Anatomy of The Wild Hog
There are many wild hogs lost each year because they were gut shot! This was not because of careless shooting, but rather due to the hunter not understanding the anatomy of the wild hog. There is quite a difference in the location of the wild hogs vitals, as compared to the deer. If the deer hunter uses the classic lung shot, used on deer, he will likely gut shoot the wild hog! By looking at the above diagram it will be obvious the vitals of the wild hog are well forward in the body cavity. You should also notice the location of the shoulder blade in reference to the head and neck. The ideal shot location is in the lower part of the shoulder blade area.
There are many shooters that profess their choice of the head/ear location for their shot. While it is true any hog can be killed quickly with something as small as a .22 Rim fire Short in the ear if the muzzle is close, there are hogs lost each year that the hunter tried a head/ear shot. Yes, the hog died later from bleeding, but ran quite a distance. This happens more with high velocity rounds that fragmented on the head meat/fat, especially with rounds like the .22 Rim fire Magnum and such.
It should be noted that there is a great deal of difference in hunting from a tree stand and being on the ground. The tree stand hunter, being elevated, can place his shot more precise. In this situation, the head/ear shot may be justified. However, if the hunter is on the ground, the shoulder shot is best, as it will also break up the hog’s movement. That can be very important if the hunter is dealing with a dangerous boar hog!