Pig Hunting and the possible dangers of it.

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

I have recently been involved in a thread on here about pig hunting and came across this statement,

A hog will not charge when not cornered or provoked. That being said, a sow with piglets is dangerous, as is a doe deer with her fawns, a rutting buck, a bear with cubs, hell even a goose will attack. I'd say you'll be very hard pressed to find one case of a hog attacking unprovoked or cornered.

Now the question I am posing to all of the EXPERIENCED hunters out there that have pig hunted in reality and not going by what they read in magazines or online.
How many of you agree with this statement quoted above?

There were also statements made (by the same person of previous quote) that a .44mag loaded with HOLLOW POINT ammo would be "good medicine" for a hog which, in my opinion, is pretty poor advise given the tough "shield" that hogs have over their vitals and also the thick nature of their skulls. which leads me to my next question,

What would be a really good calibre and bullet selection in both rifle and handgun choices.

Again I am posing these questions to the EXPERIENCED hog hunters on here not the "book readers" with no PRACTICAL experience with this animal.

I am not looking to start a "net fight" with anyone or argue. The point of this particular thread is to INFORM newbie hunters that are about to embark on hunts for this wonderful, and sometimes, elusive animal as well as warn them of the possible dangers when encountering these buggers.

My own opinions are as follows

Rifle calibre would be a MINIMUM of .243 and I would ONLY suggest that for the most experienced hunters that will hold bullet placement to an extreme standard since such a small projectile will have to be placed very well for a clean, efficient kill. CNS would be the target for such a small bullet such as a brain or neck shot. Both of which are very hard targets on a pig. One reason being they are both pretty small targets and another being the damn things NEVER hold still! For the novice hunter, my suggestion would be no smaller than a cartridge of 7mm.08 with a 140gr minimum bullet of quality construction and even that is pushing the small side for the novice. Bigger is better when dealing with hogs. Now as with all animals, you have smaller ones as well as larger ones and this post is to prepare you for the bigguns! 200+ pound hogs are very common nowadays and those rascals are some tough buggers!

Pistol Calibres: .357mag would be the smallest I would even dream of going with. .45acp is used commonly as well but the .357 has more "bust them up" (otherwise known as balls) and is a much better choice. Again, bullet selection is key here as well. You need penetration more so than you need expansion with the hog. A good jacketed SP or hard cast is the ticket for this.

Now lets talk a bit about dangers. There are those that seem to think ole porky is a docile animal that will shy away from man. In most cases this is true. But there are times that ole porky decides he is not going anywhere and that your leg is starting to look kinda tasty! Trust me folks, those long, sharp tusks are NOT just for show. They are a very deadly tool that are connected to some pretty stout jaw muscles! They will rip into you like a hot knife through butter. And in my own honest opinion, anyone who thinks that a hog will not turn on you and attack completely unprovoked is a fool. Although they are nomadic, hogs can be and generally are VERY territorial. A male will jump anything it feels like dominating. And a female will vigorously protect her litter. Taking them lightly is a mistake that many make. And many have paid for. Though there have not been many deaths, there have been MANY injuries related to hog attacks. I myself have been witness to more than one. One very deadly one that the guy was lucky I was close enough to shoot the hog off him and get a tourniquet on him because the pig had nicked his femoral artery.

So lets hear all your opinions and suggestions.

Moderators, if you would be so kind as to allow a bit of leeway because I am sure with this open type of forum there will be a bit of heated debate. Thanks

 

[Birdmang]

One of my good friends goes on a few hog hunts a year, he uses a pump shotgun and slugs and a sig p220 .45ACP for backup. One time he was charged and luckily was not alone, the hog had 4 guys shooting at it with .45 handguns, the other time was a 12 gauge slug from 15 yards about.

 

[flipajig]

I have seen 12 ga. slug with compleat expanson with no penatration on a 200lb pig or so the same pig was taken with a 30-06 . Any wild animal will protect there yung also any wild animal will try to take you if get them in a corner. as for a hand gun I agree with a 357 wth a quality bullet eather a jacket or hard cast. I personly use a 44mag with cast bullet as for a rifle a 243 would be the smallest I woul use personly a 30cal would do it for me. A wild pig is nothing to take lightley Ive had some dealings with them not as much as some but enough to RESPECT THEM.

