Hello,
I am looking for information, resource material, or possible advice for what I am dealing with here in middle Georgia. First off I am an avid hunter (20+years experience) and police officer so know that what I say here is given with the most personal scrutiny on what I and my partners have seen as well.
Recently I have picked up a large tract of land in middle Georgia to hunt (approximately 1000 acres). I have quite a healthy population of Deer, Wild Boar, Coyotes, Bobcats, Bear, etc. Recently me and two of my partners (both officers) have been doing a lot Boar and Coyote hunting and have had several odd incidents.
#1 Dec 2012 While posting up on a wooded point near dusk (sight lines well over 1000+yrds) near a pair of abandoned grain silos we heard what sounded like two large boars coming up out of the oak bottom. Now both me and my partner have been hunting long enough we can pretty much tell the size of what was approaching was in the 300lbs range. Well we backed out into the open field about 50yrds from the woodline with our backs to the open field. It was now dark with a bright full moon in the sky with great visibility (Easily able to make out animals/people out to 400-500yrds).
We activated our red lights hoping to catch some eye shine from what was thinking was a large hog and the activity ceased. We then heard one large animal break into a trot flanking to our left thru the woodline headed in a direction to stay down wind of us. One of these animals remained in front of us approximately just 25yrds into the thick tree line and began pacing back and fourth, we were unable to see it just hear it.
We activated our red lights again and we started getting pelted with cotton seed bulbs from our left flank near the grain silos (which were about 50-60yrds from our position). Now these bulbs were thrown every single time we turned on our red lights and landed in between us, grazing my jacket with some force consistently and accurately. My partner and I eventually stood up (taking an aggressive posture) and loudly announcing ourselves as officers before advancing on the grain silos and clearing them, first thinking maybe someone was playing a prank on us. No one was found, nor any signs of people walking around or vehicles sighted coming or going.
#2 Early Jan 2013 (heavy cloud cover- no moon) Another night hunt on a different field on this property. About 2200hrs my partner and I had been set up in an open pecan orchard facing a wood line that we had tracked a lot of wild hog activity to. We had been baiting the hogs with corn and old bread for a week (legal to hunt over bait in our county) for a couple of weeks and had narrowed down the times they feed to 1800hrs-2200hrs-0100hrs-0500hrs. We had been sitting in position for a good hours or more and actually heard a pack of hogs pass thru 30minutes prior to this incident, but they never came out of the woods and just moved on by.
Eventually my partner thought that we were not going to see anything and decided to get up and take a quick leak around the corner. After taking care of business he sat back down near me and was playing with his cellphone when the pro-dominate wind changed and started blowing our odor directly into the woods.
Now the whole time we'd been sitting here the frogs/crickets were just making the normal amount of racket when suddenly they stopped making ANY sound around. Normally this would happen if a large pack of pigs were rolling thru, but normally only for a few seconds until the pigs passed where ever the frogs were...this lasted a good 20-30minutes. Thinking nothing of it my partner went on playing his cell phone while began shining my red light on the woodline looking for eyeshine.
It was at this time a large first sized clump of dirt was chucked at me from the woodline (heard it come from the brush) striking my lap and busting. My partner and I sprung up to our knees and started scanning the area, however nothing was seen. Shorting after this a solo 200lbs sow came running out of the woodline where I shot it. Now this sow had been seen on camera multiple times and always with a pack of 4 adult sows and approximately 30 piglets. She had been running a good ways before she entered the clearing before she was shot.
I am looking for information, resource material, or possible advice for what I am dealing with here in middle Georgia. First off I am an avid hunter (20+years experience) and police officer so know that what I say here is given with the most personal scrutiny on what I and my partners have seen as well.
Recently I have picked up a large tract of land in middle Georgia to hunt (approximately 1000 acres). I have quite a healthy population of Deer, Wild Boar, Coyotes, Bobcats, Bear, etc. Recently me and two of my partners (both officers) have been doing a lot Boar and Coyote hunting and have had several odd incidents.
#1 Dec 2012 While posting up on a wooded point near dusk (sight lines well over 1000+yrds) near a pair of abandoned grain silos we heard what sounded like two large boars coming up out of the oak bottom. Now both me and my partner have been hunting long enough we can pretty much tell the size of what was approaching was in the 300lbs range. Well we backed out into the open field about 50yrds from the woodline with our backs to the open field. It was now dark with a bright full moon in the sky with great visibility (Easily able to make out animals/people out to 400-500yrds).
We activated our red lights hoping to catch some eye shine from what was thinking was a large hog and the activity ceased. We then heard one large animal break into a trot flanking to our left thru the woodline headed in a direction to stay down wind of us. One of these animals remained in front of us approximately just 25yrds into the thick tree line and began pacing back and fourth, we were unable to see it just hear it.
We activated our red lights again and we started getting pelted with cotton seed bulbs from our left flank near the grain silos (which were about 50-60yrds from our position). Now these bulbs were thrown every single time we turned on our red lights and landed in between us, grazing my jacket with some force consistently and accurately. My partner and I eventually stood up (taking an aggressive posture) and loudly announcing ourselves as officers before advancing on the grain silos and clearing them, first thinking maybe someone was playing a prank on us. No one was found, nor any signs of people walking around or vehicles sighted coming or going.
#2 Early Jan 2013 (heavy cloud cover- no moon) Another night hunt on a different field on this property. About 2200hrs my partner and I had been set up in an open pecan orchard facing a wood line that we had tracked a lot of wild hog activity to. We had been baiting the hogs with corn and old bread for a week (legal to hunt over bait in our county) for a couple of weeks and had narrowed down the times they feed to 1800hrs-2200hrs-0100hrs-0500hrs. We had been sitting in position for a good hours or more and actually heard a pack of hogs pass thru 30minutes prior to this incident, but they never came out of the woods and just moved on by.
Eventually my partner thought that we were not going to see anything and decided to get up and take a quick leak around the corner. After taking care of business he sat back down near me and was playing with his cellphone when the pro-dominate wind changed and started blowing our odor directly into the woods.
Now the whole time we'd been sitting here the frogs/crickets were just making the normal amount of racket when suddenly they stopped making ANY sound around. Normally this would happen if a large pack of pigs were rolling thru, but normally only for a few seconds until the pigs passed where ever the frogs were...this lasted a good 20-30minutes. Thinking nothing of it my partner went on playing his cell phone while began shining my red light on the woodline looking for eyeshine.
It was at this time a large first sized clump of dirt was chucked at me from the woodline (heard it come from the brush) striking my lap and busting. My partner and I sprung up to our knees and started scanning the area, however nothing was seen. Shorting after this a solo 200lbs sow came running out of the woodline where I shot it. Now this sow had been seen on camera multiple times and always with a pack of 4 adult sows and approximately 30 piglets. She had been running a good ways before she entered the clearing before she was shot.
