It's All A Matter of Timing

It started drizzling around 3 yesterday afternoon and increased into thunderstorms as early evening approached. I wasn’t going out and I figured the hogs weren’t either.

So I decided to set up this morning on the field where I got pumpkin eater number one cause the farmer was convinced there were more out there based on the crop damage.

The farm has been storing more and more hay in the pole barn over the last week and a half and every time I set up a blind it gets incorporated into the new pile. Well there’s a concrete apron off to one side of the pole barn (there’s also a hog hole going under the apron), so I figured I set up there with a clear view of the field and some cover to boot.

Now I needed to work out some seating and a rest. I decided to use the stool my Dad sat on when he ran his trains in the basement of the house I grew up in and a camera tripod I had laying around. I tried it out in my garage last night, got the tripod height worked out and was ready to go.

While I’m setting up I noticed the farmer had set a trap in the hole that goes under the concrete apron and there was a dead hog in it. Good for you Mr. Farmer! Anyway, it’s right around 10 AM. I’m just sitting there with the Savage on the tripod, aiming at about 120 yards where I thought I got pumpkin eater one and looking around enjoying the breeze and the scenery. It was much cooler this morning!

It must be close to an hour of sitting, waiting and looking around when bam, I see one right in front of the scope. But it’s bookin from left to right headed somewhere. I level the crosshairs, it momentarily pauses, the gun goes off and down goes the hog with that familiar tail salute. Yes! Yes! Yes!

I’m telling you, another three or four seconds and I probably never would have seen it at all. I have no idea where it came from, but it was movin’ somewhere fast!

I packed up everything and drove down to the hit site. Too muddy to walk. Here’s what I found when I got there. You're looking at the exit wound.

http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/q...n/IMGP6023.jpg

And where was she headed? Right to her hole another four or five feet from where she lay.

http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/q...n/IMGP6024.jpg

Looks to me to be about a two year old female. Nice shot if I do say so myself!

http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/q...n/IMGP6026.jpg

If the one picture is too gory, you can delete it if you must.

After the obligatory photos, I went over and set up on pumpkin eater number two with no results. (See my other story posted prior to this one).