Target of Opportunity

I was doing some work at the Texana Ranch in Hunt, TX this weekend and the ranch manager, Paul Simone Jr., and I were trying to catch a bunch of little pigs we had seen at a feeder when this guy walked out. We had parked the truck and sneaked up a hill into the area where the feeder was set up. When we could see the area well we stopped to look things over. There were 5 deer feeding about 50 yards uphill from the feeder and about the time things looked hopeless, I noticed a small buck had become very focused in the direction of the feeder. I looked back to the feeder and didn't see anything. Glassing the buck again I was certain something was up. When I looked back towards the feeder again I saw this brute coming out of the brush. I signaled Paul that a big hog was coming out and we dropped to the ground. I had a short stalk up to a tree so I could rest my shooting hand and plugged him with my 44 Mag.

He was a little farther than I would have preferred at 95 yards but I had a good rest on the side of a tree and the ranch wants the pigs shot so a good time was had by all, except for the pig. I think Paul was pretty impressed with the shot and it's the longest one I've attempted at game with open sights. The Remington 240 SJHP I've been using since last summer again performed well and dropped the pig in his tracks. He had a live weight of 154 lbs.

Impressive shooting and great looking boar! Great job Gary, thanks for sharing!

congrats! 95 yrds with an open sight, short barrel revolver is impressive shootin!

Nice shootin Tex! Just the right size for the spit.

Nope too big - inedible, but he won't be vacuuming up any more corn.

Gary, I`am glad I don`t owe you any money....Look at that bullet placement.Perfect...

Nice shooting Gary! Why is a 200lb pig too big to eat? I would think atleast the chops would be decent?

Just make sausage out of him...definitely not inedible.

Good shootin Tex!

Nice shooting!!!!

Well I'm just going on what everyone is saying about a boar that has that very nasty smell (not all of them smell bad) that you can't eat em sausage or no.

Excellent shooting, Gary. However, I am not the least bit surprised. I filmed you shooting a bull elk off-hand with a short-barrel FA revolver and you dumped him.

Not saying a bull elk is a more difficult target, (notwithstanding that ADRENALIN RUSH )

Just saying, Nice Job!

Great shot Gary!!!

It's a good day when work turns into fun!!!!

One more reason to have a sidearm when working outside.

Nice shot,love those shorties.

Very impressive!

Why is he inedible? I have shot plenty in the 200-lb range that were perfectly edible -- unless you've spent an afternoon chasing them with dogs!

Nice work, Gary!

Congrats! Very good marksmanship and nice boar!

Nice shot Gary!

Congratulations Mr. Gary!!!

The pig is nice but the FA is better… LOL

You must have had some bad experiences. I shot a 400 pound boar this Jan and he ate great!
But he didn’t stink either. Some of it actually depends on whether the “pack” has piglets or not and whether the sows are in season. FWIW

Nice shot! I don't know if I would have tried it, with open sights on a pistol. I've had domestic boar that could'nt be eaten.

I kill a ton of pigs each year. I'm between Abilene and San Angelo. I would have left him for the buzzards and other hogs as well. I've tried and tried to eat big boars, but they taste just like they smell.

Sows of any size get eaten. Boars over 50lbs are coyote bait in my book.

Fine shooting sir,

Chaos

Over 50-lbs? Why?? Like I said before, I've killed plenty in the 200-lb range that didn't stink at all and ate almost as well as any sow that I've killed.

Most boars down here after reaching 100 pounds or so will start to stink from everything I've been told by everyone I've spoken with about the subject and based on my limited experience with them. This boar was definitely in the smelly category but that red one I shot last fall in East Texas was fine. I think it's sort of dependent on the individual animal. To the point Chaos made, we shot one a few weeks ago that was about 40 pounds and he was questionable. I don't know if it's different in other parts of the country but that seems to be the way it is in Texas. Trust me I was really hoping to pull those hams and backstraps off of that pig but it was not to be.

Down here in LA --sow to about 200lbs are most always good and on boars it is a case by case issue--I have had them as large as 200 lbs be OK and then I have had small one smell very bad--I think you have to just play it by ear---

Now those west Texas Javilina--this is a whole nother level of stink

Might have something to do with what they eat in a certain area. The deer around here are good to eat. About 20 miles west of here and in the higher elevation there is alot of MT Laurel bushes. The deer like them and feed on them. The deer that eat them are terrible table fair.

Great shooting. Nothing like population management via handgun.

Very good shooting........

Great shot, Gary! As a side note, if they weigh much more than 100lbs, I leave 'em. Tried to eat one,.... once! 100 lbs and under go in the smoker.

Than “I” think you made the right decision. You can’t fix stinky... LOL

Good lick. Hunting pigs with a revolver is on my list to do.

Nice pig Gary

Ill never eat another wild pig. Ive tried several, the last one was a football sized piglet and the dog got to finish it. It must be something with the Texas pigs. Down here most are considered nuisance destructive pests and most landowners want them shot on site!

Well I've shot quite a few this summer in Central TX and the little ones we've killed are pretty tasty. We also killed several larger ones last fall over in East TX that were also good. It may well depend somewhat on what they've been eating.

Just tell me where to go Id be glad to shoot some!!!!!!!!

Hey Gary,could he be used as bait?Might get some coyotes excited!

What an animal has been eating will most certainly have a bearing on flavor

x

Very Nice!!!

That's what happens if one does a bunch of shootin at Jackrabbits and such at unknown distances. Great shootin comes with practice.