Another successful g-hog hunt

[only1harry]

Not much to tell except I watched and stalked a young g-hog that was hanging around just over at the neighbor's property for a good 40min. or so, and was starting to give up.  He did go under his shed a couple of times when a car drove by but came out quickly.  I was trying to stay still this whole time with the gun sticking out the window and in position so I felt the need to move around when all of a sudden he started walking fast and went over that invisible line onto my property.  He was a good 10yds from his burrow under the shed and was inching slowly towards my porch where I was waiting for  him.  Still a little too close to my neighbor's who I don't get along with but within about 25yds so I started getting ready sizing him up through my scope.  All of a sudden he runs towards me and down the same hole where I had shot the last one when it stuck its head out last weekend.  A second later I knew why.  I head some talking coming from the front of the neighbor's house.  My neighbor had company with many cars in the driveway, and one of them was leaving.  The g-hog heard him long before I did.  The man got in his car and left.  I knew what was coming next and put my crosshairs at the entrance of that hole.  Dejanous all over again! :)  
Not more than a minute went by and there 's his head sticking out looking straight at me from 19yds out.  I froze.  It seemed like forever we were looking at each other through the Bushy Legend, when the g-hog came out a little more, about half his body, and turned to my right facing the woods a few feet away, giving me that broadside shot opportunity.  I knew he was getting ready to sprint to another hole about 25ft away into the trees, so I lined up the crosshairs quickly between his right eye and ear and squeezed the trigger.  The 8.3gr Superdome hit home and the g-hog slipped down below the ground towards the hole.  I looked through the scope and can see the top of his body quiverring and the tail stick up which were all good signs.  He then did one or two spastic moves.  I zoomed to 15X and can now make out the top of his head which was getting more red with each second.  No more movement.  It was over in about 4secs and I didn't even reload.
I walked over to take a pic of the g-hog in the hole like the last time but I heard voices coming from my neighbor's deck so I just grabbed him by the tail and quickly walked back under my porch.  I had found it with its head up on the inside of the hole and most of the blood had run down its neck and back.  
With 13 g-hogs taken so far I doubt I 'll see much more action the rest of the summer except if that big one I spotted 2 weeks ago decides to come closer instead of hanging out 55yds out near that neighbor's property on the opposite side from where I got this one.  I 'll give him some time to get comfortable and won't harrass him to see what happens.

[Progun]

Way to go Harry! When Queen Diana finally gets home she might have to retire. No more work to do...

[fatback]

Great shooting Harry!!! That should teach them critters to dig up your lawn. Keep them pictures coming

[shadow]

Great shootin again Harry and great pic's.:) He was distracted and the end never comes from where you think hehehe. Thank's for sharing. Ed

[gamo2hammerli]

Excellent shooting, story and photos Harry.  Do the G-hogs dig up the property of the neigbour that  don't get along with you?  Hope they do....so maybe he'll appreciate you terminating them....

[longislandhunter]

Another excellent shot and pic Harry,,, I really look forward to your G-hog posts  !!!   :)

Even though you've taken out 13 of em I still think you're gonna see quite a few more.    If nothing else   the fact that they keep coming into your "zone"  would indicate that your area has  whatever it is that they're lookin for as far as where to live........

Jeff

[only1harry]

thanks guys.

Jeff: I always look forward to your g-hog posts too!  :-)
Stanley:  
I can't see most of the neighbor's back yard because it's fenced in but his shed is not, and is only a couple of yards from my property so that's where I see his g-hogs come from (under it), so I don't know if he has other holes on his lawn like I do, but that's the minority and they are just escape routes/holes.  Most of their "real" burrows are all along our back yards where the trees are, usually at the base of a tree (about 75% of them).  They are about 10ft from where our lawns end but very hard to see with all the branches/leaves, vegetation, and blend in well with the sorroundings. Some are right behind the tree..  
My neighbor is a complete jerk.  I made 2 attempts to talk to him but got nowhere with him.  The reason I wanted a dialogue with him was because he called the cops on me last year but I wasn't doing anything illegal shooting airguns, so the town cops did not give me a hard time.  First he tells me he 's afraid of a recochet and that I might hit his house or cars, and the 2nd time he told me he loves animals and doesn't want to see anything dead, not even a mouse.  He and his wife have a dog.. which luckily they keep inside most of the time because it's a crazy dog and almost bit my son and myself.  It's probably because they don't handle it right or treat it like a baby so it thinks it is the pack leader.  They don't walk it either which is the worse thing you can do to a dog, so it has an aggressive nature, just like its owner.  These people love animals but most of the time they are clueless on how to take care of them and train them.  I told him that eliminating many of the g-hogs is a good thing and that they cause the most damage out of any other animal, they 're not protected, and all that.  He didn't want to hear it and he could not be reasoned with.  I 'm done with him.  Noone in the neighborhood gets along with him (and his wife) anyway.  They keep to themselves and don't talk to anyone. I 'm not wasting my time on them anymore.  Sorry if a lot of this is repetitive.  I know 've posted it a couple of times before.. but Stanley asked..  :-)

[gamo2hammerli]

Jeez, what a loser!!!!  Lucky not all neigbours are like that.  I feel for you.