The Hog Blog

Since last year’s “revelatory” discovery that lead fragments “contaminate” hunter-killed venison, several states have begun taking measures to address the fears of consumers and politicians.  So far, an all-out lead ban has been avoided, but the panic hasn’t abated.  The response of state food banks has been all over the board, though.

North Dakota, where this all started, has just announced that food banks will only accept venison taken by archery… at least for now.  This should cut the donations significantly, which is a shame as this meat is an affordable source of protein for many needy families.

In Minnesota, after going around and around, the decision was made to allow venison back into the food bank, but they will only be accepting whole cuts.  Ground venison, which has generally shown to have higher concentrations of lead fragments, will not be permitted. 

What’s happening in your state?  Can you still donate your venison to the local food banks? 

A while back, and maybe a time or two since then, I’ve mentioned that with all the talk about lead ammo and its alleged effects on condors, what we haven’t really talked about is lead at shooting ranges.  It’s a major issue, and one that is likely to become a lot bigger in the very near future.  It’s also the loose edge under which the anti-lead crusade is likely to wedge their levers. 

For a quick refresher, there are a couple of key issues around lead ammo and shooting ranges.  First, and most obvious is the deposit of lead bullets and shot pellets into the ground around the range.  It’s significant, and the threat to groundwater is real and documented. 

The second risk at ranges is lead gases.  The airborne lead isn’t just from bullets, but comes from the primers as well (lead is used as a stabilizing agent in most centerfire primers).  OSHA has dedicated an entire book to the issue of lead at shooting ranges, both indoor and outdoor ranges. 

Anyway, as lead ammo becomes more and more widely discussed, the shooting range issue is likely to become a key topic.  The first salvo was fired long ago, but this morning’s issue of the SF Chronicle sends another volley downrange. 

Lead litter endangers wildlife and waterways, scientists say. Lead is so toxic that if consumed, it stunts the growth of animals and plants, and causes the loss of biological diversity, according to scientists at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Runoff from ranges can be rich in lead, said Tom Mumley, assistant executive officer of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, which halted the use of lead shot at shooting ranges near water in the mid-1990s.

 

Nic Barca is a hog hunter and wildlife biology (or something like that ) student in Hawaii.  I’ve long sat and drooled over his stories of hunting in the islands for wild hogs, goats, and wild cattle (don’t laugh… these cattle are wild and rank… the poor man’s Cape Buffalo).  It’s not just that he gets to do all this great hunting, it’s the beautiful place where he’s doing it!

Anyway, Nic has been doing some video work in addition to his hunts and stories.  Most of them are worth seeing, and if you take a look at YouTube and look up nbarca, you can find some great stuff.  But when I saw this video that lays out the process for gutless field dressing, I thought it was worth sharing.  I’ve used the method on elk, deer, and hogs, and it’s worked great.  Folks have asked me about it, and while I’ve explained it, maybe seeing it on video will make it a little more clear.

So, without further ado…

 

Just read this in my feeds today. A Texas man has been charged with intentionally releasing feral hogs in Wisconsin. The charges stem from a 2002 incident, in which the accused, Robert Scott Johnson, allegedly brought a trailer load of feral hogs from Texas to Wisconsin, and released them into the wild.

Here’s the article from the Houston Chronicle.

Much of the blame for the massive expansion of feral hogs throughout the U.S. has been placed on the doorstep of people importing and releasing the animals in order to create a huntable population in their area.  Hogs are prolific breeders and can survive a wide variety of environmental conditions, so once established, they’re hard to control and almost impossible to eradicate.

While I’ve expressed my own doubts about the actual negative impact of feral hogs on habitat and native wildlife, there’s no question that wild swine can do a lot of damage to agricultural interests.  Texas, the state with the largest population of feral hogs, estimates annual crop loss and damage at around $52 million, and spends millions of dollars per year on control and eradication efforts… not counting the amount spent by ranchers and farmers out of their own pockets.  (There is a flip side in Texas, however, as hog hunters from around the country flock to TX for a taste of wild pork.  While hog hunts in TX are relatively inexpensive, the volume of hunters is likely to continue to increase, creating a pretty lucrative industry for the ranchers, outfitters, and property-owners interested in capitalizing on the boom.)

