Boar hunt update

[birdshotnj]

So we headed out yesterday afternoon nice and early, since we wanted to stop by Cabela's on the way there. Spent a couple hours in Cabelas, which was pretty low stocked. They had thousands upon thousands of rounds of 7.62x39, but only about 100 boxes of steel .223 for about a dollar per round. Also, they had a limit of 10 boxes per person, but I passed on them anyway. They had absolutely 0 Magazines available for any caliber. That's right, an entire aisle just bare bones empty. Nonetheless, I made a few cool purchases. Then was off to the motel to catch some sleep. We stayed at the Blue Note Motor Inn. Not bad for the price ($55), plus it's only 7 minutes away from the boat ramp for the island. This morning we woke up nice and early and headed out. Took the boat ride to the island. It was FREEZING on the water this morning, so thank God that it's only a short ride. Get to the island, set up, and spread out like a deer drive. There were four in my hunting party plus two guides. This hunt involves a lot of walking, and at some points, the growth is very thick and challenging to walk through. About 45 minutes into the hunt, we see two giants up ahead just staring at us. My friend took one with a 12ga slug dropped him right where he stood, and my other friend took the other one (which was a freakin' tank) with a 7mm. It took him 2 well placed shots to drop this monster,who was by far one of the biggest pigs I've seen. The guides field dressed the pigs, and dragged them to the nearest shore point, where a third guide pulled up with a boat. Then we started walking again. We walked, and walked, and walked. Took about another hour and a half before we found the other pair. Again two very large pigs. My friend took his with a .308, and when the other one started running away, I hit him with the S&W 500. They dressed those two and loaded them in the boat as well. We went back to the house that's on the island where the guides cooked us lunch. While we were eating a bunch of the painted rams that inhabit the island showed up. After that, we took the boat ride back to shore,loaded up the pigs, and left. I know a lot of people don't like these types of hunts, but I had the time of my life. Everyone was super cool and friendly and really made sure we enjoyed ourselves. People complain that there's some garbage on the island, but that's only because whatever is floating in the river at high tide ends up on land at low tide. Sorry for the long post, but I know a lot of guys are looking at doing this hunt, so I wanted to give as much info as I could. I cant wait to go back again for a ram hunt!!

 

 

 

 

[Maximus]

Nice shot!

[Hatchet]

nice work :thumb_up: :beer:

[hunterbob1]

:thumb_up: I SEE Alot A knuckle's,That's Great!!!!!!!

[hammer08]

Wow that's a lot of pork! How much did they weigh?

[BHC]

congrats !!! Lots of bacon

[Hewey]

It looks like you had a nice trip! The Island is a fun hunt, You do walk for your pigs though! That is a truck bed of fine eating!

 

Part of the garbage issue on the Island is from the flooding caused during Irene. The island captured alot of debris. I have a picture of a picnic table 8 foot up in a tree. One of the Guides told me the entire island was flooded. When we got back to the shack for lunch, the Guide showed me the floodline on the wall inside the shack, it was about 5-6 foot up the wall!

 

We stay at the Blue Note Inn when we go out, Not a bad joint for the money. We hit up Bass Pro Shop in Harrisburg when we go out for a hunt. This April when we go out we are going to go to the Troegs Brewery for dinner.

[Cousin Brown]

Awesome! Sure beats buying pork in the store! Glad you had a great time. Nice pics!

[2Barrel]

Sure looks like fun to me. I'd love to go out with my ol .54 for one of those hogs.

[birdshotnj]

Thanks guys!! Hammer, my brother in laws hog weighed a little over 400 pounds, and mine was just under 400. The other two were like 325-350. These things are HUGE. They get up and with each step it feels like a mini earthquake if you're close enough to them.

[Mount247]

Great post! Can't wait to give it a go.

[Palawman30]

Im not flaming you or anything of the sort. Are they domesticated pigs that are let go? OR born wild? your initial post says boar. Are they a boar/hog cross?

[runum n gunum]

Conrats to all ,a day in the woods and a harvest dosnt get any better:thumb_up:

[birdshotnj]

Palawman, yes they are pretty much domesticated pigs. I keep saying boar hunt out of habit, but the pigs come from a few different sources, and some of them are definitely hybrid,if you google them youll see a lot of pictures of these. I was kinda hoping to get one of the more wooly/hybrid pigs they release sometimes. They release them a day or so before. They can't have them on the island for too long otherwise they'll swim off.

[Palawman30]

That's pretty cool. How much meat do you get from a 400lb hog?