Killed a Hog-But

[alsaqr]

This evening i was sitting in my blind with a .223 rifle when a 150 pound boar walked by about 35 yards in front. Boar went down at the shot and thrashed around for about one minute. You absolutely do not want to shoot a hog where i shot this one. Too often hogs shot like this go down like poleaxed steers then get up and take off.





https://i.imgur.com/8B9YYjp.jpg

 

[illinoisburt]

Hard to tell. Was it a neck shot? What angle?

 

[alsaqr]

Yes, it was a neck shot. The dark spot behind the skull is where the bullet hit. There is nothing there except for muscle.

s://blog.hsoi.com/2010/09/03/feral-hog-anatomy/

 

[bearleft]

I'd say you spined him.

 

[ClickClickD'oh]

With .223 I aim for the base of the ear. Never had any problem with that shot failing to put them down.

 

[SoonerMedic]

Was this on the 80?? He doesn't seem very big. The wife and I are still wanting to get on some hogs, just haven't had the chance to make it up that way and with October rapidly approaching I think it'll be too late until you guys fill your tags. That pig looks about right to eat, but it may be bigger than it looks as there is nothing to reference the size.

 

[alsaqr]

"Was this on the 80??"

No. It was south of Walters. Most of my hogs are killed there.

i did the heart girth/length formula for live hogs and came up with just over 150 pounds.

http://www.reformationacres.com/2014/02/how-to-estimate-weight-of-live-hog.html

 

[Flintknapper]

Yes, it was a neck shot. The dark spot behind the skull is where the bullet hit. There is nothing there except for muscle.

s://blog.hsoi.com/2010/09/03/feral-hog-anatomy/

Its possible that you shot (or the bullet took a path) over the vertebrae of the neck there, but I would argue that there "is nothing there" and in fact...would say the shot was close to excellent.

However, with smaller caliber cartridges it might be better to try to place the shot a bit closer to the skull. I try to discourage folks from taking 'head shots' (for a variety of reasons) but a shot placed at the juncture of the spine and the skull (occipital joint) will drop the largest hog....for good. Farther down the neck is still good IF you hit the spine.

Whenever a hog gets back up....it is because the the spinal cord was NOT severed (CNS Central Nervous System shot). Sometimes you can make a hit near the spine (particularly the dorsal spines of the vertebrae) and the shock of it will knock the pig out for awhile, but they often regain their feet and make good an escape.

So unless you see the pig kicking uncontrollably or basically doing the 'Curly Shuffle'....put another round in it.

 

[alsaqr]

Meant to shoot that hog in the shoulder but the lead was a little off. The vertebrae were not hit. The hog thrashed around for nearly a minute spraying blood from the mouth.

 

[BigBore44]

More than likely you hit the jugular and the trachea. That accounts for all the blood from the mouth. I agree that the shot was a little far back......next time. But you still got the hog. Good job.

The wife and I are still wanting to get on some hogs, just haven't had the chance to make it up that way and with October rapidly approaching I think it'll be too late until you guys fill your tags.

You do know you can hunt pigs with a rifle year round right? You "might" piss off some bow hunters but it's perfectly legal. All you have to do is have a tag for the appropriate season, and you're good to go.

 

[SoonerMedic]

You do know you can hunt pigs with a rifle year round right? You "might" piss off some bow hunters but it's perfectly legal. All you have to do is have a tag for the appropriate season, and you're good to go.

Yes, I do know. But I also know the food plots are growing and the deer hunters are waiting to see what's been eating on those plots. I'm respectfully keeping a distance as to not show more presence on this property than necessary so that the deer feel comfortable coming around...

 

[BigBore44]

Yes, I do know. But I also know the food plots are growing and the deer hunters are waiting to see what's been eating on those plots. I'm respectfully keeping a distance as to not show more presence on this property than necessary so that the deer feel comfortable coming around...

Oh you'll be on private land? Makes more sense. But depending on the layout of the property, and the type of food plot, you might not affect the deer at all. Still, good on you for being respectful. If this IS private property, and it's a decent sized property, go set up a deer feeder (or bucket with holes drilled in it, way away from the plots, with dieseled corn. All you'll have is pigs and a few coons come in. The deer won't touch it.

 

[SoonerMedic]

Oh you'll be on private land? Makes more sense. But depending on the layout of the property, and the type of food plot, you might not affect the deer at all. Still, good on you for being respectful. If this IS private property, and it's a decent sized property, go set up a deer feeder (or bucket with holes drilled in it, way away from the plots, with dieseled corn. All you'll have is pigs and a few coons come in. The deer won't touch it.

No real need for that actually. They come in regularly from my understanding and I wouldn't want to attract any more than are already on the property. Just want to do a little damage control to help the landowner out in the off season.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Looks like a textbook neck shot, one often preferred by hunters. If the issue is that the hog may get up and run away, then I would avoid shoulder shots all together. If you don't directly or indirectly hit CNS structures and do the appropriate damage to them, the hog may get up and run away, plain and simple.

From the description you gave, you definitely hit something other than muscle, otherwise the hog would not be dead so quickly. You may not have directly hit them with the bullet, but indirectly hit them with the hydraulic pulse or hydraulic shock. That stunned or otherwise killed the hog (spine/CNS involvement). That ruptured at least one major blood vessel (likely located along the spine). Sometimes, the indirect damage caused by a bullet is more significant than the direct damage and when you look at necropsies from rifle shot animals, it is the indirect damage that damages the most soft tissue in general on neck and both shots.

External shot location is probably the least important part of terminal ballistics. It is nothing without trajectory through the body and penetration amount. I have placed shots in the same position on the neck to make head shots (quartered away) and to make chest shots (quartered toward). Such quartering shots have the benefit of also having the potential to hit the spine.

 

[Charliefrank]

Oh you'll be on private land? Makes more sense. But depending on the layout of the property, and the type of food plot, you might not affect the deer at all. Still, good on you for being respectful. If this IS private property, and it's a decent sized property, go set up a deer feeder (or bucket with holes drilled in it, way away from the plots, with dieseled corn. All you'll have is pigs and a few coons come in. The deer won't touch it.

What is diesel d corn, if I might ask? Never heard that term before.

 

[BigBore44]

What is diesel d corn, if I might ask? Never heard that term before.

Well.......
You take a bag of corn, and you mix in some diesel. Doesn’t take a lot. 2 cups will typically coat 50 lbs. As I said, it keeps the deer off of it. You’ll only have pigs and occasionally coons come to it. It doesn’t affect the pigs in any way. Once the pigs have established that bait site, you can use straight corn. The pigs will keep the deer away.

It’s a trick I learned on a Texas hog forum years ago. Works like a charm.