Need advice on hogs

[massenrg]

To any Hog Hunters who wish to help,

I’ve heard much about the fun of bagging a ferrel hog, but have never had the pleasure myself.  Last year, one of my buddies called us out to remove a boar he’d shot.  It was the most amazing animal I’d ever encountered, even though it was dead.  It had bristly hair and tusks like the Russian variety, but scaled in at a whopping 425lbs; like a domestic hog!  It took six grown men to get it into the back of the truck! I was in shock.  What’s even more amazing is that this animal was brought down with a .22 rimfire (two shots to the head.)  Reportedly it ran a couple hundred yards through open country before it keeled over.  Anyway, after seeing this,   I desperately want to break into the sport but I have no idea where to begin.  I need advice.

I’ve got some experience hunting small game and turkeys, but never large game (to any avail.)    I’m living in south Texas where ferrel hogs are abundant, but have no Idea how to find them.  What’s the technique?  I don’t have dogs.   Is baiting necessary?  If so, how is this done?  Do you sit in a stand or walk around hoping to walk up on them?  I’ve heard of guys going out and simply looking around for hogs.  Can one be successful with this technique?  

Are these animals smart?  How’s their sense of smell?.......Hearing?  Must I use extensive camo and scent masking?  Is there a preferable time of day?  In Texas, there’s no closed season on these beasts.  Do any of you guys hunt them in the summer?  How can I be sure not to kill a pregnant sow?  How does one distinguish sows from boars?

 I’ve got a 30.06 but no scope.  With it, I can hit a pie pan at 100yrds (with a blade sight.)  It’s most accurate with Federal round nosed 180 grainers.  Is this an adequate setup?  

Any answers to any of these questions would be sincerely appreciated.  Thanks to all,

Texas Squirrel Hunter :gulp:

[Zachary]

Welcome to the wonderful world of hog hunting!

First off, let me tell you that a 30-06 is a great choice of hogs.  I prefer the Barnes X bullet for these hogs.  In my 30-06, I use the 165 Barnes X, and the 180 Barnes X would be a better choice (I use the 165 grainer because I also shoot deer with them and a 180 barnes X is just way too much bullet for ANY whitetail deer.)  Anyway, if the 180 round nose bullets are the most accurate in your gun, then by all means use it, but try to not shoot the hogs in their shoulders because the gristle plate is very thick and can cause some bullets to virutally bounce off.

As for scope, sometimes it's not necessary, especially if you are hunting in very close range.  Now, you say that you can hit a pie plate at 100 yards - that's not too bad, but not that great either.  I would opt for a lower powered scope.

As for how to hunt them, there sure are tons of wild hogs in South Texas (I should know as I used to live in Houston and used to hunt all over Texas.)  Anyway, what you should do is try to bait them.  Corn is the big thing in Texas.  Get a few bags of corn, put them on the back of a pick-up, and create a trail for as long as you want.  Pigs are like us in that they like to use roads.  Once they find the corn, they will come back.  Once you find the spot where they eat - then you know that they are in the area, so bait that same place again.  

As for a hunting set-up, you can use a tower blind or ground blind - or you can just wear really good camo.  Hogs do not have good eye sight, but they do have a VERY GOOD sense of smell.  As such, make sure that you are always down wind of them.  If you do, then you should be able to get within about 50 or so yards of them.

If you do this, then you should have no problem getting a hog. The tough part will be cleaning it!

Zachary

[sebastian]

Whew...! You must be have some good answers of your questions, a lot of good guys and experts here.
IMHO, hunting wildboar is "interesting", especially the big one.
Your 30.06 is "enough gun" i believe, even to the biggest boar you can get around you. The most important thing is the shot placement. If you can hit a small pan in 100m- offhand -consistently, of course you can hit its head or heart/center body.(better to you to understand its anatomy). I myself more like scoped rifle than iron sight. If you could hunt at night (using spotlight or so), of course you can't beat a scoped rifle. Soft point is good for "center" shot while i more like FMJ spitzer or for ear/head shot.  
These monster is smart, they have very good nose and hearing. Avoid "back wind"(?) if possible, "stay hunting" with a tree stand perhaps more enjoyable. Attrack them with corn,fish,etc...(strong smell foods) in the area you think they exist (better if you can find their bedding or feeding area). They're most active in late afternoon till dawn, but not rare we can find them in the morning/afternoon. But if you have time and "enjoy waiting", better to you to start from afternoon. I don't know overthere.
Oh ya, if you don't have a "good physic" and not many big tree to climb easily overthere, (including good shooting skill)...better to you to NOT "walk-hunting"....:lol: :shock: Just because they can be very aggresive and tend to attack, especially if they're hurt.
Sows or male Boars? I don't know overthere....but IMO it is not too easy to distinguish, especially in longer range. But he male has its "eggs"(?) on his butt and ussualy more "muscular" body while the she male not. I can't see any difference with their hair/colour. If you see it alone and big (not in a heard) ussualy it's he male, if you see them in a heard and there are some small pigs, you will see which one the she male(sow?). She always and tend to protect/follow/"head" the small pigs. Ussualy has "bigger" stomach and "hanging-niples"(?)....Sorry for my English,lol.
I think wildboar is considered as "varmint" except "big game"...
8years is the oldest/biggest one i believe.
Good hunting and have nice shooting!

