T minus 15 days and counting...

JTPinTX

JTPinTX

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At least approximately. That is about how long until peanuts start getting planted here. Once that happens it is on. Things can go from totally dead to smoking hot in just a matter of days.

Last year there were very few peanuts planted around here. Probably the least amount I have seen in the last 20 years. It has made for a really slow last 12 months for me as far as pigs go. All the pigs have been down in the creek bottoms where they are hard to hunt and not out in the open fields at night. This year though lots of peanuts are going in. Several of my really prime spots are rotating back in to peanuts.

Plus, nobody around here really flew much this spring with helicopters to knock numbers back either. Local guys told me price per flight hour jumped to around $900/hour and since not many pigs were being seen (due to no attractant crops in the open fields) no one wanted to pay that much to have their properties flown. Money has been tight for farmers due to increased fuel/fertilizer/chemical costs. They are limiting cost input anywhere they can.

So. Pretty excited to see what this season holds. Really ready to get back to hammering pigs like we were 2-3 seasons ago. Got a new 300 HAMR I'm wanting to really put through the paces.

What is the outlook for you guys, what do you expect this year in the areas you hunt? Is the hunting for you steady year in and year out, or is it like it is for me and highly dependent on crop rotations and population control flights? Interested to see how it works for the rest of you guys.
 
Man, that sounds great. I can appreciate the hard work that's also fun. I'm looking forward to some good pig-killing footage.

I don't have those opportunities here. Right now it's a waiting game to see what kind of tags the family will draw in our lottery. That will dictate how good of a season we have for most things. With a fair bit of luck, we'll get to chase some combination of deer, elk, pronghorn, oryx, bighorn sheep, Barbary sheep, javelina, and/or ibex. Even three of four of those would make it a good year.
 
Open season year round here. Hog sightings for day hunting dried up last year around July as we went into an extended unusually hot dry spell. I managed to take one young sow in October and nothing since. The only farm crop I know of near me is for watermelons grown in the Canadian river bottoms and stories were circulating about extensive damage there. I intend to pay a visit to that area to see if I can get access to a couple watermelon patches.
Hope you have a very busy time with lots of success!
 
About 10 days now, +/-, until planting. But, already starting to get some action.

There is a new circle my son is putting in this year. Brand new well and pivot, on pasture land he is breaking out. Has not been farmed in years. Since there is no chemical history on it he is going to put organic peanuts on it. He has been up there every day breaking it out, digging and grubbing out stumps and roots. Been working up there until 10-12 at night trying to get it ready. As dry as it is here he has also been running the pivot to get some moisture down. With all the fresh turned dirt and the water running pigs are already starting to come in even though it has not been planted yet.

We made a quick run up there last night to try and catch them but no dice. I think with all the activity right now they are coming out in the wee hours of the morning. That will change when the peanuts go in the ground though.

I have to check zeros good this week and make sure the equipment is all ready to roll. And get some more ammo loaded up. By middle of next week we should be protecting fields.
 
Cool weather and rain has pushed peanut planting back a little bit here. I think next week some will start going in the ground. Right now my son is planning on starting to roll Monday.

But we have a nice boar hitting the pig barrel that may need to get culled this weekend. We will see. He is just 12 minutes from the house, and with a cell camera it is pretty much cheating. But it is a pig, so cheating is not only allowed but encouraged.
 
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