Pigs with Ruger 96/44 and cast, and others...

[Fenring]

I've just got back from 10 days of pig chasing on the NSW / QLD border, with a party of six blokes and six dogs. After a few good years and high pig numbers the area is once again in drought, with this place having to destock and the vermin numbers also dropping off. Lack of ground cover and constant hunting pressure as well as the manager baiting and trapping pigs didn't see us having high hopes for good numbers.


Anyway, with four bikes on the ground and a ute load of decent pig dogs for the thick cover that remained we were confident that we would scratch up some of what was less.


The long 1100km + drive went fairly quick with some roadhouse tucker and bad coffee en route, and we kipped for a couple of hours waiting for the Brewarrinna fuel station to open. It's a funny affair - come 0700 the joint opens and for half an hour it's pandemonium with cars filling up and blokes grabbing a Big M and a pie before work - then it descends back to quietness again. :) After filling utes, bikes and Jerry cans we made the rest of the trip through increasingly dry country to the old shearing huts that were to be the CP for the duration.


Our first hunt that arvo took us a few paddocks away and one of the boys put up a decent boar from a tree thicket, which fell to his .44 Mag Marlin.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/Fenring/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020951_zpscb0d111b.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fenring/media/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020951_zpscb0d111b.jpg.html)


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/Fenring/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020950_zps12e805e9.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fenring/media/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020950_zps12e805e9.jpg.html)


The dog team encountered some mob pigs crossing a track from a water trough and bagged three or four and then I put a pair up which ran into another thicket and were also caught by the dogs. So not a bad first day.


We have areas we always hunt on this big joint (about 150,000 acres) so the rest of the trip consisted of checking those areas and cruising the scrub hoping to find pigs on the hoof or flush them from cover.


What we found was that the pigs were sitting very, very tight - often a pig or pigs would burst out from under bike's front wheels or the dogs would catch multiple pigs in small patches of lignum.


I put this bloke up from in some buffle grass in a thicket, I reckon I must have ran his tail over I was that close when he jumped up. A chase in and out of cover saw him pull up under a tree and fall to a 315gr Lee cast fat nose from my Ruger 96/44.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/Fenring/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020955_zps81316a59.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fenring/media/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020955_zps81316a59.jpg.html)




I took my newly birthed Mosin-Scout afield a couple of times, and shot a couple of pigs using the 180gr Highland SP's I managed to source. Handy enough but not as fast as the little Ruger.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/Fenring/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020963_zps60d883a8.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fenring/media/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020963_zps60d883a8.jpg.html)


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/Fenring/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020962_zpsbccc9a39.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fenring/media/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020962_zpsbccc9a39.jpg.html)

[Fenring]

The constant dry had left the paddocks with many sinkholes with ranged from little divets to "Oh farrrrrk!" size while on the bike. :) Old mate he dodged one and planted in another at low speed.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/Fenring/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020968_zps9505b809.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fenring/media/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020968_zps9505b809.jpg.html)


Three of the bikes and guns - my Zook DR100, Yammy TT250 and 1894SS .44, Yammy AG200 and Marlin 336 .30/30. Somehow this simple gear works....


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/Fenring/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020978_zps5d656a8e.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fenring/media/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020978_zps5d656a8e.jpg.html)


Exploring an old derelict homestead. No Xenomorph eggs or face huggers within.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/Fenring/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020959_zps6a0df6d6.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fenring/media/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020959_zps6a0df6d6.jpg.html)

[Fenring]

We enjoyed warm days of around 22, and generally cold nights. Everyone's favourite time - root time! :D


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/Fenring/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020973_zps01cb132a.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fenring/media/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020973_zps01cb132a.jpg.html)


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/Fenring/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020975_zpsd5ff9609.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fenring/media/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020975_zpsd5ff9609.jpg.html)




One evening and overnight we had about 5mm of rain which turned the grey dust to paste and even at lunch time the next day we were still mud clogging on the bikes and got nothing that day.


The dog team did well, being a mix of mastiff crosses and a couple of smaller staghounds. This old fighting boar with scarred neck and ears tried to sneak out of a gum cowl but was rounded up by the hounds.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/Fenring/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020961_zpsab9c13cf.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fenring/media/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020961_zpsab9c13cf.jpg.html)


Tired team.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/Fenring/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020972_zps9184bcbc.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fenring/media/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020972_zps9184bcbc.jpg.html)


A boar I encountered galloping along in the open, who led me on a circuitous chase before backing up under a tree to stare down the .44 barrel. :D


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/Fenring/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020969_zps3122069f.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fenring/media/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020969_zps3122069f.jpg.html)


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/Fenring/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020970_zps1593d197.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fenring/media/Shooting/Gpigs2014/P1020970_zps1593d197.jpg.html)


I didn't recover any pills this time, none of the pigs I shot were man enough to stop the big 315gr Lee bullets at 1500fps and I didn't shoot any Devastators this trip. I had intended to carry my .223 and shoot some pigs with the .22 ACP pills but the nature of the hunting just didn't suit that rifle this time and my 6.5 Swede sat locked away the whole time as well. I shot some cats around camp with the .223 but foxes were thin, a pro fox shooter scoping the joint out most nights before lambing time.


All in all a good trip, the "two fat ladies" in the title referring to the final tally of 88 pigs which was good given the dry conditions.


I have some Replay XD footage, that's going to take a while to edit however.

