^^^^^^^^^
Agree with Cypress.
IMO, the guides advice (to head shoot) was ill-advised for the following reasons:
A. Hogs are rarely still for very long (often they move just about the time you shoot).
B. A "head shot" is really an attempt at a CNS (central nervous system) shot (the brain or spinal column of the neck) and the brain is a very small target on a hog.
C. If a hog is feeding...the ONE thing that will be moving is it's head (even if only a small amount).
D. Most folks (under hunting conditions) are not capable of the same accuracy they can muster at the shooting range, so the chance of error increases.
If circumstance permits, always shoot a hog in the neck (anywhere from just behind the jaw to just in front of the shoulder). My next pick...would be a shoulder shot.
Study up on hog anatomy. The vitals of a hog lie very much forward of those of deer, so the tradtional behind the shoulder shot used on deer will often result in a lost animal when applied to hogs.
Also, the vertebra of the neck make a sharp angle downward from the skull, some folks shoot over the top of the spine when neck shooting. The hog goes down (knocked out).... only to get back up shortly thereafter.
Same thing applies for the "head shot". You don't have to directly hit the brain (or spine) to kill one...but there is a "whole lotta" head on a hog that isn't lethal I.E. snout, jaws, nasal cavity.
I am not saying no one should EVER take a head shot (I have done it many times), I'm saying....it's a small...usually moving target, and you need to be confident in your shooting skills before attempting it.
Glad you got your hog, congratulations!
Flint.
