Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Corn Eaters of Florida (w/apologies to Corbett)

As in "JW" in Palm Beach County? No, this would be Jim Corbett who is famous for shooting man-eating tigers and leopards in the jungles of India in the early part of the 20th century. Perhaps his most famous book about it is "Man-Eaters of Kumaon," hence the title, "Corn-Eaters of Florida (w/apologies to Corbett)". I figure we can share stories of our varied pigs hunts (wherever they may have occurred). I always enjoy hearing other stories and seeing the pictures as I'm always learning.

"The Temple Tiger" is another very good book by Corbett.

He was born in India of British parents, became a successful engineer, and was best known for his skill and bravery, hunting down a number of man-eating tigers and leopards - saving a number of Indian lives in the process. He later wrote his best selling books, and filmed wild tigers. Later he spoke up for protection of habitat. He also helped train British commandos in bushcraft, around WWII.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Corbett

The people of India were generally none too fond of Englishmen, but they deeply revered Corbett, and their largest national park is named in his honor.

Altogether, I'd rank he and Teddy Roosevelt together, for having lived some of the most interesting lives in the past century.

"The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag" is also a great read. I believe that's the book in which he mentions his first "magazine rifle": a .275 made by Westley-Richards. Interestingly, the Rigby-made .275 that he received as a gift, as well as his 450/400 double rifle are still around, but I can't find any information on the WR.

Big Corbett fan here too. The man had the patience of Job and brass balls the size of volkswagens...

No doubt. And we know he used the correct cartridge for much of his shooting.

Duh�which is why he and Bell achieved Iconic status��.


Kinda like you and me are working on�...

We're heading there, aren't we.

I thought Bell used a .256 Mannlicher...

He did, but then he woke up, smelled the coffee, and jumped on board the Ingwe Train.


Actually, I think he quit using the Mannlicher when he couldn't readily get ammo for it. As least that's what I've read. I like my explanation better.

for some odd reason I've never owned a Model 70. This one looks nice, though I am not crazy about the big honking Cabelas logo on the floorplate:

A 7x57

But I already have more projects than time...

Yeah, those are nice. That one has particularly nice figure on the butt. Read the next to last paragraph on this link. I think the author is referencing an article in an old American Rifleman. Check out what Bell said he'd take to Africa if he could do it all over again.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/bell_elephants.htm

Yesterday afternoon, BIL and I went to the lease to see if we could scare up a pig or two. We're in our rainy season now and things are beginning to get wet out there. The low spots are full of water and most of the trails are pretty muddy.

We have reset the feeders so they fire at 6, since it doesn't get dark until after 8 and this time of year the pigs come out just before all shooting light is gone (because of the heat), but yesterday it was overcast and not quite as hot so we thought the pigs might come to the feeders a bit early. The heat and the rain also brought out the mosquitos, but between a nice breeze blowing from the southeast and a Therma-Cell, I was pretty comfortable. The Therma-Cell even kept the gnats away. I am now a firm believer!

As I slipped to the stand, I had to pick my way through a few low spots that are now full of water. The ground just below the feeder was also full of water since the constant rooting of the pigs has removed the dirt from around the roots of the oak tree from which the feeder hangs. Now when the feeder fires, most of the corn winds up under the water, although some of it falls on the dry ground around the edge.

I sat in the stand, watching a few birds peck at the corn, when at about 6:50 p.m. three pigs, all about 85-90 pounds, came from the north straight towards the feeder. One was mostly white, with black spots, one was mostly black with white and brown mixed in, and the other was entirely black. The water under the feeder didn't seem to bother them at all: they just rooted the corn right out of it.

I watched them feed for few minutes when a larger black sow also came in from the north to join them. She must have been following right behind them, but she never got into the water. She was content to stay on the edge and eat the fewer kernels of corn that had fallen on drier ground.

I didn't have any interest in taking the sow, so tried to line up a clear shot on the predominantly white pig. But I never could get a clear shot. The multi-colored pig was directly behind her, and I didn't want to risk killing one but potentially only wounding the other. So I settled for the black pig behind them.

Three things became pretty clear as I lined up the shot. First, a Williams Fire-Sight on a M94 glows like a fireball even in pretty poor light; second, a black pig in the shadows doesn't; and third, my eyes aren't what they were when I was 30. Sad to say, this may be my last evening hunt with the old Winchester.

In any event, when the two pigs in front of the black one finally moved out of the way I took the shot. It wasn't quite 7:00 and I had been in the stand for less than an hour.

Unfortunately, sometimes pigs fall in some pretty messy places. But that's hunting.



The shot placement could have been better. The bullet entered high on the left side of the neck, but the angle I was shooting from drove it through the spine and down into the vitals. Again, no tracking required.



All in all, another pretty good July evening in Florida.

Good shot Rev and it's time for a BBQ!

Thanks!

My wife says, "You're killing them faster than I can cook them." I tell her, "They're reproducing faster than I can kill them!"

Well Rev,you need to have a HUGE BBQ and invite all your friends over.

Ah, I see...especially those friends who would rather shoot their own.

You know,you help me eat my pigs,I'll help you eat yours.

Don't y'all have javelina out there?

I can ship you some javelina meat�..

Yeah. It's a draw and I don't put in for them.