 

[nathan]

Always hit em at the head, ear and neck. Bust the brain and brainstem and they should go down easily.

 

[Zombiphobia]

I've never known a pig(wild OR domestic) to attack unprovoked.

In a pen full of sows and piglets, if a piglet squels, all sows will respond. They will attack if threatened.

In the wild, same thing. But I've never known them to attack unprovoked.
That being said, the dangers are being cut up by a wild boar's tusks, and they can do some damage. A sow may attack if she feels threatened or feels piglets are in danger.

Wild boars have a protective "shield" over the vital areas. It's a thick, sort of hard, shield-like part of their skin. It's been known to stop bullets, but I imagine those bullets were probably not very powerful ones. Most hunting rifle bullets should penetrate it just fine. A head shot would still be better though.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Right, hogs are not likely to attack unless cornered, provoked, or otherwise threatened. With that said, a lot of folks do things where they don't realize that their behaviors would be perceived as threatening by the hog.

There were also statements made (by the same person of previous quote) that a .44mag loaded with HOLLOW POINT ammo would be "good medicine" for a hog which, in my opinion, is pretty poor advise given the tough "shield" that hogs have over their vitals and also the thick nature of their skulls. which leads me to my next question,

The tough shield hogs have over their vitals isn't nearly as tough in females as males and the 44 mag with hollowpoints may work fine.

As for the head, their skulls are not particularly thick. As with bears, there is a lot of tissue and hair that hides the actual shape of the skull and both have long sloped skulls. Many head shots that fail to penetrate the skull are likely those that either didn't reach the skull because they were passing through hair or soft tissue, or were glancing shots.

Rifle calibre would be a MINIMUM of .243 and I would ONLY suggest that for the most experienced hunters that will hold bullet placement to an extreme standard since such a small projectile will have to be placed very well for a clean, efficient kill. CNS would be the target for such a small bullet such as a brain or neck shot. Both of which are very hard targets on a pig. One reason being they are both pretty small targets and another being the damn things NEVER hold still!

The last four hogs I have shot have been with 5.56. Three of the four have been brain shots. All four have been at distances from 33 to 45 yards. The only one I didn't shoot in the brain was one that was running.

The brain shot does present a smallish target, but the neck shot is actually a large target.

I don't know what pigs you are shooting, but I have shot most of mine whilst the pig was standing still. Being ready to take the shot means that when the pig stops moving, you can drop it immediately.

But there are times that ole porky decides he is not going anywhere and that your leg is starting to look kinda tasty!

I have never heard of hogs preying on humans for food purposes. The reason why the hogs strike the legs of humans is because the legs are the only thing at their level.

And in my own honest opinion, anyone who thinks that a hog will not turn on you and attack completely unprovoked is a fool. Although they are nomadic, hogs can be and generally are VERY territorial. A male will jump anything it feels like dominating. And a female will vigorously protect her litter.

Okay so you are one of the folks that doesn't quite understand. Your "unprovoked" attacks from territorial boars and protective sows are not unprovoked. It may not be intentional, but encroaching on a boar's territory certainly may be taken as being provoked by the hog.

Taking them lightly is a mistake that many make. And many have paid for. Though there have not been many deaths, there have been MANY injuries related to hog attacks.

I can only recall finding a couple lethal hog attacks on humans. Like this following story, these events are called "attacks" when in reality the hog is engaged in self defense.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,583377,00.html

I myself have been witness to more than one. One very deadly one that the guy was lucky I was close enough to shoot the hog off him and get a tourniquet on him because the pig had nicked his femoral artery.

Sounds like your hog "attacks" are self defense events as well.

 

[nathan]

Most wild hogs run away fast if they hear gunfire . THey attack humans if cornered and if not shot . SO shoot em.

