First Hunt
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First Hunt
I know this is the "Hunting Photos" forum, and I don't have any photos available to post, but I had my first ever hunt this past weekend. (I know - I waited WAY! too long, but I didn't even marry someone interested in hunting till 10 years ago, and life has conspired against me since then until now.)
Won a hog hunt at Inks Ranch (Oxford area) from a Friends of NRA dinner last Fall. Finally got the time last Friday to take it. Really great folks there. They treated husband and I wonderfully. Friendly, down to earth. Put us in their pickup truck and drove us around the ranch to prime areas. First stop was about 5:30. Petey (the guide), my husband, and I climbed out of the truck and quietly stalked in to the location. There were about a half dozen hogs there, with a 5 year old sow just perfectly broadside, standing pretty as you please, just like she was waiting for me. Petey whispered "Aim for the neck". I wasn't sure about whether I could hit the neck, but I braced up against a handy tree, got on target, realized yes I could hit the neck, so finger on the trigger and slowly starting to move. I started talking to myself to make sure I held steady on target. Suddenly BOOM went the rifle (first time ever that I really was 100% totally "surprised" by the shot going off), and down went the sow - shot clean thru her spine. Took me a second to realize she really was down, then I started to get excited.
Meanwhile, the other hogs scattered, though two of them went only 10 feet, then stopped to look at us. Petey whispered "Take another shot". Of course, I wasn't thinking about taking a second hog, so by the time I was back in position, they had decided it was time to run for real.
At this point, Petey indicated she wanted my husband to get a hog, too. (We all know what vermin hogs can be.) So we spent the next couple hours touring the ranch, visiting prime locations for hogs. Saw a couple BEAUTIFUL Tom turkeys, strutting for all they were worth for their dozen hens. Husband was considering "Can I take a turkey with a 308?" and Petey and Roy were debating if it was still turkey season. Before anyone came to a decision, the turkeys decided they didn't want to be around us, so no turkey that evening. But just as it was starting to get on the edge of too dark to shoot without spotting, we came onto a location and saw a hog running away. Roy slammed on the brakes and yelled to my husband "Shoot him!". It was a tough shot - 80 yards, and a moving hog, but husband dropped him like he was standing still!
Loaded husband's boar into the back of the truck along with my sow and headed back to the ranch house. They skinned, gutted, and quartered our prizes for us. I swear between the two hogs we had well over 100 lbs dressed out. We proceeded to spend the next two days butchering those two hogs. That's a lot of work, but I'm still beaming from the experience.
Now I just have to figure out the best way to preserve my trophy tusks. (They may be small, but I will have them for the rest of my life! )
LST
Won a hog hunt at Inks Ranch (Oxford area) from a Friends of NRA dinner last Fall. Finally got the time last Friday to take it. Really great folks there. They treated husband and I wonderfully. Friendly, down to earth. Put us in their pickup truck and drove us around the ranch to prime areas. First stop was about 5:30. Petey (the guide), my husband, and I climbed out of the truck and quietly stalked in to the location. There were about a half dozen hogs there, with a 5 year old sow just perfectly broadside, standing pretty as you please, just like she was waiting for me. Petey whispered "Aim for the neck". I wasn't sure about whether I could hit the neck, but I braced up against a handy tree, got on target, realized yes I could hit the neck, so finger on the trigger and slowly starting to move. I started talking to myself to make sure I held steady on target. Suddenly BOOM went the rifle (first time ever that I really was 100% totally "surprised" by the shot going off), and down went the sow - shot clean thru her spine. Took me a second to realize she really was down, then I started to get excited.
Meanwhile, the other hogs scattered, though two of them went only 10 feet, then stopped to look at us. Petey whispered "Take another shot". Of course, I wasn't thinking about taking a second hog, so by the time I was back in position, they had decided it was time to run for real.
At this point, Petey indicated she wanted my husband to get a hog, too. (We all know what vermin hogs can be.) So we spent the next couple hours touring the ranch, visiting prime locations for hogs. Saw a couple BEAUTIFUL Tom turkeys, strutting for all they were worth for their dozen hens. Husband was considering "Can I take a turkey with a 308?" and Petey and Roy were debating if it was still turkey season. Before anyone came to a decision, the turkeys decided they didn't want to be around us, so no turkey that evening. But just as it was starting to get on the edge of too dark to shoot without spotting, we came onto a location and saw a hog running away. Roy slammed on the brakes and yelled to my husband "Shoot him!". It was a tough shot - 80 yards, and a moving hog, but husband dropped him like he was standing still!
Loaded husband's boar into the back of the truck along with my sow and headed back to the ranch house. They skinned, gutted, and quartered our prizes for us. I swear between the two hogs we had well over 100 lbs dressed out. We proceeded to spend the next two days butchering those two hogs. That's a lot of work, but I'm still beaming from the experience.
