30 Oct 24

Hog Hunting in FL

Yesterday, I was able to go hog-hunting, once more with my good friend, Ian Hall, owner of the wonderful eighteen-hundred-acre Florida Hunting, Fishing, and Outdoor Adventures Hunting Preserve at the Oak Island Ranch in Okeechobee, FL

Web Page is floridahuntingadventures.com

Ian and I ventured-forth yesterday afternoon on an elevated swamp buggy.  The entire Preserve is very wet, due to the recent hurricanes.

As was the case last year, I was armed with my VHS2 (Hellion) in 5.56×45, loaded with 55gr hardball.  My VHS2 is equipped with a 1×4 LPVO (Osprey-Global).  Because of its compactness, this is one of my current travel-guns when I’m flying commercial-air.

We were able to throw-together this hunt at the last minute, and 55gr hardball is the only ammunition I had, but I was confident it would suffice for these 130 to 160-pound hogs (as it did last time), and it did not disappoint!

We didn’t have long to wait!

Two hogs darted away from us along a fence-line at a forth-five-degree angle.  I waited for the lead hog to pause momentarily, but he didn’t co-operate!  Range was fifty meters and getting longer by the second!

My first shot struck him in the shoulder (I heard it hit him), and he collapsed immediately, but then got back up and started running again.  I was on the link and quickly struck him with two more shots before he got far.

Fifteen minutes later, my second pig, also running, I hit at the same distance.  I gave-up on the strategy of waiting for them to stop moving!

We found no exit-wounds on either animal.

In both cases, that 55gr bullet, traveling at 3k f/s, had an immediate paralyzing effect.

This is common, and sometimes the animal never recovers (as was the case in OH with Vicki’s ram three weeks ago), and sometimes he jumps right back up and takes-off.  Through bitter experience, I’ve learned to be fully prepared for either eventuality.

The VHS2, combined with a 1×4 LPVO, makes an extremely fast and deadly combination.  I like having it with me!

It was a wonderful day!

FHFOA enjoys my full recommendation.  Book a hunt with them when you’re in FL.  They are wonderful folks and their Preserve features all kinds of wild game, including turkeys and alligators!

/John