Berlin suffers wild boar invasion

A video

On May 1, 2011  BBC News Mobile published an article in its Europe version on the invasion of Berlin, Germany, by native boar.
That is nothing new. However, this publication stars boar living in Berlin.

Watch it at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13251805






PJJ

Did You Know . . .

why PETA wants you to stop murdering Miss Piggy and become a vegan instead – at least for 30 days?

Find out why here and here.

By inference PETA has defeated their own anti wild pig hunting arguments . Hunters do not make boar live squalid lives in bacon factories but rather let wild pigs enjoy happy, healthy and free boar lives in God's great nature. Even when hunted wild pigs stand a very, very good chance of eluding even skilled hunters. Wild pigs live an average of over five years despite being hunted. Pigs in pork and bacon factories are slaughtered at about 6 months old.

Long live wild pig hunting.

Let all boar and wild pigs that agree raise their hoof and vote by acclamation.

Oink, oink, oink . . .

Get Ready For Early Deer and Bear Season In A Zone

DFG announces deer and bear hunting season in July and August.


California’s deer and bear seasons are only months away. Archery deer season starts in the A Zone on July 9 with archery bear seasons commencing Aug. 20. The A Zone general deer season spans Aug. 13 to Sept. 25 with a 65,000 tag quota and an estimated 26 percent hunter success rate. Most of the A Zone land is under private ownership but access is available on Bureau of Land Management and National Forest lands.
Californians enjoy some of the earliest seasons in the nation and the widest range of seasons and hunting conditions from pursuing black bear in the redwood forests of Humboldt County to desert mule deer in the high desert of San Bernardino County. The Coastal A Zone deer and bear seasons are traditionally the first seasons to open for deer and bear in late summer.
Deer and bear hunting seasons with opening dates in July and August are:
Deer
Zone                             Archery                                       General Season Dates
A                                    July 9 – 31                                    Aug. 13 – Sept. 25
B1, B2, B3, B5            Aug. 20 – Sept. 11                      Sept. 17 – Oct. 23
B4                                  July 23 – Aug. 14                      Aug. 27 – Oct. 2
B6                                  Aug. 20 – Sept. 11                      Sept. 17 – Oct. 16
D3-10                           Aug. 20 – Sept.11                      Varies; see regulations book
C1                                  Aug. 20 – Sept. 4                        Sept. 17 – Oct. 16
C2, C3                          Aug. 20 – Sept. 11                      Sept. 17 – Oct. 23
C4                                  Aug. 20 – Sept. 4                       Sept. 17 – Oct. 2
X Zones                       Aug. 20 – Sept. (various)      Draw Zones, see regs
Bear
Archery bear season opens Aug. 20, 2011 and runs through Sept. 11, 2011.
General bear season opens concurrently with general deer season in the A, B, C, D, X8, X9A, X9B, X10 and X12 deer hunting zones. Please refer to the 2011 California Mammal Hunting Regulations for opening dates. In the remaining deer hunting X zones, bear season begins Oct. 8, 2011.
The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) shall close the season earlier if 1,700 bears have been reported taken. For daily updates on reported bear harvest, call toll-free (888) 277-6398 or visit www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/bear/harvest.html.
Note: A recent DFG news release incorrectly stated that opening day of bear season is July 9. However, the earliest bear season does not open until Aug. 13 in the A Zone, and is even later in other parts of the state.
(DFG http://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/early-deer-and-bear-hunting-seasons-open-this-summer/)

DFG Recommends Caution Around Coyotes

A word of friendly advice about coyotes from the Department of Fish and Game.

 "If you’re in the outdoors anywhere in California this spring, you might cross paths with one of the state’s most common predators – the coyote. Clever, nimble and quick, the coyote may at first glance appear to be more of a nuisance than a direct threat . . .

Coyotes – especially those who live in urban settings and have grown accustomed to humans – can become emboldened to the point where they become a public safety threat.

“Once coyotes become habituated to people, they begin to exhibit increased levels of aggression, which can lead to biting incidents,” explained Kevin Brennan, a DFG biologist who works out of Idyllwild (Riverside County). . .


The coyote (Canis latrans) is a member of the dog family and is native to California. It closely resembles a small German shepherd with the exception of the long snout and bushy, black-tipped tail. Because they are tolerant of human activities and rapidly adjust to changes in their environment, the highly adaptable coyote populates virtually the entire state.

Brennan notes that coyotes are actually the most populous in suburban neighborhoods, in part because there are so many food sources available to them in addition to their usual diet of rabbits, mice, birds and other small animals, young deer and sheep. Those additional food sources include left-out pet food and left-out pets, as well as unsecured garbage in neighborhoods and the rodents such garbage attracts. When coyotes are allowed access to human food and garbage, either deliberately or inadvertently, they can lose their fear of people and become a real danger. 

The key to minimizing coyote-human contact is based on educating the public about coyote behavior and taking sensible precautions, Brennan said.
“Never allow coyotes to become accustomed to your surroundings, because familiarity can lead to contempt,” Brennan said.

While DFG does not collect statistics on coyote attacks, Brennan said, “There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t receive calls concerning nuisance coyotes.” 
To avoid problems with coyotes, people should follow these guidelines:

• Never feed or attempt to tame coyotes. The result may be deadly conflicts or serious injuries to pets, livestock and even small children.
• Do not leave small children or pets outside unattended.
• Be aware that coyotes are more active in the spring, when feeding and protecting their young.
• If followed by a coyote, make loud noises. If this fails, throw rocks in the animal’s direction.
• Put garbage in tightly closed containers that cannot be tipped over.
  Most coyote sightings should be reported to local animal control districts. However, if a coyote acts aggressively or attacks people, call 911."
  
  Brennan forgot to mention the other reason for the strong urban coyote populations: They can not be hunted in the urban environment. And coyotes know that for sure.

