North Sulfur River area trip

[KimTexan]

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. I had a very nice one with a very full house. I had 5 guests staying for 4 nights and 5 days and then 16 people at my house for Christmas dinner. I’m a single mom with 2 kids who I only have custody 50% of the time. So most of the time my house is pretty empty and lonely. So I really enjoyed having it full and happy.

I got board after everyone left and the kids were with their dad. So, despite the below freezing temps I headed out to a new location. I grew up for quite a few years in a very remote part of the Ozark Moutains in Arkansas. Harsh, cold weather was a part of life. So we adapted and were use to it.

 

If you are ever headed to NSR you’ll most likely pass through the town of Ladonia. It’s a very small town that is past its glory days. It has quite a number of pretty Victorian era homes and some old churches with lovely stained glass windows though, both of which I think are cool.

Here are a couple shots of the town.

 

 

Here is a shot approaching the river. The tree line is where the river is. The wide expanses and fields are common in many parts of Texas with only small hills.

Here is a pic of the NSR as I passed over it. It is deep and the banks are very steep in many places, which significantly limits access.

 

On to my trip.

Yesterday it was in the 20s here. That’s not too bad in my mind so I went fossil hunting. I bundled up and headed out to a creek near NSR. I think I was out there for about 3 hours total including my hike in and out. I had been in the creek for about an hour when I felt something in my hair. I’ve got long blond hair and I had to go through some under growth to enter the creek. So I thought it was a twig that hadgot caught in my hair. I tried to brush it away a few times, but it remained. I finally took my gloves off to try to get it out of my hair only to realize there was nothing in my hair. My hair had frozen. That doesn’t happen often in Texas folks. I had to laugh at myself for being out in such weather. I was bundled up pretty well and had been working up a sweat with hiking and carry my pack. Despite the below freezing temps my hair was all wet with perspiration that was dripping down my hair and had then froze in my hair like little dreadlock type clumps. I kept on fossil hunting for maybe 1.5 hours more despite the cold. I was enjoying myself. I think part of my love of fossil hunting is the adventure that I have with the hunt. The cold made it a bit more challenging as did being bundled up. It was harder to move with layers of clothes on. That’s part of the adventure. Frozen hair makes for part of a good story too.

 

I chose to hunt in a little feeder creek. This is a pic down in the creek. There was a dusting of snow and thin layers of ice on the water in places that you can see here.

I wore rubber boots expecting to have to walk in the water some and I certainly did have to walk through water.

Much of the creek bed is hard, black shale. The banks were a softer, flaky gray shale for the most part.

 

There are 3 clams in this pic. One on the top and bottom and then in the middle where all you can see is whiteish & tan, which is a clam shell exterior, but clams aren’t well preserved and crumble from this layer. Most any place I broke the shale there were clam impressions or the remains like these.

There was a red layer along the creek bank in some places. I forgot to take a shot, but if there were preserved fossils they were in the red zone for the most part. It seems the iron may have helped stabilize fossils in this zone.

 

This clam and baculite fragment came out of the red zone.

Side note: My dad bought me camouflage gloves for Christmas. Men, don’t buy your daughters, wife’s or any female camouflage clothing items as a gift unless she specifically requests it. Not to say that I’m not thankful. I wore them over by other gloves for an extra layer of warmth and I was thankful to have them. Camouflage just isn’t me or most women for that matter.

 

I found the red zone was down in the creek bed in some places.

In this pic I had found some interesting concretions and baculites in this area. I wanted to take a pic. I often use my foot as a source of scale. I attempted to do that this time, but it didn’t work too well. My boot and knee pad were so muddy they blended into the background. Note the muddy black boot and knee pad. That’s me. I had been kneeling down to dig out the baculite I’d found and I got very muddy.

I’m so glad I bought my knee pads along with me or I would have gotten wet and been absolutely miserable. Next time I’ll take my rubber gloves to keep my hands dry.