The point is, importing these animals and releasing them uncontrolled into the wild is both environmentally irresponsible and detrimental to our sport.  I’ve heard an awful lot of people argue that hunters aren’t to blame for the spread of feral hogs, but cases like this one make it awful hard to defend the ethical majority in our community.  The fact is, the practice is a lot more prevalent than many people would like to admit or believe. 

Look, I love hog hunting.  It’s something of a minor obsession for me, and I think every hunter should have the opportunity to go after these wonderful game animals.  But honestly, spreading them across the country, releasing them into wild places where they simply don’t belong… that’s a bad practice.  Not only is there potential to damage habitat and native species, there’s also the likelihood that continuing the practice will bring down more draconian laws that make it hard on legal, ethical hunters.  You’re going to see more states taking the approach of Kansas and prohibiting the recreational take of feral hogs.  You’re also going to see more and more tax money diverted from necessary wildlife management and habitat programs in order to address this newly created problem. 

It’s not that expensive to take a long weekend trip to Texas or Florida and hunt the large population of feral hogs (I do not include CA in this list, although we have the second-largest herd of feral hogs in the country, because it’s become ridiculously expensive for a non-resident to hunt hogs here).  Head on down and see what it’s all about in a state that already has a “problem” and welcomes the assistance in controlling it.  Don’t be part of creating a new problem, both for the State and for hunters.

 

 

Yeah, the title sucks. Sorry…

But here’s the deal.  In comments to my recent post about Washington state’s position on lead ammo, the conversation diverged into some speculation by Holly (the NorCal Cazadora) about whether more people would start hunting as a result of the economic downturn.   She wrote:

Another blogger out there just asked recently if others are seeing evidence that the poor economy is driving licenses and hunting UP because of people’s desire to fill their freezers.

Michael Riddle, from NativeHunt, replied that he doubted that a person could, legally, subsist on wild game.  I would disagree with that from a theoretical perspective… but only at that academic level.  It would be quite possible, especially if you factor in wild hogs (year-round, no limit, etc.) to gather enough game, fish, and fowl.  The catch is, it would cost a small fortune and require a huge investment in time and effort. 

Which brings his final point to light:

The drop in hunter numbers only coincides with correlating numbers of people simply tightening up their belts during a rough economic turmoil and they have cut out extraneous activities.
When the economy picks up we will see those numbers pick up and increase alongside of our paycheck increases.

I agree with Michael that the reality is that the economic situation is much more likely to drive people away from hunting than into it.  It’s not a necessity for anyone in this country, and if things really get tight, most folks aren’t going to spend the money for a 5% chance at killing a deer (much less two deer), or drop $20 a pop for a tag, then spend $400 or more to go shoot a hog on private land (forget about public land hunting.. the cost to success ratio is ridiculously low there). 

Point being, hunting for meat is not an economical alternative to buying it from the store… at least not if you’re doing it legally.  Sure, there may be the exception here and there, but generally speaking, it doesn’t make any sense

What you will likely see, if things get really-really bad, is a slight uptick in poaching, just like they saw during the depression.   

Keep in mind that, historically, the most significant upswing in recreational, sport hunting didn’t take place until the country was in an economical upswing, following WWII.  There were a ton of factors at work, but not the least was that people had spare money and spare time. 

The current economic trend is certainly ugly, but we’re still a very prosperous society.  The bloat of the hunting and shooting sports industry is a testament to the fact that hunters still have plenty of spare money to spend on our sport… and apparently plenty of spare time to use all those new gadgets and gizmos.    All this is good and fine now, but it sets the stage for a devastating collapse of the industry if Americans really have to start tightening their belts. 

The prosperity and growth of the “industry” concerns me as well because of the upsurge in “pay-to-play” hunting opportunities.  As guides and outfitters lease more property, and property owners recognize the financial incentive to charge tresspass fees, the opportunities for “free” hunting appear to be fading away.  This may be simple perception versus reality, but that perception already has had a negative impact on the number of hunters.  As folks find it harder to justify the cost of a hunt, that impact will worsen.  The idea of hunting as a “rich man’s sport” may very well become the dominant reality. 

