculture and hogs are damaging crops, kill 'em. I realize that pigs are a big problem in some places, but not here. VAFB is hunted by a LOT of people--around 10% of the state's "public land" hogs are killed here. If there is going to be a sustainable hunting population of hogs for people to take yearly, us locals need to exercise some restraint and refrain from being greedy.
I have been personally involved with well over a hundred hogs taken on Vandenberg over the years, and the only hog that was questionable was an old boar that had a frozen hind leg, was underweight and smelled "off". He ended up being given away. Other than that, all the pork, aged and cooled for five days and butchered by us, was outstanding. Couldn't tell a boar from a sow by the packaged meat.
You guys can hunt any way you want. I don't think I've ever bagged on Hatchet for killing a hog every week. It's up to him to decide on a sustainable "take" on his land. I think that's just fine and I'm glad of the stories he and others have told on this forum. But don't "flame" me for showing a certain degree of consideration for, maybe, YOU when you have to drive five hours to come down here and hunt hogs. Like Redneck 75 and Rampage and Weekender 21 etc. If I killed everything I saw the last few years there would be FAR less hogs here to be hunted. And that, 'cause I can hunt every evening if I choose.
I'm hunting for the hunt. Not the kill (not any more). Anyone who's ever killed hogs knows that it's a pain in the butt once you drop the hammer. And I've always preferred getting my exercise with a weapon over my shoulder than without one. I just get a charge out of seeing them. Any of you ever go hunting with a video camera? I have. Try THAT sometime.
It's good to have a plan. That way you have something to change.......
410,,thank you for not "bagging"on me ,i have thin skin and would cave....
i was going to refrain from commenting on this ridiculous topic..but since
i was named in your post..i will tell you that out of the 4 pieces of property that i hunt which total over 70,000 acres and for the last 25 years of hog hunting
{11 of them being a licensed guide and outfitter}i have seen a significant increase
in the hog population..i say again..significant.. bottom line boss..to each there own..
im happy to see you guys at vfb trying to "manage"the feral hog.. i will speak for
most private land owners here,especially the ones that are under cultavation..
that only good hog is a dead hog.. im not a huge fan of shooting pregos either..
i have a hard time pulling the piglets out while gutting..as long as its legal..
i could care less what other people due.. this topic has been going on for many,many years..it will still be going on for many,many,years.. i have 2
sets of pregos right now that are coming into a particular field..
they are fixen to "get it" this weekend.. they will be consumed by the 3 familes that live on the property that dont have the money to by a license and tags..{field workers}so i will donate.. i guess the moral to my story is everybody has
there own set of {ethics} as i see you clearly stated above.. so carry on
with the mangement and keep us posted the hog take out there at vfb..
Will do and keep whacking 'em!
It's good to have a plan. That way you have something to change.......
Member
Knows The Secret Handshake
When did this become a choice between a boar and a wet sow? :)
You originally wrote that you were concerned about what your mates would call you, not about piglets starving.
And no-one is flaming you, we are all friends here and we are just discussing our own preferences and thoughts on what we might have done.I couldn't see his pecker and I don't want to be called "sow boy" so we let him pass
Mick
.
Either way, we sure appreciate the management!!!
Coming to a National Forest near you!
Let's see, shoot a sow with, say 8 piglets, now there are 9 dead hogs with one shot. Shoot one of the little piglets to smoke, there's only one dead hog and several meals of some of the best pork I've ever ate.
Hunt/shoot hogs how you like, but don't bust myabout how I hunt hogs.
you guys keep huntin' hogs however you like. It sounds like you have a great spot!!
Dave
A hunter should never let himself be deluded by pride or false sense of dominance. It is not through our power that we take life in nature; it is through the power of nature that life is given to us. Richard Nelson
Great...my name got drug into this one! LOL!
