OK I almost shit myself

I went out for a hunt again tonight to the usual spot where I have been picking off a couple of pigs.

So I started heading to my spot, I had to take a wide birth as there was a screaming wind up my arse.

I was cutting across to my hunting spot and looked way up ahead to where the game normally is and way in the distance I see mother pig eyeballing me from like 750 plus meters away (shits shes a big bitch).

I tore off up the hill and down the fence line to where I park up then I took a look, nothing about so I seatled in.

An hour or so later a couple of yearling deer came running along the fence line but they wern't hanging around, with the wind swirling around and mostly coming from behind I decided to move on.

I walked for a few km's and through some high shrub which had me concerned because I know there are pigs about.

I come out of the long stuff now with spotlight attached and I walk across a field, as I get to the edge I see a clump of long thistles and I noticed the tallest one was moving quite a lot. I thought to myself there isn't that much wind but its moving too much for it to be a rabbit so it must be a pig.

I looked through the scope and I could just make out what looked to be a pig rooting around in the middle of this clump of stuff.

I waited and then I got a clear look at the pig so I lined up and I was just about ready to sqeeze off the shot when I heard a loud grunt to my right as loud as a deep throated V8, well I reckon I leapt 2 foot in the air and spun around to see pigs running to my right and to my left but not mum.

After regaining my composure I linned up one of the pigs to my right and dropped it on the run approx 8 meters away.

They were running flat tack, sqealing and onking as they went but I was mainly concerned mother pig could be waiting in the shadows ready to strike.

It was pitch black so I whipped the back legs off the pig I shot then got out of there. If I was to be honest I am shit scared of pigs especially in the dark.

Anyway mother pig out smarted me again but I did manage to pick off another one of the pack and a couple of nice wee roasts for my trouble so not a bad night out.

I suppose feral hogs are one of the few terrestrial animals in new zealand that could be dangerous to people, the other ones being feral cattle from what ive read.
Sounds like a good night despite the scare. Seeing animals and getting some meat is a good time.

While mother pig may have been eyeballing you from 750 plus metres away, my guess is that she couldn’t see shit past 100 metres. Her sense of smell and her hearing are an entirely different ball game. And yes Jessica, feral pigs are dangerous and given the opportunity, they would no doubt become man eaters as well.

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Originally Posted by JessicaChen

I suppose feral hogs are one of the few terrestrial animals in new zealand that could be dangerous to people, the other ones being feral cattle from what ive read.
Sounds like a good night despite the scare. Seeing animals and getting some meat is a good time.

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Hi @JessicaChen I am a bit fearful of pigs because I have heard of a few big bores goring people and this mother pig which I have encounted on a few occasions now puts the shits up me. The fact it was so dark last night just added to it.
The farmer where I hunt got chased by a mob of pigs across a paddock one evening and he told me he feared for his life.

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Originally Posted by Rushy

While mother pig may have been eyeballing you from 750 plus metres away, my guess is that she couldn’t see shit past 100 metres. Her sense of smell and her hearing are an entirely different ball game. And yes Jessica, feral pigs are dangerous and given the opportunity, they would no doubt become man eaters as well.

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Hi @Rushy yeah I am not sure what the go is with this mother pig because no matter how I try to approach and from what dirrection or distance this bloody pig seems to get onto me and it has a habbit of looking right at me.

First night I saw this thing it was 180 meters away and I was in behind a cmmo net, I waited until she had her back to me before I moved to take a shot but she instantly turned and looked right at me so I kept still believing she woulding be able to see me and that hearing and smell would be her only good sensers yet off she went.

Last time out 200 meters away and she was out in the paddock, I stayed still behind cammo net this time from another dirrection with a side wind but she ran through the fence before turning to face me peering through long grass then called her young but now oldish young to come and off she went.

After this last hunt where she seemed to be looking right at me 750 meters away I am starting to think this pig is something out of the ordinary.

I will say the wind was up my arse at the time the pig was looking my way but I had hoped being that far may have been ok while I crossed the wind to get to my spot.

I guess it is possible the pig winded me and was just looking in my direction and couldn't see me however it always seems to be looking right at me and with it huge size make a man feel a bit uneasy.

Pick a still evening and go out to your spot earlier. Line up on where you think she will come out and hunker down until she does. Your brain is more than seven times the size of hers. Use it to outsmart that bad girl.

Sows can be as aggressive as boars they only lack the tusks but can still bite. Close in their speed is amazing and like a cannon ball take your legs out spin and give you a good seeing to.
You are wise to be wary.

This notion of pigs stalking/attacking/charging hunters is absolute bloody Walt Disney Hog Wash.What do you base your beliefs on?It's nothing more than a wives tale.Having run pig dogs for 35years I recon I've got a reasonable understanding of Sus Scrofa. Like every other introduced mammal into NZ,their strong natural reaction to a human threat is to get the hell out of it.Hence their acute hearing and smell defence.Although they,re not as leggy as a donk,they can still turn and burn at pace once the dreaded human threat is detected.Granted like many other mammals if cornered by you,with no line of escape, they will change from the default flight to fight mode but only because you have brought this situation about.Suckling sows with a strong maternal instinct will occasionally return to a squealing weaner if you have your mitts on it,but generally she,ll play the odds game and scarpper with the balance of the litter.Similarly bailed,cornered Boars with no other option will temporarily stand and fight to save it's skin as a result of the situation responsible by you again.Once shacken of the bail they will once again take to their heels as their natural flight mode.Funny thing is all these yarns about stalking pigs is that they are invariably HUGE which to me says to me a bit about the victim.