In the layer just under the concretions, which you see in the top left corner was the layer where I found white baculites. This is part red zone and park shale.

 

I was in the middle of digging up a 2nd baculite when the more exciting part of my adventure happened. I was kneeling down and only about 1/3 of the way through digging it up when I heard a horrible squealing around the bend in the creek from where I was. It sounded so close!!! Maybe 50-100 feet away. It was a pig fight. I have heard stories of wild pigs. I’ve also heard the wild boars live in the feeder creeks along the NSR and hearing the pig fight freaked me out a bit. I rattled me, it just sounded so scary! I wanted out of there and quick.

The bend was only about 30-40 feet away and if they came around the corner, they could be on me in a matter of seconds. They can be very aggressive and ferocious from what I’ve heard. 

My dad came for Christmas. He knew I was hunting in such territory and he actually gave me a 40 mm pistol for Christmas to protect myself from the pigs. 

 

A little segway here. You have to understand the culture of the deep country I grew up in. If you remember the show Grizzly Adams, you’re not too far from the kind of environment I grew up in. Only the bears we had weren’t grizzly. We honestly didn’t have electricity or telephone because we were too far off the grid for 10 years. Out there everyone had a gun and most had a gun rack mounted in their pickup truck back window and drove around with the guns mounted there. We had mountain lions and bears and lots of poisonous snakes. The bears would come right up to our house and even put their paws on the widows. So everyone had a gun and knew how to use them.

 

My daddy started teaching me to shoot when I was 6. When I was 8 I’d frequently go hiking in the dense woods of the Ozarks and I’d encounter wildlife on my hikes. The woods went for miles because we had National Forest land on 2 sides of our property. Our nearest neighbor was 4 miles away. My dad gave me a gun to carry with me at the age of 8 for protection when I went hiking alone all day after he heard me tell stories about my hikes. I think I only discharged it in defense 1 time while out hiking. I love nature and all creation and never have wanted to kill anything, but I have had to kill a few poisonous snakes and that is about it. Most other animals will run away when you discharge the gun and there’s no need to shoot them. I shot the gun numerous times to scare off bears. I believe there is a place for all creatures and unless they are about to harm meI would never shoot them. 

I think my parents must have been crazy to let me go hiking by myself in dense woods all day at 8 years old and give me a gun to carry. I’d never let my kids touch a gun at that age or go hiking alone, but it was a different day and age. 

 

Anyway, I had the gun with me out fossil hunting. I didn't have it loaded with the clip in, but both were in my pack. I had not practiced with it, so I don't know if I could hit the broad side of a barn with it. I can be a pretty good aim, but I have a feeling a 40 mm probably has enough of a kick to it that I can't aim very well, but my dad said I needed something more powerful than my preference of a 380. I got my gun out and loaded it and began looking for a way to get out of the creek once I got my stuff packed. The banks were pretty steep. 20 to 30 feet high and vertical in most places.

I started to pack my stuff, but couldn't find my phone.  I had informed 2 people where I would be and told them that if they didn't hear from me by a certain time that they should probably send help. So, I was thinking about how they might freak out when I didn't respond at the appointed time, letting them know I was OK. Anyway, I had been in the spot of about 10 square feet for maybe 30 min and had used my phone while there and had no clue what had happened to it. I had put it in one of my pockets, but it wasn't there. I said a prayer a couple of times that God would help me to find it. Finally I resolved that I needed to leave without it. It would be getting dark soon. So, I knelt down to get my tools and stuff packed only to find my phone inside my pant's leg sitting on the top of my boot. Evidently my phone had slipped out of my pocket, over my waistband and down into my pant leg, which was tucked into my boot. I have no clue how that happened. I didn't feel it, because I had two layers on under my jeans to keep me warm. MaybeI thought I was putting my phone in my pocket, but put it inside my pants instead. I had gloves on and couldn’t feel the material.

