This is long, sorry. I had my first son in January of this year, so I rarely make it out to my property any time besides the middle of the day. The hogs are never out. I set my mind on taking one this past weekend.

Wake up at 3:45 a.m. last Saturday. My property is about 2 hours from my door in Houston. Wanted to get there before the sun came up because the hogs had been hitting one of my feeders pretty regularly, but very early.

Roll into my property right at 6:00. Perfect timing.

Get to my tripod and climb up. Right as my head is under my seat, I notice a massive wasp nest under it about 4 inches from my face. Fortunately, I planned for this and had my Raid in my backpack. Problem solved, I assume my seat at the tripod.

About 7:00 a.m., I catch movement about 600 yards in front of me at the end of my pasture. I glass it with my scope and see 3 nice bucks crossing down to the creek bottoms. Nice. Then something catches my eye to the right.

There are 3 more very young bucks at my feeder. How they got there without me hearing a sound, I have no idea. Amazingly quiet and stealthy animals. You know what's not quiet though? Hogs.

The 3 bucks startle and I hear squeeling in the woods behind them. For reference:


They stare for a couple of minutes and then haul tail. I'm expecting the hogs to come out at any second. They don't. I give up after 20 minutes and walk down to my lower pasture. They're across the fence in my neighbor's field and they're in there THICK. I have full permission to shoot any hog I see on his place, so I carefully stalk about 300 yards to the fenceline to rest my gun on for the shot, but there's a problem...

When I saw the hogs, I was at an elevated position and could see their backs. Now that I'm level with them, the brush completely conceals their location. Can still hear them, but can't see a single one, and I don't want to cross the fence. Frustrated, I walk back to where I was. They're still there, just sort of milling around. I can't take a 450-yard shot. I'm not that good. Oh well.

I move a deer blind from my upper pasture to my lower pasture. Make tons of noise, but I get it down to where I want it, right next to a plum and persimmon grove. Great spot. After I'm done, I'm driving the fenceline and catch something out of the corner of my eye - a big, black mass. It's about 20 hogs bedded down in the plum grove, about 10 yards on the other side of the fence. No matter, they're going to DIE.

I park my truck, grab my gun, and stalk through the brush towards the pigs. They hear or smell me when I'm about 10 yards from the fence and stand up and start walking away. The goat weed is so tall, all I can see is the back of a huge boar's head. But I can see it clearly, and he's giant.

I get up to the fence and rest my rifle. Look into the scope and find the back of his head. He's about 50 yards away at this point. My crosshairs are in between his ears. I steady the gun, take the safety off, and drop a Clint Eastwood:

"Lights out, pig."

I pull the trigger...

*click*

No bullets in my gun. Yes, I rule at hunting.

Oh well. One of these porkers lived to see another day:

I bet I check my gun 10 times when I go out to make sure I loaded it, cause I have done the same thing before

that hurts

Been there done that. That is why I just got my first not too long ago.

the scary thing is he could have running towards you instead of away from you. when i started hog hunting, my dad gave me his 30 cal. blackhawk to carry on my side incase my rifle wasnt ready or didnt fire.

I always have a loaded S&W .357 mag on my side.

But that's not a 50-yard gun.

Haha been there before, sucks.

Every time I see someones feeder pics up with a ton of hogs under it I can't help but think how awesome it would be to be able to throw a flashbang in the middle of the porker crowd. Sorry about the hijack, I'm paranoid about not having bullets when i need them so I'm constantly checking it.

There's ALWAYS next time!!

Never had that happen to me though. I'd be VERY upset also!

One of your pics has three big boars hanging out together. You don't see that very often. Sorry about the mishap, better luck next time.

Had that happen once when i was about 16 when deer hunting. Never happened since. You live and learn!

Those 3 are always together - maybe they're gay?

Well you will never run out of pork once you buy some bullets

ouch....that hurts

Had that happen too. But i went back get some ammo and get them the next day.

Oh, they'll be got. Only a matter of time before the pieces come together and I show up in the right place at the right time with the right gun that is actually loaded.

Heck first time I was dove hunting last year I had that dove in my sights and nothing. Gun not loaded ammo in the car.

Note to self: carry a large caliber pistol while working on blind.

That's kinda how I missed out on killing my first deer...except it was the safety being on that caused the "click" with no "boom."

I had my .357 mag on me, but I'm much more comfortable with my rifle. And it would have been a lay-up shot, had I only loaded the gun.

What might have been...what might have been...

Bushmaster Predator .223- Check
Bullets in gun- Check
Fox in crosshairs- Check
Forward assist thumbed... (Crickets)
Pull trigger- CLICK!

Two loudest sounds in the world- A bang when you should hear a click, and a click when you should hear a bang!

Two loudest sounds in the world- A bang when you should hear a click, and a click when you should hear a bang!




Ain't that the truth!

Hey Dude u have some nice pigs there Iam sure mine is looking like that rite about now.The bad thing is that my buddy didnt put my cam out so i cant see whats there. Last year they came in a pack of 30 every time I saw them.
Happy Hunting Bro:

Cameron-

Where's your place? You still out in the Anderson area?

RockinR - Nope - that was my buddy's place. His family still technically owns it and have actually added to it a couple hundred acres, but his grandma kind of flipped her lid and disallowed everyone from coming out there. Haven't been to that place much this year, though I was there to pick up some stands and feeders.

I just bought a place in between Caldwell and Lexington. 35 minutes to Kyle Field - not a bad little tract at all...

DIME BOX - Guarantee the hogs haven't abandoned you while you're gone. I'd probably bet there are more than you'd care for.