 

[hardluk1]

I would also use a 243 but only with a barnes X type bullet. I have used a 357 many times and learned than a 180gr or 200gr hardcast bullet will allways do the job and will brake both shoulders or punch front to rear on most hogs. Had some bad luck 1 time with hp 357 rounds and just desided that i would never try again. A wounded pissed hog at 25 feet ain't no fun. And i'm to old and fat to shimmy up a 6 inch saplling

 

[heeler]

I have killed a lot of hogs with both the .243 and my 6mm.
No problems.
Shoot right and they die and very quickly.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

Ok double let me clarify a little bit since you are one to play on words here.

I have never heard of hogs preying on humans for food purposes. The reason why the hogs strike the legs of humans is because the legs are the only thing at their level.

That is pretty much what I meant double just adding a slight bit of humor to the post as to the "looking tasty" comment. While they do eat meat (and pretty much anything else) I know they do not "prey" on humans as would anyone else with a little common sense.

Okay so you are one of the folks that doesn't quite understand. Your "unprovoked" attacks from territorial boars and protective sows are not unprovoked. It may not be intentional, but encroaching on a boar's territory certainly may be taken as being provoked by the hog.

By "unprovoked" I mean not fired at, not injured, not ran up on, but simply ambled up into their territory. To the average person that is the meaning of unprovoked and it is what I intended. And there have been many instances where this has happened. By your definition, simply walking out of your house would be a provocation to some animal. And when it comes to territorial animals, you are correct. Being in their territory IS provocation to them. But from a human standpoint it isn't.

The last four hogs I have shot have been with 5.56. Three of the four have been brain shots. All four have been at distances from 33 to 45 yards. The only one I didn't shoot in the brain was one that was running.

The brain shot does present a smallish target, but the neck shot is actually a large target.

I don't know what pigs you are shooting, but I have shot most of mine whilst the pig was standing still. Being ready to take the shot means that when the pig stops moving, you can drop it immediately.

The CNS in a hogs neck is not a very large target and it is not placed where one would generally think inside of the neck. It is more "centered" than that of say the white tail deer. And as far as holding still, I have RARELY seen a hog hold that head still for more than a second since it is always routing around. Now that being said, I do believe I said that this post was intended to INFORM the newbies. Would you, double, recommend what you do to a beginner hunter? Or would you recommend larger calibre's and shoulder shots? I am not talking about pest control of hogs either where you don't care if the thing suffers. That is becoming a common practice and it makes me sick when I see and hear of it. Any animal being hunted, weather it is a pest or not, deserves to be taken cleanly and as humanely as possible and not just left out for the coyotes to finish off! There are too many hungry folks in this country that the fine meat from a hog could be donated to for that mess to be going on.

 

[natman]

It's unlikely that a pig of either gender will attack unless provoked. However pig hunting is pretty provocative from the pig's point of view. Yes, I have shot a pig and had it turn and run towards me. I don't know whether it was charging or just running in my direction because I shot it again as fast as I could without asking its intentions.

I would use any of the larger deer cartridges on pig. Natman's Law:

If the answer to the question "Is cartridge XXX enough for hunting YYY?" is "Yes, as long as you use head shots", then cartridge XXX is NOT enough for hunting YYY.

Some of the boars get pretty darn big. I wouldn't shoot one of the buggers for meat, but you never know when you will tick one off and have to shoot it. Should that occasion arise, I want to have a rifle sufficient to the task in my hand at the time.

I usually use a 308, 30-06 or 358. If I had to use a pistol, I'd use nothing less than a 44 mag loaded with these. You're going to need penetration.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

Thankyou Natman, you raised another interesting fact about wild pigs. The meat on your larger (generally over 150 pounds IN THE WILD) are pretty crappy in the taste department. It CAN be made into sausage but it is generally not very good even then. Very rank tasting meat and you need a chainsaw at the dinner table to cut it. I took a 260 pound boar one time and my Male rottie wouldn't even eat it. And he was my garbage disposal! I miss that dog! I now have 2 of his sons (twins) and they seem to have inherited his stomach. If only they had inherited his brains as well (damn knuckleheads).

