VaBoy
04-12-2008, 08:47 PM
With it calling for temps. in the upper 70's I headed for my favorite hog farm. It's been in our family for I don't know how many generations and is now run by my cousin. Not being as confident in small caliber as some on the board I carried 3 guns. My .17 Fireball for 200 yards and less, My .220 Swift for out to 500 yards and my fast twist 6/284 for anything longer. I got to the farm about 1:30. I would have liked to be there earlier but I had 6/284 bullets to load. The first 30 acre field of 1000 offered up 2 hogs 1 of which I hit and the other I missed. Both were under 100 yards so My Fireball did the work. Not knowing why I missed I took a quick break to make sure the scope was on. It was so it must have been me. Next field gave me 2 more. They too were under 200 yards so the Fireball again had the honors. Then I saw 2 more in that field but both were sitting where I couldn't shoot without the chance of killing someone in the next State. They both got a pass. I moved to the next field and spotted one at 350 yards. Time for the Swift. One shot, one kill. On my way to pick him up another pops out. Under 200 yards so again the Fireball comes out and both groundhos die without a move. So Now I've seen 8 and killed 6 and it's only been 1-1/2 hours. of hunting. I figured it doesn't get much better so I called it quits. Didn't want to rid the farm of all my breeding stock. By the way all 6 were males. I head back to the farm house to BS with Cous for a while. At about 5:30 I said good-by and headed for home. But first I needed to stop get rid of the groundhogs and take a few pictures. I pull into a field I never hunt. It was always good when I was a kid but never seemed to hold any hogs the last few years. As I pull through the gate a big old hog runs for it's den. I uncase the Fireball and as I'm setting up a second hog comes up 100 yards closer. I shot the closest one and the other just sits there. Reload and whack him too. So all in all I think I saw 10 and killed 8 of them. The last 2 were females. Oh well can't win them all.
http://photos.imageevent.com/vaboy/08varmints/websize/P1020999.JPG
http://photos.imageevent.com/vaboy/08varmints/websize/P1020999.JPG