As a whole, the hunting community is already hemorraghing members at a critical rate due to other factors besides the economy.  A significant and prolonged economic downturn may very well be the telling blow to our sport, relegating us once and for all to fringe status… an unlikely coalition of the very wealthy and the hardcore.   

I’ll still be there, one way or the other…

 

Just read the following press release out of Florida. 

Florida Cautions Hunters on Wild Hogs

2008-09-18

TALLAHASSEE, Fl. — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is encouraging hunters to take precautions when dressing and handling harvested wild hogs.

Wild hogs, though not originally native to Florida, are now found within all 67 counties, and like any wild animal, can carry parasites and diseases – some of which can be transmitted to people. One such disease for hunters to be concerned with is swine brucellosis.

The FWC is advising hunters handling wild hog carcasses to take the following precautions to protect themselves from exposure to this bacterial disease:

- Avoid eating, drinking or using tobacco when field-dressing or handling carcasses.

- Use latex or rubber gloves when handling the carcass or raw meat.

- Avoid direct contact with blood, reproductive organs and fecal matter. Wearing long sleeves, eye protection and covering any scratches, open wounds or lesions will help provide protection.

- Clean and disinfect knives, cleaning area, clothing and any other exposed surfaces when finished.

- Wash hands frequently with soap and water.

When cooking wild hog, as with any wild game, care in handling is an important part of disease prevention, and the meat should be cooked thoroughly to 170 degrees. Swine brucellosis is not transmitted through properly cooked meat.

“Hunters shouldn’t be overly concerned with swine brucellosis, but they should practice these good-hygiene, safety precautions when field-dressing wild hogs,” FWC wildlife veterinarian Mark Cunningham said.

Brucellosis in people is called undulant fever and could be transmitted if a hunter cut himself while field-dressing a wild hog or was exposed to the animal’s blood or bodily fluids. Symptoms include a recurrent fever, chills, night sweats, weakness, headaches, back pain, swollen joints, loss of appetite and weight loss.

Hunters who exhibit these symptoms or may have been exposed should contact a physician.

It’s a great reminder for all of us. 

 

Well, a while back I asked for first hand stories of your experiences with lead-free ammunition.  I didn’t get a lot of responses, but I did recently get the following email from Josh Stark, a regular contributor/commentor on this blog, and host of his own great blog on sporting ethics. 

Anyway, Josh is just starting to feel his way through the non-lead ammo maze, and starting with a tough one… a .30-30!  Not many choices of ammo for that caliber, but Josh was able to get his hands on some of Corbon’s loads, topped with the Barnes TSX-FN (Flat Nose).  Here’s his initial report:

Dear Phillip,

Well, after telling you I was going to shoot last Wednesday, I finally got out to the Rancho Cordova Shooting Center today, Sunday. 

First, I must say that I’ve not shot my 30-30 in over five years.  I have been bow hunting and shotgunning for the last few years, and so it’s been put away.  However, having missed my bow chance this year, I took down the old Winchester Ranger, and tried it out. 

As you know from my comments to your blog, I’m okay with the non-lead requirement, but I had never shot them before, and so I wanted to make sure I was okay with the ethical nature of the ammunition, esp. in light of your friend’s post about his troubles with the .270.

I took it to the range today, and was very happy with my results.  I’m not the best shot on Earth (far from it), and my Winchester’s trigger-pull is about six inches long, but I have shot since I was seven, and I was on rifle team in high school for four years, so I am comfortable behind a gun.

I gotta say, a 3″ group at 100 yds. is a happy shock for me (I’d forgotten how far 100 yards is), but that’s what I got.  Granted, I only took three shots at the 100 yd. target (so it could be a fluke), having spent most of my time on the 25 yd. target getting my scope aligned, and I couldn’t shoot more at the 100 yd. range because the ammo. is prohibitively expensive, which is a drawback worth noting.  However, I am comfortable with shooting this ammunition at an animal, and that is what I’m going to do (hopefully) this Saturday.

My hunting this weekend will all be inside of 60 yards (it’s the nature of the hill I’m hunting this time, not a self-imposed limit), so I’m not as worried about really reaching out to hit a deer.

