Three Pigs Went to Market

JTHOMP

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Joined
Oct 3, 2017
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862
Location
Louisiana
I took off a few days of work to hunt public land in north Louisiana. I was hoping to kill a buck or a couple pigs to stock up on ground meat. When I got to the parking area around 1:00 there was primarily a north wind. Not great but I thought I could make it work. Before this season I use to access this area with long but fairly easily drag with a pirogue through the woods to the bayou. Hurricane Laura changed that and really tore the woods up between the road and bayou. Access now sucks.

I crossed the bayou and started walking south staying close to minimize how much scent was blowing through the woods. It almost didn’t matter. The wind was changing and blowing in every direction. Squirrels were everywhere feeding on big cow oak acorns. Multiple times I was within feet of a squirrel on the ground not concerned about my presence. The farther south I went the less acorns I saw. Another problem from the storm was that use to I could effectively hunt from the ground. While trees weren’t down as thick as previously mentioned, they really limited shot opportunity at ground level.

I sat on a log to take a break and come with with a game plan. About a quarter mile north and couple hundred yards from the bayou I knew of a slough between 2 ridges that pigs like to wallow in. That slough would put me near dropping oaks, near a big rub I found, and give me a better distance to see through the woods. With the wind now generally in my favor I was more optimistic. I quietly approached the spot. I was looking for a place to sit when off in the distance I caught a flash of black. I walked up a few more yards and steadied my gun on the side of a tree. From looking at the pigs through the woods they all looked big, but in the scope small-medium to medium size pigs. I watched them for a minute or two trying to figure which one I wanted for ground meat. They move around so much it was hard to tell. Beggars can’t be choosers and eventually out of fear of the wind swirling I decided to take the next one that gave me a good shot. The pig dropped and the rest ran.

I think 3 pigs made a horseshoe shaped run and crossed in front closer to me. I picked out a black one and fired. After the shot I watched the pigs run up the ridge. I thought I missed, but then I saw a spotted brown one go down. At first I thought it tripped and fell. But it got up and flopped down out of sight. I hung my orange hat up in a tree and walked over to a dead brown pig. I had seen it earlier and knew I didn’t aim for it. Oh well got 2 pigs. I walked to the first one and realize it was a MUCH bigger pig than I expected. This thing was built like a tank. Probably the biggest I’ve killed or trapped. I walked back to the brown pig to drag it to the bigger one and about 15 yards past it was a black sow on the ground. The brown one must have been behind the sow when I shot. Got a couple photos and texts then the work began. It was 4:30 when I started. I still had another hour of shooting light so I worked quietly and kept my gun close. At 5:15 I heard movement and looked up to see a big pig running off. He looked to be as big as the big boar I killed.

I’ve killed 3 boars that I have been impressed with their size, but this one was on a whole other level than the other two. I used one knife to skin the brown and black pigs first. Grabbed my other knife for the boar and it was almost immediately dull. The shoulder plate was so thick it seemed like a good place mat for a game of quarters. Eventually got everything cut up and made two trips out of the woods with meat. At 9:00 I was back at the truck with all the meat.

Hunted the following morning in a less piggy spot that had good buck sign a few weeks earlier. Saw a group of 3 does twice, and came home that evening. With a 90qt ice chest completely full of meat, I’ll spend the rest of my time off behind my dog in the squirrel woods.

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I love wild pork. I killed a number of pigs while I lived in TX. Will be back in TX in about 3 weeks and hope to get another one. Great hunt, and that is one nice boar!
 
Looks like a lot of fun and good eats as well. Congrates on the big boar. Getting a double had to be exciting. What cartridge is your rifle shooting? It must have been a Creedmoor.;)
 
One day I will travel to Louisiana to learn your pig hunting prowess. Until then, awesome! lol
Come on over. There’s plenty. Although after sending 2 people to my best spot...my best spot was apparently a gar hole.
 
Looks like a lot of fun and good eats as well. Congrates on the big boar. Getting a double had to be exciting. What cartridge is your rifle shooting? It must have been a Creedmoor.;)
Shooting a .308 cheap winnchester rounds. Switched to copper last year but couldn’t find the box before I left the house and store shelves are empty. With the amount of meat damage in the sow I’m surprised that bullet still passed through the second pig.
 
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Found the bullet in the boar. Passed the front shoulder without hitting bone and lodged in bone on the opposite shoulder. Crazy considering it blew through the shoulder of the big sow and passed through the smaller boar. Tough animal.
 
Have you ever considered getting it tested so you don't have to? What about @wllm1313's sous vide method for killing trich with bear?
Also depending on the strain of trich you can freeze the meat. Cooking is by far the safest method though, sous vide as alluded to will allow you to cook a chop medium-medium rare. Google trich and Hank Shaw.
 
Have you ever considered getting it tested so you don't have to? What about @wllm1313's sous vide method for killing trich with bear?
Never heard of testing options. Curious of @wllm1313 ’s sous vide method. From the small boar I did save 2 back leg roasts for sous vide plus backstraps and tenderloins. Going to put a roast in tomorrow but haven’t figured exact what I want to do yet. Just got a sous vide the other day.
 
Nice work JT, the brownie looks like a 4H escapee....good eating.
Speaking of 4H though... A couple weeks ago when I was hunting this piece of public for primitive I was scouting the day prior with my .17hmr while looking for pigs. I hit a bottom and with all the sign I knew I was going to see pigs. Sure enough found a group but they winded me before I got close enough. All black pigs expect for 1 little one that looked like this one.
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Leupold BX-4 Rangefinding Binoculars

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