[howie1968]

Glad  you  are  iterested  in  pig  huting  as  it  is  my  favorite  for  alot  of  reasons   the  taste  excitement  and  how smart  these  criters  are.
     The  30-06  with 150 gr roundnouse   are adequate for  pigs  just  pit  it    behind  the  shoulder  o eck  or  hea  an you  will  e  ust  ie.
      living  in  Sout  TX  i  assume  you  have    place  o hunt, when locating hogs  my  first thing  i  do  is  find  water! either  a  creek, river  or stock pond   when  it  is  hot  hogs  will  be  near  these  while  finding  water  look  for  hog  tracks  these  are  more  rounded  then  deer  so  they  are  fairly  easy  to  distinguish.   look for  rubs  and roots  rubs  are  when  a  hog  gets  out  of b the  water  they  scratch  the  mud  off  on  trees,  and  look  for  wallows, these  are  where  a  hog  lays  n  the  water  to  keep cool.
  if  you  find   these  then  i  would  recoment  putting  up  a  bucket  eeder   or  an  utomatic  feeder  or  just  scatter  some  corn  on  the ground   if  there  are  hogs  in  the  area  they  will  find   the  corn  and  create  soe  roots   kind  of  looks  like  a  tiller  tilling  the  ground.  also  look  for  droppings,   kind  of looks  like  dog mess.  I  always  go  in  scent  free  waash  clothes  in  earth  scnt   use  earth  scent  deoderant  and  bath  in  earth  scent body  wash.  true  wild pigs  have  excellant  noses  and  cn  smell  you  there  eyesight  is  not  the  greatest   but  they  see  well  enough  to  detect  a  selly  hunter  who  is  not  scent  free  there  ears  are  also great.  while  hunting  them  a  sure  sign  of  them  coming   is  they  will  make  some  squeals   and  shot  grunts   not  always but  sometimes.   boars  usually  are  travelling alone   so  if  ya  see  a  lone  pig   it  s  usually  a  boar hog  the  sows  and  shoats  usually  stick  pretty  clothes  together   hope  this  advice  as  helped   theis  is  what  i  use. and  i  do  alot  of  pig  hunting

[markc]

To answer your questions,
Yes they are the smartest animal in the woods, next to humans.
30-06 will easily drop any hog that walks the planet, if you place the bullet 150gr or heavier in the neck, or quartering away shot, behind the shoulder.  Forget the "head" shot unless you are very, very close.  It is easy to hit the head and still miss the small brain.
Yes you can walk up on them if:
the wind is in your favor
you keep the noise level down
you move slowly, as they can hide easier than you might think and you can find yourself in the middle of them when they are bedded before you know it.
have some good snake proof chaps on in S. Tx
wear medium to dark colors if you don't have camo
keep in mind that a sow with piglets can be a dangerous animal, and a boar around a sow in heat is a dangerous animal.

How to distinguish boars from sows?
Sows will likely have piglets or shoats (young pigs, but not babies) with them, likely have enough of a belly to see her teets if she is nursing pigs,
boars when seen from behind have obvious knuts if he is a mature hog.  Otherwise it can be difficult.

Vision on a hog is ok,  but not their greatest assest.  They  do pick up motion pretty well though, so go slow.
Their sense of hearing is very good, their sense of smell is tremendous, so don't spit, poop, or take a leak in the area you plan to hunt them.

Few trees in S. Tx to hang a tree stand, so you can use a tripod stand, walk in for them (stay out of their bedding areas), hunt them with trained dogs, bait some holes with sweet feed and corn, spot light at night, etc...

Good luck
markc