Feral hog hunting, best strategy?

Discuss all of the great hunting opportunities in Minnesota

Feral hog hunting, best strategy?

Postby yukonjasper on Tue Nov 26, 2019 10:15 am

Anyone here gone Hog hunting? What can you share about the best approach? Would you recommend arranging a hunt through a guide? What states and regions are best to research? What caliber is minimum for the purpose?
Deo Adjuvante Non Timendum - (with the help of God there is nothing to be afraid of)
Spectamur Agendo - (We are proven by our actions)
Non Ducor, Duco - (I am not led, I lead)
NRA Life Member
User avatar
yukonjasper
 
Posts: 5823 [View]
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 3:31 pm
Location: eagan

Re: Feral hog hunting, best strategy?

Postby Jackpine Savage on Tue Nov 26, 2019 11:00 am

I'm in for information.

An Amish neighbor goes to a place in Texas that charges them $250 for a cabin, I think for a week. All the pigs you can shoot. The Amish neighbor got night vision before I did :o

It seems though that in general it is difficult to find a place to hunt without getting charged an arm and a leg, even though they complain about the hog damage.
User avatar
Jackpine Savage
 
Posts: 1702 [View]
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:45 am
Location: west central MN

Re: Feral hog hunting, best strategy?

Postby Rip Van Winkle on Tue Nov 26, 2019 12:23 pm

Jackpine Savage wrote:I'm in for information.

An Amish neighbor goes to a place in Texas that charges them $250 for a cabin, I think for a week. All the pigs you can shoot. The Amish neighbor got night vision before I did :o

It seems though that in general it is difficult to find a place to hunt without getting charged an arm and a leg, even though they complain about the hog damage.

Just curious, how long does it take your Amish neighbor to get to Texas in his buggy?
I will never apologize for being an American.
Post 435 Gun Club
North Star Rifle Club
cmpofficer@post435gunclub.org
48 down, Still in the hunt for a heavy!
President's Hundred (#48 2018)
Certified NRA RSO
User avatar
Rip Van Winkle
 
Posts: 4165 [View]
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 5:04 pm
Location: Unfashionable end of the western spiral arm, Galaxy Milky Way

Re: Feral hog hunting, best strategy?

Postby Ghost on Tue Nov 26, 2019 12:35 pm

Rip Van Winkle wrote:
Jackpine Savage wrote:I'm in for information.

An Amish neighbor goes to a place in Texas that charges them $250 for a cabin, I think for a week. All the pigs you can shoot. The Amish neighbor got night vision before I did :o

It seems though that in general it is difficult to find a place to hunt without getting charged an arm and a leg, even though they complain about the hog damage.

Just curious, how long does it take your Amish neighbor to get to Texas in his buggy?

I see Amish on planes all the time.
User avatar
Ghost
 
Posts: 8246 [View]
Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2014 8:49 pm

Re: Feral hog hunting, best strategy?

Postby Rip Van Winkle on Tue Nov 26, 2019 12:36 pm

This is the way I want to go hog hunting.

I will never apologize for being an American.
Post 435 Gun Club
North Star Rifle Club
cmpofficer@post435gunclub.org
48 down, Still in the hunt for a heavy!
President's Hundred (#48 2018)
Certified NRA RSO
User avatar
Rip Van Winkle
 
Posts: 4165 [View]
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 5:04 pm
Location: Unfashionable end of the western spiral arm, Galaxy Milky Way

Re: Feral hog hunting, best strategy?

Postby Rip Van Winkle on Tue Nov 26, 2019 12:38 pm

Ghost wrote:I see Amish on planes all the time.

Interesting.

I wonder how that jives with the whole shunning technology thing?
I will never apologize for being an American.
Post 435 Gun Club
North Star Rifle Club
cmpofficer@post435gunclub.org
48 down, Still in the hunt for a heavy!
President's Hundred (#48 2018)
Certified NRA RSO
User avatar
Rip Van Winkle
 
Posts: 4165 [View]
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 5:04 pm
Location: Unfashionable end of the western spiral arm, Galaxy Milky Way

Re: Feral hog hunting, best strategy?

Postby crbutler on Tue Nov 26, 2019 12:50 pm

The guys I know who have hunted hogs have either gone with the arm and a leg guide services or had friends get them in on their lease.

Mostly in Texas, but one in Florida.