In digging and then packing up my tools I had gotten my gloves wet. My fingers were freezing cold now.

I wanted to get out of the creek. I didn't want the pigs to be at my back as I hiked back to my car. Plus the creek had a water in it and not much walking space on the sides.  

On the way in at one point I was trying to walk the edge and not slide in where a little shale slide had fallen down from the bank and the shale gave way under me and both feet went into the water. I had to scramble hard to not slide down all the way into the water. I think my angel must have been watching out for me and stopped me. I have no idea how I stopped sliding other than my angel. There was nothing to hang onto. The bank was steep and only more of the crumbling shale that I was sliding on. I was wearing rubber boots, because I expected to have to walk through some water. Getting soaking wet in below freezing conditions would have been dangerous and ruined my trip. So, I kind of wanted to hike back on land rather than the creek so as to not have any more slides into the fridged water. Although I would have loved to look for more fossils on my way back. I needed to get out quicker.

I struggled to climb the bank with the 30 pound pack on. Being bundled up in 3 layers of clothes with a coat on restricted my agility. The only exit I could find was on the bank opposite from that I came in on. When I made it to the top of the bank all I could see were green briars as far as the eye could see. It was not pretty, but I chose to fight green briars over boars.

I started working my way through the briars to an area that looked like it might be clear of briars. It took me quite a bit of time to make it through to the clearing. Along the way I came across pig scat and a bedding area. Thankfully they were not home.

 

This is a cool tree I came across on my hike back. This was after the worst of the briars though. I’ve put it in the wrong place, but will leave it here.

It had some serious armor on it and at least 2 types of lichen it would appear. I don’t know the name of the tree though, but think it is very interesting. I’ve seen them a few times before, but they’re not common.

 

About 20 min into the fight with the briars I came to a barbwire fence encrusted with green briars. I suddenly had the need to pee and couldn't hold it any longer. I hoisted my pack over the fence first. Being a woman it isn’t so easy to pee in the woods. There wasn't a spot clear of briars to be seen, so I ended up scratching up my backside in the process. Then I found a place to cross the fence that had less briars, but struggled to cross the fence, because I kept getting my clothes caught in the briars and didn't have a free space to just swing my leg over the fence and kept getting my boot caught in briars too. So, I had to kind of be a bit of a contortionist to manage to get over. Once over I went to where my pack was and extracted it from the briars.

Since I was on the other side of the fence I felt a bit more at ease with regards to the boars and took the clip out of my gun and put it away. I felt like the boars couldn't come charging at me though the barbwire too well.

I couldn't follow the creek back to my car since the briars and underbrush were too heavy. So, I made my way to the clearing without briars and then tried to orient myself as best I could. The clearing was to the west or opposite direction of where I believed my car to be. The creek had meandered a bit, I didn't have phone service so my compass didn't work. So I set out in the direction I thought was north to get to the road and hoped to make my way back to my car along the road. There wasn’t any sun so it was a guess.

I am left handed. They say that left handed people are either geniuses, artistic or navigationally gifted. I think I may have gotten the navigational blessing, but I don't call myself gifted by any means. My dad isn't left handed, but he can outdo me any day on navigation without any tools or sun. 

I am thankful to have a pretty good sense of direction though and always have. I ended up coming out of the woods about a tenth of a mile from my car. It wasn't feasible to have come out closer since the underbrush along the creek was too heavy and I wanted to stay clear of that to make good time and not get all scratched up and worn out.

I could just see my car in the dusky light down the road from where I came out.  I had to cross another fence, but there was a gate and no briars that made it a lot easier this time so I left my pack on. Thank God I was so close to my car. I was pretty tired by that point and it was just after 5:00 getting darker and getting colder. The day had been overcast so it was even darker.

 

When I got to my car my Fitbit congratulated me on my workout. LOL I was pretty worn out and my hands were pretty cold by then. I was so thankful to be back at my car. Gotta love the bun warmers at times like that.