 

[FLAvalanche]

I think most instances of hogs attacking or charging when cornered are mistaken for the animal simply trying to get away. I have had a wounded hog charge me. It was in no way cornered, however, I was standing in the middle of the trail it chose to use to escape. Look at the videos online of people hunting groups of pigs. Rarely do they all run in one direction, they scatter. Chances are, at least one is going to head your way.

I don't agree with the minimum caliber at all. I believe range and marksmanship play a role in chosing caliber. I have no issues dropping hogs with .223, however I'm hunting at close ranges. I have dropped 7 hogs this year alone with .223, all within 40 yards, all with either head shots or vital shots. All were recovered, none ran more than 50 yards. Would I take a 100 yard shot at a hog with .223? No, and I don't. I also don't make head shots to make up for a smaller caliber, I make head shots because I'm confident in my abilities to hit what I'm aiming at. If I vitals shot presents itself, I'm also confident hitting the heart/lungs of the animal.

I find it extremely hypocritical for someone to sit here and tell me that .223 shouldn't be used on hogs but a bow and arrow is perfectly acceptable. (and yes, I've dropped them with a bow too)

I've dropped them with pistols from close range. .45 ACP and .45 GAP. I've always wanted to use 10mm but I don't have one.

If I'm hunting long range then it's .7mm-08, .308, .270.

Pigs are strong, intelligent, resilliant creatures but they aren't what people make them out to be. There is more FUD spread about pigs than any other animal. They're extremely easy to kill. People who have trouble killing them are either poor marksmen or have no idea of a pig's anatomy and are missing the vitals completely.

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

I never carry anything less than a .44 mag, usually a .45 colt for backup. a .45 acp will work if thats all you got, I keep mine for other (2 legged) vermin, and I am in the pasture every day so I see hogs everyday. I usually dont go in after a wounded hog unless really curious...usually leave em lay, got too many to worry about.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

I don't agree with the minimum caliber at all. I believe range and marksmanship play a role in chosing caliber. I have no issues dropping hogs with .223, however I'm hunting at close ranges. I have dropped 7 hogs this year alone with .223, all within 40 yards, all with either head shots or vital shots. All were recovered, none ran more than 50 yards. Would I take a 100 yard shot at a hog with .223? No, and I don't. I also don't make head shots to make up for a smaller caliber, I make head shots because I'm confident in my abilities to hit what I'm aiming at. If I vitals shot presents itself, I'm also confident hitting the heart/lungs of the animal.

And again someone missed the This is to help NEW hunters part of this thread. I too am quite capable of dropping them with the smaller calibres but I have hunted them longer than a lot of the new hunters have been alive. A WELL PLACED shot from a .223 with a good bullet can and will drop a hog easily even as far as 200 yards. But how many NEW HUNTERS do you know that are excellent marksmen and wont goof when speed is needed to take the shot? Anyone that has hunted hogs knows they never stand still for longer than a couple of seconds.

I find it extremely hypocritical for someone to sit here and tell me that .223 shouldn't be used on hogs but a bow and arrow is perfectly acceptable. (and yes, I've dropped them with a bow too)

We are talking about penetration here. An arrow, when tipped with a good cut on impact broad head, will penetrate much easier than an expanding type bullet. But they kill with 2 different principles. A bullet kills more with hydrostatic shock while an arrow kills with hemorrhagic shock. One thing you can bet on, when I am bow hunting pig, I have a sidearm VERY handy! As do most with a modicum of intelligence. That "armor" that boars have built up is not bone, it is cartilage. Bullets react very differently to it than bone, Bone will shatter and splinter while cartilage will "absorb" the shock and slow the bullets penetration. This is why you need well constructed bullets for the task. It is like a really huge callous that is built up over time. They build it up to protect themselves from other boars tusks for fighting. I have found over the years that you can usually gauge how thick the shield will be by how much they weigh, for about every 75 to 100 pounds there will be close to an inch thick of cartilage I.E. a 200 pound boar will have close to 2 inches built up. Thats a pretty thick layer of some tough stuff for a bullet to get through. Think of it like Kevlar vests. Kevlar is designed to dissipate the energy of a bullet over a larger area making it lose its forward momentum and stopping penetration. That cartilage acts the same way. And no I am not saying they are bullet proof but the shield does act the same way as a Kev Vest. With that in mind, use a calibre proper to the task. If you are experienced and you can put it in the 10 ring quickly and confidently then the smaller calibre's are fine for you. If you are inexperienced and not that sure of your abilities, choose a larger calibre for the extra stopping power to make up for the probable not so great shot.

