Trophy Sow, regular sow, and boar

[Double Naught Spy]

What is a trophy sow? Usually, we think size, but this one was only about 170 lbs. So what made it a trophy sow? It was carrying a whopping FOURTEEN fetuses onboard. My partner, Ben, shot it. In 15 years of hog hunting, the most I have seen in a sow was 13 and generally speaking, double digit litters aren't real common with feral hogs in my experience. I may have had 6 or 7 over the years that managed to have 10 or more onboard. The sow I later shot had 6 onboard, which is more typical.

We may only slayed 3 hogs directly, but managed to take out 20 more from the next generation in the process (which just tickles me). Ben certainly picked a winner.

There should be video, later. I don't think it will be as exciting as Ben's 14 onboard.

I was shooting Power Hammer 92 gr bullets and Ben was shooting Northern Precision Spitzer RBT Bonded 95 gr bullets loaded by Druid Hill Armory.

Halves Together reduced 2.jpg

[VASCAR2]

Wow, I had no idea they could carry that many.

[Konocti's Wigwam]

That's why it's so hard to keep this population down...1 shot, 15 DRT...

I'll tell you guys, I'm one frustrated new to the Grendel person. I have a box of loads to test and have a tag to get out and get a pig, but have a few other things keeping me occupied and I can't get to the range as it's 3 hours away. One day I'll live 10 minutes away.

My first loads are using Barnes 120 grain TTSX bullets with H335. and I've been pondering getting some Barnes 100 grain TTSX bullets.

Do you gut it right away or do you take it back to some type of skinning crane/stand ??? That's gonna be a great eating sow...

How much do you figure the piglets weigh? One would be dragging all that back if they don't gut ASAP I 'spose...

[Konocti's Wigwam]

I've watched some of your videos in the past, just didn't place your name with it.

I was watching your video on the 92 grain Power Hammer, same bullet you used for the above hogs. So tell me, I loaded 120 grain TTSX bullets thinking I want something heavier. My other choice was 100 grain in TTSX.

In that video the sow goes down quick, so the bullet seems enough.

Have you used heavier bullets?

[Double Naught Spy]

Hunted animals, most notably hogs, die as a result of exsanguination (blood loss), suffocation, or disruption of the upper central nervous system. Most of the time that you see hogs drop and stay down in my videos is because they have had either direct or indirect upper CNS damage. All other hogs are apt to run or try to run.

Where I am going with this is that just because an animal went down doesn't mean the bullet is particularly good (or necessarily bad if the animal didn't go down). It all comes down to what the bullet strikes and if there is a shock wave that might result in hydrostatic shock to the upper CNS (for which nobody has produced a bullet that will necessarily cause death via hydrostatic shock).

You are going with TTSX which are a good bullet if you want a particular type of performance. They open up to about double the diameter of the original bullet, maybe a bit more, and that is it, but then then power this modestly expanded bullet deeply through tissue, often resulting in overpenetation. Overpenetration is fine if you are hoping to generate a blood trail, but as some folks point out, the energy carrying the bullet away from the hog is energy that could have been used by the bullet to do even more tissue damage.

As you are in CA and apparently must use copper bullets, I would suggest trying Maker Rex or T Rex bullets. They will expand to right at an inch and may retain all or most of their petals, though sometimes they will break off...but they don't seem to detach as a matter of design. As a result, they tend to bore a larger diameter hole through the animal and are less prone to overpenetration. So my argument here is that a bullet of comparable weight and velocity that stays together after expansion without overpenetating will do more tissue damage than one that overpenetrates. However, for the bullet that doesn't overpenetrate, it still much penetrate fairly deeply and the Rex and T Rex will do that. It isn't like a varmint grenade that blows up the first 3-4" about the size of a baseball and doesn't do anything else.

As for heavier bullets, I don't know how much more you can go with copper bullets as their OAL will become excessive or you will have to reduce your powder in order for them to fit in the case at standard length.

Gutting? You should gut ASAP, as with other game animals. You also want to get your meat on ice ASAP. As the temps drop, your handling time increases, right? Gutting and butchering at 100 degrees needs to happen sooner than at 30 degrees.

How much do piglets weigh? Anywhere from 2 lbs to maybe 10 or so, if you are being technical and a piglet is an unweened juvenile. A lot of what we call "piglets" are shoats (juvenile hogs) and we call them piglets as a term to denote significantly smaller hogs than the adults. Depending on your definition and how well the hogs are feeding, shoats may get up to 70-100 lbs. They aren't "piglet" size at that point, but they are still shoats. As a side note, piglets may begin eating solid food 10-14 days after birth and can survive without milk at that point and be weened. They will stay on the teet longer, of course, if they have the opportunity.

