# Wild Hog Hunting **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 18, 2009, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055 "2009-11-18T19:14:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055/21 "2009-11-19T14:27:23Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Hunting from a vehicle is illegal in most states. But I’m not sure how far you will be away from roads and such and how that may work. Thats funny. I know its illegal as hell to shoot almost anything from a vehicle, but this was actually suggested by the local sheriff… “Boy, keep your ass in the back of the truck. They will eat your ass if you don’t have a place to get away from them. \>spit\<” ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055/22 "2009-11-19T15:51:37Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Just as a general FYI, there is a difference between a wild boar and a feral (domestic) pig. Sometimes. The line gets blurred in the US, where we have both Russian wild boar and feral hogs, and hybrids are common. Differentiating can be a problem, if it matters, but both are common, fecund, destructive, huntable and delicious 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055/23 "2009-11-19T15:59:07Z")
Anyone have any tips on cleaning one? ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055/24 "2009-11-19T16:41:53Z")
> [@Translucent\_Daydream](#): > > Well, I am slated to go wild hog hunting next weekend. Anyone have any stories or tips? No matter how good an idea it sounds at the time, do not try to take one with a boar-spear or a bayonet. Trust me on that one. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055/25 "2009-11-19T16:46:52Z")
> [@Translucent\_Daydream](#): > > Anyone have any tips on cleaning one? I followed the directions on hog dressing from (I think) one of the Foxfire books and kind of developed my own style from there. The big problem is how much weight you have in a compact form compared to a deer. A good hunting buddy helps come field-dressing time. ---
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055/26 "2009-11-19T16:55:05Z")
We are going to have three pretty healthy sized dudes in our hog huntin’ party. 🙂 And a tractor with a bucket. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055/27 "2009-11-19T16:59:05Z")
Do you have a… whaddyacallit… a chain hoist? 'Cause that’ll make your life _much_ easier 😉 Good luck and happy hunting. I’m generally tremendously ecologically-minded and pretty conservative about hunting (as in: thoroughly supportive of subsistence hunting, but disapproving of hobby and trophy killing), but when it comes to feral hogs, I’m firmly in the “kill 'em all” camp. They are a tremendously destructive invasive species which are quickly tearing their way through nearly all fifty states, frequently aided and abetted by private landowners. They destroy native habitat and protected wildlife areas, threaten native and endangered species, and generally serve no useful purpose outside the freezer and BBQ. [QUOTE=kopek] No matter how good an idea it sounds at the time, do not try to take one with a boar-spear or a bayonet. Trust me on that one. [/QUOTE] …unless you’ve got a handy pack of seasoned and trustworthy catch dogs at your disposal 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055/28 "2009-11-19T17:09:12Z")
> [@Translucent\_Daydream](#): > > Thats funny. I know its illegal as hell to shoot almost anything from a vehicle, but this was actually suggested by the local sheriff… “Boy, keep your ass in the back of the truck. They will eat your ass if you don’t have a place to get away from them. \>spit\<” I think it depends on the classification of the animal. Game animals are almost always illegal to hunt from a vehicle, with restrictions on how far from the road you have to be, how many you can take, and so on. Varmints have no such restrictions. So I’m guessing that feral pigs aren’t classified as game animals where you live, but are nuisance animals that can be shot on sight, with no limit, no tags, and so on. Check with your local Fish and Game. ---
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055/29 "2009-11-19T17:09:51Z")
**NajaNivea** , I am in the same boat with you. I was tought to throw back fish you don’t eat, and you better wanna eat anything you point your gun at, besides Dr. Pepper cans. I am really just looking forward to some meat, and the preservation of my buddy’s 25 acres. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055/30 "2009-11-19T17:56:10Z")
> [@Translucent\_Daydream](#): > > …and the preservation of my buddy’s 25 acres. It’ll be a start. To anyone feeling sympathy for the piggies: those critters cost roughly $800m in losses to US agriculture annually, and that total doesn’t even begin to count destruction of uncultivated land and native habitat. Good luck with gettin’ yer bacon on 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tully\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ab992/32.png) [@Tully\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tully_Mars)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055/31 "2009-11-19T18:11:31Z")
