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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: GCook on October 17, 2020, 10:51:48 AM

Title: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: GCook on October 17, 2020, 10:51:48 AM
Last night, right at dark, a group of pigs I've had coming in at night showed up. Gotta be 20 to 30 in the group. Smallest ones are about 60 to 70 lbs and range up to the head sow that will go 160 if an ounce and a huge black and white boar.
I have an Elusive Wildlife light on the feeder and it comes on a dark. Stays on at 10% and movement makes it ramp up to 100%. Sounds great but if the animal happens to be on the blind side of the light it's still just a dark silhouette.
Well the group came in and circled around. Wasn't much left and the deer had already vacated but they seemed to find food in the sand and some smaller ones keyed in on the hand corn spot at 12 yards. But I could see the big boar at 25 yards with his nose stuck to the sow's behind and held off . . .
The wind was right so I opened the window and readied myself. Finally she gave him grief and he turned his attention from love to food. He lunged and chased the little ones off, turned back and stretched out, then walked straight to the hand corn spot and stood what appeared to be broadside. I knew picking a spot would be challenging but I just looked up the back of the front left about halfway up his body, focused, drew and shot without much thought. Just on autopilot.
I heard but couldn't see the arrow strike. A quick squeal and the group busted out like a covey of quail headed west to the fence line. I heard the bubbly choking of a downed animal but in my mind I knew big boars are tough.
I gathered my gear and climbed out. No blood at the spot of the shot. First blood was at about 15 yards. Just a spot. Then another. Then it was a geyser. Blood spraying out both sides and his nose and mouth. I found the arrow at about 20 yards broken, but over 20" of penetration.
I shined ahead and saw him laying another 20 yards out.
The broadhead had busted through the opposite shoulder but as he ran the arrow pulled back and the arrow broke between the shoulder blade and ribs.
Took the three of us (my two partners/friends) to load him on the back of the cart.
Scales said a little over 210 lbs. No teeth to speak of but that's pretty common in the sand dunes.
12 yards shot out of .y new Primaltech recurve. 40 yard recovery.
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: Soonerlongbow on October 17, 2020, 11:47:48 AM
That'll do! Great job!
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: Walt Francis on October 17, 2020, 01:29:36 PM
Congratulations, you done good....really good!
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: BAK on October 17, 2020, 02:13:29 PM
LOL, old farm boy here that when I looked at the hog I said I bet it went a bit over 200.  Guess I wasn't far off.  Nice going.   :thumbsup:
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: GCook on October 17, 2020, 02:18:43 PM
The three of us guessed and I was the lowest at 225.  Jason said 235 and Hector 245.  People don't realize how big a 300lb pig really is.
I have another white with black spots boar coming in alone in the middle of the night but only sporadically.  He's bigger than this one.  But unless he starts messing up and coming late evening or early morning he'll live a long life.  I'm not mad enough at them to stay up that late.
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: Horsehide on October 17, 2020, 03:02:10 PM
What a beast Gary! (The hog, not you...  :laughing:).
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: pdk25 on October 17, 2020, 03:42:46 PM
Nice one!
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: pdk25 on October 17, 2020, 03:44:46 PM
Quote from: GCook on October 17, 2020, 02:18:43 PM
The three of us guessed and I was the lowest at 225.  Jason said 235 and Hector 245.  People don't realize how big a 300lb pig really is.
I have another white with black spots boar coming in alone in the middle of the night but only sporadically.  He's bigger than this one.  But unless he starts messing up and coming late evening or early morning he'll live a long life.  I'm not mad enough at them to stay up that late.

Yep.  Until you have put a few big ones on the ground, and then the scale, it is tempting to overestimate the weight on these critters.
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: Alexander Traditional on October 17, 2020, 04:17:35 PM
Nice! You're racking them up.
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: Basinboy on October 17, 2020, 05:01:43 PM
Way to go Gary  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: kennym on October 17, 2020, 05:08:11 PM
Sweet!! That be Mr Pig !
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: Bisch on October 17, 2020, 05:17:36 PM
Way to go Gary!!!!!

Congrats!

Bisch
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: Friend on October 17, 2020, 05:46:03 PM
Outstanding...Congrats!.
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: TooManyHobbies on October 17, 2020, 09:12:17 PM
Nice pig. Congrats. Are those big boars edible?
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: GCook on October 17, 2020, 10:09:41 PM
Quote from: TooManyHobbies on October 17, 2020, 09:12:17 PM
Nice pig. Congrats. Are those big board edible?
Most of the time.  This one was cut up and will get eaten.  The priest at my church wants the ribs.  The back straps will be marinated and slow cooked on the pellet smoker and the rest ground up..
They tend to be more tough than domestic pigs but we hose them off before cleaning the skin carefully.  If you do that, keep the skin from touching the meat, make sure you trim out all the lymph nodes and I'll done brine soak on it as well, you can make table fare out of it.  Good sausage and we also use ground pork for tacos and what not. 
Give a lot to some families I know who can use it.  Near Christmas, aka tamale season, I give a few to some ladies who make and sell them.  My wife always gets a dozen or two in return and they get free meat out of it.  I clean a lot of them but that is number 41 this year and I've cleaned not near that many.
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: D. Key on October 17, 2020, 10:16:55 PM
Great job. Man, what a hog.
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: TIM B on October 18, 2020, 09:25:51 AM
Yes sir!!  That's a .....ummm....a HOG
Tim B
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: Roy from Pa on October 18, 2020, 09:39:21 AM
Awesome, congrats..
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: Cyclic-Rivers on October 18, 2020, 09:55:36 AM
Well done. Nice hog!
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: trad_bowhunter1965 on October 18, 2020, 01:30:40 PM
 :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: Dave Lay on October 18, 2020, 02:12:58 PM
Great job ..   sounds like your setup worked really well, would you share your gear set up ?
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: GCook on October 18, 2020, 02:26:20 PM
Quote from: Dave Lay on October 18, 2020, 02:12:58 PM
Great job ..   sounds like your setup worked really well, would you share your gear set up ?
Sure.  That bow is a Primal Tech 3 piece recurve built by a sponsor here Randy Madden.  It's 55lbs@28" but my short armed self draw 26&5/8ths with this particular bow.  The arrow was a Black Eagle Vintage 400 cut 30.5" long with a standard insert.  That one had three 2" vanes but that varies.  Broadhead was a Carbon Express Piledriver 150 grain sporting a 1.5" cutting width.  Daniel at Hunters Choice Bowstrings makes all my strings.
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: Dave Lay on October 18, 2020, 02:35:50 PM
Thank you, what's your arrow weight ? I ask because I've killed a few pigs but nothing that big and I am in the middle of a possible bow change.   I appreciate it.
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: GCook on October 18, 2020, 03:06:36 PM
455.5 on those.  I have a heavier set up as well but the 9.1gpp seems to do well. 
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: SlowBowKing on October 18, 2020, 10:55:42 PM
That's "some pig."

Those wild boar tamales sound soooo good!
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: T Sunstone on October 19, 2020, 09:42:15 PM
Congrats, nice hog.
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: Kopper1013 on October 20, 2020, 10:34:26 AM
 :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:congratulations sir
Title: Re: My biggest traditional pig so far
Post by: Wudstix on October 20, 2020, 10:08:08 PM
When and were is the BBQ?  I'll bring the beer.  Nice pig!!!
:campfire: