Pigs in the Grass

[Drew Jaeger]

I found little in the thread however about what happened to the meat. I hope that some was utilized.

Surely the small porkers would be very tasty on a spit. What about the larger pigs? I' m thinking real smoked bacon, ribs, etc.

As for the goats, well, who knows.

I'd love to hunt there but I'm emabarrassed for you for not recovering half of what your shooting. Do you even like animals?
You seem to have no regard for shooting them and making poor shots.
I hope if a non-hunter reads this thread they don't assume real hunters have as little regard for their quarry.
BTW, I hunt quite a bit and have lost a few animals over the years. It bothers me ALOT when that happens.

In Australia, problematic feral pigs are known to be vectors for a number of serious endemic and exotic diseases that have the potential to devastate commercial pig operations as well as transmitting to other animals and humans.

Rooting and digging behaviour of feral pigs effectively ploughs up riparian vegetation and destroys native ecosystems, leaving these areas susceptible to soil loss, weed establishment and to the spread of disease such as dieback through native vegetation.

Feral pigs are opportunistic scavengers and prey on invertebrates, bird eggs, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians and soil invertebrates, in some cases putting extensive pressure on rare and endangered species. Their selective feeding habits also affect the biodiversity of vegetation and creates competition for food resources of native species.

Subsequently feral pigs are shot, baited or trapped in large numbers. In some areas helicopter feral pig culls are performed by professionals with special restricted weapon licenses to use high magazine capacity semi-auto 308s; L1A1s (FN FAL), M-14s, Valmets, etc. Semi-auto or pump-action shotguns with buckshot are very popular in the open crop areas.

Shotgunning Feral Pigs

In answer to the questions concerning pork; no, we didn't take any feral pork on this trip. Also, I can't see how bullet placement in the head and neck would be misconstrued as "poor shots".

Young feral goat is just as nice, sometimes nicer than lamb. Just add the mint jelly!

 

[Drew Jaeger]

Maybe I'm missing something, but why would you shoot a pig in the balls? Tom

Visualise a lot more scrubby vegetation and long grass in the photo, this is all you see of the pig – you have only 2 seconds to take the shot!

 

[Drew Jaeger]

Australia has a huge problem with feral animals and invasive species. I have no idea if the pigs are wild/natural,....

That's right mate, feral pigs are an introduced and destructive species.

Maybe cath8r should have researched these feral pig facts and the detrimental affects relevant to my country before launching into me!

 

[boss-hog2]

That's right mate, feral pigs are an introduced and destructive species.

Maybe cath8r should have researched these feral pig facts and the detrimental affects relevant to my country before launching into me!

Some nutter's can't help themselves from their holier than thou attitudes

 

[NolanOsborn]

Wish we had those opportunities!!

 

[Until the Angels Fall]

AWESOME!!! I want to hunt pigs SO badly!!! New South Whales...where is that?

 

[aylandacres]

I'd love to hunt there but I'm emabarrassed for you for not recovering half of what your shooting. Do you even like animals?
You seem to have no regard for shooting them and making poor shots.
I hope if a non-hunter reads this thread they don't assume real hunters have as little regard for their quarry.
BTW, I hunt quite a bit and have lost a few animals over the years. It bothers me ALOT when that happens.

Great story and cool pics. Maybe I'm missing something, but why would you shoot a pig in the balls? Tom

Hey Drew, Don't sweat these guys as I can almost guarantee that they have never pursued these animals before. I can attest to the quick shots needed when you scare them up. When you get a big boar running straight away from you, a Texas lung shot works great on them.As for eating them, very few of the ones that I have shot(180 dead so far)have been "good eating". Sometimes the coyotes won't even eat them.
The farmers that turned their herds loose should held accountable to cover the costs to kill them off.

What is the average weight of the ones your shooting??

Keep it up, tipping these pests over.

 

[Drew Jaeger]

AWESOME!!! I want to hunt pigs SO badly!!! New South Whales...where is that?

I have no idea, probably in the Great Southern Ocean! LOL!!!!




NSW = New South Wales, a state of Australia.

 

[Until the Angels Fall]

I have no idea, probably in the Great Southern Ocean! LOL!!!!




NSW = New South Wales, a state of Australia.

Ah okay...thanks

 

[Drew Jaeger]

What is the average weight of the ones your shooting??

Cheers mate. The feral pigs I have taken vary between 60kg to 120kg. The mountain boars usually get much bigger than their western plain cousins. Also mountain boars are very elusive and consequently harder to hunt. Some guys use dogs to flush them out whereas I prefer to stalk.

 

[Jay]

Awesome post! Thanks for taking the time to post it and the pics!

Cheers
Jay

 

[aylandacres]

We have Russian boars here. The largest one I have shot was right around 350lbs. My neighbor got a shot 450lb sow that came after him after he winged it. He dropped it at a range of 25 ft coming at him on a full charge.
It is pretty exciting when you wound some piglets and the sows get pretty aggressive in a hurray. You wouldn't think that a "pig" can run as fast as they do.

 

[J0HN_R1]

An answer to the questions concerning pork; no, we didn't take any feral pork on this trip....

How come...? Is it bad or diseased meat...?

 

[BRNO17]

There is boar season in Ontario!!!! I never knew.
Anyone know any good places to hunt them? Doesnt have to be specific just a general area.

EDIT: Oh nevermind, I got excited for a second.

 

[savagefan]

Great stuff Drew, looks like kick-ass varminting fun. Do your gun forums members post a lot of "Pig defence" threads?

 

[Donny Fenn1]

Who would have thought? Doubles on pigs? Fun enough when you do it on gophers and I know one guy that's done it on coyotes but pigs, very neat.

 

[martinbns]

Lots of shooting.

I was surprised your buuddy was shooting a 150 gr BTip on pigs. i've never hunted them but I thought there was a tough cartiledge like shield over the vittal area on a boar, I've always read good bullets like TSX a must.

 

[Drew Jaeger]

I was surprised your buuddy was shooting a 150 gr BTip on pigs. i've never hunted them but I thought there was a tough cartiledge like shield over the vittal area on a boar, I've always read good bullets like TSX a must.

Drops pigs dead no problem, but don't usually exit. However, the 150gr NBTs exited every goat. In my 7mm-08, 120gr Nosler BTs have accounted for over a hundred plus pigs, including some mountain monsters at distance.

I had fifteen old 150gr TSX Red & Sambar deer loads kicking around and opted to use them up on this trip with a further fifty 120gr NBTs in reserve. The 150gr TSX wouldn't shoot under 1.5" at 100m, where as the 140gr TTSX consistently shoot under 0.5"!

 

[martinbns]

Drops pigs dead no problem, but don't usually exit. However, the 150gr NBTs exited every goat. In my 7mm-08, 120gr Nosler BTs have accounted for over a hundred plus pigs, including some mountain monsters at distance.

I had fifteen old 150gr TSX Red & Sambar deer loads kicking around and opted to use them up on this trip with a further fifty 120gr NBTs in reserve. The 150gr TSX wouldn't shoot under 1.5" at 100m, where as the 140gr TTSX consistently shoot under 0.5"!

Wow, North American and European pigs must be WAY TOUGHER than the ones down under because every magazine up here says you need a premium bullet...


Great reports and thanks for the PM.

 

[jjohnwm]

Drew Jaeger, I just finished enjoying your thread on the buffalo cull, and now this. I can see that I am going to enjoy your participation on this site. Thanks.

John