adam
20-06-05, 12:31 AM
Aggression from Obsession
By Adam Greentree
AustraliaÃ*s most widely hunted game animal would have to be the pig. Domestic pigs were brought into Australia by European setters, by the early 1880Ã*s pigs had spread throughout the land. Well itÃ*s been a long time since they first landed and they have found there way around a good majority of this country. Feral pigs are now common in the Northern Territory, Queensland, Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales, and less common in western Victoria, Western Australia, and on a few offshore islands. Western Australia and Victoria have pockets of pigs but are too and far between in most places.
Feral pigs are omnivorous habitat generalists, occupying grasslands, woodlands, tropical forests and, semi-arid and monsoonal floodplains. They can survive under the toughest of conditions from the freezing hills of the snowy mountains to the fruitless grounds of western New South Wales.
A pigs diet consist of insects, plant life, most anything that is growing on or under the surface, and carcasses of other animals. Pigs arenÃ*t selective when it comes to drought country and will crew on anything that might be food. In hard times farmers will often lose many a head of lambs as pigs will pick them off while they are young and weak. The finger is also pointed at pigs for eating ground nesting bird eggs.
Obvious pig signs are ripping, when they turn the soil sniffing out grubs plant roots and pods. Wallowing, which usually occurs around any damp areas, pigs wallow to help keep parasites at bay and cool off. Wallowing also helps add to there heavy fighting pad when battling boars. Mud can be caked onto a boar over and inch thick and rock hard once itÃ*s dry. Pigs will often rub the bark of a tree while scratching and boars will tusk trees to leave there marks. IÃ*ve often seen trees so badly tusked that the tree dies. By wallowing and rooting feral pigs modify stream lines, increase erosion, decrease food resources and habitat for native wildlife. Feral pigs are also thought to compete with native animals for food, spread environmental weeds, and transmit disease. They are certainly high on the hit list for farmers and hunters.
Pigs can be very challenging to hunt and hold a unique experience for those chasing them. ThereÃ*s something about a cranky boar that really floats my boat when hunting. They donÃ*t stand very tall but are generally solid as and are as tough as a bullÃ*s forehead.
I like a good 2 blade broadhead when hunting pigs and a shaving sharp broadhead as usual. I also carry a good solid knife on my side incase a pig decides to have a go, something IÃ*m not to familiar with. Most times even a cranky boar will avoid you if spooked, but thereÃ*s a few out there that will stand there ground.
I remember some experienced bowhunters telling me years ago in the Macquarie Marshes about boars that had charged from 100meters away straight at them. I think the bowhunters got the upper hand but it goes to show how aggressive a boar can be. I have been charged a few times to date by the four legged aggressors. I once had a pig jumping into the air as I fought it off with my bow. I could swear that pig was going for my throat.
This was before I had ever shot a pig and the whole thing came as an experience.
I still remember my first pig, which has lured me to writing this article. It was in the upper valleys of the southern highlands during winter of 2000. Accompanied by three other hunters, Chris Hervert, Danny Bajt, and Nigel Thompson we were trekking along the mountain tops glassing for game. The view points up in this high country are awesome, and it gives an advantage to the glassing hunter. From up top we could see a good size hog, about 700 meters down in the valleys basin. On our way down Chris and Danny arrowed two pigs in some think stuff surrounded by tussock grass. It as hard to see were they had run as the country was heavy with timber. Chris and Danny looked for blood trials While Nigel and I split up looking out in front for the pigs. With an arrow on the rest I dropped down closer to the creek that ran through the valley. Shhhheesh I nearly walked over the top of it, about five meters away in the thick tussock grass laid one of the pigs. I turned around to tell the boys I had found there pig as I put the arrow in the quiver, but the guys were nowhere to be seen. I turned my head back around to see and hear and aggressive boar growling with is head down under the tussocks. Hmmm its a different pig, big mistake. He hadnÃ*t even look at me when he jumped from what was obviously his bed and snarled at me chomping his tusks together sharpening them up. Just 5 meters away stood this mean looking boar and I hadnÃ*t an arrow on the rest. I better not blink from this distance as I stood absolutely still hoping for the best. He continually kept growling and foaming at the mouth, the boar sounded just like a vicious dog. After what felt like around 5 minutes the boar turned around and tucked under a big pile of tussock grass that I now know are pigÃ*s beds. I couldnÃ*t believe he went back to sleeping. I retrieved an arrow from my quiver and brought it down to the string. YouÃ*re kidding me, the boar exploded out of his bed again, growling and carrying on. This time he walked about a meter closer bringing our gap down to 4 meters. I could swear he was looking straight at my groin; I was getting worried to say the least. There was no way I was going to get a shot of before he got me, not with a compound. I stood still yet again, this boar was seriously agro as he started chomping into his own front leg, lifting it the air and giving it a good much. At four meters I could hear every bit of detail, He chomped his tusk together repeatable before walking back to his bed and lying down again. He tucked his noise right under the bed of tussocks this time and slip right in, all I could see was an inch of his back, but I visualized his vitals all the way as he slid under. I drew back and it was a good feeling to have the string tensioned against my three shooting fingers. Whack, the boar had trouble getting to his feet as a 130w ribtek broadhead took out double lungs. The boar stumbled about 15 meters and was down. What a thrill that was, my first pig and a first hand experience.
