Pics HUNTING PHOTOS THREAD

[2muchsoysauce4allthisrice]

A Pronghorn antelope taken at 200 yards with a .270 WSM

https://imgur.com/ubvLl1i

https://imgur.com/VzM8l2h

Nice! How’s the meat texture and taste for pronghorn compared to deer?

 

[EL Pistolero]

What is that? Kind of blurry?

 

[EBR Works]

Nice! How’s the meat texture and taste for pronghorn compared to deer?

On par with Elk. Incredibly delicious!

 

[Call_me_Tom]

Unfortunately I don’t. Why military installation compared to someone’s personal private land?

If you have access to private lands go for it. I didn’t know that you did which is why I suggested military installations.

I hear their ducks are raised by them?

I don’t believe they raise animals there. I do know that they buy birds from a breeder but I don’t know the details. There’re a lot of wild waterfowl that move through CHHP seasonally.

 

[EL Pistolero]

What is that? Kind of blurry?

It was a gopher. As much as I would like to go hunting...I've never ever gone. This is the extent of my/our hunting experience, my pups enjoy it and I enjoy watching them have fun. It's nothing compared to all the cool stories and pictures I see from real hunters, but I thought I'd share it lol

 

[2muchsoysauce4allthisrice]

If you have access to private lands go for it. I didn’t know that you did which is why I suggested military installations.

I don’t believe they raise animals there. I do know that they buy birds from a breeder but I don’t know the details. There’re a lot of wild waterfowl that move through CHHP seasonally.

No, I don’t have access to private lands. I’m asking why military installations are better for pig hunting compared to someone else’s private land?

 

[2muchsoysauce4allthisrice]

It was a gopher. As much as I would like to go hunting...I've never ever gone. This is the extent of my/our hunting experience, my pups enjoy it and I enjoy watching them have fun. It's nothing compared to all the cool stories and pictures I see from real hunters, but I thought I'd share it lol

Haha. That’s funny. Well, hey, good training for your pups! Starting them off young!

 

[EL Pistolero]

Thank you for letting me crash your thread with some silliness...much appreciated.

 

[2muchsoysauce4allthisrice]

Thank you for letting me crash your thread with some silliness...much appreciated.

It’s all good. This is a hunters lounging area. We can campfire talk, coffee talk, banter, and BS; all that we want.

 

[EL Pistolero]

Awesome! Looking forward to more stories and pictures.

 

[BobGBA]

A long time ago, we had an annual chili cookoff in our department a work.
It was judged by the Directors and the VP.
My buddy and I viewed this as the one day a year that we could try and get even with them, so we always competed for the hottest chili award.

One year, one of my roommates said I could use up whatever game was in the freezer.
So we made it with venison, antelope and maybe even some bear (without telling more than a few close friends at work).

As the cookoff was almost over, somebody leaked the secret ingredients out.
A few women were asking us "how can you put Bambi in the chili, without telling us?"

Our reply was simply, "you didn't ask."

 

[BigBossman]

Awesome! Looking forward to more stories and pictures.

Well - since you asked...... This trip occurred a year ago March, down in Laredo Texas.

A pig and two javelina were taken with a Winchester Model 70….. but the Big Boy (whose picture I already posted up-thread) was taken with a circa 1910 Winchester 94 chambered in 25-35.

The ranch I hunted is a private world class Whitetail hunting enterprise, and while there I saw the most magnificent bucks I have ever seen in my life. It was by invitation, a good friend’s friend knows the rancher, and I was fortunate to be included on the adventure (please don’t ask, they don’t offer pig hunts to the public). The plan was to arrive on Thursday hunt on Friday and Saturday, but on the way in Thursday the ranch hand called my contact and asked if we wanted to hunt Thursday afternoon. So, we started a little early.

Unfortunately, the ranch hands explained that they had not seen any boar in a while, but the Javelina were plentiful. I was a bit disappointed hearing this after the long drive, as I had hoped to fill the freezer with pig meat.

Thursday, Day 1 – we got to the ranch at about 3pm and it was hot, about 100 degrees or so. We drove around for a bit to get the lay of the land, and I had my first opportunity fairly soon. We came across a lone Javelina boar snuffling around in the middle of the road, and since he presented a stationary broadside at about 220 yards, I sat down cross-legged in the dirt and took him with my Winchester Model 70 .308. Easy-peasy, and all signs pointed to having a good hunt. In total, our group of four took 3 Javelina that day.

