My girl friend and I made short weekend trip to north Louisiana to an area I plan to hunt early season (October). I put out some cameras there a month ago, and wanted to scout more and pull them before hunting season so they wouldn't get stolen. As much as a pain as it is to get back there, one was stolen. Likely accessed from private adjacent property. I'm not as mad about the camera being stolen as I am not having those photos because that spot has good buck sign....and I'm not the only one that knows it.
Ashley wasn't interested in scouting with me, but we planned to camp near a lake so she could fish. She had a kayak for the lake and I had my pirogue to drag through the woods to access my go to spot. I also took advantage on the current dove season to bring my shogun and try to thin out the pigs. I've written about this style of pig hunting before but for anyone new reading, on public land in Louisiana you can kill pigs incidental to whatever season is in progress as long as you use whatever weapon/load is legal for that season. Killing pigs with small game loads isn't ideal, but doable.
Within the first 400yds of walking through the woods I found a group of 4 pigs feeding and moving in the opposite direction of me. Probably 70 yards away. As dry as it has been I figured a direct stalk to get close enough while catching up to them would be difficult. For the first time ever I pulled out one of those little chalk bottles and checked the wind. The draft in the woods was barely noticeable, but that little bottle made checking the wind dummy proof, and will be a tool I'll regularly carry with me. Based on the wind, I made a semi circle to try to head the pigs off. The plan worked perfectly. At first I thought I missed them, then there the were. Closest and biggest pig was a sow about 15 yards. Waited until she turned her head broad side and took the shot. Neither her or the others offered a follow up shot. She was unrecovered.
The direction they ran was the same way I was going so I kept going while looking for sign of the one I shot. Only a few hundred yards later more pigs. They were to my right running through the woods. The woods have a closed canopy, open understory, and a lot of grass. I don't know if it was 10 pigs or 20. All I know is I looked to my right, through gaps in the trees and saw pig after pig after pig. No use in chasing after them at that distance. Just stood there wondering when the last one would move through. After the last pig, I continued my course. And again within a couple hundred yards more pigs. Two medium size sows walking in my direction. I didn't have to move. Just stood there and let them come to me. The first one was a 10yds and nervously stopped, but a small tree was blocking a good shot. Finally she took a step out and the shot dropped her. It took a few shots and some running to get the other but I was able to kill both. Both pigs were quartered and placed in game bags. I still hadn't made it to my first camera, so I place the bags in the shade of a fallen tree. It was a mile round trip to get the cameras and back to the meat. Another half mile out with meat to the pirogue by which point in time I decided to give up beer for the rest of hunting season. Was able to get meat on ice within a timely manner then checked on Ashley. She had enjoyed her evening. Caught a few bream and a nice bass on a small beetle spin. Supper that night was backstraps and tenderloins with a bottle of blackberry wine. I said I'd give up beer not alcohol.
The next day. I scouted an new area. Not a lot of sign, but bumped a big bodied deer and found last year rubs in the same area. It was in a cane thicket a the top of a tall ridge. Haven't figured out how to hunt it yet, but it should be a good buck there. Ashley came down with a stomach bug so we left early. I checked the pictures on my camera last night before bed and I'm very discouraged from the images. Couple coyotes, a turkey, few does and a couple fawns, but mostly pigs, pigs, and pigs. The discouraging part was seeing the rib bones on the does. Granted it is very dry and until the acorns drop, quality food is scarce. The pigs that I killed had dropped weight as well. Around the house where we have trapped almost every weekend for the past 2 months, we have noticed the fat content decreasing. But when the acorns drop, how many will be left for the deer and other animals before the pigs suck them up?
I'm torn between the desire to kill a deer, and the need to kill pigs. Sounds bad, but I'm tired of killing and cleaning pigs. Almost every weekend we trap pigs at the house and of the 30 I've cleaned most of them. It has become work. Add 2 more for Saturday, and there is a lot more that needs to be killed in those woods. The idea of killing a pig and leaving meat in the woods is bothersome. I've even packed out a pig that someone else shot and left. But this area is very difficult to access from public. It's a lot of time and work to go kill a couple pigs and get them on ice. As much as I don't like it, I'm really tossing the idea of killing them and leaving them so I can go kill more. I can't not kill it if given the opportunity. Or I could avoid the area and look for deer elsewhere.