Free Maps For Hunting Boar In California - Sounds Too Good To Be True!

And is not or not quite yet.
 
Attracted by the promise of hundreds of private places where one can hunt boar in California, over 200 to be precise,  I visited the website.

First, the home page is very hard to read and loads very slowly. That turns me off. Next, my overall impression is that this site is a work in progress. The home page has several short paragraphs running down the right side of the page. They look like they might hold a promise, links or at least something that could guide you to specific information. There is nothing linked to them.

A row of radio buttons however does indeed lead to boar hunting information – among many other hunting categories. A Google map of northern California reaches as far south as Monterey County, but not beyond it. It has little location flags on it. Click on one of them and a new page promises free boar hunting maps/information on locations in specific counties.

The catch?
A click on the link gets you to a sign in page to request more and detailed information on boar hunting places in the County of your choice. Completing the form and submitting it as requested will only get you a chance to be contacted by phone by a ranch owner – at best. It could also be a sales person.
No up front information on the location of the ranch, the wild pig population or any mention of access fees and prices for boar hunts on the property.

To make matters worse, this sign in sheet or request for information is generic. It is not very likely that every county of your interest has 6 private ranches for bird hunting and 52 properties within a 3 to 4 hour drive. Or 2 big game properties and 21 within the above specified drive time. The links on this form to specific locations only link you back to a very slight variation of the page you just came from.
All links I tested, main and sub-links, always produced the generic sign up/request form.

Judging by the text on the home page many of the over 200 boar properties in California are BLM properties or military installations. Access information and other details is available for either one of them without the detour of a request for information.

I presume that there is also information on PLM land somewhere in the lists that are not accessible from the home page despite the title “Private Property  For Boar Hunting listed”. There is nothing listed. Or I could not find it.

PLM listings are also available on the Net. They are unfortunately notorious for extremely high prices for access and big game hunting. If you want to pay 1,000.00 dollars or much more for a wild pig or a deer then a PLM property could be of interest. But you do not need a 'free map' for that.

I clicked on “Recommended Sites”- Nothing. A list of hunting categories shown beneath it did however produce active links. I visited 'hunting'. It had a number of links to hunting sites. I recognized many of them as highly commercial sites from all over the world. Among them are at least two spammers that attempted in the past to use our comment feature to spam their product.

Boar hunting in Argentina for example is not very practical when you live in Southern California and want to go on a quick weekend hunt somewhere close by. Or is it? Is South Africa anywhere in California?
 
Oh, one more thing. There is a casual mention on the home page of private hunting clubs as source of some of the hundreds of boar properties.
'Recommended sites' does indeed list one private hunting club: Wilderness Unlimited. No mention of  any other private club at all. Of course, there are several.

I used to be a member of Wilderness Unlimited for a number of years. When I became gravely ill and could no longer make use of my membership, Wilderness Unlimited treated me quite unfairly. I say this to caution you that one could accuse me of a bias. However, I stick to the fact as much as required to give a fair report.

All private hunting clubs suffer from several disadvantages as I have pointed out in my writings. Membership fees are high, most properties with wild pigs are located far north in California. That is a big setback when you live in Southern California. The club's have limited boar hunting seasons and during those times the ranches are frequently devoid of wild pigs but teeming with hunters. You can find in my writings why that is the case. Unless you live close to a cluster of Wilderness Unlimited ranches and go wild pig hunting at least a dozen times or more per year, it is cheaper to book one of the low-cost guided hunts. Regardless of what interested parties might tell you.
 
Expect a call from a salesman when you fill in that request form, of course.

Other private hunting clubs have very similar procedures and issues.

Overall 'free boar hunting maps' holds promise, possibly as a link farm. But the maps come for a price: The price of a salesperson or other interested party contacting you. That information request form is a great tool to collect a database of hunters that can then be mined by e-mail or direct contact to sell you hunting related items.
 
In my humble opinion the site needs improvement to be genuinely useful to boar hunters.
At this time it definitely strikes me as a work in progress with more commercial potential for the owners of the site than practical use for wild pig hunters.
Now fire away.
PJJ

Did You Know . . .

. . . that President Truman was a friend of pigs? Quote:

"No man should be allowed to be President who does not understand hogs."
 
President Harry Truman

Free Wild Hog Hunting On Ranch In Texas

Is it really free ?

The ad is everywhere. You have seen it.

Free wild hog hunt

Texas is Over-Run with Hogs, Help!

So many wild hogs in Texas, we are giving away several Free hog hunts every month!

Or something to that effect. You can not miss it when you visit hunting related sites or blogs. It sounds too good to be true. Therefore I decided to have a closer look.

Following the link I came to a website that announced “Every month we have a drawing and give away several RanchHand hog hunt packages worth $499. There is no catch, other than you have to register for the drawing by sending an e-mail...”

I did.

I won!

I went.

The instructions for claiming the free hunt came in an e-mail message. They stated in essence that “The winner of the drawing will pay a $75 booking fee to claim the free hunt, and will be assigned a RanchHand Hog Hunt Package!  Your only expense at the ranch will be your hog cleaning and tips...”

A quick visit to the website of the ranch brought to light some additional information. “The drawing is held every month, and you can't win if you don't enter.  If your e-mail is selected, you will have the option of bringing additional buddies at a discounted price. You can only win 1 free hog hunt every 3 years.  You cannot take a free hunt with any other free hog hunt winners, or at the same time as any previously purchased hunt package, by anyone in your group.”

I quickly made arrangements for the free hunt I had won in the drawing. More instructions arrived detailing the terms and conditions of my hunt. Let's stick to the financial side of the free hunt. You can look up the details of the 'Ranch Hand Package' by clicking on the link I will give you later.