The guided hunts are much higher success rates. The helicopter shoots are supposedly a lot of fun.

The one guy went with an outfitter that provided thermal imaging on AR rifles. They shot a lot, but his bill ended up close to $10k with the per hog kills over a 4 day weekend. His group shot a few hundred pigs.

The guys who go to friends get a pig 3/4 of the time it seems.

The only time I did one was coincident to an exotic hunt.

In Argentina they often go in with dogs and kill the pig with a knife.

The guys who shoot a lot of them often use .223’s, but they head shoot them and tend not to worry about losing a few as they are vermin. They have a thick hard gristle plate, and while most are sub 100#, they do shoot the occasional 3-400 pound big one, and we have all seen the “hogzilla” photos. Mine I shot with the .30-06 I was using for other game.

If you are good enough to hit them right, .223 on up work.

If you don’t want to worry, anything bigger than a 6mm/.243 with decent penetrating hunting bullets will work. Lots of guys get short brush carbines for them in .30-30 or big bores. If I was going on a dedicated hog shoot, I’d probably take a .308 AR and whatever short range thumper I felt like bringing.
crbutler
 
Posts: 1649 [View]
Joined: Tue Mar 29, 2011 8:29 pm

Re: Feral hog hunting, best strategy?

Postby Jackpine Savage on Tue Nov 26, 2019 12:52 pm

Rip Van Winkle wrote:
Jackpine Savage wrote:I'm in for information.

An Amish neighbor goes to a place in Texas that charges them $250 for a cabin, I think for a week. All the pigs you can shoot. The Amish neighbor got night vision before I did :o

It seems though that in general it is difficult to find a place to hunt without getting charged an arm and a leg, even though they complain about the hog damage.

Just curious, how long does it take your Amish neighbor to get to Texas in his buggy?


Ha, they hire a driver. Driving the Amish around provides several full time jobs around here.
User avatar
Jackpine Savage
 
Posts: 1702 [View]
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:45 am
Location: west central MN

Re: Feral hog hunting, best strategy?

Postby warrlac on Tue Nov 26, 2019 7:39 pm

yukonjasper wrote:Anyone here gone Hog hunting? What can you share about the best approach? Would you recommend arranging a hunt through a guide? What states and regions are best to research? What caliber is minimum for the purpose?


Hi -- I've hunted hogs in Texas twice in the last 11 months. Texas trespass laws are harsh and unforgiving, so for this reason alone I recommend using an outfitter. If you are interested I can PM you the names of the companies that I've used.

To maximize your chances of killing hogs I recommend putting a thermal scope on your rifle. Hogs are smart and hunting over a feeder with green LED lights may get you a single chance at killing a hog. Once you shoot, they are NOT coming back anytime soon. A thermal scope lets you stalk and kill hogs in total darkness. They have poor eyesight but very good smell and pretty good hearing. You can set-up on the edge of a field that they are known to be using and then sneak them or just shoot from your stand... Here are a few photos...
Last edited by warrlac on Sat Jan 16, 2021 12:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
warrlac
 
Posts: 237 [View]
Joined: Sun Dec 01, 2013 10:07 pm
Location: Burnsville

Re: Feral hog hunting, best strategy?

Postby Ghost on Tue Nov 26, 2019 10:13 pm

Thermal, night vision and IR lasers are game changers.
User avatar
Ghost
 
Posts: 8246 [View]
Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2014 8:49 pm

Re: Feral hog hunting, best strategy?

Postby wasfuzz on Wed Nov 27, 2019 10:48 am

Rip Van Winkle wrote:
Ghost wrote:I see Amish on planes all the time.

Interesting.

I wonder how that jives with the whole shunning technology thing?

They can ride in them - just not own them. My Brother in law lives in NW WI near many Amish, he drives them all over the USA so they can attend weddings, funerals, trade shows, etc. Some now even have phones - just not in the house, they build a little outhouse looking thing and put the phone in there. Many own tractors, just not with rubber tires - has to have steel wheels. Can you imagine the smeel stuck on a plane with them - the only thing they really shun seems to be soap and water!
Sorry OP for the Post Hijack!
ONE* Training LLC - Mapleton, MN
Offering Training in;
NRA Basic Pistol
MN DPS/ BCA Approved Conceal Carry
WI,IA Conceal Carry
NRA LE Firearms Instructor & LEO HR 218 Training
MN DNR Hunter Safety
ASP Expandable Baton
User avatar
wasfuzz
 
Posts: 777 [View]
Joined: Sun Oct 23, 2011 7:20 pm
Location: way down south on the Maple River

Re: Feral hog hunting, best strategy?

