Here's some pic's of my son w/ his first hog and as short of a story I can type.

We got to the ranch pretty early and sat and talked to the ranch owner for awhile. We then headed out for his evening hunt. I opt for the "back stand" since it was the most productive for myself also.

We were set-up in a pop-up blind, but it was too dang hot to sit in any longer. So, we sat under the 'ol oak tree. We sat there for around 30 minutes and was admiring the little guy eating chocolate candy. I then glanced over at the feeder and surprised to see a hog there. I got the gun set-up inside the wooden pallet, which was perfect for his height.


He grabbed the rifle from me and it was on. Before we knew it a calf came in and ran the hog off. After a few minutes of dissapointment and explaining that he needs to be ready to get on the hog if it comes back out. He said was having troubles keeping on it and was upset that it kept moving. I told him that is the way they are.


About 10 minutes went by and the same hog came back out. It came out and eat a couple bites of corn and then starred at the calf. It was perfectly broadside and still for once at 65yds. I told Blake he had to shoot asap.


I had the safety off as soon as it came back out and he looked to be pretty steady. While watching the barrel movement. The sound of the gun went off by my surprise. I looked over to where the hog was and it was DRT w/ the tail flapping every 15 seconds or so. I had him chamber another one and get back on it just incase it gets back up. I didn't know where he hit it since I was looking at the barrel instead of the hog. After a minute or so the tail stopped. I helped him lower the gun (I'm pretty anal about my rifles and scopes and didn't want it to get bumped or scratched). I gave him a high five and a hug. I told him "good job"! We waited a few minutes or so after the tail quit moving and walked over to it.


I inspected the hog for the bullet entry and exit. I found it to be perfectly behind the ear drum. We've gone over shot placement all the time and he did what I've taught him to do.


It was a free-ranging hog from Rock Island Ranch. The sow weighed 120lbs. He killed it w/ my Tikka Hunter .22-250 w/ 55gr Sierra Varminter load.


Unfortunately, we weren't able to keep the sow due to a large callous w/ no hair on the off shoulder and over the back. It appeared to be a wound from another hog or something like that. The exit hole litterally split the callous open and appeared to be infected. It was sad for both of us. He missed out on his first gut job that he REALLY wanted to do. I was more concerned about him cutting things that shouldn't be, but I never found out if he has really paying attention to me on that or not. We have a hunt scheduled in Feb for him to try his luck again. We'll be w/ a bunch of really good friends of ours and lookin' forward to the good time w/ them. Blake is gonna be the shooter on this hunt since he didn't get to kill a deer. Hope he gets something.








I didn't see it till now that he still had chocolate on his face. LOL

Now let me tell you something......I SMELL BACON!!

That is an AWESOME PIC and Great Story! turn the first pic in for the THF Cover Photo Contest!!!

Thats awesome! +1 for the THF Cover photo op!

congrats to the both of you and another vote for the first pic in the contest

wish i had started that early. way to go!

That second pic is great !!

Is he acting like John Travolta??? SWEET!!!! Callous was probably an infection filled with puss. I trapped a pig last year that had a knot with a powdery substance in it. I took some of it to the county animal control and he told me it was a wound that dried up. Pig tasted fine, and I'm still kicking!!!

Bob-Looking forward to February's hunt, and maybe a January hunt at R/I???

Great pictures by the way!

Did you sweep out the sticks, and leaves from my ol' oak stand?

Hehe good looking hog. How come I've seen your pictures before? : )
Kawa - I'll join in January for R/L. Wonder if we can stay out there late to use the Thermoscope.

Thank you!

Not sure what your talkin' about........THF Cover Photo Contest???

I wish I did also, but I wasn't allowed to hunt till I was 12yrs old. That was a long time in the field and not able to kill anything. I was getting bored and by the time I was 11yrs old I got my high powered rifle and it was on again. Never let up since then and at a ripe 'ol age of 38 I still got it goin'.

That was his idea for a picture.

I'm ready for Feb also. Really want to get to R/I for an evening hunt though. Let me know when you're free to go and I'll make sure that evening is open.

I did get the leaves out of there in June, but haven't been back since.

The thermoscope gave it away.......I know who you are now. I think. Now if we can get Kawa away to go kill something that would be a perfect beginning for the new year.

Let me know if you can make it Saturday or even Friday evening. We're no doin' anything as usual. I'd like to bring the new year w/ a bang!!

AWSOME

Thanks guys! I might be heading back out this Friday w/ him. Hope to see something at R/I Ranch.

All I can say is, after my wife saw those photos of your son, I would advise keeping that boy on a leash. My wife wants to snatch him up! She thought he was just too cute.

My wife just chuckled from your post. We have to keep him on a leash.....he finds trouble. He's a flirt and would probably flirt w/ your wife also. Let's just say he flirts w/ older women. You'd think he'd be checkin' out the ones his age (there are a lot of them around here). I might have to shorten it soon.

Your son did an awesome job on his first hog!





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