I had about 6 weeks to claim the free hunt and to book a hunting date. This required a registration fee of $ 75.00, payable at the time the reservation was made. It reserved the hunting date for a free 3 day, two night hunt. A hunter can go for hogs and varmint, including mountain lion – if you see one. The package includes meals, drinks and lodging. Ranch staff is available to assist hunters. The full value of the paid Ranch Hand Package is $ 499.00.

How about the free hunt package?

Besides the registration fee ($ 75.00) there are a few more charges:

Hog cleaning/butchering $ 35.00 to $45.00 when applicable.

Non-resident hunting license $ 48.00

Tips $ ??

(customary minimum $ 100.00 for paid hunts)

Total ranch fees without tip: $ 158.00/163.00

That comes awfully close to a low cost non-guided or semi-guided hunt in California, doesn't it?

What do you get for your money? Three hunting days and two nights. The use of weapons you could not lawfully use in California, hunting at night and with lights, the use of electronically enhanced binoculars, scopes and night vision goggles. Spot and stalk hunting, hunting from blinds and boar hunting over baited areas.

The ranch staff will drive you to your preferred hunting spot(s) and retrieve you and your harvest. If you want you can use your own vehicle instead. Take one wild hog, any number varmint or rabbits. Additional wild pigs at an extra charge.

There are plenty of wild pigs to hunt. Texas is indeed overrun by boar. The only question is whether the wild hogs will visit your hunting spot while you are there. Of course, chances they do are pretty good because you can select baited areas or attract boar to your blind with bait. You can buy it at the local Walmart!

Overall, your chances of bagging a wild hog are quite good.

Let's check the report about 'my' free boar hunt. It comes to you courtesy of Marc S. who filled in for me. Here we go:

“05/07

Near El Paso now... onto that Texas I signed up for.

Will hunt tomorrow and Monday... or actually Monday only as I have

to be there at 3 PM tomorrow and probably get an orientation session.

If I bag one will need a large cooler …

05/10

I got one...

70 lb... coming . . . with 30 lb of meat. Now I have a worry about keeping it cold.

The ranch is about 90 miles east of San Antonio in a land that seems similar to Paso Robles but less arid.

The check in gave me 2 day's worth of hunt but I only used one so

maybe go back there to hunt another one on my way back to Cali.

Heat was the issue... 100+

We had an orientation at 3 PM and then a dinner of wild pig sausage

and elk burgers.

John, the guide/chef/guild accredited butcher was in charge of

everything and very friendly, and we even talked some French.

Three other guys were there so it was paradise. John told me as much as

28 people could be there on peak season (October to March).

We got the best blinds... I got one by a little lake and waited

about 1 hr before a huge herd emerged, maybe 50 strong. I aimed

carefully and shot the largest one, a 70 lb female.

The large ones come only at night and I also wanted something small

to carry in my already overloaded truck . . .

The shot was perfect and clean... the heart was severed from its

valves by the bullet, so the animal gave the ghost in 10-15

seconds, painlessly.

The adrenaline was still flowing as the meat was jerking during the

cut/butchering.

The great white hunter and his shoat.

John made me several nice cuts and pieces for a small fee.

We all hunted small game at night and I got to shoot some rabbits with my 22LR although I missed .

I left the following day but definitely want to come back and use my extra day credit.

Now praying the damn meat doesn't go bad as I replenish the ice for the 1200 miles drive to my other home.

On the way I also got to visit a few places and stay in Tucson where I worked remotely from a coffee shop It is overrun with college age young women in very skimpy attire given the 100+ temperature and huge college there.

I couldn't concentrate.”

Huh, how did we get from hog hunting to ogling college women?

I asked about the total cost of this free hunt, excluding of course transportation cost.

Answer:

“05/11

100 (pig tag)

+ 80 for processing fee.

+ some tip I gave to John

So about 200 total for 100% chances.”

But this applies only to the 'free' hunt. The regular price for a three day, two night hunt at the ranch is between $ 499 and $ 1,199, excluding additional fees for cleaning the game and for other services. The actual price depends on the package and on the type of game hunted.

The ranch is also home to a variety of other game animals, deer, Fallow deer, White Tailed deer and numerous varmint and predators, such as list includes, fox, possum,  raccoon, armadillo, ring tail cat, skunk, squirrel, bobcat, and coyote.

In conclusion we can say that this ranch does indeed offer one free wild hog hunt a month for a lucky winner. The overall expenses associated with this free hunt, excluding travel to and from the ranch, approach the cost for low-cost unguided hunts in California. However, the chances of a successful hunt are much greater on this ranch than on low-cost unguided hunts n California.

If you live close enough to the ranch to keep travel expenses down, boar hunters with scheduling flexibility could find it well worth to submit their name for the monthly drawings and turn their hunt into a mini-safari.

Details about the free hunt and all other hunting packages are at http://www.hoghuntinghoghunting.com/.

PJJ

North Coast Salmon Season Opener Shows Promise

A word from your DFG

Department of Fish and Game (DFG) biologists are expecting a promising north coast salmon fishing season through Labor Day, Sept. 5. The sport season opened Saturday in the Klamath Management Zone, which stretches from the Oregon border to Horse Mountain, located just north of Shelter Cove.

The return of a healthy sport fishing season is excellent news for anglers and businesses in the region. For the last three years, salmon fishing has been relatively nonexistent on the north coast due to fishery restrictions designed to protect California salmon stocks and a lack of local salmon in nearshore areas . . .

Early in the season, fishing success and opportunity is very weather-dependent. Fair weather on Saturday afforded anglers with the opportunity to pursue salmon from Crescent City to Fields Landing with “hit-or-miss” catches reported . . .

This is a promising start to the salmon season,” said Ed Roberts, DFG associate marine biologist. “Weather hampered anglers on Sunday, but on Saturday most boats landed a few legal fish and also released some undersized fish.”

