Even though it is 90+ degrees with high humidity, the GA DNR felt that this week would a good time to conduct a modern weapons hog hunt on a wildlife management area in North Georgia that I like to frequent. This time of year, the hogs seem to be living on the mountain tops and had to be approached from the foot of the mountain so by the time I reached the area that I wanted to hunt, I was drenched with sweat.

I was slowly moving along the ridgeline of the high ground when I spotted something black moving in the weeds in an 11:00 direction from my position. When I see a black animal in this area it is usually a black bear and I had already seen a small one just a few minutes prior. However, this black object had a curly tail so I knew that it was a hog as it disappeared into the weeds. I popped my earplugs in and brought my Freedom Arms 83, fitted with a 45 Colt cylinder shooting 300 grain Sierras over a case full of 296, into position.

The hog reappeared at a 9:00 position from me about 30 yards away. The wind was blowing from 3:00 to 9:00; it was directly downwind. I had recently been humbled after snap shooting at a pig in Australia so on this hunt I had determined that I would take only slow, deliberate shots on hogs. Since the hog was slowly walking directly downwind from me, I knew that it was going to bolt at any second so that strategy quickly went out the window. As soon as the red dot of the Trijicon RMR touched the hog's shoulder I pulled the trigger and it took off running down the mountain.

Due to the softness of the ground, the hog was relatively easy to track by his hoofprints as he ran down the mountain. However, I could not find one drop of blood. A feeling of deja vu began to set in as I remembered the long pig chase in Australia. However, after tracking him only about 50 yards, I found the hog piled up and stone dead. He was a young boar that I estimated to weigh about 200 lbs.



After hoisting him up in a nearby tree, I skinned him and deboned the meat and packed it off of the mountain. Although it is definitely too hot to be hunting hogs in the mountains, I was very glad that I had went because this was a very fun hunt.

Way to climb back in the saddle DARRELL,.You can't let a miss get to you.Just figure out the problem and get back to it.
WELL DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very nice! Good looking pig and nice hunt.

Congrats! I can't even imagine packing him off a mountain in that kind of heat and humidity.

Good on ya, Darrell

Awesome! If the GA weather is as bad as the MS weather, that was your greats feat! But....it's great to be able to hunt at any time of the year.
Did you happen to field test a certain blade on that subject?😎

Nice one, Darrell!

Thanks gentlemen, I appreciate your comments!

Um...no. That blade is for exhibition only. When its my turn in the rotation again, let me know and we will make one for actual field use next time!

Nice work Darrell - I know that mountaintop was a long ways away from a cool shower and refreshing celebratory beverage.



Don't you worry, KRal can out an edge back on that thing after you dull it up!

You are just a killing machine, good job!

Congrats on your hunt!... enjoyed the read.

Way to go!

Nice job Darrell, especially in that heat!

pab1, Journal of a Trapper, one of the best books you'll ever read. I can look out my front window & see Sheep Point. He hunted this area often.

Dick