How to hunt hogs at night

[Bama76]

Simple and straight forward. What are the best ways to hunt them after darkness falls? I know a couple of guys who ride field edges and powerline right of ways on their 4-wheelers until they come across one or usually several. Is there a better way? Do you hunt them the same way as you normally (daylight) would except with the aid of a good spotlight?

Mike

[muzzleblast525]

I've got my feeder set to go off right after dark and sit my stand with a spotlight.  This past year I've had a bunch of hogs coming in after dark.  I put a Cuddeback out and got many pics of hogs coming in so I was able to pattern them with the times to hunt.

[VTDW]

Thank you kind sir.

Dave

[markc]

If you have the means, there are a good # of LED light set-ups that attach to your feeder, or tree or whatever that will give some illumination of the feeding area.  I have shot hogs that way, but make sure where you hunt, that it is legal.   A clear sky on a full moon night works if you are not under a heavy forrest canopy and have a scoped rifle with a good sized objective to allow light in.

If you spot light, try to either place a colored lens over the light or don't shine directly at the hogs as soon as you turn the light on.  They will generally scatter pretty quickly once they are hit with a zillion candle power light at night.   Try shining the light up at the sky, and slowly bring it down onot the pigs, enough to see them for a shot.  This works well if you have a partner with you.
Good luck.

[PEPAW]

Its probably obvious, but baiting them with corn into a road or field is the ticket.   Hogs are smart and easy to train.    Bait them frequently in an area and when the moon is full and the sky is clear, you should be guaranteed an easy shot.

pepaw

[Zachary]

And that's where quality optics and illuminates reticles are very handy.  I was hog hunting with a buddy of mine under a full moon and clear skies.  I forget what scope he had, but I had my Nikon Monarch 3.5x-10x-50mm with Illuminated reticle.  The hogs were about 75 yards away and, although you could kinda see the hogs with his scope, it was difficult.  When looking through my scope, it was much easier, and the illuminated reticle really helped.

Zachary

[markc]

so the illuminated reticle isn't too bright?  Is it adjustable?  I wondered if it was too bright and might obscure the critters you are trying to see.

[stxsigman]

I hunt'em like MarkC. I use a Leupold 3-9 50mm on a CZ 7.62-39. The scope also has the heavy reticle as darkness seems to have a slimming effect on the crosshair. Never thought the illuminated scopes would work doesn't it cause some dialation to the eyes?

[Zachary]

so the illuminated reticle isn't too bright?  Is it adjustable?  I wondered if it was too bright and might obscure the critters you are trying to see.

I own 4 brands of scopes that have IRs 1) Leupold Vari-X III, 2) Nikon Monarch, 3) Bushnell Elite 4200, and 4) Nightforce NXS.

The Leupold and Nikon have various settings from dim to bright.  You can set it so dim that you can hardly see the IR, or bright enough to where you can see it during strong sunlight.  These have the best settings.

The Elite 4200 has 2 types, one is battery powered (like the Leupold and Nikon), but this IR is just junk.  Even during it's brightest setting it is very very dim.  The other is the firefly - which is a "glow-in-the-dark" IR.  You can't control a setting on the FF like you can with the others.  However, if you want it fairly dim, then just light it with a flash light for about 15 seconds or so.  Just know that it will get increasingly dimmer as every minute goes by.

The Nightforce has the best IR, but it is not easily adjustable - I think you have to do some internal settings and then that's your setting - so it's not easily ajustable like the Nikon and Leupold.

Zachary

[Graybeard]

The illuminated DOT scopes like Mueller has are the best of the illuminated reticle scopes. Only a small dot dead center of the crosshairs is lit not the entire reticle. This means it's never so bright as to affect your night vision and the place you want to put on the game is all that's lit. It really is a better idea.

I've used them now in the Mueller and the Ultra Dot scopes and it really is a better idea.

[markc]

what are the going prices for the scopes you mentioned with only an illuminated dot?   Thanks.

[VTDW]

Mark,

The Mueller is under $140 for the 3X9X40 w/free shipping to boot.  Go to the Optic Zone website.

http://www.theopticzone.com

Dave

[Graybeard]

I honestly dunno Mark. Both of the ones I got were review samples and I seldom check what they actually sell for. You can look on The Optic Zone's site for his prices on Mueller's. I think Jon is one of Rich's biggest distributors of the Mueller scopes. I think the Ultra Dot scopes maybe sold direct only but I've not been in touch with them in so long I honestly don't know what their set up is these days.

[Chiefgriz]

Typically, the best time to hunt the hog is about an hour after dark. If you have a deer stand and feeder, its best to rig up a hog light at the feeder and simply shoot them from the stand. Easiest hog light without any trouble or expense is to hang a coleman lantern above the feeder (on a limb ect... whatever type structure is availible. Set out the lantern before it gets dark, then wait in the stand. Easiest way I know of. Hunting on 4-wheelers sounds like fun, but if you run the pigs before you killl them, its going to affect the taste