. . .Wardens checking anglers found good overall compliance with salmon regulations.   The most common violation continues to be the use of barbed hooks while fishing for salmon. Anglers north of Point Conception are reminded that they are required to use only barbless hooks while fishing for salmon and that once a salmon is onboard their boat or other floating device, all anglers must use barbless hooks, even if they switch to bottom fishing.

The full release is at http://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/north-coast-salmon-season-opener-shows-promise/.

What does hunting wild pigs have to do with salmon?

Hmmmm, hmmmm . . .

Oh! Boar are omnivores. They do not pass up a good fish when they get an opportunity. Once the salmon get into shallow tributaries in wild hog country they become a target of opportunity for Miss Piggy.

Right?

PJJ

Did You Know . . .

that the meat of boar and wild pigs has only 35 calories per ounce? Seventy-five percent come from protein, 25 percent from fat. There are no carbohydrates in the mix.

One hundred grams of wild pig meat equal 122 calories; one pound forces you to burn 553 calories to avoid gaining weight. (http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/usda/wild-boar-meat)

Yet another new and improved audio feed.

Another chapter in the ongoing saga of our audio feed.

As you know, we are in the process of starting our new and improved audio feed of the blog. As a matter of fact this is not the first 'improved' audio feed. Several underwent tests and were discarded. One of the best turned from free into a feed to be paid annually.  To keep it we would have had to make it a subscription service. 

Let's test this one. It promises streaming audio of every post to a wide variety of devices from iPod, MP3 player and mobile phones to standard PC audio.
The quality of the voices is outstanding. Almost human like.

We therefore hope this text to audio converter will be with us for a while.

The audio files reside on a third party server. You must access them by clicking on the "Odiogo" button on the right side panel. Then select one of the feed readers to subscribe to the audio feed.

Or try the listen button below.

Wild Pig Uphill or Downhill – Aim at the target center.

Recent articles about boar hunting on a private ranch in California ignited once again a discussion about how shooting uphill or downhill affects the point of impact on the target. You will remember that a hunting guide suggested to his client after a missed shot to zero in the rifle at 100 yards instead of two hundred. Details are in the article Another Wild Pig Hunt At Rancho San Fernando Rey.

Hunters, wild pig hunters, are not military snipers, competition shooters, long distance precision shooters, enthusiasts of reloading, ballistic experts and developers or developers of cartridges and new loads that need to be scientifically tested. A hunter goes out into the field with the gun and the ammunition he has available. There he encounters game, big game or small, identifies it, sets up a quick shot and shoots. There is hardly ever time to consult ballistic data (even when on the stock of the rifle), consider air temperature and pressure, the effects of centrifugal force on the bullet, the Coriolis , Eötvös, Poisson, Magnus effects, powder and primer temperatures, external factors such as wind, vertical angles, air density, gyroscopic drift of the projectile and many, many other factors more. And hunters do not shoot from bench rests under controlled conditions on a firing range with plenty of time to wait till everything is just right before they take their shot. If they are lucky they find a good tree stump or solid branch to rest their rifle on. Many times the backpack will have to provide some rather questionable rest. 

No, hunters face bare bone shooting conditions. The game is there, uphill, downhill sideways, partially obscured, moving away or towards them and in constant motion. It is shoot now or forever lose your boar. Most wild pigs, for example, are taken at a distance of less than 100 yards. Longer shots, up to 250 yards, are relatively rare.

Vertical shots, that is shooting uphill or downhill, are more common than long distance shots. They are also a cause for much confusion and consternation.

I will attempt to explain the matter in simple terms. Much of the confusion that surrounds the question where exactly to aim when shooting uphill at a target stems from the fact that we are actually discussing one subject in two different variations.

One is the effect of gravity on a bullet over horizontal distances.

The other is how gravity affects the flight path of a projectile at vertical angles.

Standard gravity (g) on earth is defined as a constant of 32.1740 ft/s^. It makes objects fall straight down to earth.

Thus, if you pushed a bullet out of the rifle barrel with a small rod, it would fall out of the muzzle and hit ground perpendicular to the rifle barrel.

Correspondingly, a bullet fired from a rifle starts to fall towards earth at the speed of standard gravity as soon as it leaves the muzzle It drops 32.1740 feet every second in flight. Therefore, the longer the flight distance, the greater the bullet drop. The flight distance of the bullet is the horizontal range from you to the target.

The faster the bullet the shorter the flight time for any given distance. Bullet drop for a fast projectile is therefore less than for a slower one over the same horizontal distance.

If a bullet is fired at a target straight up (perpendicular to the earth's surface) or straight down from a rifle that is NOT adjusted for bullet drop, the projectile will fall in a straight line and not in the curved trajectory of a horizontal shot. Straight up or straight down equals zero bullet deviation from a straight line.

A bullet from the same rifle fired horizontally and aimed line of sight will impact the target below the aiming point because of the effects of standard gravity on the projectile in flight. This is called the bullet drop.

Shooters adjust for it by correcting the sights to raise the barrel of the rifle just enough to make line of sight and flight path of the projectile coincide at the intended point of impact at a given distance. Such a rifle is referred to as 'zeroed in at xxx yards'.

Now, what about vertical angle shots? A better, more precise question would be to ask whether the vertical distance perceived by the hunter's line of sight is indeed the actual horizontal distance.

It is not.

For example, a downhill target seen line of sight 400 yards away is in fact horizontally only at a range of 335 feet. If you like geometry you can work out why the horizontal distance to a target is shorter than the distance as seen uphill or downhill. If you want to torture your brain, go to the links at the end of this article for some dazzling and confusing information and triangulations.

A hunter must use the horizontal distance to the target to aim his rifle accurately and not the line of sight distance. To do so one can take an educated guess, consult tables with corrected horizontal distances for vertical angles , make complicated calculations right there in the field while the game is patiently waiting for you to get ready to shoot it or use a modern scope with built in uphill/downhill compensation.

And then there is always hunter wisdom as a last resort. We will get to that shortly.

