The Great TFL Pistol Hog Hunt Challenge!

R

Rich Lucibella

Staff
Well, we may not definitively prove a thing, but we're out to try.

On Friday, October 17, four brave souls will hazard the wilds of the Texas Panhandle (and my cooking) to locate and dispatch Hogasaurus Rex by pistol caliber of .45 Auto or less.....with blow by blow images, autopsies and stories to follow right here.

The Challenge History:
Read it right here.

The Challenge:
Anyone who ever hunted hog on foot knows that the key to a handgun shoot is in the stalk. Not only is there no guarantee that we'll get ON hogs but that done, we'll require the the Gods of Sun and Wind to favor us.

The Shooter:
Our own Harley Quinn. I'll admit that I didn't take him seriously at first. However, having seen his resume of shooting and hunting experience, I think I can assure everyone that he'll do his part.

The Crew:
- TFL Moderator Johnny Guest who will ride high on the truck beside Harley, Steely Eyed Dealer of Death, scanning the terrain for our quarry and providing long gun backup should we be overrun by the enemy.

- Ashley Emerson: 6'5" Burr Headed Texas Knuckle Dragger . Expert tracker, hunt co-ordinator and Hog Strategist. Rumor has it that Ashley has, ummmm, "been with" more hogs than most men have shot.

- Miko the Wonder Tracker. 8 months old. 100% Pure Catahoula Leopard Dog. (Well, maybe he's not a world class tracker of wounded hog, but he provides great comic relief).

- Yours truly, Chief Cook and Bottle Washer. Will probably bring along the itinerant 50 Alaskan and .338 Winmag for carnivorous bunnies, turtles and such.

Can it be done?
Will we survive?

Comments, suggestions, odds....all very welcome. Look for more here, whether you're interested or not! :D
Rich
 
I can't wait to see the pictures. Maybe even some video for us less fortunate souls who can't get out of work or family obligations.
 
Wow! What a thread that turned out to be. A simple question becomes The Great TFL Pistol Hog Hunt Challenge! Seems I inadvertantly kicked over a Hornet's nest. First and foremost I hope you guys have a safe trip and return home in one piece. Secondly I hope you have great time. Third, I can't wait for the results, Rich; thanks for throwing down the gauntlet and offering your "testing grounds".

Question: Since y'all are going to be in the great state of Texas, why not bait the hogs with some corn or better yet hunt over a feeder and/or hunt at night with lights? Far as I know its legal for hogs and a whole lot easier to get close than stalking.
 
Rich Lucibella said:
The Shooter:
Our own Harley Quinn. I'll admit that I didn't take him seriously at first. However, having seen his resume of shooting and hunting experience, I think I can assure everyone that he'll do his part.
Click to expand...
Is this resume available for all to see - as in a website? Who is Harley Quinn!?
 
Trip 20, I am Harley Quinn

I am kind of a private person and have decided to post on this board a while back and ran into this deal I could not refuse.

Probably the best way to get to know me is to check out some of my post's on this site.

I gave Rich my real name and explained who I was and gave him a quick run down on my life past and present.
So we are hooking up in Paducah and going after some of those domestic pig/swine cross they call Hogs.

They are called Razorbacks by some. For people who are not familiar with them you can go to wikipedia.com and type in razorback hog in the search area and read about them. Hogzilla is in the article also.

The weather seems to be in our favor and the crew of people are top notch.
Me I am an expert.:p

Harley
 
Trip20 Thanks.

Have you any thing you would like to add to the thoughts on the thread. These rooters worry me a little, but I have a great crew, plus I
know my limitations.
I will have my pitch fork, shotgun, handgun of choice, Barong (machete) Binoculars, now the question can I shoot with all that stuff in my way. LOL
How about...
Rise early, eat lite, numerous meals not all at one time, drink plenty of water,
wear the right clothes, use enough gun.
Or
Have one of your crew drive um by your stake location.

Dig a pit let um fall it to it and shoot from above. LOL :)

You know stuff like that?