I was so muddy. Normally when it is warmer I will try to rinse off my boots and tools in the creek, but it was too cold to be rinsing in the water. So, when I got to the car I took off my boots and dropped my jeans right there so I didn't get my car seat muddy. I had a pair of sweats and then leggings under them so no indecency was to be seen. There may have been a lack of fashion with the under layer color coordination though, but it was all in the name of keeping warm and no one saw me. So, I think it can be excused. Plus, there weren't any cars on the road and no humans to be seen.

 

I think this trip may have taught me to not try out new places in such extreme conditions. I had no idea what that creek was like or what the conditions were there. I knew there was the potential of wild boars. Thankfully I never saw them, but heard a couple more fights ensue after I was out of the creek. I think I may use more caution next time. I still had fun though. I enjoyed my time outdoors and loved the adventure of it. I would have loved to have gone out again today, but my gear was so muddy and needs to be cleaned up before another outing.

All that said, I don’t have much to show for my hunt. I found a number of fragments of baculites, a few clams and a couple other spiral shell fragments. Most of them are here. The baculite fragments are on the left. Some have matrix. There’s a piece I believe is petrified wood in the middle, possibly palm wood.

 

I did find the biggest and nicest baculite I have ever found. It isn’t in great condition. It is broken in a few spots. I have to remove the matrix from two other pieces not pictured here. I think I may not have come home with the piece that connects the piece on the far left to the end. I am happy to have found it though. I now know where I can find more and hopefully the pigs won’t be home next time.

This is the largest section and I have about 3 inch or so more to glue together. It looks like it got squashed on one side before fossilization. This is the bottom side.

This is the top side. It is hard to see, if you look closely you can see ridges on the bottom side on the left above and also below along the side where my thumb is. Most every baculite I have ever seen has been worn down to the suture lines and you can’t see ridges or bumps. So despite not being whole and not squished, I happy it has that detail to  it.

Hopefully you enjoyed my trip pics and story and got a chuckle out of my quirkiness. 

Kim

[Ludwigia]

Hi Kim. I certainly did enjoy your story and couldn't help chuckling at a number of points along the way. To be quite honest, you had me spellbound. I've also found myself in similar situations and know the feelings involved only too well, but there's always a way out if you're determined to find it. It's quite a thrill to be walking on the razor's edge and it really gets the adrenalin going. I guess people like us have no great problem taking risks, as a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure we seek them unconciously when we take off into the unknown and are usually able to deal with them accordingly. Of course, it's always wise to take the necessary precautions beforehand and along the way, as you have obviously done. I feel like I've gotten to know you very well thanks to this post. Thanks for opening up your soul to us. By the way, if you ever have to deal with the boars again, just make sure you've got Dan @Uncle Siphuncle along with you next time He has a liking for pork chops. And in the end the whole day was obviously certainly worth the extra strain, not only for the adventure, but also for that Baculite.

[Coco]

Hi,

 

Great story ! Thanks for sharing.

 

While I read I thought of Dan and his stories of wild pork or snake which finish on the barbecue...

 

I would have liked seeing your dreadlock and your getup

 

Coco

[KimTexan]

1 hour ago, Coco said:

Hi,

 

Great story ! Thanks for sharing.

 

While I read I thought of Dan and his stories of wild pork or snake which finish on the barbecue...

 

I would have liked seeing your dreadlock and your getup

 

Coco

Yes I’m sure my 3 layers sounds funny, especially to people who live in more northerly climates. Down here in Texas it is next to impossible to find insulated clothing unless you go to a ski shop. I remember going to the store to find gloves for my kids a number of years ago and the only gloves I could find at two different stores were thin, polyester knit gloves. They were not even lined or coated with anything. You can’t make a snowman with gloves like that. They immediately get soaking wet and your hands are freezing. It’s hard to find clothing for below freezing weather here in most any store.

@Ludwigia I can’t say that I’m an adrenaline junkie, but I do love adventure and a challenge. I definitely take on endeavors and situations that have an element of the unknown in many ways just for the challenge and thrill of it. Sometimes it little trips like this. At other times it might be something like deciding I want to lay down wood flooring in my house myself or repair something like my clothes dry, garbage disposal or light switch despite having no prior experience.  Being raised in the country though you just learn how to do things yourself and believe that you can. Also, I know that common sense is a prerequisite for successful survival whether living alone or out in the wild. That is one thing I truly appreciate about myself and my upbringing, having common sense and the belief that I can do almost anything. 

Of course finances have something to do with that too. If I need some repair on my car or some household repair, but can’t afford to pay someone I usually do it myself. Then the adventure begins and the pride of having accomplished it feels great too.

[Monica]

Hi Kim!

 

That's a crazy story - thanks for sharing!

 

I really like your baculite, by the way - I think it'll be really nice (and pretty big!) once you glue all of the pieces together - good luck with the prep!

 

Happy New Year, and best of luck on your next hunt!

 

Monica

 

PS - My hair freezes pretty much every day I exit the house during the winter here because I usually shower in the morning before I leave for work, so I know what you mean - it is indeed a very weird feeling 

[PFOOLEY]

What a wild looking tree. I think this the "Prickly Ash"...

 

 

...or the Toothache tree. In case you are a forager of natural medicine, chewing a bit of the leaf with have a numbing effect on gums and lips. I'm pretty sure the bark and leaves are toxic and should not be swallowed. 

 

[KimTexan]

 

2 hours ago, PFOOLEY said:

What a wild looking tree. I think this the "Prickly Ash"...

...or the Toothache tree. In case you are a forager of natural medicine, chewing a bit of the leaf with have a numbing effect on gums and lips. I'm pretty sure the bark and leaves are toxic and should not be swallowed. 

 

Thank you very much. I am into natural medicine and remedies. I like botany too so it is good to put a name with a tree of such unusual quality and character. 

[Nimravis]

Great story as always Kim. Love the pics and the finds.

[Tidgy's Dad]

Really enjoyed reading this.

Thanks, Kim. 

[fossilized6s]

Sounds like a few adventures i've had. Quite the learning experiences. Lol

Glad you got out though and found some cool stuff. 

[Miocene_Mason]

Fossil hunting can take people on crazy adventures, nice example of this! Also some nice finds (especially in the context of which they were found, they’ll always hold memories)! I’ll have to add Texas to my list of places nature will try to kill you ( this list is getting rather lengthy, maybe it’s just nature as a whole)

[DPS Ammonite]

Kim, what an adventure. Kind of makes me want to visit NSR again and experience the schizophrenic weather. I can remember breaking through the ice on the backwater channels during a cold snap at NSR. My solution was to buy waterproof calf length hunting boots from Bass Pro north of Plano. The salesperson called them snake boots. For warmer weather, I bought fishing boots from Bass Pro with a Vibram tread. The boots can survive being in water all day long, they contain no cardboard like other boots. The work well for waist deep wading. With both boots I wear poly expedition weight socks that provide insulation and padding. Almost no blisters occur.

[garyc]

Great story! Sounds like fun.

[KimTexan]

17 hours ago, DPS Ammonite said:

 My solution was to buy waterproof calf length hunting boots from Bass Pro north of Plano. The salesperson called them snake boots. For warmer weather, I bought fishing boots from Bass Pro with a Vibram tread. The boots can survive being in water all day long, they contain no cardboard like other boots. The work well for waist deep wading. With both boots I wear poly expedition weight socks that provide insulation and padding. Almost no blisters occur.