[Southern Son]

That country looks suspiciously like Goodooga/Hebel kind of area. Love that mellon hole land. The Goodooga Pistol club land was so bad I stopped shooting my 1911 cause all the cases disappeared into mellon holes and giant cracks in the ground. I twisted my ankle so many times just changing targets it would drive you nuts.

Nice Pigs, by the way.

[Bullshop]

EXCELLENT!!! Sounds like a wonderful trip.
I am curious about something. In two of the pics that show the Marlin 44 mag the rifle looks like a model 336 not an 1894. They did make a few 44 mags on the 336 model so I am just curious is it a model 336?
Both pics show the left side of the receiver so I cant tell for sue from the pics.

[Fenring]

That country looks suspiciously like Goodooga/Hebel kind of area. Love that mellon hole land. The Goodooga Pistol club land was so bad I stopped shooting my 1911 cause all the cases disappeared into mellon holes and giant cracks in the ground. I twisted my ankle so many times just changing targets it would drive you nuts.

Nice Pigs, by the way.


You have a sharp eye! :)



EXCELLENT!!! Sounds like a wonderful trip.
I am curious about something. In two of the pics that show the Marlin 44 mag the rifle looks like a model 336 not an 1894. They did make a few 44 mags on the 336 model so I am just curious is it a model 336?
Both pics show the left side of the receiver so I cant tell for sue from the pics.


There's an 1894SS .44 and a 336 .30/30, blued. Cheers.

[Djones]

Ten days you will look back on forever. What a great story and hunt! Those pigs sure do have some serious teeth.

[Southern Son]

I lived in Goodooga for a bit over a year (1996). I still miss that area. If it wasn't for the fact that the boss I reported to was one of the biggest arses I have ever met, I might well have stayed. There were so many places to hunt (in fact, I only had two farmers knock me back on shooting on their land). So many really great fellers on the farms and so many pigs. One farmer even offered to buy the ammunition for me to shoot pigs on his land he was so snowed under. The pigs got really bad up there after the bloke who was running the chiller did something wrong (don't know what) and they stopped letting him buy the pigs. When they were no longer worth money, none of the professional hunters were intersested in pigs and they all turned to the roos.

[JeffinNZ]

Most excellent post. Love the Mosin with the red dot.

[Tom_in_AZ]

Great story and awesome pictures! Thanks for sharing!

[Cornbread]

Can you guys eat the pigs there or are they disease ridden and you can only shoot them as pests?

[TXGunNut]

Good hunt, good pigs, good pics and a story well told. Thanks for sharing, nicely done!

[Fenring]

Can you guys eat the pigs there or are they disease ridden and you can only shoot them as pests?


They are edible.

[lbaize3]

Wow! Wonderful post! Brought back memories of younger days and hog hunting in the Southeast Texas piney woods.

[Cornbread]

They are edible.

Very cool, that looks like a great deal of BBQ waiting to happen. When I was down there many years ago I was told there are places you can't eat the pigs. I wasn't sure if that was true or not because the guy telling me was honestly pretty lit on whatever was on tap that night. I was up near Darwin. Pretty country up there and I'd love to go back some day and hunt it.

[jmsj]

Fenring,
Thanks again for posting your hunts.
Good friends+good dogs+ good guns= GOOD TIMES!

[.45Cole]

Long live the TT! I tear up the San Juans in an '87 TT350 and it hauls my 220lb frame around with ease.
109279

[Gibbs44]

Awesome story and pictures. I imagine you all had a great time. Thanks for sharing.

[Stephen Cohen]

Great story and pics, was a bit gob smacked with the words in post three, till I worked out what you meant, hell 6 guys and 6 dogs if you can see what I mean lol.

[44man]

Great story, great hunt! Can't beat the .44! Can't beat the big Lee boolit!

[kbstenberg]

Was there a reason for blacking out the face on the one picture?

[milsurpcollector1970]

I would guess it has something to do with the fact that this is a public forum and there may be hostility in AU toward people who own firearms and hunt.

I personally don't want anyone to know I own guns before I get to know them a little bit and feel them out. I keep them all in a safe but if the wrong person find out you might come home to a burglarized house

[Blanco]

Nice set of cutters on that last one.
On my father in laws deer lease (Central Texas) he has a bit of a hog issue. Last year we shot a mess of young pigs that I marinated and slow smoked. Fantastic BBQ. Once they top 100 Lb. they stink so bad not even the buzzards will have em.

[Fenring]

I personally don't want anyone to know I own guns before I get to know them a little bit and feel them out. I keep them all in a safe but if the wrong person find out you might come home to a burglarized house

Pretty much.

And I've found my image on other sites, without my consent.

[barrabruce]

Poor dogs looked all plumb tuckered out for sure.

Personally If I was to jump on one of those 2 wheeled contraptions again I'd take the aggy over anything.

Comfortable and low enough for the foot work and comfee sprung for poking around on.

Nice trip you had there.
Some nice fangs also.

[JFE]

Nice one Fen. Sounds like a good trip away.

[Blood Trail]

Good job on the pigs! In Texas, they're everywhere.

[Artful]

Nice post about a nice hunt - thanks for sharing.

I like your scout - interesting that you still favor the ruger over it.

[Fenring]

Thanks guys.

Artful - the Ruger is lighter, shorter and faster into play and with repeat shots.