We are not poachers so some of this will not be used but it is something that might be interesting to talk about.

We could bait the area with yams, I could spread some of them on me and the left overs will be good with the BBQ. Pumpkins are good also then we will have pie.

Sorry I am rambling this is a TFL hunt, we stalk and kill. OK by me.:D

Harley
 
Harley Quinn said:
Have you any thing you would like to add to the thoughts on the thread.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, no I do not. I neither have the expertise as a hunter, nor the knowledge of a ballistician, to aid in your endeavor.

I would however, like to suggest you use the pistol with which your most accurate. Do not let the round sway your choice (i.e. 9mm vs. 45acp), I think shot placement will be key for what your attempting to do.

Again, good luck and have a safe hunt. :)
 
Good point joven, thanks for the advice.

It will be up to Rich to guide me to the location and point the way. Ashley is on the prowl, I hear he is pretty good in those woods and swamps.

We will be careful of snakes too, I guess they are starting to hybernate but you can never tell those hogs might root um out. I hear that is one of their favorite feeds.

So where you have snakes you got Hogs. Anyone hear any snake hog stories?
Heck that might be another gun I will carry my 45acp revolver snake shot gun.

I'll have so much iron on me I wont be able to move, sounds like the drive is the way to go.
I hope Miko will be ok, a little young, sometimes they get into trouble if they don't have an older and wiser dog to show them the way.

Harley:D
 
Knives:

I'd appreciate information in regard to knives used for these tough, thick skinned critters,Rich's Cooking perhaps and if applicable field sharpeners.

Besides the original challenge, this is a great opportunity to share with documentation, various skills, gear, preparation and all sorts of real world stuff.

Not only for folks here in the States, not only for Pro-Gun and Hunting, also for the lurkers that are abroad, and anyone , anywhere, showing how responsible firearm folks really are.

Miko - too bad he can't talk or type, be interesting to get his perspective on all this.

"I'm not gonna eat that, give it to Mr. Guest" .:p
 
Anything to add? . . .

Are you planning on using handloads, a hot JSP or harcast bullet? What grain, approx. fps? We got to start the pre-hunt show now. And you just have to take one with the .45 and one with the 9mm to promote those endless threads on which is better

IMO the ideal shot would be side-on or just slightly quartering away. I don't know why, but hog bones seem to turn bullets almost as well as steel plate. Go for the brain via the side of its head or a heart shot where you don't have to go thru the shoulder. There's a great diagram out there somewhere showing a boar's anatomy - - a boar's heart is a little further forward than a deer's, it is more protected by the shoulder bones.

I've never been charged by pig, but of course I never shot one with a handgun at 20-25 yards. Maybe you ought to wear track shoes and have and escape plan (i.e. easy to climb tree within a few yards) before you shoot ;-)
 
Harley, you're in for a hell of a good time, even if you blow your shot.

Trust me: I know this personally. :)

And I'll "hazard" Rich's cooking again, any day of the week-- twice on Sunday.
 
Just got off the phone with Ashley "Hawgman" Emerson

Talked to Ashley we discussed quite a few things about the hunt and terrain,
Size of some of those critters, plus the particulars. Sure know's his stuff.

He has some pretty good calibers, I guess he has shot quite a few of these, plus w-knives and spears. My kind of fun.:eek:

I am going to be busy getting ready so, hope to hear from others, and their ideas.

Harley
 
Hmm... .45 auto or less?
We could bait the area with yams, I could spread some of them on me and the left overs will be good with the BBQ...
Click to expand...
Heck of a way to bait 'em in, but guess it's one way to be assured you're invited to that BBQ - though it be the last ya ever attend! "Rich, ya think you can do somethin' about the pong on this stuff?"

Only important comment I may have is - what the heck was I doin' when this thing got planned! I'm missin' out... (as are all the rest of us)

Have fun guys.
 
Confirmation - -

Hey, I'm firmly into this deal.

Just off the phone with Harley Quinn and he sounds as if he'll be a good hunting partner.