Now I just have to figure out the best way to preserve my trophy tusks. (They may be small, but I will have them for the rest of my life! )
LST
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Re: First Hunt
Thanks for your interesting post and congratulations. A taxidermist should be able to tell you how to preserve them. I don't think it will be too difficult. Maybe you can make a necklace or piece of jewelry.LikesShinyThings wrote:Now I just have to figure out the best way to preserve my trophy tusks. (They may be small, but I will have them for the rest of my life! )
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Re: First Hunt
Thanks for the suggestion. Hmmm... I'm liking the idea of a necklace.WildBill wrote:Thanks for your interesting post and congratulations. A taxidermist should be able to tell you how to preserve them. I don't think it will be too difficult. Maybe you can make a necklace or piece of jewelry.LikesShinyThings wrote:Now I just have to figure out the best way to preserve my trophy tusks. (They may be small, but I will have them for the rest of my life! )
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Re: First Hunt
A lady friend of mine [American Indian] had a necklace made from a bear claw that she used to wear. She also had an identical necklace made for her husband. They both wore them every day. Their necklaces were much nicer than example that I posted, but you get the idea.LikesShinyThings wrote:Thanks for the suggestion. Hmmm... I'm liking the idea of a necklace.WildBill wrote:Thanks for your interesting post and congratulations. A taxidermist should be able to tell you how to preserve them. I don't think it will be too difficult. Maybe you can make a necklace or piece of jewelry.LikesShinyThings wrote:Now I just have to figure out the best way to preserve my trophy tusks. (They may be small, but I will have them for the rest of my life! )
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Re: First Hunt
I would have sworn there was a different picture yesterday when I took a quick look, but didn't have time to respond. I think I liked it better than the current one.WildBill wrote:A lady friend of mine [American Indian] had a necklace made from a bear claw that she used to wear. She also had an identical necklace made for her husband. They both wore them every day. Their necklaces were much nicer than example that I posted, but you get the idea.LikesShinyThings wrote:Thanks for the suggestion. Hmmm... I'm liking the idea of a necklace.WildBill wrote:Thanks for your interesting post and congratulations. A taxidermist should be able to tell you how to preserve them. I don't think it will be too difficult. Maybe you can make a necklace or piece of jewelry.LikesShinyThings wrote:Now I just have to figure out the best way to preserve my trophy tusks. (They may be small, but I will have them for the rest of my life! )
LST
Either way, they are some nice pieces of jewelry and give me some ideas. Thanks!
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Re: First Hunt
After I posted the first picture, I saw that it was a fake [plastic] bear claw.LikesShinyThings wrote:I would have sworn there was a different picture yesterday when I took a quick look, but didn't have time to respond. I think I liked it better than the current one.
Either way, they are some nice pieces of jewelry and give me some ideas. Thanks!
Here's another one I just found that I like even better:
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Re: First Hunt
That's just too funny. Changing it was probably for the best, then.WildBill wrote:After I posted the first picture, I saw that it was a fake [plastic] bear claw.
Here's another one I just found that I like even better:
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Re: First Hunt
Great story...never been a hunter myself, but I have had the urge to go bird hunting and learn how. I'm going to have to get my wife's uncle to take me out.
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Re: First Hunt
I would encourage you to try hunting. It's kind of ... I'm not sure how to describe it. Empowering? Knowing you can put food on the table? There's something about being there for all the steps from the kill to the table. I'm not into bird hunting - not that good with a shotgun, but that's my personal weakness. There are lots of folks who love it.Texas Size 11 wrote:Great story...never been a hunter myself, but I have had the urge to go bird hunting and learn how. I'm going to have to get my wife's uncle to take me out.
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Re: First Hunt
There's a lot more meat on a pig than a bird.LikesShinyThings wrote:I would encourage you to try hunting. It's kind of ... I'm not sure how to describe it. Empowering? Knowing you can put food on the table? There's something about being there for all the steps from the kill to the table. I'm not into bird hunting - not that good with a shotgun, but that's my personal weakness. There are lots of folks who love it.Texas Size 11 wrote:Great story...never been a hunter myself, but I have had the urge to go bird hunting and learn how. I'm going to have to get my wife's uncle to take me out.
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Re: First Hunt
You can't have bacon-wrapped dove breasts without both the dove and the pig, though.WildBill wrote:There's a lot more meat on a pig than a bird.LikesShinyThings wrote:I would encourage you to try hunting. It's kind of ... I'm not sure how to describe it. Empowering? Knowing you can put food on the table? There's something about being there for all the steps from the kill to the table. I'm not into bird hunting - not that good with a shotgun, but that's my personal weakness. There are lots of folks who love it.Texas Size 11 wrote:Great story...never been a hunter myself, but I have had the urge to go bird hunting and learn how. I'm going to have to get my wife's uncle to take me out.
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Re: First Hunt
I've done in the past, boil them in a water/hydrogen peroxide mix. Gets them nice and white.LikesShinyThings wrote: Now I just have to figure out the best way to preserve my trophy tusks. (They may be small, but I will have them for the rest of my life! )
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Re: First Hunt
Or you could use Crest White Strips.texasmusic wrote:I've done in the past, boil them in a water/hydrogen peroxide mix. Gets them nice and white.LikesShinyThings wrote: Now I just have to figure out the best way to preserve my trophy tusks. (They may be small, but I will have them for the rest of my life! )
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Re: First Hunt
Thanks for posting about your hunt! It sounds like you had a good time. It was great reading about your experience... it's especially nice to hear about others' success stories.
Just curious as to what you used to take your hog.
Just curious as to what you used to take your hog.
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Re: First Hunt
Styer Scout rifle (Jeff Cooper model), .308Texas10X wrote:Thanks for posting about your hunt! It sounds like you had a good time. It was great reading about your experience... it's especially nice to hear about others' success stories.
Just curious as to what you used to take your hog.
It has a great hog hunt history - three shots (during a hunt), three hogs down, each a nice clean kill. Couldn't ask for better.
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