I’ll keep you posted as to my hunting success.  I don’t know anybody else who has shot Barnes bullets out of a 30-30, probably because nobody has been loading them except Corbon, and then I’ve only been able to buy them online (I got them at Midway, which had really good service, by the way).  This is another problem needing mention. 

Thanks for listening, and if any of this information helps, I’m glad. 

Sincerely,
Josh

 Well, first of all I have to say that a 3″ group at 100 yard with a 30-30 isn’t bad shooting!  I know a lot of folks talk about shooting 150 yards or more with a 30-30, but in my opinion this rifle is a 100 yard or less gun.  If a hunter can put three shots into a three-inch circle at 100 yards, then there’s not a lot to complain about.

Of course, as we’ve been hearing, accuracy is only part of the story.  Terminal performance is pretty critical too.  Best wishes, Josh, on your deer hunt this weekend.  I hope to hear (and see pictures) of a successful trip and top-notch bullet performance.

If you’d like to share your own, (not second-hand,or a “friend-of-a-friend”) lead-free ammo story with me, please feel free to do so in the comments, or even better, in an email.  Please provide as much detail as you can, by the way, including the caliber and weight of your bullets, where you hit the animal, the range of the shot(s), and your personal opinion of the terminal performance based on what you see when you disassemble your animal.  Pictures are welcome and appreciated, although I’ll reserve the right to decide if something is appropriate for display on this blog.    

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Meanwhile, have a look at the poll.  Haven’t had a ton of responses so far, but the majority of respondents appear to be pretty happy with the performance of the non-lead ammo.  Is this accurate?  It sure isn’t statistically significant, considering we’ve only had 12 responses so far… but compared to other surveys, this is actually pretty close to the norm. 

I’ll leave the poll up for a while, and as the CA deer seasons get fully underway over the next few weeks, maybe those numbers will evolve into a better picture of what’s really going on out there. 

 

 

Boy, turn your back on this lead ban stuff for a second and, WHAM, you get blindsided by an effort you never even heard of before. 

That’s the case with a movement afoot in the state of Washington, and a proposal to remove lead from the environment that includes lead ammunition.  Here’s an excerpt from a publication summary:

Lead from ammunition is one of the many sources of this metal covered in the draft Lead Chemical Action Plan (CAP). The CAP is a planning tool to guide statewide efforts to reduce lead exposures in the environment. The goal is to lower the amount of lead people are exposed to. The Washington Department of Ecology is committed to reducing toxic threats. The chemical action plan (CAP) is one of the tools used to carry out this priority work. CAPs deal with substances considered “the worst of the worst” for human health and the environment. Each CAP looks at the sources of exposure from a toxic substance and recommends ways to reduce that threat. Earlier CAPs have dealt with mercury and PBDE flame retardants.

The Lead CAP is now available for public review and comment. For more information, link online to: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0807053.pdf

The discussion is apparently not a new one, although this is the first time it’s get enough publicity to capture my attention.  The NRA (of course) is already deriding it, as the plan is now being submitted for public comment.  http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/pbt/leadcap/

I urge all hunters, shooters, and sportsmen to speak up now.  If you wait for someone else to do it for you… well, you saw what happened here in CA.  Before responding, though, take the time to read the plan and understand exactly what it’s about.  For one, the Department of Ecology is calling for a “voluntary, educational approach,” rather than a legislated ban… at least for now. 

The entire draft plan is about 335 pages, and loaded with justifications for removing lead from the environment.  It can be an educational read, if you’ve never seen some of this stuff, but it’s also quite overwhelming.  In a nutshell, it lays out the case against lead as a poison in the environment and in the human body.  Not really news there.

What should be news is the fact that lead ammunition has yet to be linked to human health issues.  I’ve said this so many times I hesitate to keep saying it… but I will until proven otherwise…  there’s no link!  It bears research, and that research is underway.  The limited studies to date, however, in tandem with common sense and experience, suggest that meat taken with lead ammo is reasonably safe for humans. 