Gravity affects the trajectory of the bullet while it is traveling the horizontal distance to the target, not the line of sight uphill or downhill. Thus, if you aim and adjust your sights for line of sight distance, your bullet will hit the target high because it did actually traverse the shorter horizontal distance.

Less time for gravity to act on the projectile – less bullet drop.

Let's look at a simplified diagram showing the various lines involved in shooting up – or downhill.

http://www.firearmssite.com/shoot_uphill.htm

The line of sight is a straight line between the the rifle and the target..
The  bore angle, also line of barrel,  is the angle between the true line of sight and the line of barrel corrected for bullet drop due to gravity over the distance at which the rifle is zeroed in.
The trajectory is the path the bullet follows on a horizontal shot to the far 'zero point' of the rifle..

On horizontal shots the angle of the barrel becomes elevate a little over the line of sight so that the projectile hits the center of the target at the desired distance.

As you can see in the diagram, the line of sight on uphill or downhill shots appears to be longer than the actual horizontal distance to the target. Look at this more detailed and complicated representation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rifleman%27s_rule

To make a long story short I will submit one more diagram for your consideration. It shows a typical bullet trajectory from a hunting rifle and the relationship between line of sight (over the aiming device of the rifle), the barrel line and the bullet trajectory.

The line of the barrel is at an upward angle to compensate for bullet drop. It is also sometimes called the line of departure. The line of sight is a straight line between the aiming device and the target. The bullet touches this line only at two points. It starts about 1.5 to 2.5 inches above the barrel line in most modern scoped hunting rifles.

http://www.recguns.com/Ballistic/ballisticsBackground.html

The projectile crosses the line of sight first in close proximity to the muzzle (frequently between 25 and 50 yards) and again at the point of impact on the target. The distance between the two points, the near zero and the far zero point, is called the “point blank range”.

When a rifle is zeroed in at 100 yards, the point blank range is between roughly 25 yards at the near and 100 yards at the far end. A round with a reasonably flat trajectory fired from such weapon hardly ever rises more than about 5 inches above the line of sight at point blank range.

Vertical angled shots uphill or downhill at point blank distances between25 and 100 yards and reasonable vertical angles between 10 and maybe 20 degrees have only relatively minor differences between line of sight and horizontal range. For a 100 yard uphill shot the actual difference is approximately 25 yards. The difference in flight time is measured in fractions of a second.

Not enough distance and time for gravity to deflect a modern high velocity bullet significantly.

This means in practice that a projectile fired uphill or downhill at a range of 100 yards from a rifle zeroed in at the same distance will impact the target almost exactly at the center of the target. The same applies to rifles zeroed at 200 yards.

Beyond that this easy rule of thumb does no longer hold true in all cases. There are only few good reasons to shoot at a boar more than 250 yards away. The overwhelming majority of all wild pigs are taken at ranges not exceeding 100 yards. Most over much shorter distances.

At point blank ranges not to exceed two hundred yards a hunter can simply forget about aiming low to compensate for uphill or downhill overshoot and just aim as usual at the center of the target zone of big game. In wild pigs it is about the size of a medium paper plate.

You need not heed my advice alone. Listen to what Chuck Hawks says in his article quoted below or consider this from “One of Many”:

“To simplify matters: If you are shooting inside the Point Blank Range for your firearm and load, you do not have to make ANY correction at all for the angle (up or down) that you shoot at the target. The drop will be less than what you would experience on a horizontal shot. Just aim at the intended point on you target, and shoot - you will be inside the kill zone unless you pulled off target or the target moved.”
And this from The Real Hawkeye:
"Unless the angle is extreme, just shoot like normal. Most hunting angles are not extreme enough to have a noticeable effect on apparent drop. If you try to compensate by aiming low, you will impact low. Just aim as usual. . ."
warth0g says this:
"Unless you're shooting at extreme ranges, just aim where you would aim if it were on a flat piece of ground. If you start clouding your mind with "hold high" or "hold low", you're going to risk screwing up. Hold on the center of the shoulder of the animal and you'll likely be just fine. . ." (All quotes courtesy of http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-172627.html), He is talking about deer, not boar!

Always heed traditional hunter wisdom that says:

Uphill or downhill – aim at the center.

I could have spared a lot of words had I stated this simple fact in a few sentences. But you would not have believed me. If it is simple, it cannot be true.

But indeed it is.

PJJ

PS: If you like math and geometry and statistics and algebra and endless calculations and tables, you can visit these links. They make your head spin.

And your bullet will still hit the center of the target when you aim at reasonable vertical angles and distances – uphill or downhill.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/External_ballistics#E.C3.B6tv.C3.B6s_effect

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_of_Earth

http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/archive/index.php/t-52862.html

http://www.chuckhawks.com/shooting_uphill.htm - probably the best treatment of the topic.
Bulletin Board: http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-172627.html

CA Fish and Game News -- Check Station Operations to Change for 2011-2012 Waterfowl Hunting Season

Waterfowl Hunting season opens in October.Hunters should be aware of new procedures for licenses and access passes. Type A Wildlife check stations will no longer sell them.

"The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) advises hunters to plan ahead during the upcoming 2011-2012 waterfowl season in California. Check stations at Type A Wildlife Areas will no longer sell passes or any license items on-site. Hunters will need to make all such purchases in advance.

One-day passes, which were formerly available only at waterfowl check stations, as well as two-day and season passes and stamps, must be purchased from DFG license agents or license sales offices through DFG’s new Automated License Data System (ALDS) prior to the shoot day. Daily hunting permits will not be issued at Type A Wildlife Areas without proof of a prepaid one-day, two-day or season pass for the 2011-2012 waterfowl check station. Type B Wildlife Areas will still require proof of a season pass for issuance of a daily hunting permit.

