Leupold BX-4 Rangefinding Binoculars

Another Bacon Haul

JTHOMP

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Oct 3, 2017
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Louisiana
Really wanted to get one last deer this year, but when the public woods give you a surplus of meat, you you take what you can get.

Had some bad weather coming through friday night and saturday morning so I wanted until after the front pass to head out to the WMA and planned to spend the night. My last trip I didn't find deer sign worth hunting, so I started scouting a new area. Scouted for 5 hours, saw some muddy hog tracks, bumped one deer, found on decent spot where I suspected deer will be crossing and traveling a slough in the woods. On the loop back to the boat I walked down a narrow gas pipeline that runs through the woods. At each slough that crossed the pipeline I checked the sides of the slough for rubs and sign. I really cared more about covering ground and scouting more than slipping in hopes to kill something. I forgot my spotlight, and it was going to be a dark boat ride out of the woods, so wanted to get to the boat before dark.

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I came up on a slough and jumped a pig from a briar patch, which didn't offer a shot. I walked to the next slough and began checking for sign. When I crossed the slough there was a big briar patch. It terms of landscape position it was identical to the last one where I had previously jumped a big, but it was wider and much thicker. I approached the briars anticipating a bedded pigs. I could see where pigs have been going in and out of the briars. Walked around the wooded edge of it and nothing. I was 10 yds past the briars walking away and back towards the pipeline when the boar hog pulled a move from the squirrel hand book and made a run for it. Full on sprint and wasn't checking up. The woods were open and the cross hairs were steady following the front shoulder when I took the shot. Immediately after the shot I knew he was hit, but still running. Second shot aimed center mass trying to get another in him before he was out of sight and he dropped after that shot. First shot completely took out the heart (dissappointed as it is my favorite meat). Cut him up and packed the meat back out to the boat. It was dark when I got back to the boat so I put-putted out of the woods. Luckily I came across a father and some leaving the woods, and followed them behind their boat. At the launch we talked about where we planned to hunt the next day to make sure we gave each other plenty space.

Sunday morning I decided to get to the woods at day break and slip into where I wanted to sit, which was about .25miles on the other side of the pipeline. About a 100yds before the pipeline 4 pigs at my 3 oclock were traveling in my direction. The wind was variable between East and North and they were South of me. They came closer and I waited for a clear shot. They crossed a slough and the lead one was about 40yds away when they picked up my scent. The group got nervous, and they began to turn and go back the way the came. On the other side of the slough one stopped and gave me a clear shoulder. He dropped and the rest ran off. I was pleasantly surprised when cleaning the second pig. He had a tremendous amount of fat for a pig living in the woods. I took the hide off closer the hair to try to preserve as much fat. With it being early I took my time and even got some of the fatty meat and raw fat from belly and inner area. The two pigs were killed 200yds apart and both boars. No idea why one had so much more fat than the other.

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As soon as I finished cutting up the pig, buzzards were already circling. I still wanted to make a sit but didn't want to carry meat around or go back to the boat with it so I put it in a game bag and moved it a 100yds from the kill sit to give the buzzards their space. I use a elk size bag, and placed the meat on a log and spread out all the pieces within the bag. Then continued my hunt. Sat for a few hours without seeing anything. When the sun out around noon I decided to head out and get the meat on ice. With two pigs to process and a rainy day off work on Monday I decided I was satisfied with this hunt and headed back home. Love cutting meat up on rainy days.


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From the second pig all 4 quarters will go to sausage - 20lbs. I saved 7.5lbs of pure fat and patty pieces to mix with deer, and I'm interested to see how it will turn out. View of the second pig all cut up
 
BACON!!!

Very nice! Do they yield much bacon and how is the taste compared to farm hogs? Similar?
 
BACON!!!

Very nice! Do they yield much bacon and how is the taste compared to farm hogs? Similar?

It's variable. The majority I've killed in the woods are on the leaner side, but not as lean as deer. Around ag they're closer to domestic IMO. The actual bacon cuts are still sub par the domestic pigs with less meat. Never seemed worth it to try to make bacon.

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Front shoulder of the large boar which looks like the normal wild pig.

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Front shoulder of smaller boar with hefty layer of fat.

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Fat pieces from the smaller boar. These were almost pure fat and I didn't trim much off the meat that I plan to put in sausage.
 
Good post JTHOMP....like the pics.

How do you like the countertwist of that lefty rifle......;)
 

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