I won’t deny that lead does have some impact on the environment and some animal life.  It’s worth review, and an alternative should be considered.  It should be a cooperative effort with sportsmen and the State’s environmental experts working toward a solution that benefits everyone.  But if sportsmen don’t get involved, the State will do what states usually do… find the simplest, quickest “solution” and implement it through legislation. 

And the simplest, quickest solution to lead ammo in the environment is to ban it outright. 

Some of you may remember my friend, Matt.  I wrote about him once, in the terms of Nash Buckingham, and again with his snow hog.  Well, he’s still at it, hunting and killing some big hogs. 

He dropped the following photo and his tale on Jesses Hunting and Outdoors forum. 

An interesting part of Matt’s story is his experience with copper ammo… specifically the Barnes TSX in his .270 Winchester.  He’s no fan, to say the very least.  According to his tale, he shot this boar something like three times, finally putting a bullet in its neck to end the chase.  The story is pretty exciting, so if you get a chance, you oughtta pop over there and have a look.

His stories, and a couple of others are the reason I’ve been asking about personal experiences with non-lead ammo.  I’m hearing about over-penetration, poor blood trails, and even lost animals. 

This doesn’t match up to my own experience, but lord knows I haven’t seen everything there is to see, so I do want to learn more about what’s going on out there. 

Anyway, congrats to Matt on yet another great hog.  He’s got a sure enough honey-hole down there.

 

Yeah, there’s a lot to be experienced in North Carolina, and I got to get up close and fairly personal with all of it over my recent long weekend.

I was hoping to have the story of my weekend on video, but that’s gonna have to wait until later this week.  In the meantime, here’s a word-centric version for those of you who’ve been wondering how I did.

 Some of you will remember the catalyst for this whole trip, a trail-cam photo my brother sent me.  Allegedly, this buck was on his property, and allegedly, he has this big boy all figured out, from bedroom to dinner table and all points in between.  Allegedly…

Well, I jumped on it, made my airline reservations, and let my mom know she’d have an unexpected house guest for a few days.  I’d arrive on Thursday night, spend the day Friday visiting and relaxing (and doing a few hours of work), then plan on hitting the opening morning on Saturday.  Based on my brother’s stories, I figured we’d have a deer each on the hook by 10:00, and relax on the river the rest of the day. 

The best laid plans of mice and men g’ang aft agley!
Robert Burns

Brother Burns had it right.  So did Murphy.

Saturday morning dawned hot and muggy.  Sweat soaked my new, lightweight clothes, and ran down my spine.  I was thankful for my Thermacell, as I could hear the mosquitoes plotting their assault, only to be thwarted again and again by the vapors from this magical device.  The wind was absolutely still, and with the dense humidity, scent dropped to the ground and stayed there. 

All this detail serves a point…  Stink.  The hunters’ bane.  Deer don’t like us.

About an hour after first light, I was scanning the woods when I heard the dreaded “huff”, and turned my head in time to see the white flag flickering through the catclaws and pin oaks.  The deer had been within 15 yards and I’d neither heard her, nor seen her until she hit my scent and blew out.  How long she’d been there, I’ll never know.  The dense, late-summer foliage made it impossible to see anywhere except the shooting lanes my brother had cut.

I sat tight, waiting for quite a while, until I was sure the deer wasn’t going to circle back (as they sometimes do).  I hung my bow on the hook, and settled back into my seat.  Morning dragged on, and the effects of staying up late the previous night, and rising at 0400 were catching up.  Keep in mind that I still hadn’t had an opportunity to switch from Pacific time to the East Coast, so my internal clock was all out of whack and I was dog tired.  I caught myself nodding from time to time, and knew I wouldn’t last much longer.

I shot a little more video, and considered climbing down and heading back to the truck.  As I was doing a little monologue, I heard a snap in the bushes.  I froze, and put the camera away, slowly.  I couldn’t see anything, but as I scanned the brush I heard it again… the whoof of exhaled air, and the crash of brush.  This time, I saw the deer breaking away to my left, heading for an open spot.  I lifted the bow, hoping for a shot, but just as the deer hit the opening, he disappeared!  A ditch runs along the property line right there, and it is apparently a regular escape route. 

I held tight for another hour or two before climbing down.  It was too hot to be there anymore, my back was aching, and I was a little disappointed that all of the main trails were directly downwind of my stand. 