I wish someone would thin the herd that keeps rooting up my lower pastures. They’ve destroyed about five acres so far. I just don’t have time to sit and watch for them and I can’t tell what time of the day or night they’re appearing. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055/32 "2009-11-19T18:16:50Z")
Ha, if you’re serious and want to send me an email, I’ve got a national network of hog hunters who may very well be THRILLED to come play 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055/33 "2009-11-19T18:19:28Z")
**Tully** , what part of texas do you live in? ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055/34 "2009-11-19T19:48:52Z")
Study pig anatomy for a bit so you learn where the best spots for which to aim are located. Use enough gun and make sure that you have ammunition loaded with the proper bullet. You are going to want a heavier bullet that holds together well and penetrates deeply. Up in this part of the nation, people take wild hogs pretty routinely with moderately powered rounds like the .30-30 and the 7.62 x39 by careully choosing shots and using the right bullet. ---
**Author:** ![Tully\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ab992/32.png) [@Tully\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tully_Mars)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055/35 "2009-11-20T12:54:33Z")
> [@Translucent\_Daydream](#): > > **Tully** , what part of texas do you live in? My place is in Cherokee County in East Texas. However, I’m only there about two weekends a month, hence the problem of not knowing when the hogs are present. I could put out traps, but I don’t like the idea of leaving one in the trap for up to two weeks. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055/36 "2009-11-20T13:19:38Z")
Yeah… also, they’re very bright critters, traps don’t work very long. You might catch one or two, but the rest will figure it out pretty quickly. Most of our members are in Texas. I’m on the BoD of our group. If you’re interested, let me know and I can put you into contact with the club, we might be able to rid you of a few porkers. ---
**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055/37 "2009-11-20T19:13:30Z")
I’ve gone a few times with my .303 British. I like semi-solids because they expand reliably and don’t usually give you a through and through. If at all possible, go for the shoulder shot and blast the bullet and bone fragments through the boiler room. They do take a hell of a lot of killing, and if you don’t drop them dead in the first half minute following the initial shot, the adrenalin can “game up” the meat pretty intensely. Happy hunting indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055/38 "2009-11-20T20:09:46Z")
> [@NajaNivea](#): > > Yeah… also, they’re very bright critters, traps don’t work very long. You might catch one or two, but the rest will figure it out pretty quickly. > Most of our members are in Texas. I’m on the BoD of our group. If you’re interested, let me know and I can put you into contact with the club, we might be able to rid you of a few porkers. Do you have any information on your group? I am interested 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055/39 "2009-11-20T20:16:50Z")
> [@FallenAngel](#): > > I’ve gone a few times with my .303 British. A sportsterized, unscoped .303 British is my gun of choice for pigs when I’m out of the stand and in heavy brush. I figured that approximates pretty closely the conditions and prey size it was originally designed for. I had about a 200 pounder walk up within 10 yards when I was whitewing hunting a couple of months ago and wished I’d brought the .303. I leveled a 12 ga. at him but didn’t dare fire lest I do little more than piss him off. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055/40 "2009-11-21T04:51:04Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > I had about a 200 pounder walk up within 10 yards when I was whitewing hunting a couple of months ago and wished I’d brought the .303. I leveled a 12 ga. at him but didn’t dare fire lest I do little more than piss him off. Assuming its was loaded with buckshot or heavier, at 10 yards a 12 gauge will take down even a big boar reliably. We would usually hunt in pairs, one with the rifle for long range, the other with a pump action shotgun for when we got into the middle of a mob. I’m somewhat ashamed to admit that I’ve taken down pigs with a .22. It’s not that hard, but realistically it’s not powerful enough to be reliable. However a 12 gauge is effectively firing a dozen or so .22 rounds so it’s suitable to the extent that I’ve never seen a wounded animal run off afterwards. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-hog-hunting/518055.md?page=3)