Through ALDS, licenses, stamps, permits and passes are printed instantly at DFG license sales offices and approximately 1,500 license agent locations. The first time a customer purchases a license via ALDS their customer information and hunter education certification is stored in the ALDS database, making future transactions quicker and easier. 

Hunters and anglers may now conveniently purchase most license items online at www.dfg.ca.gov/OnlineSales . . ." (DFG)

Read all details here:www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing and here: www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/waterfowl/.
PJJ

Did You Know . . .

that "Pigs are very intelligent and learn quickly. They pick up tricks faster than dogs. Pigs rank #4 in animal intelligence behind chimpanzees, dolphins and elephants. Piglets learn their names by two to three weeks of age and respond when called. . .". So say our vegan friends.

Special Permits for Deer and Pig Hunting Required in Western Merced County

The California Department of Fish and Game just published a press release regarding the upcoming deer season and a limited number of special permits required to hunt in Western Merced County. These permits apply to deer and wild pig hunting.

“Applications are now being accepted for a limited number of deer and pig hunt permits valid for western Merced County. The number of deer hunters will be limited on properties managed by the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) in the area on opening weekend of the Zone A deer season. The affected areas are the Upper Cottonwood Creek, Lower Cottonwood Creek and the San Luis Reservoir wildlife areas. Only 55 permits will be issued for each day.

Reservations are required for Aug.13-14, the first two days of the general Zone A deer season. Reservations will be selected via a computerized drawing. Persons applying to hunt opening weekend at these areas will be allowed to apply for a one-day hunt on one area only. Successful applicants will receive special permits in the mail stating what area and which day the hunter may hunt.
The area will be closed to all persons not holding the special permit except that each permit holder may be accompanied by one observer. The observer may not possess a weapon.
This year the 2011 Zone A Deer/Pig Application Form is required to apply for these hunts...


The application form can be submitted online to LHEXT@dfg.ca.gov or mailed to toDFG’s Los Banos office at 18110 W. Henry Miller Ave., Los Banos, CA 93635. Application forms must be received before4:30 p.m. on July 5. The drawing will be held July 6 at11 a.m. at the Los Banos office and is open to the public. Only successful applicants will be notified by mail within five working days of the lottery.
The 2011 Zone A Deer/Pig Application Form may be obtained by calling DFG’s Los Banos office at (209) 826-0463 between 8 a.m.and 4:30 p.m. and is also available online at www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/wa/region4/cottonwoodcreek.html .”


Hunters who intend to hunt both deer and boar must possess valid deer and pig tags as well as a valid hunting license.


For detailed information go to http://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2011/05/12/special-permits-for-deer-and-pig-hunting-required-in-western-merced-county/ .

A Word From PETA On Wild Pigs

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is known to make at times outrageous statements and take extreme and controversial actions. 
According to an article by Jerrie Dean published in the San Diego Examiner PETA also commented on wild pigs and boar hunting.


The good PETA people do not believe that hunting is the answer to the damage done to the environment by boar and to their ever expanding populations. Trapping and contraception is more to their liking.


Why not hunting?
"Novice hunters often merely wound their targets, and the animals' deaths can be slow and painful. Mass killings also tear apart families, leaving young and weak animals vulnerable to starvation, dehydration, and predators. Furthermore, lethal methods of wildlife control don't work in the long run. As long as the areas of concern remain attractive and accessible to these animals, more will move in from surrounding areas to fill the newly vacant niche. In addition, killing individuals can result in a spike in the food supply and prompt remaining females to breed, causing the population to increase...".

This is one instance where I do agree with PETA - sort of.
Now I am curious to hear what PETA has to say about hunting wild pigs and other big game animals from helicopters.


Helicopter based "hunting" is more and more favored by owners of helicopters, pilots, lazy shooters and wildlife authorities without imagination.
PJJ

Google Blogger Gobbled Up Our Last Articles

Our last one or two short articles were truncated first by Blogger in the process of uploading the text. Today they are completely gone.

I am attempting to recreate them as soon as possible.

Sorry for the inconvenience.
PJJ

Did You Know . . .

that mature pigs have 44 teeth. So say the Vegans.
Four of the teeth are the feared weapons of male wild pigs.

Did You Know . . .

that pigs can run a mile in seven minutes? Our vegan friends tell us so.

Did You Know . . .

that the average weight of the species sus scrofa (wild Eurasian boar) as a whole is between 50-90 kg. One kilogram (kg) equals 2.20462262 pound that is between 110 and 198 pounds. Boar living in the south western end of their range remain smaller than those populating the eastern parts. Spanish boar rarely exceed 80 kg.   Russian, Polish, Romanian, Czech boar can reach weights of 300 kg or 661 pounds.

Wild Boar Hunting in California and Worldwide - Optimized for mobile Devices

As of today our boar hunting publication is optimized for viewing on mobile devices. It means that 'Wild Boar Hunting in California . . .' now exists in at least two versions. One is displayed when you access it from a computer. The mobile version automatically pops up when you access the blog URL from any mobile device.

The new feature is automatic. Readers do not have to do anything in order to use the appropriate blog version. The mobile version is identical to the web edition including pictures, links and ads.

This Google/Blogger service is still in beta testing. Therefore, there might be a few hiccups along the way. But give it a try anyway.

And while you are at it, please check out the audio version of articles on the blog. It should work as well. Please let me know if it does.
PJJ

Did You Know . . .

that captured wild Eurasian boar make a bee line to the fences when released on a 'high-fence' ranch. Then they probe the lowest parts of the fence for weaknesses.
Captured wild pigs head for hiding places in the nearest thicket instead.

Don't believe it? Ask the guys at the Big Horn Ranch.

Hunting Licenses for 2011 now available on line

Applications for Big Game Drawing also available on line.

The California Department of Fish and Game just published the following press release. Here are the most important points of the release.