Friday, Day 2 – When we woke up in the morning, we discovered that the weather had changed drastically. It was windy with gusts up to 30mph, and about 40 degrees or so. We got to the ranch and were told that the Javelina did not like wind, and so would likely stay bedded down in the thick impenetrable cactus and thorn thickets. Sure enough, over the course of the day we slowly covered over 80 miles of dirt road without seeing a single animal. Towards sundown the wind calmed down a bit, and some Javelinas came out. I didn’t get my second one, but two other folks tagged out. I was speculating early in the day that the temperature drop might bring the pigs out and sure enough two sows were taken that were foraging out in the evening.

Saturday, Day 3 – This was to be my lucky day. On the way in, we spotted a big boar in the middle of the road. I got out of the truck and tried to put a stalk on him, but he busted me and melted into the brush. Disappointed, we went looking for some Javelina but it was still windy and cold, so they weren’t showing themselves. After about an hour I speculated that the boar might have returned to the spot where we had seen him, so we went to look. Sure enough there he was, in the exact same spot. At 217 yards, I leveled the .308 and took him with a shot through the lungs. Shortly thereafter, we got a call from the other hunters saying they had tagged out on Javelina, and that the Javelina group they were shooting at was still hanging around and darting in and out of the road from the brush line. We high-tailed it over there, and I was soon presented with a short yardage shot at a big sow. I was now tagged out on Javelina, and had one nice pig to my credit.

And now for the 1894 25-35 bit:

Driving in to a grassy area, we surprised a big boar on the fence line at about 100 yards. This time I had the Winchester 25-35 lever gun in my hands, and was itching to see what it would do. I dismounted the truck, just as the pig saw us. Instead of running away though, he started trotting right towards me swinging his head side to side as if to do battle. At about 50 yards he quartered a bit to my left and I took my shot. He grunted, dropped in his tracks, kicked a bit, and then expired. Up close, he was huge. It took three of us to get him lifted onto the trailer hitch carrier. We had no scale handy, but he was well over 200 pounds.. probably close to 300. The autopsy revealed that 25-35 performed admirably, going through the rear of the scapula and taking out both lungs as it crossed through the thoracic cavity. The jacket shed on the obverse of the rib cage, and the lead core never exited the animal after it passed through the lungs and embedded itself on the far side ribs.

When we opened this pig up, we were amazed at the amount of fat and meat on him….. he had obviously found a corn feeder or some other honey-hole that he was feeding at, as he was loaded with fat, marbled meat.

So – that was my trip. I’m home, and the meat is in the freezer. A few pics now for your enjoyment. check out the ribs I go from the beast.

 

[BigBossman]

Unfortunately I don’t. Why military installation compared to someone’s personal private land?

Given the choice, I'd always opt for private land. Military bases would my second choice, and public land dead last. A Military base is technically "public land", but you need to jump through a few administrative hoops to get on. Some require that you be military or military retired, but some allow civilians - Fort Hunter Liggett is a prime example.

If you are within driving distance of Liggett, I highly recommend you check it out. It is very worthwhile to go through the process and hunt on the base. When I lived in CA, I did very well there.

 

[2muchsoysauce4allthisrice]

On par with Elk. Incredibly delicious!

Looks delicious; presentation is very nice too.

 

[BigBossman]

On par with Elk. Incredibly delicious!

I remember when I first drew a Pronghorn tag, I was so excited. I told a fellow I knew that I was going after one, and he said that it would be fun but that after I tasted one I would never go again. Wow, was he ever wrong. So mild, so tender, so flavorful. I've shot several since then, and all have been nothing but delicious. You do have to get them gutted and out of the field fast, though. My only complaint? You don't get a heck of a lot of meat out of them - maybe 40 pounds or so.

One year, for my birthday, my daughter made Beef Wellington with both Pronghorn and elk backstrap. Both were equally delicious!

 

[BobGBA]

Saw these antelope in southern California 4 years ago.

 

[Call_me_Tom]

No, I don’t have access to private lands. I’m asking why military installations are better for pig hunting compared to someone else’s private land?

I never said that military installations are better than private land.

 

[PoorRichRichard]

Opening Sunday. The hen and the 2 ringnecks were a jumpshot triple. Local hush-hush spot. More to come…

 

[sicks]

Interested in hunting upcoming season and located in LA. Been doing research over the past month or so and it seems that folks limited to public land have significantly low chances of success - most YT vids I’ve seen posting about public hunts mention access to private. Is there anyone here that ONLY hunts CA public that can share experience?

 

[PoorRichRichard]

Par of Gaddys in November. Same spot.