Air rifles

Dimitri · Super Member Joined: Nov 25, 2005 Posts: 5946

Leaving animals you killed in the Bush here is a offense, you MUST pack out the animal.

But that policy sounds like what we are told about Carp here, just catch them, and throw them on the side of the road, don't put them back in the water if you don't want to eat them.

Dimitri

Bushmaster · Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 10:08 am Post subject: Re: Air rifles

In Missouri that is the law too Big D...All game animals shot must be removed from the forest...Except the feral pigs. They just want them gone...

Dimitri · Super Member Joined: Nov 25, 2005 Posts: 5946

Bushy,

So how much is a non-residents tag to go hunting in Missouri ?? I like my pork. Laughing

Dimitri

hunterjoe21 · Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 1:14 pm Post subject: Re: Air rifles

Bushmaster wrote:

In Missouri that is the law too Big D...All game animals shot must be removed from the forest...Except the feral pigs. They just want them gone...

I have some distant relatives that live outside of Springfield, maybe I should plan a trip to "catch up"....

I've always wanted to try hog hunting...

I hear they eat real good too....

In Ohio they are considered a nuisance. As such, there are no closed seasons or bag limits (along with coyote and groundhog). ODOW has asked that feral hogs be killed on-site, and that you call them to report any feral hog activities. I've just never seen one around here...

OntheLasGallinas · Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 5:51 pm Post subject: Re: Air rifles

The wild hog population originated from stock that was pasture-raised in the 1800s and early 1900s. In the mid 1900s Russian boars were imported to some of the ranches in south and central Texas to hunt. The Russian blood from these boars is evident in the current wild hog population. The hogs that had escaped the farmers and ranchers were of the Poland China breed for the most part. This is a large fat breed that was popular at the time. These were black and white spotted hogs. Currently, you can still see a paint color mixture in the wild population; however most are solid black now, due to the Russian blood, and the genetic dominance of the black color. They also have larger tusks and have larger heads and shoulders. They make an awesome game animal because they are smart and wary. They react to hunter pressure by changing their habits; if you hunt them at night, they will feed during the day, if you hunt during the day, they will feed at night. For trophys, we see a lot of boars weighing 400 to 500 pounds, sometimes larger. I don't think any part of Texas has a season on them. They are hunted year round, day or night. You can go out with a spotlight, or with dogs, or hunt them like deer.

I've got a friend that is a hog hunter (with dogs). All I have to do is give him a call any time and tell him that I need a hog and he will show up about 2 am with one or two. He almost never comes back empty handed.

Mostly, they are trapped. We have traps that we set out in the woods and bait with corn. Some ranchers build pens with a one-way door and will catch up to 10 or 20 at a time. They will haul them to the cattle auction and sell them for 50 to 100 dollars apiece. The big boars will bring better money. Mostly they go to the smaller high-fenced hunting ranches that over hunt them so they have to repopulate.

The population of wild hogs is almost to the plague stage. They eat cattle feed and tear up the feeders. They will also tear up the large round bales of hay to get the grain out of the hay. They root up the fields and leave large holes that are sometimes difficult to maneuver tractors over. They destroy corn and peanut fields, as well as most vegetable crops. I’ve had a herd show up and flatten about 5 acres of corn a night and root up freshly planted peanuts by the acre. They’ve driven me to the point of wanting to exterminate the entire population. I occasionally see a hog following the cattle herd around. My wife thinks they will kill a calf, but I believe they are after a fresh pile of calf do-do (sucking calf-milk content).

I’ve seen about 90 in a herd and heard stories of larger herds. The population is increasing. They have young faster than hunter pressure can thin them out.

I would choose to eat wild hog over any game or domestic meat, even pen raised pork. We BBQ them, mostly. I believe the flavor is enhanced from the diet of acorns, corn (from corn fields and feed), mesquite beans, prickly pear apples and other wild nuts and fruits. I rairly shoot and keep anything over 200 pounds. Even the boars are good eating up to that size.

If you ever get a chance to hunt wild hogs, I say go for it. It’s a challenge and lots of fun. If you ever get a chance to hunt hogs with dogs, be prepared, it’s a dangerous blood sport. Dogs do get hurt and sometimes killed. I suggest that you carry a large bore pistol and be aware of your surroundings. Always know where the nearest tree or climbable bush is, just in case the dogs push an angry boar your way and you need to get up off the ground. I’ve climbed a couple in my life, and I have nerves of steel. I don’t know if I was in danger, but I wasn’t taking any chances.

Cary

hunterjoe21 · Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 4:36 pm Post subject: Re: Air rifles

That seals it...

A feral hog hunt...

followed closely by a pig roast...

BUTCHER45 · Rookie Member Joined: Apr 24, 2008 Posts: 11

We HAMMERED them Oklahoma hogs!!!

