If Looks Could Kill (aka The Unsuccessful Hog-Hunting Trip)

On Saturday, my friend Jason Peterson and I went to try to reduce the population of one of Texas' biggest vermin problems: feral hogs. They have torn up the fences all over this family-owned ranch in the southern portion of Brown County. I have only hunted this ranch twice, both in December, and both times I saw hogs. The first time I took a decent 225lb boar. Hogs make very good sausage, and I still have 30+ pounds from that one.

We actually went out on Friday night and put out bait in three locations. We used fermented maize, spoiled deer corn, and some cranberry-smelling syrup called PigOut. We did everything you are supposed to do, following all of the pig hunting recommendations.

We came back on Saturday with visions of Hogzilla dancing in our heads, but did not see a thing. We buried our bait in known pig feeding area, we used all the right baits, and still nothing. However, we did look the part. Jason was feeling exceptionally surly, believing that he might actually have to change clips on his AR-10. That would have meant firing 20 shots before reloading. We did not fire a single round.

There is more to hunting than finding, and I still count the day as a success. We walked miles through wildflowers on one of the nicest spring days I can remember. The rain has been plentiful this spring and you can see its results everywhere.