Postby Rip Van Winkle on Wed Nov 27, 2019 11:07 am

wasfuzz wrote:
Rip Van Winkle wrote:
Ghost wrote:I see Amish on planes all the time.

Interesting.

I wonder how that jives with the whole shunning technology thing?

They can ride in them - just not own them. My Brother in law lives in NW WI near many Amish, he drives them all over the USA so they can attend weddings, funerals, trade shows, etc. Some now even have phones - just not in the house, they build a little outhouse looking thing and put the phone in there. Many own tractors, just not with rubber tires - has to have steel wheels. Can you imagine the smeel stuck on a plane with them - the only thing they really shun seems to be soap and water!
Sorry OP for the Post Hijack!

I didn't know that. Thanks for enlightening me. :D
I will never apologize for being an American.
Post 435 Gun Club
North Star Rifle Club
cmpofficer@post435gunclub.org
48 down, Still in the hunt for a heavy!
President's Hundred (#48 2018)
Certified NRA RSO
User avatar
Rip Van Winkle
 
Posts: 4165 [View]
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 5:04 pm
Location: Unfashionable end of the western spiral arm, Galaxy Milky Way

Re: Feral hog hunting, best strategy?

Postby OldmanFCSA on Wed Nov 27, 2019 11:44 am

Back to Topic:

Farmers trying to get rid of Feral Hogs have no qualms about using Tannerite buckets near a food source. Large amounts is required to achieve a large result.

Ethical hunting - NO, but will reduce crop damages and other hogs will clean up the carnage.
OldmanFCSA
 
Posts: 3216 [View]
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2011 9:55 pm
Location: Osceola, WI.

Re: Feral hog hunting, best strategy?

Postby hard h2o on Wed Nov 27, 2019 12:07 pm

Jackpine Savage wrote:I'm in for information.

An Amish neighbor goes to a place in Texas that charges them $250 for a cabin, I think for a week. All the pigs you can shoot. The Amish neighbor got night vision before I did :o

It seems though that in general it is difficult to find a place to hunt without getting charged an arm and a leg, even though they complain about the hog damage.


They complain about damage due to the hogs but a lot of those hogs are not truly wild. Many of those places play fast and loose. Those hogs just might be domestic hogs bought and released just so someone can pay to shoot them.
hard h2o
 
Posts: 734 [View]
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2011 1:08 pm
Location: Oakdale, MN

Re: Feral hog hunting, best strategy?

Postby crbutler on Wed Nov 27, 2019 12:33 pm

OldmanFCSA wrote:Back to Topic:

Farmers trying to get rid of Feral Hogs have no qualms about using Tannerite buckets near a food source. Large amounts is required to achieve a large result.

Ethical hunting - NO, but will reduce crop damages and other hogs will clean up the carnage.


With all respect, that’s nonsense.

Firstly, high explosives alone aren’t particularly effective killers- you need to get some sort of projectiles- and that is bomb making- and going to damage the crops too, as well as possibly kill people.

Secondly, baiting the area (whether to draw them into the kill zone or leaving the carcasses for other pigs to feed on defeats the purpose. Using Tannerite in this method is entertainment, and when you think of it that way, it’s pretty sick, given that you wound a bunch more than you kill.

If the farmers want the pigs off, there are two methods that work best. Trapping (most do live trapping so you can harvest the hogs) or poison. Poison is by far the most effective, but the bykill tends to cause problems, so it’s mostly illegal also.

Shooting can control them to an extent, but really what the money is about is compensation for hog damage... and talking to Texas ranchers, the damage from letting every Tom, Dick, and Harry on to shoot pigs is often worse than the pigs themselves. A motivated, ethical, responsible Hunter isn’t the problem, but most folks are not, if it isn’t their land. The rancher doesn’t know you, and the numbers you would have to let on to get control is substantial , so you have automatically ensured a number of slobs are on if you do that.

I also dislike the fact that they want that much money, but it is what it is.
crbutler
 
Posts: 1649 [View]
Joined: Tue Mar 29, 2011 8:29 pm

Next

Return to Hunting

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests

cron