Back at mom’s place, I took a brief nap, had some lunch, and took some practice shots with the Mathews.  Before long, it was time to get back in the woods.  To summarize the evening hunt, nothing happened.  Just before dark, I heard some deer blowing, and thought my brother may have had a shot.  Turns out that there were a couple of smaller bucks sparring in the creek, too far for him to shoot and nowhere near my stand. 

North Carolina is one of the handful of states that still doesn’t allow Sunday hunting.  This worked out OK this trip, because it was an opportunity to spend some time with the whole family… nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters-in-law… you know, the whole shebang.  It was fun, and definitely a highlight of the trip.  Sunday came and went, and after over-indulging on good, homecooked food and a few drinks, I went to bed fairly early.

My schedule had me departing at 1125 on Monday, so the plan was for me to sleep in and then have a good breakfast before heading on over to the airport.  I’d expected to have at least one deer in the cooler by then, but as we’ve seen, that wasn’t to be.  So, instead of laying in bed, I was up and out at 04:00 again to get back in the treestand.  I blame my little brother, who insisted that even if I shot one at the last minute, he’d track it and process it for me. 

At 06:45, as the morning light was still filtering through the trees, I caught the movement of legs in the trail.  I raised the Leicas and, sure enough, a small buck was browsing on something right in the middle of my shooting lane.  With tiny, three-inch spikes, he was too small for even me to take, so I enjoyed watching him for a while.  Another deer was with him, and while I couldn’t see antlers, it was about the same size, body-wise, and I figure it’s probably a sibling.

After watching them for a few minutes, they suddenly stopped still and stared back into the thicket before bolting up the trail.  At first I thought my brother had just shot something, or was walking up the trail, but then I spotted a larger deer coming in.  A quick scan with the binos told me he was a decent little cowhorn, and certainly good enough for a first archery deer.  (A “cowhorn” is a spike with antlers over six inches or so.)  I slowly lifted the bow from the hanger, and got ready.

It all went so perfectly, as he eased right into my shooting lane.  As his head went behind a clister of branches, I raised and drew back.  He stepped into the open and lowered his head, stopping almost perfectly broadside.  Textbook! 

I centered the pin, took a deep breath, and I’m pretty sure I gently squeezed the release trigger until the arrow zipped into the air.  A split-second later, I heard the thump of the impact, and the deer spun and took off into the bushes.  I listened to him run, hoping for a crash, but didn’t hear it.  With the damp ground, I figured I might not hear anything, so I sat still for a half-hour, then climbed down to check the arrow and the sign.

And here’s where it all fell apart.

I estimated the range and the angle, and decided to hold a little high on the shoulder.  The thought was that the angle would carry the arrow down, through the shoulder, into the lungs.  But I over-estimated that angle, and the arrow apparently went right under the spine, but too high to hit any vitals.  The arrow was covered in blood, but I couldn’t find a single drop on the ground for yards. 

I packed my gear out to the road then went back in after another half-hour wait.  By now my brother was down, and the two of us scoured the woods for sign.  We circled outward.  Finally, about 100 yards from where I’d made the shot, I spotted a splotch of blood on a dead leaf.  We soon spotted another drop, then followed the likely trail until we hit more blood at the creek bank.  We could see where the deer had run down the creek bank and crossed.  He was heading toward a bedding area, and my hopes were getting pretty high.

Unfortunately the sun was getting higher too, and I realized it was way past time for me to go.  It was two hours before my departure time, and I still had to drive back to mom’s place, get my luggage packed, and have her drive me to the airport.  Regretfully, I left the tracking to my brother and took off. 

Waiting for my connection in Atlanta a few hours later, I gave him a call.  He told me he’d followed the trail without finding more blood, but as he entered the bedding area, a deer jumped and took off.  He’s assuming it was my deer, and based on its movement, it wasn’t hurt too badly.  He gave a brief pursuit, but found no indication that this deer was fatally hit.  He finally gave up the search, and headed off to work.

So there we go.  I’m blown away by this new bow, and the accuracy it offers.  But even with this technology, there is no sure thing. 

The streak continues… I have yet to take a big game animal with a bow.