I’m a frugal kind of girl and always have been. I’m great at finding bargains. I bought a house this summer and managed to furnish all 3 bedrooms,1800 square feet for under $2000, stainless steal kitchen appliance, washer and dryer, living, dining room furniture and one bedroom and all. I had 2 sets of bedroom furniture and housewares already. I did but 2 sets of mattresses that aren’t included in that. Most everything is very nice, including a very nice leather couch. My friends and family were astounded at how nice of stuff I got. Facebook Marketplace, Letgo and Craig’s list were my very good friends.

 

I bought my rubber boots at Home Depot, the kind that the construction workers wear for pouring concrete for $19 something.

 

@garyc I enjoyed most of it, but I would have preferred to not encounter pigs or the briars. I could have lived without getting my gloves wet too. I’m Upset I left the other baculite behind. It is about a 90 min drive and I don’t have too many opportunities to drive all the way out there. However, now I have baculite fever. I must have more of them and better ones. I’d take my daughter out hunting with me, but I’m not really to risk the welfare of my child and go out there alone with her.

 

I talked to a guy down the hall at work yesterday who has been hog hunting numerous times. He said he has shot them with his rifle and sometimes it hardly phases them and that they are incredibly tough animals. He said that’s a pretty scary situation to be in. He didn’t seem to think a 40 caliber would take the hogs down unless you hit them in the right spot. He thought it would only slow it down. Guess I need to load my clip with hollow points. Also, I’m thinking if he thought that was scary and he’s been hunting them then I might need to be a little more afraid of meeting them again.

[JohnBrewer]

Great tale Kim. Love the baculite. I also like your gloves  

[Uncle Siphuncle]

I‘ve taken perhaps 80 hogs over the last 25 years and eaten every one of them (think of all the innocent cows and chickens and carrots I’ve saved from the gallows pole!)

 

This fall, my son got his first 2.  The little wild man preferred to sneak up on them barefoot and dispatch them under the cloak of darkness.  I left my shoes on and took 4, including 2 with one shot of my .45-70.  A-Pork-a-Lips Down!

 

My experience suggests that they aren’t as fearless nor bullet proof (nor even arrow proof) as folklore makes them out to be, unless injured and/or cornered.  Average marksmanship combined with good knowledge of anatomy are together quite effective.  Male ego doesn’t allow a guy to admit he made a bad shot; instead, the quarry takes on “immortal” qualities.  

 

Hogs are in fact rather shy.  They’d rather flee humans than fight, given the option.  The biggest, smartest ones are often most active at night so as to avoid human contact. 

 

I often collect areas so remote that I flush them out of their beds, and have never had a healthy one of any size charge me just for the rude awakening.

 

I’ve taken them from 10 to 350 lbs, and prefer to tangle with the ones in the 30-150 lb range for best compromise of meat quality and butchering chores.

[KimTexan]

@Uncle Siphuncle so where is the best place to aim for if I needed to shoot a hog? I don’t eat pork or red meat, so I certainly wouldn’t be taking it out for dinner, my dinner that is. I would only shoot in defense of myself or other parties with me.

 

It has been years since I have been out target practicing, but I was never good with a 45 or a 40 because of the kick. I’m a bit of a wimp muscle wise so I can’t hold the gun still to have a great aim. I need to go out and practice. It feels a bit strange being a woman going alone to a practice range. I doubt there are many women who do that.

 

Of course there aren’t too many women who would go fossil hunting by themselves either. I’m not sure I’ve met one yet sad to say. They’ve all said they’re too afraid to go alone. I can’t blaim them. I’ve had my own run ins with critters, nature and men up to no good. I try to not let fear limit my outdoor adventures though. God has numbered my days and if the days aren’t up yet it isn’t my time to go.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

If the pig is close and holding still enough, pretend there is a baseball suspended between the eye, ear and jaw hinge.  Hit the baseball from any angle and gravity will finish the job, taking the critter down like a ton of bricks.  Don’t hit in front of the eyes or you’ll hit non lethal sinuses and/or jaws.  If you hit a little farther back, neck shots can be lethal, whether or not the spine is hit.  