I keep waiting for folks to cook up some fetuses as the ultimate veal of the pig world, but few people admit to eating them.

[BlogSarge]

What is a trophy sow? Usually, we think size, but this one was only about 170 lbs. So what made it a trophy sow? It was carrying a whopping FOURTEEN fetuses onboard. My partner, Ben, shot it. In 15 years of hog hunting, the most I have seen in a sow was 13 and generally speaking, double digit litters aren't real common with feral hogs in my experience. I may have had 6 or 7 over the years that managed to have 10 or more onboard. The sow I later shot had 6 onboard, which is more typical.

We may only slayed 3 hogs directly, but managed to take out 20 more from the next generation in the process (which just tickles me). Ben certainly picked a winner.

There should be video, later. I don't think it will be as exciting as Ben's 14 onboard.

I was shooting Power Hammer 92 gr bullets and Ben was shooting Northern Precision Spitzer RBT Bonded 95 gr bullets loaded by Druid Hill Armory.

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Those are truly bacon bits!

[Konocti's Wigwam]

You are going with TTSX which are a good bullet if you want a particular type of performance.

I like Hornady also, but Barnes is a well liked hunting projectile.

As you are in CA and apparently must use copper bullets

Yes, this is a problem for me, as I mainly plan to hunt and load the same ammo to shoot at the range every month. I'd like to go twice a month to the range, say 50 rounds each time. I have about 250 x 130 grain TMKs in 6.5mm(.264"). I have a bunch of 140 grain A-Max in 6.5mm/.264" also.

, I would suggest trying Maker Rex or T Rex bullets. They will expand to right at an inch and may retain all or most of their petals, though sometimes they will break off...but they don't seem to detach as a matter of design. As a result, they tend to bore a larger diameter hole through the animal and are less prone to overpenetration. So my argument here is that a bullet of comparable weight and velocity that stays together after expansion without overpenetating will do more tissue damage than one that overpenetrates. However, for the bullet that doesn't overpenetrate, it still much penetrate fairly deeply and the Rex and T Rex will do that. It isn't like a varmint grenade that blows up the first 3-4" about the size of a baseball and doesn't do anything else.

Gutting? You should gut ASAP, as with other game animals.

Yes, that is how I was taught, but I was curious about you, you guys are handing out dirt naps in many of your videos at night. Do you gut those at night? I took a home butcher class which went over many of the basics, I feel comfortable I can dress one in the field. The class taught us to gut them, but they also used a reciprocating saw to cut down the spine. I plan to cut the ribs out, but I'm ok with de-boning in the field. I'm planning to hunt solo, or with my son to have him help pack meat. I'm planning to carry about 30-40 lbs. including firearm, in my pack, and hoping if I de-bone

Let's say I can get a 150 lb. pig. I need to get that down to about 60-70 lbs in order to keep my pack at or under 100 lbs. I think it's possible if I de-bone it. At the butcher class I got to skin 1/2 the pig we butchered. They do have a lot of fat under the skin...I removed a gland from the ham I also butchered.

At the butcher class I took, they were not exactly sure how many glands are in a pig. They pointed out the two in the hind legs, and showed me the one in the ham I cut up into 3 roasts. I am planning to smoke most of meat I obtain.

Do you have a good handle on the glands?

KW

[Double Naught Spy]

Here is the video from the hunt. Note that we are using Hammer, Power Hammer 92 gr. bullets and Northern Precision 95 gr. Spitzer RBT Bonded bullets on this hunt...

[LRRPF52]

I wonder if you could bathe/marinate those fetuses in hot sauce/BBQ sauce, batter them up like fried chicken, then deep-fry them.

[Double Naught Spy]

I don't know why not. I would still want them gutted, but they should be the most absolute tender pork imaginable.

Honestly, I can't believe we don't have those at the state fair.

Now, I am getting hungry.

[tashley680]

I wonder if you could bathe/marinate those fetuses in hot sauce/BBQ sauce, batter them up like fried chicken, then deep-fry them.

Now you're making them sound like softshell crabs!

[CJW]

Great post DNS

[Konocti's Wigwam]

DNS,

In your latest video you posted today you place on the beginning of the video, "Shoot Sows First".

Could you elaborate on why you shoot the sows first? Is it because they can be carrying a sound?

Seems like most people out west are looking for bigger, fatter boars, but sows are known to taste better.

Can you explain exactly where the glands are located? I know there are 2 in front of the rear legs, and there's a small one in each ham, but where are the others? Do you know?

KW