Didn't get to hunt as much as I would have liked to this season, but I made the best of the late season chasing pigs and squirrels. Over the past few hunts I walked many miles. Accessed areas by foot, pirogue, and finally got a new motor and took my boat. Learned a lot about the deer in the area, found some nutall oaks that they were still hitting hard in February, and a few beds where they spend their daylight hours in knee deep swamp. Looking forward to hunting them next year. Especially a big buck I bumped from a swamp bed.
I put many squirrels and a swamp rabbit in the freezer, but lady luck hadn't been on my side for the pigs. Having to use small game loads for pigs isn't ideal because they are very tough animals. In Louisiana we're limited to using shotgun with BB or smaller size or rimfire rifle .22 or smaller. Have to be close and make a broadside head shot. Never had one that didn't drop until recently. In the past few hunts I had multiple encounters with no shots, 1 stalk were I was winded at the last minute, and two that were shot but not recovered. Finally Saturday it all came together within an hour long hunt.
From my prior hunt I was confident I was going to be in a heavy pig area. It had been raining the day and night before and I was slipping in search for a muddy track. When I got to an area that had a lot of sign I slowed down and looked harder for a muddy track. While searching something moving caught my eye about 20yds in front of me. It was a small pig. To the left of it was a bigger one bedded down with its head sticking out from behind a tree. There was little cover between me and the pigs. I slowly and carefully repositioned my feet to turn my body and put the cross hairs behind the bottom of the ear. Pulled the trigger and she immediately rolled over dead, which was a huge relief to see. The woods came alive with pigs crashing through the palmettos, but none offered a shot.
This was my last hunt of the season. I'm very thankful for the time I spent learning these woods, and glad that it all came together in the end with packing meat out back to the boat.
I put many squirrels and a swamp rabbit in the freezer, but lady luck hadn't been on my side for the pigs. Having to use small game loads for pigs isn't ideal because they are very tough animals. In Louisiana we're limited to using shotgun with BB or smaller size or rimfire rifle .22 or smaller. Have to be close and make a broadside head shot. Never had one that didn't drop until recently. In the past few hunts I had multiple encounters with no shots, 1 stalk were I was winded at the last minute, and two that were shot but not recovered. Finally Saturday it all came together within an hour long hunt.
From my prior hunt I was confident I was going to be in a heavy pig area. It had been raining the day and night before and I was slipping in search for a muddy track. When I got to an area that had a lot of sign I slowed down and looked harder for a muddy track. While searching something moving caught my eye about 20yds in front of me. It was a small pig. To the left of it was a bigger one bedded down with its head sticking out from behind a tree. There was little cover between me and the pigs. I slowly and carefully repositioned my feet to turn my body and put the cross hairs behind the bottom of the ear. Pulled the trigger and she immediately rolled over dead, which was a huge relief to see. The woods came alive with pigs crashing through the palmettos, but none offered a shot.
This was my last hunt of the season. I'm very thankful for the time I spent learning these woods, and glad that it all came together in the end with packing meat out back to the boat.