Gathering up gear now. Gotta make sure my wife's pickup truck is serviced - - She's taking mine for some travel plans of her own.

Llife is sweet. :p

Johnny
 
Answers and responses to some questions here:

Joven said:
Seems I inadvertantly kicked over a Hornet's nest.
Click to expand...
You sure did. Let's see how we can make it play out to answer your question.
Joven said:
Since y'all are going to be in the great state of Texas, why not bait the hogs with some corn or better yet hunt over a feeder and/or hunt at night with lights?
Click to expand...
We could, but we don't. I have no problem with this kinda hunting and am currently admiring the Black Bear trophy I took in Canada last year, in just that manner. (It arrived tonight.)

But, in that case, the "hunter" is the one who set the bait or feeder; "we" are only the shooter......much like an Africa Safari, which I've done thrice and will again in Fall '06....the "hunter" is the guide; we are simply the shooter.

American Hog gives us a great opportunity to be the Hunter. That's the way we do it at Camp Greg/Ashley/Rich. Sometimes we get a hog, posing in pink tutu from the truck; more often it's a stalk, a drive or an ambush. Ashley still gets full value credit as the PH; but the rest of us really do get to be Hunters.

Trip20 said:
Is this resume available for all to see - as in a website? Who is Harley Quinn!?
Click to expand...
Details of his background are up to Harley. Suffice it to say, for me, I am impressed.

Harley Quinn said:
It will be up to Rich to guide me to the location and point the way.
Click to expand...
No, in fairness, that is Ashley's job. I am less a shooter than you or Johnny and FAR less a PH (Professional Hunter) than Ashley.

I'd appreciate information in regard to knives used for these tough, thick skinned critters
Click to expand...
While Ashley works with, carrys and SWEARS BY Cold Steel Knives, his favored skinner is made by Tim Wegner at BladeTech.

For me, Tom Mayo Folder and Mad Dog fixed blade knives.....all the way.
Rich
 
Hog Wild.

That would be an excellent test for a 10mm stoked with DT 200 grain XTP bullets!

The DNR here is reporting that there are some feral hogs running amok here in Iowa. Not large #'s - but they reportedly are satanic breeders & tear up large portions of wherever territory they roam. No season has been aloted, shoot on site...:p

Good luck with your hunt - be safe.

12-34hom.
 
That would be an excellent test for a 10mm stoked with DT 200 grain XTP bullets!
Click to expand...
A combination I often carry though have yet to test. IMHO, this is the ground floor round for hog. Of late, I've been looking for an opportunity to test Randy Garrett's 44 Mag Loads out of a Ruger BlackHawk, which I missed with, horribly, on my only opportunity.

Three weeks ago, I sent my nephews to town while I napped during the hottest part of the afternoon. Ashley, fidgety as ever, walked out the trailer door and came back an hour later with that same gun and round and one amazingly nice Boar's head....no kidding. I believe he ate the kidneys, fresh at the kill site.
Rich
 
Yorec and John in Jax

I think the 45 one day and the 9 the next then we can try my 380 LOL...
Those will be the ones I am going to do the test on.

I am just funnin, I'll save the yams and pumpkin for the table...
Just trying to get some feed back. Pong is that opposite of ping. Am I getting slammed??? Is that a dis?

When I spoke to Johnny he confirmed it will be a good time, Heck I am already having fun, just with the post's. Ashley was very informative we discussed the various rifle and handguns which I listed below.

The caliber of guns that have been talked about are some real heavy hitters
458, 375, 338, 45-70, 35 Whelen, 06, 308, 30 carbine, 270, 243, 22-250, 223 then the hand guns of 380, 9mm, 357, 44, 45, 454, 50. Couple of shotguns and a 22 or two.

These are ones that have been used succesfully so far on hogs that we have
heard of. Some for test and others for the initial hit.

I will need to get a few more things together, BBA are the bullets that I will use, in the hand guns that are a required shoot 9mm and 45 cal.

Harley
 
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