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#0003 I did a European mount for a hog I shot a while back. It weighed about 240 pounds. The two photos are the before and after shots. I removed the head and skinned it. Then, I placed it on the ground under a wash tub. As time went by the dermestid beetles and their larvae did the rest. They ate all the non-bone and non-tooth matter. The skull was black with dirt when they got finished. I then placed the skull in a bleach solution which cleaned it up nicely. You will notice that the tusks are barely visible on the live (or dead) hog. Then, with the flesh removed, the tusks can be seen in their full length. Obviously, the hog could do lots of damage with their tusks. The tusks in the jaw are the “cutters” for obvious reasons. The tusks coming from the skull are the “whetters” because they keep the cutters sharp. Both grow continuously which is how that stay sharp. At least half of the tusk remains inside the bone. Once they are removed, they become even more impressive. The base of the tusks are hollow and the material is paper thin, Until next time, and in memory of Luther Billis. Porcus Hogrellius Make Yourself a Better Hog Hunter
#0002 After enjoying a quiet day at the tree farm, we prepped for the night. This has been the coolest temps in July in anyone’s memory. The lows in the low 60’s and the highs only in the 80’s. We put out more corn near the three green motion lights. Mike sat in the elevated stand near the road. I stayed near the house. I was able to see each of the three green motion lights: the one near Mike and the two near the house. All was quiet except for the neighbors who conducted a fireworks show from 2130 till 2230. I only wish that I could have watched it. Was it the cooler weather? Was it the fireworks? Don’t know, but the hogs were not moving in their normal pattern. Mike had texted me that he would want to come back at 2300. I planned to help him get down in the dark and walk back with him. At about 2245, one of the green motion lights came on, the same one where Mike shot his hog the night before. I moved that way with my 30-06 and leaned against a pine tree. This hog was harder to see than Mike’s. This one was black, his was light brown. But, I could see him ok nudging corn out of the pig pipe. The challenge is to get the non-illuminated crosshairs on the black hog under a green light. I was patient and got everything right before I squeezed off the shot. Down he went. It was another lone boar just like the night before. After I confirmed that the boar would not be running away, I collected Mike on time. Another good night. No more hogs came to the telephone camera through the night. The corn on the road where Mike was sitting was not eaten as of this morning. It was a great hunt: two neck shots, two downed hogs, two less invasive vermin assaulting local agriculture. The buzzards are busy. Until next time. Porcus Hogrellius Make Yourself a Better Hog Hunter