Ya'll know that I am a gun guy, but until moving here to W. PA, I haven't hunted since I was shot on a public hunting grounds in Ohio as a kid. I have been shooting clays in Florida forever, but this is a community of hunters. Opening day of buck season most businesses are closed. All my wifes brothers who live here hunt. They have continually bugged me to hunt with them, and until one day I declined, saying " I like to shoot clays because all I have to clean when I get home is my gun".

That one day was when I agreed to go "Hoggin'"with Mjs big brother. He is a farmer and was always complaining about how much damage the ground hogs do to his bean crops. I didn't blieve it until I saw it for myself. Holy crap they can eat half an acre in no time! Well now I felt justified in killing the little suckers and it was war! All last summer after supper, he and I would go out in his AWD pick up into the fields. We would park, set up lawn chairs in the truck bed with refreshment and just wait for one to stick it's head up out of a hole. It was like fishing! Two buddies chewing the fat and bonking a few hogs when they appeared. What a blast! My first Hog Gun was a 1903A3 Springfield in 30-06, the one Seahawk owns now, great gun, deadly accurate, but a little overkill for a 20 lb. hog. Hog gun #2 was a Browning A-Bolt Medallion in 25-06 that is also super accurate, but I was worried about the distance it was deadly at with other farms around, I still have it and use it occasionally. Hog gun #3 is a Howa 1500 varmint gun in 22-250 and the first round down the pipe was a kill.........perfect. He and I were talking just this morning about how we can't wait for them to wake up. When Punxatawny Phil was on TV this week my trigger finger got erect! Last summer I killed around 40 of them myself.

Even though they are a nuisance, I still feel a little bad killing them. A life is a life.

Anybody see Leno's "Headlines" this week? I thought this one was hilarious... from Letters to the Editor:

http://i518.photobucket.com/albums/u...shameonyou.jpg

+1000 to the 10x

One more from this week's "Headlines"...

http://i518.photobucket.com/albums/u...pettingzoo.jpg

I'm guessing "Petting Zoo" is just a nickname for the area where she made the shot.

Hey Randy,
We don't have the feral pig problem in the Rogue Valley. Where do I need to go/talk to in Eugene to find the pigs!?
Thanks,
Troy

Yes, you do!

They have not reached Lane Co. yet, but are all over SW Or.

(ok, maybe not in downtown metro Medford, Rose-borg, or Ashram...)

I am also an animal lover I also love to hunt.

I have been skunked more times than I actually went home with something though... even when you dont bag something its still a great hobby

Humans are expanding and destroying the entire planet, I wish it would be legal to hunt a few of them! ;)

It is a very common evolution to go from shooting paper to wanting to hunt. You should support this thought, if it comes up with your kid. Also consider archery as a fun activity. Take him to a trailblazer event some time: http://www.trailblazeradventure.org/

Shooting an animal is part of hunting, but it is not what most hunters enjoy about it. During big game hunting it may be weeks in the field until a single shot is fired.

I am the same way. I like to be successful, but if I am not, no big deal. I call it "armed hiking". It beats regular hiking by far, because you are quiet - no talking - and focused and enjoy nature at a much different level. You see many more animals, hear a lot more noises and you are out there during sunrise and sunset - the most amazing time of the day. You even go out during seasons you would not think about camping otherwise. Snow camping during late season is something I greatly enjoy and would not do without hunting.

George

I am an animal lover Dogs, Cats, Horses, Rabbits, Frogs. We have them all.

In my opinion caring for animals are a big part of growing up,they are a mandatory for my kids. I have always had them always will.

However there is always room next to the mashed potato's and gravy for some of god's critters.

Try a good elk steak some time. You will have dreams of harvesting one, I am very sure they are for eating. ;)

Some of the best days I ever had with my dad were in the field. He's gone now but I think of deer trips in Michigan all the time.

I'm an animal lover and used to hunt goose, duck and pheasant...

The first annual Pelican Feral Pig Hunt and Porsche get together.. Count me in!!!
Can we do a little research on the local hunting laws ?

As a kid, I shot my fair share of birds and squirrels in my parent's woods and I enjoy shooting, but I do not like the taste of deer, so I never became much of a "hunter". I do however shoot plenty of varmints on our property each year (skunks, racoons, possum, woodchucks, rabbits and an occasional stray cat that is screwing with our cats). I grew up in somewhat of a rural farming area as did my wife and we, like most folks around here have no problem using our guns as tools to eradicate varmints/pests.

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