He measured out at just under 27 dp
What a great animal to hunt.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v388/bowhunting/CopyofCopyof32.jpg
By Adam Greentree
AustraliaÃ*s most widely hunted game animal would have to be the pig. Domestic pigs were brought into Australia by European setters, by the early 1880Ã*s pigs had spread throughout the land. Well itÃ*s been a long time since they first landed and they have found there way around a good majority of this country. Feral pigs are now common in the Northern Territory, Queensland, Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales, and less common in western Victoria, Western Australia, and on a few offshore islands. Western Australia and Victoria have pockets of pigs but are too and far between in most places.
Feral pigs are omnivorous habitat generalists, occupying grasslands, woodlands, tropical forests and, semi-arid and monsoonal floodplains. They can survive under the toughest of conditions from the freezing hills of the snowy mountains to the fruitless grounds of western New South Wales.
A pigs diet consist of insects, plant life, most anything that is growing on or under the surface, and carcasses of other animals. Pigs arenÃ*t selective when it comes to drought country and will crew on anything that might be food. In hard times farmers will often lose many a head of lambs as pigs will pick them off while they are young and weak. The finger is also pointed at pigs for eating ground nesting bird eggs.
Obvious pig signs are ripping, when they turn the soil sniffing out grubs plant roots and pods. Wallowing, which usually occurs around any damp areas, pigs wallow to help keep parasites at bay and cool off. Wallowing also helps add to there heavy fighting pad when battling boars. Mud can be caked onto a boar over and inch thick and rock hard once itÃ*s dry. Pigs will often rub the bark of a tree while scratching and boars will tusk trees to leave there marks. IÃ*ve often seen trees so badly tusked that the tree dies. By wallowing and rooting feral pigs modify stream lines, increase erosion, decrease food resources and habitat for native wildlife. Feral pigs are also thought to compete with native animals for food, spread environmental weeds, and transmit disease. They are certainly high on the hit list for farmers and hunters.
Pigs can be very challenging to hunt and hold a unique experience for those chasing them. ThereÃ*s something about a cranky boar that really floats my boat when hunting. They donÃ*t stand very tall but are generally solid as and are as tough as a bullÃ*s forehead.
I like a good 2 blade broadhead when hunting pigs and a shaving sharp broadhead as usual. I also carry a good solid knife on my side incase a pig decides to have a go, something IÃ*m not to familiar with. Most times even a cranky boar will avoid you if spooked, but thereÃ*s a few out there that will stand there ground.
I remember some experienced bowhunters telling me years ago in the Macquarie Marshes about boars that had charged from 100meters away straight at them. I think the bowhunters got the upper hand but it goes to show how aggressive a boar can be. I have been charged a few times to date by the four legged aggressors. I once had a pig jumping into the air as I fought it off with my bow. I could swear that pig was going for my throat.
This was before I had ever shot a pig and the whole thing came as an experience.
I still remember my first pig, which has lured me to writing this article. It was in the upper valleys of the southern highlands during winter of 2000. Accompanied by three other hunters, Chris Hervert, Danny Bajt, and Nigel Thompson we were trekking along the mountain tops glassing for game. The view points up in this high country are awesome, and it gives an advantage to the glassing hunter. From up top we could see a good size hog, about 700 meters down in the valleys basin. On our way down Chris and Danny arrowed two pigs in some think stuff surrounded by tussock grass. It as hard to see were they had run as the country was heavy with timber. Chris and Danny looked for blood trials While Nigel and I split up looking out in front for the pigs. With an arrow on the rest I dropped down closer to the creek that ran through the valley. Shhhheesh I nearly walked over the top of it, about five meters away in the thick tussock grass laid one of the pigs. I turned around to tell the boys I had found there pig as I put the arrow in the quiver, but the guys were nowhere to be seen. I turned my head back around to see and hear and aggressive boar growling with is head down under the tussocks. Hmmm its a different pig, big mistake. He hadnÃ*t even look at me when he jumped from what was obviously his bed and snarled at me chomping his tusks together sharpening them up. Just 5 meters away stood this mean looking boar and I hadnÃ*t an arrow on the rest. I better not blink from this distance as I stood absolutely still hoping for the best. He continually kept growling and foaming at the mouth, the boar sounded just like a vicious dog. After what felt like around 5 minutes the boar turned around and tucked under a big pile of tussock grass that I now know are pigÃ*s beds. I couldnÃ*t believe he went back to sleeping. I retrieved an arrow from my quiver and brought it down to the string. YouÃ*re kidding me, the boar exploded out of his bed again, growling and carrying on. This time he walked about a meter closer bringing our gap down to 4 meters. I could swear he was looking straight at my groin; I was getting worried to say the least. There was no way I was going to get a shot of before he got me, not with a compound. I stood still yet again, this boar was seriously agro as he started chomping into his own front leg, lifting it the air and giving it a good much. At four meters I could hear every bit of detail, He chomped his tusk together repeatable before walking back to his bed and lying down again. He tucked his noise right under the bed of tussocks this time and slip right in, all I could see was an inch of his back, but I visualized his vitals all the way as he slid under. I drew back and it was a good feeling to have the string tensioned against my three shooting fingers. Whack, the boar had trouble getting to his feet as a 130w ribtek broadhead took out double lungs. The boar stumbled about 15 meters and was down. What a thrill that was, my first pig and a first hand experience.
He measured out at just under 27 dp
What a great animal to hunt.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v388/bowhunting/CopyofCopyof32.jpg