Question

[oldyardog]

I am not a hog hunter yet. I hope to be soon. My question is, has anyone here actually been charged by a hog in a hunting situation? I know they will charge as I had a bad experience with a domestic sow when I was a kid. I think I would be in more danger driving to a place to hunt them given that I would not take a bad shot. I am experienced in hunting ( about 50 years) just haven't hunted hogs yet. Let me hear your experience with them.


Oldyardog

[Graybeard]

Can happen but isn't that likely. I never have been in the wild but have twice been by caged hogs.

One was in a catch pen she was female put in to attract large boars. When we approached the trap she ran head long at me and rammed her nose into the wire at full speed. No doubt if she could have gotten out I'd have been in trouble.

The other was a large boar caught by trap and moved to a pen in the owner's yard. He did the same. He was on the far end of the pen and when he saw me a stranger he charged full speed and rammed his nose into the heavy wire pen. He tried hard to get to me but the pen held.

I was once almost toe to nose with a wild boar who was in a ditch bayed by dogs. He looked up at me but never tried to get to me. I once finished off a large wounded boar that ran from me not at me as well tho he could have as easily come at me had he wanted.

[oldyardog]

Thanks Bill, thats what I am looking for.

Oldyardog

[jmayton]

I shot 40+ this past year.  About half that the year before.  Of those, I've only had one that I thought was actually charging me.  I shot him in the head at about 15-20yds but didn't get the brain and he went wild, jumped into the cedar breaks, then came out full steam right at me.  Two more quick shots and he was down.  He was so close after the second shot my hand immediately went to my pistol.  That's the only one.  I've had lots run at me, but I believe they aren't sure where the danger is, and I am usually standing on a game trail, so it's a natural escape route for them and I'm just in the way.  Most of the time when they actually see me, they turn...unless I shoot them first. 

Bottom line, I think it's rare for a hog to charge....at least a lot more rare than many would lead you to believe.

[oldyardog]

jmayton, thank you, your reply is about what I was thinking. 40 hogs in a year seems like a lot! Can I come follow you some time?

Oldyardog

[drdougrx]

Hi All,

I've shot 9 thus far....4 over 300lbs...one did come for us a few times and later holed up in a brush pile waiting for us to come down a trail....we got off the trail about 60 yards early and circled around through some pines.  We saw him before he saw us and he was all tensed up and concentrationg on his back trail.  I unceremoniously shot him in the brush pile.  It's a long story with what I'd call at least 3 false charges...I'll write another time.

BTW...it's the hog in my avatar.

[Graybeard]

Of those, I've only had one that I thought was actually charging me.  I shot him in the head at about 15-20yds but didn't get the brain and he went wild, jumped into the cedar breaks, then came out full steam right at me.

I dropped a fairly large boar similar to that one time. I like to tell it as he dropped not much over 15' off the tips of my boots but in reality I'm not sure he even knew I was there. I'm sure he'd have run me over of course had I not made the shot between his eyes good but he was mostly just trying to shake the dog aggravating him. He might or might not have been aware of me. One Hornady .429" 300 XTP between the eyes and it was lights out for him.

[kiddekop]

I read an account of some CA  archery hunters in AZ who were after javelina & used a piglet alarm squealer to their surprise a whole herd of  woofers(javelina) came charging out of the brush right at the hunters.They were able to get up in some small trees to keep from being slashed by their razor sharp tusks however I think one hunter was cut pretty bad and had to go to town for treatment.Everyone who had done javelina research at the Univ of AZ had had many encounters with the woofers and had the scars on their legs to prove it.I was studying to become a  wildlife mgt biologist and gave the live ones a wide berth,it was a bit dangerous to try to take one down in a holding pen in the back of the bio sciences bldg to run some tests and get blood samples.They have a built in nasty disposition , they can see but there best senses are hearing and smelling.Speaking of smell they don't have tails instead they have a musk gland that they rub their eyes on keeps them from getting infections.We were told to advise javelina hunters to carry some  heavy plastic bags to put the knife and gloves used for the musk gland removal, 2 knives & 2 sets of gloves hunting.If they killed a pig use one knife & a pair of gloves to cut out the musk gland then take the gloves,knife & gland away from the dressing area.Next use the second knife & gloves to gut the pig.Getting rid of the gland helps keep the flesh from becoming tainted with the musk and makes for improved eating.

[jmayton]

I have friends that have been pretty torn up from hogs, but they hunt them with dogs and knives.  I've done it, but I like to keep them a little further away from me if I can.

And oldyardog, sure, c'mon anytime.  I could use some good luck this year.  Already a month in and I haven't even seen a hog.  But we're getting rain, so that may change things.

[rem700-3]

In almost 30 years of hog hunting I have been charged a few times and have some nice scars to prove it.  It is not something that happens everytime but you better expect it everytime.  I think usually it is because they feel cornered that they charge  but on one occasion some friends and I pulled up to a place we hog hunt and while we were unloading the dogs and getting ready to hunt an old large boar came out of the woods and attacked the dogs that were tied to a friends truck and in the process cut the guy twice for a total of 87 stitches by the time anyone realized what had happened and grabbed a pistol the boar had killed 3 dogs and injured 2 others  he was obviously after the dogs but had no problem going through people to get them      2 weeks ago some guys were hunting not far from here and were charged by 3 boars that they had rousted from beds one of the guys killed 1 and wounded one before getting up a tree the other guy was so suprised he never fired a shot and was grabbed on the foot as he to tried to get up a tree loosing a boot and gaining a nice scar to show   they said the two boars came back several times when they started down the trees and they stayed until some other guys came to find them the third hog was killed by one of the rescue group and the wounded hog was found dead 25 yards from the tree  it does not happen alot but it does happen so like I say you should expect it   

[gstewart44]

I have hunted wild hogs for about 20 years.   I probably have killed 120-130 porkers in that time.   Only once did I have one charge me and let me tell you that is one adrenaline rush I never want to experience again.  

I was stalking a group of pigs in Central Florida scrub....flat piney woods with lots of palmettos.   I spotted a big yellow and brown boar standing high above the rest quartering towards me at about 50 yds.   I let loose a 150 gr 3030 round which entered high on the left(near)lung and out the opposite paunch.   the hog squealed and took off.  I saw and heard him crash in a palmetto thicket about 30 yds from where I was standing.  

I waited about 5 minutes, and after hearing nothing more I slowly walked up to the thicket.   When I was about 15 yds away I could see the hog laying down not moving.   My friend yelled to me if I had found the pig.   I yelled out " I got 'im !!!".   Just then the hog got other ideas  -  

he stood up, turned and started coming at me at rather quick speed.  

I worked the lever on the Winchester 94 as fast as I could and hit him two more times (a third round was chambered and ready) before he crashed a few feet  in front of me.  

I backed up slowly and waited with the sights on his head.   After what seemed like an eternity I could see there was no more life in the hog.    About that time my legs turned to jelly and I felt and urgent need to "void the bladder".  

Lesson learned - never approach a downed hog thinking that he has already expired.....now I go in cocked, and locked on target.