I hate this part of hunting..........!

B

bswiv

New member
Louann and I were out in the swamp this afternoon looking for hogs when I screwed up.

Found a group of them in the palmettos and after about 30 minutes managed to get in front of where it seemed they were going. Was not exactly down wind but at least not directly up wind.

When the first two showed themselves I was on the wrong side of a BIG tree to take advantage of the fleeting shot they offered. By the time the third one came out of the palmettos I was out from behind the tree and ready, sort of.

First thought that went through my mind when I saw it was "I should of taken a shot at one of the smaller ones!" This one was big and as Louann was at least 3/4 of a mile away and I was a good 1/2 mile from the road dragging it did not look to be a fun experence.

Not being to smart though I went ahead and let loose with the 000.

Knew the moment I pulled the trigger that I had screwed up. Did not have things lined up right. Even with buckshot you need to aim!!

So the hog acts hit at first, stumbles and then hits the palmettos hard. After a couple of seconds it settles down and I can hear it moving off through the palmettos kind of slow. Sounds like it's just walking in no big hurry.

I spent the last 30 minutes of light looking for any kind of sign of a hit. It was easy to trail for the first few yards in the leaf litter where it took of but just could not find any blood.

But I am almost 100% sure I hit it......probably to far back.

It's 45 degrees here right now and I expect it to be close to 32 by sunrise. Hog should be good, if it's dead and if we can find it, well into tomorrow morning if not longer.

So in the mornig we'll go have a look when we have enough light. I really need to go to work......but I really hate leaving a animal in the woods to rot.

That's one of the weak points to buckshot, that it does not leave as good a blood trail as does a bullet.

In fact as soon as I got home I pulled the rifled 20ga out and put the sling on it. I've been procrastinating going to the range and sighting it in. Better late than never............

But then if I don't aim it any better than I did with the load of buckshot it won't help much.
 
You're hog hunting with 20 gage 000 buck? Maybe you should rethink your gun and ammo? Perhaps you should be hunting with slugs in that 20 or get a 12 gage and go 3" 00 buck or slugs. Can't you use a rifle? A 30-30 or something similar would probably be a good choice.

I'm not trying to be a smart-alec, just sayin...
 
In fact as soon as I got home I pulled the rifled 20ga out and put the sling on it.
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Since he didn't pull out the 20 until he got home, he couldn't have been using it. Not sure 000 in 20 ga. is even available.

Perhaps you should be hunting with slugs in that 20........
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LOL, I think he's going to be since he pulled out the "rifled 20". Or at least that's my interpretation, rather than him using a 20 ga. with 000 buck, then later pulling out the rifled bbl. so he could use slugs, which he could have used in the other bbl. that he shot the................ah, jeez, never mind. I'm startin' to sound like Peetzakilla. Dang Red Bull.

Hope you find the Hog and that he's still worth eatin'. Say, how are those things, anyway?:cool:
 
12 ga 3 in 000 buck.............

Can't use rifle because the deer season is closed on the WMA where we usually hunt. Trust me I my old .35 Rem. is always my first choice.

Temp here, 5:30 in the monrning, is 38 so I'm sure it will be good......assuming I actually hit it. At least with full light we'll have a very good chance of finding even small drops of blood......if there are any.
 
Weelllll......

Remember that feeling the next time you're tempted to take a less than optimal shot with a less than optimal firearm in a less than optimal situation. Then you won't have to have that feeling again, and can instead feel good about having done the right thing by letting the animal walk away uninjured.

Far as I know, pretty much everyone who hunts responsibly has had to learn that particular lesson the hard way at some point, including yours truly. So this isn't some kind of 'holier than thou' sermon, just a reminder to be mindful next time.

Hope you missed this one clean!

lpl
 
Good news!!!!

Went back this morning with Louann and had a hard look. Soon as we found the spot the arguing started.

First thing I know she's squatted down in the exact spot where the hog was standing and she's looking back at the tree I was standing next to when I shot. Almost immediately she tells me I missed.

I ask her how she knows that and she says that based on how the holes in the 3 palmetto fronds line up I shot over the hog. So I tell her to move and I line them up too. Does look a little high I admitted.

Being a optomist I started following the hog's foot sign looking for any sort of indication of a hit. After about 5 minutes she yells at me to quit wasting my time. Says she has at least 5, plus one that we had alread found in a small tree between me and the hog, buckshot holes located on the OTHER SIDE of where the hog had been standing.

Of course that left 4 of them unaccounted for. I pointed that out. And then she pointed out that based on the palmetto fronds, what we were actually seing was the BOTTOM part of the pattern so the other 4 were even higher than the 6 we found.

Not what I hoped for when we went to the woods this morning but far better than to have found sign of a hit and then not be able to find the hog.

As for the buckshot, it does work quite well if the dummy behind the gun remembers that even though it's a shotgun, something you usually point, he needs to AIM buckshot.

But you can bet that by Friday afternoon when we make our next trip to the swamp the rifled 20ga will be sighted in and ready!


I simply blew it................
 
Good job following up on your hog. BTW, who is Louann? Does she hire out as a tracker for other hunters? If not, she should. It sounds like she's a good-un to have around. :)
 
Next time, be sure of the shot, or don't take it. It's rule number 1. Glad you didn't wound the hog and have it wandering around suffering for no telling how long. Louann seems to be a hell of a tracker though, so you guys would have probably found it in no time.

But you can bet that by Friday afternoon when we make our next trip to the swamp the rifled 20ga will be sighted in and ready!
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We will need pics to verify the kill, lots of pics, and good stories. No more misses. :D
 
I simply blew it................
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I don't feel that way at all. We all have missed a shot at some point but you did the responsible thing by doing all that you could to ensure that you did not leave a wounded animal out in the woods or needlessly waste meat that could be on the table where it belongs.

Hunting is about alot more than taking prey. It is about our responsibility to the animals that we hunt and you did a great job living up to that. Sounds like you learned a bit along the way too and that will make you a better and even more responsible hunter from here forward. Good job.
 
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