 

[bison]

Hogs are just plain tough and ornery - neither aspect should be taken lightly by a novice hunter (to whom I assume this thread is really intended). Sure, an experienced hunter can reliably drop a hog with a well placed .223, but anyone else (most of us!) should use plenty of oomph.

I hunt hogs in CA with a 30-06 and 270 and am confident with both. I killed one big (250-ish) old boar with my 270 and while skinning him found both a broadhead and what looked like a .223 bullet stuck in his 2 inches of armor plating. Clearly the two hunters who had gone after him before were severely underpowered for their capability. I carry a .357 for backup.

Generally I've found that "unprovoked" hogs turn and run as soon as they see you. However, if they're injured they can be really nasty. Much caution needs to be taken when pursuing an injured hog, particularly when they dive into the thick stuff. Assume that they're hiding in the next bush ready to charge until you're sure they're not...

 

[Double Naught Spy]

By "unprovoked" I mean not fired at, not injured, not ran up on, but simply ambled up into their territory. To the average person that is the meaning of unprovoked and it is what I intended.

The average person doesn't have a clue about animal behavior. Sense we are talking about the feral hog's behaivor, then what is critical isn't what the human thinks, but what the hog thinks.

And when it comes to territorial animals, you are correct. Being in their territory IS provocation to them.

And that is the critical point, isn't it. If you want to talk about why hogs attack, proclaiming that they attack when not provoked because the humans don't see it as provoking the hog is just wrong.

That is pretty much what I meant double just adding a slight bit of humor to the post as to the "looking tasty" comment. While they do eat meat (and pretty much anything else) I know they do not "prey" on humans as would anyone else with a little common sense.

So let me get this straight. You are trying to help educate newbie people but making jokes that are not representative of reality about pig aggression on humans without using emoticons to indicate you are making a joke? However, you expect newbies to have the common sense to know what pigs do and do not eat. For the folks who are newbies, what information are they to draw upon to come to the conclusion that feral hogs won't prey on humans given that you are talking about how much pigs attack humans?

I have RARELY seen a hog hold that head still for more than a second since it is always routing around. Now that being said, I do believe I said that this post was intended to INFORM the newbies.

Well then, what are you doing to make the hogs stay on edge and not calm down. Hogs stand still or close to it for some really prolonged periods of time. Just how still do they need to be before you are willing to take a shot? Are you waiting for them to bed down for a nap?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-94O8o0X-6s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdDvi9jP-wA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atFqZZu88vM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDFBbsnApd0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhGyUuoXjPA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeQEaqj6YaQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-2EKfVVJ_w

I liked this video. Two hogs come running in and obviously one of the hunters is on the ball. The hog stops, and the hunter drops him at about 53 seconds. Nice job.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-SkohTzqoY&NR=1

Would you, double, recommend what you do to a beginner hunter? Or would you recommend larger calibre's and shoulder shots?

You have way over simplified the notion of recommendations. FLAvalanche is right. The issue isn't one of being a beginning hunter or of minimum caliber. The issue is one of being a good marksman. If the hunter can shoot well, they don't need to take shoulder shots if they don't want to. If the hunter isn't a shooter and not a good shot, that is a whole other issue.

Beyond that, the issue is also one of hunting circumstance. How are the hogs going to be hunted? Will they be sniped from a stand? Driven by humans? Chased by dogs? Stalked?