I've shot lots of pigs and never been chased, although I have had a sow break bail and come at me mouth open and grab my gumboot.
It is only where dogs are involved that pigs have to been feared. Bail break Boars do attack people and there are plenty of stories of people getting rips and slashes on their legs.
Shooting pigs with no dogs - stalk and shoot I would have no fear, just yell a couple of times if you think there is one hiding in the dark, most likely it is more frightened than you.
The only complication is the release of pigs with Euro genes and the Pakistan wild pigs ( Canterbury Blues )

Sows with young ones can be a lot more aggressive than boars. Pigs are also supposed to have one of the worst bites because they grind and crush and break bones.

have had a mate chased off Rabbit hill up at Lake Lyndon by a mother sow when he inadvertently got between her and her piglets, Sows can definitely be aggressive when protecting a litter. Agree unless you startle and corner a pig they are unlikely to hang about if they know you are about.

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Originally Posted by bluebaiter222

This notion of pigs stalking/attacking/charging hunters is absolute bloody Walt Disney Hog Wash.What do you base your beliefs on?It's nothing more than a wives tale.Having run pig dogs for 35years I recon I've got a reasonable understanding of Sus Scrofa. Like every other introduced mammal into NZ,their strong natural reaction to a human threat is to get the hell out of it.Hence their acute hearing and smell defence.Although they,re not as leggy as a donk,they can still turn and burn at pace once the dreaded human threat is detected.Granted like many other mammals if cornered by you,with no line of escape, they will change from the default flight to fight mode but only because you have brought this situation about.Suckling sows with a strong maternal instinct will occasionally return to a squealing weaner if you have your mitts on it,but generally she,ll play the odds game and scarpper with the balance of the litter.Similarly bailed,cornered Boars with no other option will temporarily stand and fight to save it's skin as a result of the situation responsible by you again.Once shacken of the bail they will once again take to their heels as their natural flight mode.Funny thing is all these yarns about stalking pigs is that they are invariably HUGE which to me says to me a bit about the victim.

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This

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Originally Posted by bluebaiter222

This notion of pigs stalking/attacking/charging hunters is absolute bloody Walt Disney Hog Wash.What do you base your beliefs on?It's nothing more than a wives tale.Having run pig dogs for 35years I recon I've got a reasonable understanding of Sus Scrofa. Like every other introduced mammal into NZ,their strong natural reaction to a human threat is to get the hell out of it.Hence their acute hearing and smell defence.Although they,re not as leggy as a donk,they can still turn and burn at pace once the dreaded human threat is detected.Granted like many other mammals if cornered by you,with no line of escape, they will change from the default flight to fight mode but only because you have brought this situation about.Suckling sows with a strong maternal instinct will occasionally return to a squealing weaner if you have your mitts on it,but generally she,ll play the odds game and scarpper with the balance of the litter.Similarly bailed,cornered Boars with no other option will temporarily stand and fight to save it's skin as a result of the situation responsible by you again.Once shacken of the bail they will once again take to their heels as their natural flight mode.Funny thing is all these yarns about stalking pigs is that they are invariably HUGE which to me says to me a bit about the victim.

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Boring. I was enjoying the Razorback story!

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Originally Posted by Cigar

Sows with young ones can be a lot more aggressive than boars. Pigs are also supposed to have one of the worst bites because they grind and crush and break bones.

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@Cigar this statement perpetuates the myth that feral pigs are dangerous.Understand that welping Sows aren't aggressive,merely defensive.They are not like barred up rutting stags and go looking for trouble.If your welping snookums Lab bitch that butter wouldn't melt in its mouth,had one of is sucking pups threatened,she,ll invariably become defensive/protective .Perhaps the unwashed interpret that behavior as aggressive.Attacking pigs make good copy in commando comics

A LONE BOAR will on occasion stand and just give you the stink eye...he is big,he is tough and he plurry well knows it...unless he feels threatened by you or your dogs he has no reason to feel fear...Ive seen this twice at close range over the years...both times we parted ways without incedent...I have seen a boar who was disturbed in process of hogging/having a bonk...stand 50 yards up hill of dogs bailing the sow...and have twice helped stich up dogs who were caught by this...the boar can steam downhill and piss bowl the dogs while they distracted....stupid they are not and the urge to bonk makes heros out of most males,eg they will do dumb shit to win females affections,the chance for a nookie.

my guess,this sow can smell you there....she been in area long enough to know wind currents,so has fair idea where to squint towards...take that 7mm mag and plaster her from afar.... then the rest should be easier pickings as the security is lasped.