"Hunters can now purchase 2011 hunting licenses and apply for the Big Game Drawing online, the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) announced. DFG’s new Automated License Data System (ALDS) means that the application process for both will be simplified and streamlined.
“ALDS offers tremendous improvements that hunters have been anticipating for many years,” said DFG License and Revenue Branch Chief James Fong. “Hunting licenses are available from more locations than ever before and for those applying for the annual Big Game Drawing, there is no longer a need to fill out multiple forms and manually mail them to a single DFG office.”
Customers applying for a license for the first time via ALDS may initially experience a slow license sales transaction. In subsequent years, the process will be faster, as the customer’s information will be retained in the system. Under ALDS, purchasers of a hunting or fishing license are issued a “Get Outdoors” identification number (GO ID) that is printed on all license documents. The GO ID is used to retrieve a customer’s information each time they purchase a license or apply for drawings in the future.  

In addition to purchasing a license, hunters can now apply for the Big Game Drawing at any DFG license sales office, license agent or online. When the transaction is complete, the customer will receive a receipt to show their hunt choices have been entered in the drawing.

To qualify for the Big Game Drawing, an application must be submitted and the sales transaction completed before midnight on June 2, 2011. All premium deer hunt tags, and elk, antelope and bighorn sheep tags are awarded through the DFG Big Game Drawing. Mail-in applications are no longer accepted.
 The implementation of ALDS also means:

• Hunters can obtain deer and bear tags at the time of purchase from a local license agent.
• Hunters who purchase licenses and big game tags online will receive them in the mail within 15 days.
• State Duck and Upland Game Bird stamps are validations in ALDS and printed on the hunting license. Hunters must have the validation in their possession while engaged in this activity. DFG will continue to print and offer the physical stamp which can be mailed, upon request online, to the purchasers after July 1 each year.
• Customers must provide legal identification and a telephone number when they make their first purchase through ALDS. Customers can still purchase licenses for other people if they provide the other person’s hunting license from the previous year and driver license number. 
• DFG will no longer accept a Hunting License Declaration as evidence of meeting a hunter education requirement. Hunters must have a prior year’s California hunting license or a hunter education certificate to purchase a new hunting license. 

To find a license agent near you, to purchase items online or for more information on ALDS, please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing. To learn more about the Big Game Drawing application process, please view the 2011 California Hunting Digest (2011 Big Game) at www.dfg.ca.gov/publications/digest/.

Additional Drawing Opportunities 
Two new fundraising random drawings, for a deer tag and an elk tag, will also be held this year. The drawings are open to anyone 12 years of age or older, for $5.40 per chance, per tag. Applicants do not need a valid hunting license to apply, and may apply for the drawings as many times as they wish.
Proceeds from all fundraising tags are deposited into the newly established Big Game Management Account, which is used to benefit antelope, elk, deer, wild pigs, bear and sheep populations. An advisory committee reviews and provides comments to DFG on all proposed projects funded from the account. Recent activities funded by revenue from the fundraising tags have included helicopter surveys, other deer and bighorn sheep studies, and improving both hunting access and water source improvements for sheep and deer."
PJJ

Another Wild Pig Hunt At Rancho San Fernando Rey

And what we can learn from it!

Reader and avid boar hunter Grant H., who also put a renewed spotlight on wild pig hunting at this ranch near Santa Barbary, recently sent us a report on his second hunt at the ranch. His narrative incorporated a few interesting remarks by Marco, his guide, and an observation or two he made himself.

These remarks and observations in turn give me an opportunity to expand a little on their comments for the benefit of some other hunter during a future wild boar hunt. Readers of my books and articles (http://wildboarbook.com) are already familiar with the principles discussed below. Both participants in this hunt contributed, each in his own way, to make the hunt not only successful but also a good example of what it takes to make a boar hunt productive and a good learning experience.

In the following I will quote from the report submitted by Grant and then add my own comment.

“. . .Marco spotted a couple shadows 200 yards off under a large Oak.  Glassing the area he identified two pigs bedded down from a night of foraging.  Looking at the same spot, I could see what looked like a pile of dirt with what might be an ear sticking out, but nothing that I would have given a second glance.  That one ear would turn out to be a sounding of eight pigs!”

That's a great example for how easy it is to stalk right past an entire family of wild pigs, especially when they stay put instead of running away. Here is a picture of another group of boar resting on a ranch in Florida. Note the one single, lone ear: It is the only things that betrays the presence of the wild pigs.

See it? In the center of the picture, almost like an extension of the wallow. Easy to overlook unless you know what to look for and are well trained in observing even small, insignificant signs. You never know what lurks behind a minor dark spot somewhere at the bottom of a canyon.

“. . .Marco’s guide services are successful in part because the pigs have never connected the truck we rode in with hunts . . .”

Readers of my books know this one. It is based on an observation many farmers and ranchers are making with 'their' wild hogs. The animals learn to recognize and to classify vehicles and “implements of husbandry” as friend or foe. They even can categorize humans as friendly or as a potential danger. A cattle rancher peacefully distributing additional feed to his cattle is easily recognized as a friend while the noisy swagger of a camouflaged weekend warrior signals nothing but trouble to wild pigs in the vicinity.

In times of lore humans used to raise a hand in a gesture of a friendly greeting to show that they are coming in peace and bear no weapon. In my work with large dogs I have learned that animals learn by association. If a human with a stick or in a certain vehicle becomes openly associated with the death of members of a sounder, the remaining comrades learn to avoid humans with a stick or those coming in a certain truck.

Animals react differently to an empty handed human and to one who openly carries a stick. It could be a rifle.

The following excerpt expands on the intelligence gathering abilities of game animals.

“I took the shot and had my pig. Due to the thick cover, the rest of the sounding was only confused by the rifle shot and their downed sister, but not alarmed.  Spying around to try and find the source of the rifle noise without success, they ambled off 300 yards to the far side of the canyon.  We stayed under cover until the sounding lost interest in what had happened, and went to the pig.”

