First hog hunt questions!!!

4. I plan on using 55gr Remington ammo in .223. Decent choice?

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Only for brain shots and shots right behind the ear, IMHO. I use heavier .223 as well, but only in those locations.

3. Anything in particular we should know about hunting hogs?

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People will tell you that hogs are smart, have an amazing sense of smell, poor eyesight, and their organs are not in the normal locations. Hogs are smart, but "smart" often means that the hunter can't be acting really stupid or that the hunter might have to work a bit harder to get the animal than something else. Hogs aren't as smart as a 2 year old child, which does put them ahead of many animals, but that isn't saying a whole lot.

Pigs can smell well, but I have seen smart pigs stand underneath the treestand I am sitting in and not look up for me despite obviously smelling me and continually smelling the area, then, giving up and walking out into the open where I shot them. Just because they can smell things long distance does not mean they always know what to do with the information.

Some reports indicate that hog vision isn't significantly worse than humans, at least not when they have a clean line of sight. Being low to the ground, somewhat sunken eyes (some individuals), etc., they don't always have a very good field of field, but that isn't because they actually have poor vision.

As for the organs, their heart is located a touch more forward than that of a deer. For most hunters, the inch or so difference won't mean a thing.

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Primarily boars have a shield along their shoulder blades and running along on top of their ribs on their high back. This is a cartilage under the skin. It can be very sturdy and offers the hog protection. It is the stuff myths are made of. Some folks report Howitzer fire stopped by it and others claim success with a .22 magnum through the shield. Especially on bigger boars, a bigger or more powerful caliber is probably better than a puny caliber, or you can just shoot them in the brain or right behind the ear and not worry about the shield.

You can bait hogs, look for sign, stake out trails and wallows. You can stalk them. I hunt alone and prefer doing it from a stand. You can hunt them just about any way you want (within the bounds of the law). Some people run them down on foot and cut their throats with knives. I can't do that from the tree stand.

Most hunters that I've seen lack the skill necessary for a "brain shot". I would much rather use that .30-30 with a shot behind the shoulder any day over any .223. I personally use a .30-06 with 180 copper bullets, as per regulation out here. I can use the same load for deer, elk, etc. No need to have several scope settings, just use one load for everything. I have had 100% results on hogs with one shot kills, at ranges from 95-201 yards measured. I wrote an article for a blog site entitled "Hunting Rifle Selection for Big Game", by SplitHoof. If you search for it, I think it's still out there. I detail aspects relavent to hunting, you might find it helpful.

bring a small sprayer of apple cider vinegar as a cover scent.use heavier bullets

It's like hunting deer except a bit simpler in that hogs love water holes when it's hot and you can find them wallering near a water source.

The AR will work fine. Use the heaviest bullets you can find and choose your shots wisely. Leave the 55 grain varmint bullets at home, pig skin is pretty tough!

Another problem with head shots is that hogs tend to have their heads moving a lot; unlike deer, who'll stand there and pose for you, hogs keep sweeping their heads around, looking for food.

In terms of other advice, I'd say that size does not equal quality. Smaller hogs are much tastier than the big ones, especially males. Stick to the 100-pound range and you'll end up with some tasty pork. Shoot a 300-pound boar and you can brag to your friends, but invite them over for barbecue and they won't stay your friends for long (unless you engage in a lot of meat preparation first, which to me is just not worth the effort & expense).

In terms of finding a place, a Google search on =Georgia hog hunts= should get you started. But do your homework--be sure and get real recommendations from people who've hunted there. (Here in Texas, there are some pretty shady hog-hunting outfits. Lots of very good ones, but some are terrible, and you'd be better off taking your money and feeding it to hogs.)

If you hunt during warm weather, be ready to ice the meat down very quickly (probably a good idea regardless of temperature).

All that being said, hog hunting is fun and can be very challenging. Walking up on a feral animal can be a very fun experience, especially if there's a group of them, because it only takes one of them to spot/smell you and the whole group will take off. They're very low to the ground, especially compared to deer, so don't count on getting a good glimpse of high-speed, self-propelled pork.

I actually had a small feral hog spot me and walk towards me, like she wanted to make friends. I didn't have the heart to shoot her. A minute later, there was a big group behind her; she kept looking at me and looking at them, deciding which way to move. The group had a big sow...just before I shot her, I said to the little one, "This may get a little loud."

Use 60gr Nosler Partitions, they will drop them everytime. All the hogs in this picture were dropped with 60gr Partitions

+1 on a different caliber choice unless you're really confident in your ability to make a head shot on a moving critter at distance. I've recovered .223 bullets (amongst other projectiles) from the shields of hogs from hunters who either missed head shots or tried body shots with underpowered rounds. Since you're making a special trip, I'd suggest you go bigger to improve your odds.

Watch your wind as others have said. As it warms they become more nocturnal so you'll either be hight hunting (need feeders, lights, etc) or be ready at the first and last 30 mins of light. Hogs are also harder to skin than deer so bring a box cutter to slice strips of skin and/or slice thru the shield.

I've hunted them with my .223 and had a lot of success with 77gr Nosler Copper Alloy Jacketed BTHP rounds.

Other than that - be prepared for hogs that will charge you, even after being shot. I suggest a back-up pistol just in case.

Another problem with head shots is that hogs tend to have their heads moving a lot; unlike deer, who'll stand there and pose for you, hogs keep sweeping their heads around, looking for food.

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And the deer hunters oft say that you can't head shoot deer because their heads move around too much. I don't know how still they need to be, but I haven't had a problem with brain shooting them from a stand.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5czqhRQDLQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8CrlY4Qkyc&feature=related
The first view of these hogs @ 32 seconds isn't unusual, or 103-110. Of course once they put their head down to feed, they often become very stationary.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfPoRQomw5o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Gmhg9OGhpg
"Head shots guys. Don't chase them. No bloody meat."

Here is another neat video from Ed. It was Jessica's first hog hunt. Part of the reason people are able to place shots right behind the ear is because the hogs stand still. If you watch the vid, you will see the hogs as the come in and several stop, freeze, then continue on. Those would all be good to shoot. Jessica waited until the hot was eating, stationary, head down, placed her shot where she wanted it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_naiva1Q00&feature=dgst_fri

1. We would prefer not to pay to hunt. How do you go about doing this?

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Yeah- let us know how that works out for you. Hopefully you know somebody there.

AR works fine.. works wonders for us checking hay fields and trying to kill quantitiy.

if you are comming to Ga to hog hunt, I would recommend going somewhere in middle to south ga to do it. North georgia where i live, has hogs, but they are SMART, and most of them that you find are on our local management areas. So no night hunting. If you are comming to north ga. Check out some of the local management areas and ask some DNR where they are seeing hog sign at. Be Prepared to walk. I hunt hogs religiously so pack lite. Most of the hogs i kill are usually at least an hour walk from where i park, ( got to get away from the crowd) . and dragging them out can be pure hell , straight up one mountain and down another. Look for old clearcuts, laurel thickets , old burns, anywhere the brush is super thick. and look for spring heads or creeks and be prepared to sit all day . Find fresh wallows if its hot out, and be prepared to sit all day. Hogs are hard to pattern up here. Seems like whatever direction their nose is pointed in the morning is the direction they go. Nothing like deer. Where you find fresh hog sign at up here 1 day. u will find the hogs 3 miles away the next.

Also - don't hunt hogs in the middle of summer in Georgia. It's too frikken hot.