 

Your .40 may be able to take a pig under 100 lbs with a chest shot, if you don’t hit a shoulder blade.  Bigger pigs esp boars have a thick cartilage shield over the shoulders that can stop or significantly slow many handgun calibers.  It can be 2+ inches thick on big boars.  

 

You’d get better penetration on a big boar if he’s quartering away, and you aim behind the rib cage, angling toward the opposite shoulder.  But then again, a pig quartering away is not attacking you.

 

All that said, I’d suggest brain shots for a pig any size, with several follow up shots until it runs  away or drops.  When it drops, get within 10 feet and send another one down its ear canal, as I’ve seen wounded ones stand back up before, and you don’t want that.

 

All that said, when I’m collecting, I enjoy watching these critters and I’ve never had a safety concern.  When hunting them, I strive for quick and humane kills, with head shots preferred, and I like to get the meat on ice ASAP for best tablefare.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

A note on hanguns and collecting.  Don’t get caught trespassing with a handgun.  It is legal to be in a statutory navigable waterway with a handgun (def w CHL, but need to confirm re: new open carry law) but I’m unclear of ownership of creeks feeding the NSR.   But wandering outside the banks while carrying is not a situation I’d want to discuss with a landowner or the law while caught flat footed afield.  

 

As a CHL holder, if I’m caught packing while trespassing, the misdemeanor is elevated by one class.  So when in doubt, I just carry a knife, and so far I haven’t been in a situation that a knife couldn’t solve.

[fossilus]

2 hours ago, Uncle Siphuncle said:

If the pig is close and holding still enough, pretend there is a baseball suspended between the eye, ear and jaw hinge.  Hit the baseball from any angle and gravity will finish the job, taking the critter down like a ton of bricks.  Don’t hit in front of the eyes or you’ll hit non lethal sinuses and/or jaws.  If you hit a little farther back, neck shots can be lethal, whether or not the spine is hit.  

 

Your .40 may be able to take a pig under 100 lbs with a chest shot, if you don’t hit a shoulder blade.  Bigger pigs esp boars have a thick cartilage shield over the shoulders that can stop or significantly slow many handgun calibers.  It can be 2+ inches thick on big boars.  

 

You’d get better penetration on a big boar if he’s quartering away, and you aim behind the rib cage, angling toward the opposite shoulder.  But then again, a pig quartering away is not attacking you.

 

All that said, I’d suggest brain shots for a pig any size, with several follow up shots until it runs  away or drops.  When it drops, get within 10 feet and send another one down its ear canal, as I’ve seen wounded ones stand back up before, and you don’t want that.

 

All that said, when I’m collecting, I enjoy watching these critters and I’ve never had a safety concern.  When hunting them, I strive for quick and humane kills, with head shots preferred, and I like to get the meat on ice ASAP for best tablefare.

Now I understand why every feral hog I've encountered was terrified of me.

They connect fossil hunters with death.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

2 hours ago, fossilus said:

Now I understand why every feral hog I've encountered was terrified of me.

They connect fossil hunters with death.

Boars aren’t quite cuddly enough to keep in the back yard, but this guy was.

[KimTexan]

@Uncle Siphuncle thank you very much for the info on hogs and guns. If needed I had intended to aim for the head, but I wondered about the thick front part of the skull being too thick. So that is helpful to know.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

Much obliged.  I didn’t go into this with intent of sharing unpleasant details, but you asked a good question.  Nature can be unforgiving and has a way of presenting us with uncomfortable situations requiring instantaneous response, so it is good to go in with a plan before exchanging pleasantries with wild animals that are used to getting their way.

[Archie]

Great report and pictures! Love the Baculite

[pamk7802]

I go fossil hunting alone and I have also been to the NSR by myself.  I am also a trail runner and love running solo and have come across bobcats, coyotes, and wild pigs.  It makes me run faster..lol.  I loved your story! Thank you for sharing.