All One-shot DRT's with .45 airguns. Biggest was 140lb sow. Oklahoma feral hogs have a lot of Russian characteristics. Saw some 300+ pounders there, too. Not close enough/long enough for a shot, though.

Starting with my meat-sized boar (the sow standing next to him ran-off right before the shot, the boar wasn't quick enough).

He could not possibly have gone down harder.

Jim also killed a white fallow doe suing his DAQ .457 air rifle.

whittling · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 2:17 am Post subject: Re: Air rifles

nice airgun . Ralphie would forget the daisy in a hurry even with a compass in the stock.

OntheLasGallinas · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 4:28 am Post subject: Re: Air rifles

Butcher45,

Nice job. You got some good eatin there. I'm convinced, I'm going air!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cary

BUTCHER45 · Rookie Member Joined: Apr 24, 2008 Posts: 11

OntheLasGallinas wrote:

Butcher45,

Nice job. You got some good eatin' there. I'm convinced, I'm going air!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cary

Cary you will not regret it, and it will make you feel like a kid again!

I HIGHLY suggest the double-tubed Sam Yang 909 in .45 caliber. Then send it off to BGMF Airguns (tell Leroy that Butcher sent you) and have him do his power tune. That will set you up to kill any sized deer within 50 yards, and take out meat-sized hogs with a body shot, all other hogs with a brainshot.

Carry, if you act fast and get a 909 into Leroy's hands, you are welcome to join us on our second bigbore airgun hog hunt that we are putting together for this coming Oct. We'll be doing this once or twice a year.

On my first evening sit I had to give myself the red-light on shooting, as I was not comfortable with my sight-in results. My scopes vertical adjustment wasn't working properly, and I was hitting a little high and a little to the left. At first, I was fooling myself thinking I would just wait until a hog got right at the range I was sighting in at and adjust my aim as I left camp. I felt less and less confident with that idea as I got closer and closer to my stand.
I also realized I could not recall re-filling my air after shooting my last group. So I decided it would be a no-shooting sit, and that I would try to study the hogs behavior as much as possible if I saw any.
Sure enough, over a dozen big hogs came by my stand, most being sows around 120-160lbs, with one hog being a 200+lb, piss-and-vinegar boar that demanded 6ft of personal space at all times. There was also what I believe to be a sow weighing about 250lbs in the treeline that would not come out.
I returned to camp to find I had indeed not refilled my gun with air, and it would have been a disaster had I taken a shot as it would have been pretty low in power.
I saw a hog that weighed between 300 and 350lbs on my way to a sit one day that stopped me in my tracks upon seeing it. All I could think was "please don't run my way" as it looked un-stoppable when it ran. So there are some real bruisers there.

OntheLasGallinas · Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 1:50 pm Post subject: Re: Air rifles

Butcher45,

Thanks for the hunting invite, but I've got plenty places to hunt. I'm going to start looking at all the web sites on air guns and look into your recommendation on the double-tubed Sam Yang 909 in .45 caliber. What does BGMF Airguns do to the air guns to make them shoot so much better?

Cary

BUTCHER45 · Rookie Member Joined: Apr 24, 2008 Posts: 11

OntheLasGallinas wrote:

Butcher45,

Thanks for the hunting invite, but I've got plenty places to hunt. I'm going to start looking at all the web sites on air guns and look into your recommendation on the double-tubed Sam Yang 909 in .45 caliber. What does BGMF Airguns do to the air guns to make them shoot so much better?

Cary

I think he puts a custom valve in it, and probably different springs, along with a lil' magic here and there. It brought the power of mine up to 253fpe with 205grainers and 235-245 with everything weighing 142-265 grains.

I figured you had hunting opportunities being in south Texas and all. Just an invite to meet some other bigbore airgunners.

You could always host an airgun hunt to get us down there (hint hint)!

www.bgmfairguns.com/

OntheLasGallinas · Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 2:45 pm Post subject: Re: Air rifles

Butcher,

Thanks for all the information. I'm looking into suppliers now.

As far as hunting down here, my ranch has been leased to the same bunch of hunters for over 10 years.

If I hear of any farms or ranches that are looking for hog hunters, I'll let you know.

Cary

BUTCHER45 · Rookie Member Joined: Apr 24, 2008 Posts: 11

Keep me posted on your first big-bore airgun!

One thing you will want ASAP for a 909 is the foster fitting adapter Leroy at BGMF sells for the 909. It takes the headaches out of the stock fill fittings. The original fill probe is a real pain to get a seal at times.

kitty_sniper · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:52 pm Post subject: Re: Air rifles

Does Anyone Can calculate this accuracy of grouping?
i use Canon 707 air rifle 177.cal at 15 meters 5 times Shots