Hog Hunt at Shiloh Ranch, Oklahoma

[smj]

Went with 5 others, mostly from the Gamelines Archery Club, to visit the Shiloh Ranch over in Oklahoma - to go hunt pigs! The first afternoon it was warm and blue sky's... After that, it was 40 degrees and never ending rain. Still, we did rather good over all. I think we brought home 10 pigs all together, I shot two arrows and brought home 2 pigs.

The drought has been rough on the pigs, they are not as large as they have been in past years. Mine were the smaller of our group, 63 and 84 pounds, but the typical hog was around 100 pounds. The biggest was something like in the 160's or 180's.

I used Nap Nightmares and Slick Trick broadheads, 3 blade and 4 blade. One pig each, neither went more than 40 yards. Looked like there would have been a great blood trail from both - but the rain made that less than it should have been. Arrows around 450 grains, 60 pound draw weight.

That's the quick story!

My first pig:


My second pig:


Kevins pig, the biggest one:


And here is a look at the weather..

[ghost]

Congrats on the pigs.

In states where hogs are destroying the forest and crop lands they would love for a drought to slow they down.

They are invading Illinois and the DNR is asking hunters to take then out. They are two counties south of me and the local farms are not happy.

Ghost

[smj]

We had pigs coming in to Colorado, south east part of the state. I am told that a couple years back we one of our better winters where the temps dropped a bit... I remember that one... It seems the piggies didn't like it very much. I don't know if they froze, or packed their bags, but they be gone. Or so I have been told. There may still be a few around trying to make a go of it!

[BT]

I talked with them years ago (the owners) great people IMO.
Wish we could have made the trip with you

Those pgs look good to me
Were you using the new or the original Nightmares?.

The feeder area looks poor (wet) ... is the ground very sandy there?.

[smj]

I was shooting the original Nightmares. So far, this has been a solid head for me. I believe that both heads would have given great blood trails, but with all the water falling out of the sky, it was a bit hard to tell. More like a trail of large pink spots. Same result for both hogs, about 40 yards. I watched both of them drop. The ground is not big on sand, more of a clay. The roads have some sand and gravel, but that's about it. Made for great walking... Of course, if you can see them drop, you don't have much to track down!

The anatomy of pigs is rather interesting. The kill shot is very small, just putting an arrow through the ribs won't take a pig. My first pig, I shot in a very good spot - below the center line of the body, above the front leg, from a ground level blind. However, the pig turned as the arrow arrived, so I hit the pig great on the front but a bit back on the far side. Still through the ribs on the far side... But when I went to drag it out, I noticed a huge hole on that far side, through the ribs, with guts hanging out. What??? Yeah, seems strange to see guts come out through the ribs... And the shot was not back at the end of the ribs either. More like mid ribs. Both pigs had huge holes through them. Great broadheads! I shot one each for practice before heading out... The second cut fletch off the first. Both really fly!

A pig hunt could be a great first hunt, at least at Shiloh it would be! Two can fit in a blind, and some stands allow for two as well. Lots of pigs, close shots. Next time I go, I will take the longbow for sure. I have silver flames and Alaska heads that I really want to try... I might see if I can get them out during elk season yet this year. Just a question of shooting time versus working time.

[smj]

By the way... I never thought of pigs swimming. They do. And they do so very well ! I had a nice oreo pig at under 20 yards after a great stalk. The river meanders through the bottom lands of the property, and this pig was caught out on what amounted to a penninsula. The drop was about 5 feet to the water, and I was on the land side. I leaned out from a tree between us, had him broadside, arrow on, full draw... That pig did a swan dive off the bank and came up swimming! It would have scored at least an 8 out of 10. Almost no splash. Chugged to the other side of the river and climbed a 60 degree pure mud bank probably 15 to 20 feet high. I was stunned. For what ever reason, I didn't expect them to swim and climb like that! What held up my shot was that I didn't think I could get my arrow back, without a swim and wallow in the mud, and that moment I waited, the pig dove for it...

[smj]

In the second pig pic, you can see the hole from the slick trick. It looks on the edge of being high, but the shot was from an elevated stand. So the path through the pig was downward and forward at a good angle from the point of entry. Perfect! That will drop a pig every single time.

[BT]

Sounds great

I have often said that IMO a pig is closer to a bears anatomy and a bear is pretty far forward, if not similar to what you hear referencing African game animals. Sure it is up front like everything else but further up to be specific. I did have some graphs on this site at one time.

Last year I shot a hog in lower Ohio with the compound and with two arrows right up front, I missed everything. one arrow below the lungs and the other one behind. This was a first for me and I was very taken back by the whole deal.
I ended up getting it with one arrow through the femoral (my only shot after the first two) when it stopped long enough for me to get my last shot off.
They are tough customers! ;D

Massai head... wasn't that the one from Alaska Bowhutning supply?. I would like to hear your thoughts on that head when you do get a chance to connect with it

[Doegirl]

Apr 19, 2013 23:22:03 GMT -5 BT said:

Sounds great

I have often said that IMO a pig is closer to a bears anatomy and a bear is pretty far forward, if not similar to what you hear referencing African game animals. Sure it is up front like everything else but further up to be specific. I did have some graphs on this site at one time.

Last year I shot a hog in lower Ohio with the compound and with two arrows right up front, I missed everything. one arrow below the lungs and the other one behind. This was a first for me and I was very taken back by the whole deal.
I ended up getting it with one arrow through the femoral (my only shot after the first two) when it stopped long enough for me to get my last shot off.
They are tough customers! ;D

Yup, I initially hit that pig slight quartering towards me at 27yds. Looked like a good hit and it would have been-on a deer. Turned out I missed practically everything vital. That pig was very much alived until you stuck it 3 more times with Spitfires.

[BT]

Apr 20, 2013 0:13:19 GMT -5 Doegirl said:

Apr 19, 2013 23:22:03 GMT -5 BT said:

Sounds great

I have often said that IMO a pig is closer to a bears anatomy and a bear is pretty far forward, if not similar to what you hear referencing African game animals. Sure it is up front like everything else but further up to be specific. I did have some graphs on this site at one time.

Last year I shot a hog in lower Ohio with the compound and with two arrows right up front, I missed everything. one arrow below the lungs and the other one behind. This was a first for me and I was very taken back by the whole deal.
I ended up getting it with one arrow through the femoral (my only shot after the first two) when it stopped long enough for me to get my last shot off.
They are tough customers! ;D

Yup, I initially hit that pig slight quartering towards me at 27yds. Looked like a good hit and it would have been-on a deer. Turned out I missed practically everything vital. That pig was very much alived until you stuck it 3 more times with Spitfires.

Lets not ever do that again! ;D