After a long drive back to Georgia from Northwest Arkansas, the Hog Cutters were back in the field. The fog in deep South Georgia was so thick it was almost oppressive, but the feral hog traffic was increasing nightly. Far be it for Josey to allow a little thing like sleep get in his way.
We again decided to take the dual distraction route. With Josey bedded down in his truck until the hog parade into the trap begins, I can watch their behavior on the MINE and ICE cameras until the group is accounted for. A quick call on his cell and Josey is geared up, hiking the 1/2 mile or so to the field. He enters opposite the trap and begins scouting with his thermal rifle scope.
The fog is so thick, the glow from the farm’s mercury light is non-existent in the distance. Over the phone, I can hear his steps are more measured tonight. The challenge tonight will be getting much closer to his intended targets without being winded. (The small breeze alerting the hogs to Josey’s presence by scent.)
The first heat signatures he finds are a trio of deer. He confirms their species before moving on. The density of the fog is limiting the distance of the thermal scope’s clarity. He finally sees a glow that looks to be the right size for hogs. A large sow and single young hog emerge on the lens as he creeps closer. He knows I am watching the attitude and numbers in the trap, and gives me the command to drop when ready.
Two heartbeats after I hit the CLOSE GATE command he whispers “contact”, and the double shots sound louder than normal. Despite the use of a suppressor, the heavy damp air reverberates the sound. The young hog is down, but the sow has stood again to face her attacker. As Josey approaches, her adrenaline quickly dissipates and she falls to the ground.
Thinking the sound of gunfire has sent any other hogs running for cover, Josey continues his silent stalking toward the trap. As I hear his footfalls stop, he relays having visual confirmation of two small hogs. He circles their position and plants his sticks. The hogs are incredibly close, but seemingly unaware of his presence. He aligns the shot to offer a quick 2nd shot on the fleeing companion. One round cracks, and I hear a silent, “damn, they are both down”. I confirm his statement and shake my head, wondering if I missed a full moon.
As my phone continues notifying me of photos from the MINE and ICE cameras from this land and the other 18 on the Jager Pro app, I see a young boar outside the trap. Even through the 3 echoing shots in the field, this boar is staying near the trap. We coordinate his location as Josey strains to find heat signatures to locate the trap. His feet are feeling for changes in the soil density, and though one ear is connected to me through Bluetooth, the other turns to listen for the typical sounds of feral hogs.
Josey finally has pinpointed the trap and circles once again to line his fire toward the boar and parallel to the trap panels. The hogs inside have been far too calm considering the gates dropping and the noise and smell of gunfire in the field next to them. Strangely the outsider boar is just rooting along the path to the gate. He has no idea of the danger he is in until it is too late. One more slow tour of the area through the dense fog, and Josey heads for the trap.
Even as he is taking his position to finish the work inside the trap, the strange night continues to bring questions. As the 22 rifle is brought up to take aim behind the largest sow’s ear, the small laser scope flickers and shuts off. The batteries were just refreshed. Yet no response. So it is iron sights and thick fog with a trap full of 16 feral hogs.
On the hike back to the truck to retrieve the Gator and his hog trailer, Josey calls the farmer with the good news. Sixteen down in the trap and 5 in the field. As Josey begins collecting carcasses, the farmer and his son prepare for a long day of butchering hog meat.
An interesting event to say the least tonight. The long journey home from Arkansas. The freakishly dense fog limiting visibility for even one of the best thermal scopes on the market, and echoing the sound of gunfire despite the use of a suppressor. Equipment failure, and the bizarre calmness of the hogs in the field and trap.
After the hogs are transferred to our farmer’s tractor and off to the butcher shed, Josey has rest the trap and loaded up to head home. He will unload his equipment and shower before a brief nap. Then to meet a new member of the extended Hog Cutters family and hand over the keys to his new Jager Pro Hog Control Systems trap. A quick trap relocation for another farm, and we will start it all over again.
This nights haul brings the number of wild hogs removed from our client’s land up to 30. It means a lot to each one of us, to have a part in bringing some relief to the farmer’s worry of destruction of his Spring crops.
For help, give us a call.
www.hogcutters.com
www.ontimewildlifefeeders.com