Personally, I think the .45-70 is an outstanding hog caliber for hogs. Night vision doesn't like .45-70 recoil, however.

Pigs are strong, intelligent, resilliant creatures but they aren't what people make them out to be. There is more FUD spread about pigs than any other animal. They're extremely easy to kill. People who have trouble killing them are either poor marksmen or have no idea of a pig's anatomy and are missing the vitals completely.

This is exactly true. The only thing realy unique about hogs is the shield on the boars. As noted above, people want to talk about how thick their skulls are and that just isn't the case. Large portions of their skulls are comprised of bone thinner than human skull. People also talk about how hogs move around "all the time" and that just isn't the case either.

In the next to last video above, Rip gets his first hog from about 50 yards or so with a .22. Rip isn't a hugely experienced hog hunter, but Rip does have very good marksmanship skills.

Check out this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI0l29YGA-c Two goobers have a wounded hog and decide to finish it off with a .44 mag and claim the bullets are bouncing off the hog's head. Idiocy. Watching close, you will notice nearly all the shots miss the hog entirely, especially the one that was to be in the hog's eye. That piece of bullet jacket they find was stripped off by the log it impacted.

Hogs aren't magic. Hogs aren't bullet proof. A lack of understanding of hog behavior and anatomy goes a long way to creating myths about the hogs that are not productive or educational.

 

[TIMC]

I have been an avid hog hunter for many years and living in south central Texas I am in an ideal area for it. I would say any caliber you choose from .22 up will kill a pig with the right distance and shot placement. The amount of disappointment will increase with distance and drop in caliber as well as poor choices in bullet construction. I'll give you some examples; while coyote Any Any caliber will work from .22lr on up. Dissapointment will increase with the smaller calibers as distance increases. Bullet construction also plays a big part in success or disappointment here is an exampl: I was coyote hunting; I had some pigs come out at about 150 yards. I was hunting with my Reminton 700 VLS in 22-250 using 60 grain V-Max bullets. I popped the lead pig in the forehead at about 125 yards; he rolled about 3 times then got up and ran off so this will tell you bullets construction matters a lot.
I have had similar issues with .44 mag and half jacketed ammo on head shots at close range with pigs in traps.
My hunting tools of choice for hogs are an AR-10 using 150 grain Hornady SST's running at 2820 fps. In a handgun I like my Kimber warrior 1911 stoked with fmj ammo. I have found 185, 200, and 230 grain all work equally as well. Hollow point ammo does not do as well for penetration.

As far as dangerous, well wounded or cornered all animals are dangerous including People! Nothing in the wild as far as my part of the country really wants anything to do with you pigs included and all will go the other way if given the chance.

 

[flipajig]

one thing about hogs they are verry smart the only weeknes that they have is there stomach they love to eat..

 

[hardluk1]

TIMC think heavy hardcast for that 44 mag. Punch;s holes in them from any direction. I killed many with a 357 hardcast bullets. I don't like hp either . hardcast or some type of bonded bullet.

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

OK, since this was meant for new hunters, stay with revolver rounds even a .357 minimum, sorry but a .45 acp is not a hunting round, it will work but if thats all you got, other than that heavy duty revolvers mainly .44 mags and .45 colts with heavy loads

 

[blackops]

I have never been or seen a hog attack. My father has bow hunted hogs for a lot longer than myself. His experience is the same as mine. I don't have any doubt it happens. I just think few and far between.

 

[a-sheepdog]

I have hog hunted for a while and I believe that hogs will charge if cornered. I have seen them charge while being hung up in a snare so I don't know why they would not charge when cornered. I guarantee you a sow will charge you if she has babies.

 

[lvcat2004]

california has a good publication about hog hunting.

As for handgun caliber, they only recommend 454 Casull and 50 AE (and newer bigger calibers of course) for pigs >90 lbs.

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/about/hunting/

look under "publications".

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

california apparently knows very little about hogs or their hogs are immune to smaller calibers, .454 and .50 are not just overkill but expensive....believe me the .44 mag is plenty. I know, I kill em every day...