Shot a strange one last night...

[WildRose]

Have any of you guys seen this before? Last night I shoot a boar that's just north of 250lbs. Nothing particularly exciting about it other than the fact I'm still breaking in a new rifle and it did the job quite well.

When I go to drag him out though I find that both of his ears appear to have been chewed off. Either they were chewed off by catch dogs, fighting with other boars, or if we'd had colder weather last year I might have thrown in frost bite as a possibility but as mild as last winter was that doesn't seem possible.

If Mario sees this maybe he'll post a picture.

Just wondering if any of you have seen anything similar?

 

[Greyfox]

Given the rooting nature, is it possible that at some point in his life he got his head jammed in fencing or some other tight spot and tore them up trying to escape? Years ago, my young Brittany tore his ears up chasing a cripple and jamming his head a pile of wire. Fortunately, I got to him before the dameage was too great. If i didn't his ears would have been a mess..... and my wife would have shot me for disfiguring her sweetheart!

 

[WildRose]

Given the rooting nature, is it possible that at some point in his life he got his head jammed in fencing or some other tight spot and tore them up trying to escape? Years ago, my young Brittany tore his ears up chasing a cripple and jamming his head a pile of wire. Fortunately, I got to him before the dameage was too great. If i didn't his ears would have been a mess..... and my wife would have shot me for disfiguring her sweetheart!

possible but I suppose very unlikely. A pig's ears will fold over closed flat to the head easily even with the breeds known for having tall/high ears.

One way or anothre I' pretty sure it was done in a fight.

 

[CA48]

Sounds like catch dogs, when I used to hog dog it was a common thing for hogs ears to get ripped off, and if the dog can't get ahold of the neck or cheek quick enough after the ear goes it's possible for the hog to get away.

 

[WildRose]

Sounds like catch dogs, when I used to hog dog it was a common thing for hogs ears to get ripped off, and if the dog can't get ahold of the neck or cheek quick enough after the ear goes it's possible for the hog to get away.

It may well be. I've seen some get their ears pretty well shredded but I mean this guys ears are just gone, maybe an inch and a half left at most.

The first thing that came to mind when I noticed it was that someone had sliced them off.

We used to notch pig's ears for both ownership ID like a brand and to note the litter number, sow, and individual pig number from the litter no one I knew ever intentionally cut their ears off.

 

[CA48]

I just can't think of how that would of happened from natural causes but you never know

 

[WildRose]

I just can't think of how that would of happened from natural causes but you never know

A big boars jaws can shear off leg bones if they get one in their mouth and I have seen fighting boars tear off one ear, just never two. I've also seen a big boar challenging another snap 2" green mesquite saplings like a pair of loping shears so I have no doubt it was either catch dogs or another, bigger boar. I know there's at least two very large boars in the area as I've seen them at different times within a half mile of where I killed this one but never at the right time or for long enough to get a shot at either of them.

They are like anything else, they don't get big being stupid.

 

[CA48]

Very true, some how I have never seen boars fight in the wild. Although I can attest to the power of their jaws and the sharpness of thier cutters. We have had multiple catch dogs get killed by having their Kevlar vest penetrated by the cutters on big boars and die from blood loss. I see many hogs throughout the year that are scarred up from their face to their hams, so I know the possibility is there.

 

[scrmblr1982cj8]

I'd say catch dogs if both ears showed damage.

 

[WildRose]

I spent a good bit of time watching some very large boars this week and was close enough to see that all but one had one or both ears chewed half off or more. All of these were within a half mile of each other and the only one that didn't have his ears chewed up was the one that has the herd of six sows with him. The other three were all loners so I think I've got it narrowed down.

I managed to kill one of those three, he's over 400lbs and considerably smaller than the big guy with the six sows.

Mario got a good pig this week too and hopefully he'll chime in and post pictures. The boar I got last night was definitely the biggest I've killed in at least 5-10 years. I killed one that would weight more but this guy's tusks are pretty impressive and he's built like a boulder.

I killed him at a little over 300yds shooting the .260 Remington loaded with the 125gr Peregrine VRG-4 "Plainsmaster" bullet.

He was quartering to me and the shot entered the crease between his neck and shoulder, went right through the spine and into the off shoulder. I couldn't tell for sure in the dark if it exited but if it didn't the guys processing him are going to try and find it for me.

That's two big boars in three days with the same rifle and I get more impressed with these bullets every time I pull the trigger.

 

[WildRose]

Attempting to upload photos.

 

[WildRose]

This is the smaller boar from the other night, the one who's ears are just about gone.

 

[WildRose]

This is the smaller boar from the other night, the one who's ears are just about gone.

Trying again.

 

[Leslie Sapp]

There's probably 20 hogs coming to a mineral block we have out. This guy always comes alone, and always in the middle of the night. He's missing both ears. I think he may have been trapped and used by someone to train dogs on, and then escaped.