Hey all,
Great thread. I thought it would be a good one to introduce myself and get out of the lurking mode I have been in for a few months now. Thanks for making this such a useful and respectful forum and allowing newbies like me to learn from experienced hunters and about the awesome hunting opportunities in our great state!
I started hunting at the tender age of 40-something and I am now in my 3rd year. I decided to go straight to bowhunting as I'm an urban dweller and at first felt uncomfortable with firearms in our house. Plus, it certainly helped get my wife to get her head around her husband all of a sudden wanting to kill big animals...
Anyway, this thread is interesting to me because my first large animals I hunted and killed were wild feral pigs down in Texas earlier this year. I tried with a bow at first but could not get the group of hogs who came by to commit themselves into the open and did not get a shot. The following evening I was lent a single shot .243 Rossi rifle (of which I had no experience shooting) and lucked out with a kill shot at 100 yards on this nice big boar.
I acquired my 1st rifle a short while later and returned to Texas to get my second pig - a nice eating size spotted one.
All I can say it is a real kick to hunt pigs in Texas, and it can be very productive! I'm not sure how the drought has affected their numbers but, from how I understand it, there were too many as it is.
Regarding hunting as a holistic pursuit, I can say I'm a lifer! I was extremely fortunate to have found a friend who is fantastic sportsman/athlete/bowhunter whom I have been steadily learning from the last couple of years. This last archery elk season he called in for me my first elk! A beautiful 4-point. It was the most rewarding and difficult challenge I have ever experienced.
I'm hooked.