I've had the pleasure of meeting myfriendis410 and talking to him a few times about the hunting up there at VAFB. A glance at the stack of pictures he's got would certainly explain his feelings about not wanting to shoot a sow. They've got so many pigs in the freezer that he can afford to take his time and pass on several pigs, waiting for the right one. In this case, he has chosen to wait for a boar...no harm no foul there. I get the impression that his "sow boy" comment got taken out of context. It's one of those things that is funny between friends and wasn't intended to bash anybody else. I took two different sows to his skinning rack back in February and he was right out there with the congratulations and even broke out a celebratory beer or two. I was bummed that I had taken a wet sow (unintentional) and he was the one that was standing there saying it wasn't a big deal. He's not the type to act judgemental and condemn anybody else for shooting anything (legally) they want...just makes his own choices.
You're doing the right thing up there Alan. Keep up the good work!
It's not looking like I'll be making it back up that way before deployment again in May so it may be next Christmas timeframe. I've got the new Cabela's game cart just waiting to get bloody!
Last edited by Redneck75; 04-13-2009 at 10:19 AM.
Sorry to hear you won't be back up.
I was looking forward to renting my cart to you next time!
It's good to have a plan. That way you have something to change.......
As long as the rental fee is the same as last time, I may take you up on that offer! I picked up the slightly (I thought) bigger cart from Cabelas. A little bigger spoked wheels (with spoke covers) and a little higher payload. It's rated for 550lbs. I didn't realize how much bigger it would be though. It's physicially half-again as large as the one you have. Not too sure how good of a deal that is. Makes it tougher to get it through any brush. We'll see I guess.
You'll be fine as long as you use the spoke covers. I usually try to limit myself to pigs under the load limit of my cart! (300 lbs.) The worst load is when you go across an angled hillside and it puts side load on the wheels. That's what gets them.
It's good to have a plan. That way you have something to change.......
That's a bummer he didn't show again, hopefully you guys will wack him soon!
I think people have the wrong idea about VAFB. People see all the pics that guys like Alan, weekender etc. post on here and probably think the pigs are thick out there. That's simply not the case. There are guys that have been hunting out there for 20 years and never SEEN a pig! Keep up the good managment Alan, there is some PFC out there making 250 dollars a week that appreciates it greatly I am sure!
Interesting how this got to be such a debate on shooting wet sows when the original post said nothing about wet sows. Just not wanting to be called a sow boy.
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Matt 16:15
Come on; use a little imagination. I was trying to be flippant about not shooting a sow, and my point is there are others on this base that feel the same way. We are all trying to do right by the property, the hunters and the population of pigs here. Like Lupe said (Rampage): there aren't huge numbers, they aren't devastating crops and they are hunter-shy (and yes, I'm adding words he didn't use--I know he won't mind). It usually isn't a matter of picking one out and shooting it. I've got all the pork I need, and when I need more it's time to pull the trigger. I like seeing 'em; it's a rush, and it's great exercise. I don't care if it's a boar or a sow; getting up to 30 yards without spooking them on open ground with a bow is way cool!
And yes, this topic IS all about not shooting a wet sow. I'm not preaching to someone who has a big problem with hogs in his barley. But once again, this is not a farm field that needs a depredation permit. So, different actions obtain here.
It's good to have a plan. That way you have something to change.......
Alan, you're right!! on not shooting any sows and wet sows, does make a diffrence for the future hunts. I have taken the pleasure in meeting you and you have mentioned that there are plenty of wet sows, my brother and I have seen a bunch of sows and wet ones as well and have decided not to take that shot, just taken the camera out and film them! It's a thrill in just watching them feed and root around, waiting on that boar to come out... I have seen a few big boars out there and have chosen not to take that 400+ yards away just that possibly wounding that boar. My brother and I have been lucky enough to put a bullet in the right spot, out at 473 yards and they just drop dead on their tracks. But that's totally a diffrent subject.
Alan, am 100% on not shooting any sows or the pregnant ones. Hope to see you out at Vandenburg some time this year, once I sneak out of TN.
And like Rampage1, stated that pigs are not thick out at VAFB, and many hunters have yet to kill a pig out there, and have been hunting for many years. You're right Devil!!! that's not the case. (Lupe hope to see you soon out at there)
R/S
Lisandro
I really prefer piglets myself.Pass the Grey Poupon?
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