Ashley wasn't interested in scouting with me, but we planned to camp near a lake so she could fish. She had a kayak for the lake and I had my pirogue to drag through the woods to access my go to spot. I also took advantage on the current dove season to bring my shogun and try to thin out the pigs. I've written about this style of pig hunting before but for anyone new reading, on public land in Louisiana you can kill pigs incidental to whatever season is in progress as long as you use whatever weapon/load is legal for that season. Killing pigs with small game loads isn't ideal, but doable.
Within the first 400yds of walking through the woods I found a group of 4 pigs feeding and moving in the opposite direction of me. Probably 70 yards away. As dry as it has been I figured a direct stalk to get close enough while catching up to them would be difficult. For the first time ever I pulled out one of those little chalk bottles and checked the wind. The draft in the woods was barely noticeable, but that little bottle made checking the wind dummy proof, and will be a tool I'll regularly carry with me. Based on the wind, I made a semi circle to try to head the pigs off. The plan worked perfectly. At first I thought I missed them, then there the were. Closest and biggest pig was a sow about 15 yards. Waited until she turned her head broad side and took the shot. Neither her or the others offered a follow up shot. She was unrecovered.
The direction they ran was the same way I was going so I kept going while looking for sign of the one I shot. Only a few hundred yards later more pigs. They were to my right running through the woods. The woods have a closed canopy, open understory, and a lot of grass. I don't know if it was 10 pigs or 20. All I know is I looked to my right, through gaps in the trees and saw pig after pig after pig. No use in chasing after them at that distance. Just stood there wondering when the last one would move through. After the last pig, I continued my course. And again within a couple hundred yards more pigs. Two medium size sows walking in my direction. I didn't have to move. Just stood there and let them come to me. The first one was a 10yds and nervously stopped, but a small tree was blocking a good shot. Finally she took a step out and the shot dropped her. It took a few shots and some running to get the other but I was able to kill both. Both pigs were quartered and placed in game bags. I still hadn't made it to my first camera, so I place the bags in the shade of a fallen tree. It was a mile round trip to get the cameras and back to the meat. Another half mile out with meat to the pirogue by which point in time I decided to give up beer for the rest of hunting season. Was able to get meat on ice within a timely manner then checked on Ashley. She had enjoyed her evening. Caught a few bream and a nice bass on a small beetle spin. Supper that night was backstraps and tenderloins with a bottle of blackberry wine. I said I'd give up beer not alcohol.
The next day. I scouted an new area. Not a lot of sign, but bumped a big bodied deer and found last year rubs in the same area. It was in a cane thicket a the top of a tall ridge. Haven't figured out how to hunt it yet, but it should be a good buck there. Ashley came down with a stomach bug so we left early. I checked the pictures on my camera last night before bed and I'm very discouraged from the images. Couple coyotes, a turkey, few does and a couple fawns, but mostly pigs, pigs, and pigs. The discouraging part was seeing the rib bones on the does. Granted it is very dry and until the acorns drop, quality food is scarce. The pigs that I killed had dropped weight as well. Around the house where we have trapped almost every weekend for the past 2 months, we have noticed the fat content decreasing. But when the acorns drop, how many will be left for the deer and other animals before the pigs suck them up?
I'm torn between the desire to kill a deer, and the need to kill pigs. Sounds bad, but I'm tired of killing and cleaning pigs. Almost every weekend we trap pigs at the house and of the 30 I've cleaned most of them. It has become work. Add 2 more for Saturday, and there is a lot more that needs to be killed in those woods. The idea of killing a pig and leaving meat in the woods is bothersome. I've even packed out a pig that someone else shot and left. But this area is very difficult to access from public. It's a lot of time and work to go kill a couple pigs and get them on ice. As much as I don't like it, I'm really tossing the idea of killing them and leaving them so I can go kill more. I can't not kill it if given the opportunity. Or I could avoid the area and look for deer elsewhere.