Who would expect intelligence gathering by wild pigs in the aftermath of a shot. Common wisdom has it that boar run for cover when they hear a shot. Indeed they do, especially in areas where hunting pressure is constant and great. Under less pressure and given enough time between unpleasant events, they will be far less 'jumpy' and far more interested in exploring the cause of an unusual noise.

The expertise of the guide is illustrated in our example very well. Marco did not let his hunter rush the dead animal. He made his charge wait till the attention span of the boar had waned before approaching the downed game. There will be many more successful boar hunts on this ranch!

Back to the beginning of the hunt and another most important observation. I believe it is actually one of the most important factor for any successful hunt, if not the most crucial.

“. . .We left the truck and Marco immediately noted that the light morning winds put us directly upwind of the sounding.  He figured that we had only minutes before they would catch our scent and leave the bedding area.”

Honestly, how many of us do pay immediate attention to the wind direction? Not many, I guess.

However, if you follow common wisdom and if you read my books, you know that the sense of smell is most developed in pigs of all kind. They can easily sniff out truffles three feet underground and detect the smell of a human hundreds of yards away. Hunting in the direction of the wind, that is with the wind in your back and blowing towards the boar, will place the hunter in a landscape devoid of wild pigs – and other game.

It is so basic that I hesitate to mention it for fear of being accused of dabbling in platitudes. Yet, you would be amazed to hear how many hunters spend exorbitant amounts of money on specially prepared, fashionable hunting outfits that are designed to mask or suppress the human scent but pay precious little attention to the direction of the wind. Is it because paying attention is free?

Save your money and let the wind blow from the game to you instead.

After all you are engaged in SPOT and stalk hunting. 
And not in bumbling and stumbling around!
Right? You ought to know where your quarry is hanging out and approach it with the wind in YOUR face – not theirs.

Now, here is another remark worth mentioning.

“. . .I followed Marco up the ridge in the thick Oak forest.  Later he explained that the pigs are foraging these lands with grazing cattle, and are a bit indifferent to the sounds of twigs snapping and leaves being crushed underfoot.  Unfortunately, I didn’t know that at the time, and was pushing myself hard to keep up with my guide while being quiet.”

Alright, we are stalking prey. By definition that means to pursue stealthily. Consequently, I try not to snap twigs and crash noisily through forest and underbrush. However, as readers of my books know boar become less sensitive to loud unusual crashing noises during mating season of other game animals, in the presence of farm animals and around repetitive noise created by humans not engaged in hunting.

Wild pigs often associate with cattle on a ranch. Thus they become conditioned to big bodies crashing through vegetation crushing twigs and leaves.

But please do not interpret this to mean that on a cattle ranch you can let your 4x4 roar over dirt roads loudly blaring the latest Hip Hop rap. Boar are not amused by it.

The next statement is another good one. I know many avid hunters who are also dedicated reloading enthusiasts. They pour over reams and reams of ballistic date in pursuit of that elusive perfect powder charge and projectile combination that promises deadly accuracy.

Maybe it can be achieved under ideal conditions on a firing range, using bench rest and ample time to aim and adjust the rifle. But in the field?

Grant gives the perfect answer.

“. . .I had her clearly in sight at a range of 150 yards down to the canyon floor. I took the shot, and missed.
With perfect hindsight, my bad aim was predictable.  My heart was still racing and I was gasping from the hike to the interception point, resulting in an unsteady aim.“

What? No bench rest? No indefinite time to aim? And you could not test it again with a different load? Of course not. That is why we call it hunting.

A racing heart, gasping lungs, shaking hands and, maybe, a little buck fever always overcome improved accuracy and performance, if any, squeezed out of hours and hours of testing and manipulating reload parameters. Staying in good physical shape and a good resting point for your rifle do much more for a steady aim and an accurate shot than even the best reloads.

Which leads me smoothly to my next comment. It involves another endless debate: How to correct the aim for a downhill or an uphill shot.

“. . .I had zeroed the rifle at 200 yards and was aiming down at a 25 degree angle, which put the point of impact 2 to 3 inches higher than my aim point.” 

After researching the subject at length, rifling through pages of boring ballistic data that tested my patience and finally extracting a few key points that are in my opinion of importance I concluded that the deviation of the bullet from the aiming point due to uphill or downhill shots is under most conditions smaller than the error introduced by an unsteady human hand, a racing heart and panting lungs. In my case the difference in the theoretical point of impact was around 1 inch.

An unsteady aim under realistic hunting conditions in the field easily creates a much greater inaccuracy.

Paraphrasing another maxim passed on by seasoned Old World hunters to hunting novices:

“Up or down – aim at the center.”

This adage takes into consideration that whether a target is uphill or downhill of the shooter it should be treated with regard to distance as if it were on level ground.

Grant concluded correctly:

“. . .However, my biggest transgression was to target the sow’s shoulder rather than her lower heart/lung area, so my shot flew past her.”

Had he aimed at the middle of he killing zone, his shot would have hit and harvested the wild pig regardless of the downhill shot. 
The best shot, and the most lethal, is to the heart/lung area. This area is located behind and slightly above the elbow of the front leg. The ideal aiming point is just a tad above the free elbow spur – if you can see it. The target area is a few inches in diameter. Even if a bullet strays by the above 2 or 3 inches, whether from unsteady aim or from an incorrect interpretation of uphill or downhill shooting, it would prove to be lethal because it would strike correctly in the  heart/lung area.

Finally and in conclusion, Marco's advice to set the scope to a 100 yard aim point is a good one. Most boar are taken at distances of between maybe 50 and 150 yards. Few shots are over greater lengths – except the infamous shots over 700 yards plus from a .243 to the head of a boar. Responsible hunters avoid shots exceeding 200 to 250 yards whenever possible which keeps bullet drop manageable.

PJJ