Hog hunting/Russian Boar

[oomcurt]

Kinda curious about something. Now, I know nothing about hog hunting, except what I read in mags like Field and Stream years ago. I had always heard that a truly wild Russian Boar was the next thing to the devil incarnate if he decided he didn't like you...well, how does that stack up against what I would call feral hogs? What I am getting at...was that all hype...that if given the chance the Russian hog would literally take one apart? Reason I am asking all this is that today with all the game farms in so many states...are there any of them in the west or southwest states? And if so...maybe, maybe I might be tempted into checking things out further. If...all that is offered is a hunt for feral hogs...I dunno. From pics I have seen our feral hogs look nothing like the Russian variety.

 

[spitfire]

My personal experience is that True Russian Boar are Dangerous as are the Feral Variety.My hunting locally in Lower Alabama(Fort Rucker-Army Base)has both Feral and Russian in abundance!The ability of the hunter to climb trees maybe at times be necessary!The tusks are razor sharp.I was introduced to Wild Boar hunting by a retired Air force Colonel while attending PCC Gunsmithing program in North Carolina back in the 80's.He still kept his West German hunting license current to hunt the Black Forest.He told me of a German hunting fatality.The hunter had thought the boar was dead to begin skinning when the presume dead boar literally turned the tables and skinned the hunter-fatally!He also hunted them while stationed in Turkey.His turkish quides would not track a wounded boar into the thickets for danger of a close quarter charge!The quides would point at the sky to signal we wait for the vultures.Me and Colonel before a 2 week hunting trip to Graham County,NC(smokey mountains) for boar season(1987?)called the local Game Warden.The warden had reported a average of 150 russian boar harvested during the previous season.He related how a 400 Ibs sow he had personally killed took 6 rounds from a 30-06 from a tree stand.The sow would take a hit and try to come up the tree!The Colonel had several failures from his pet 30-06 that one of his custom rifles he built in gunsmithing school was a 338 Win Mag.I built a 35 Whelan caliber rifle.I also agree with Taffin(Big Bore Handgun fame)when he refers to wild boar as the "Poor Man's Grizzly bear".I would recommend[url] www.boarhuntermagazine.com[/url] for further Info!

 

[spitfire]

In reference to my previous post.The russian Boar in NC were accidently introduced into the smokies back in 1930's( escaped from a private hunting reserve).The piglets have telltale racing strips!The russian's at Fort Rucker were introduced recently the last few decades.My first hunting experience in NC smokies mountians opened my eyes to the danger of boar hunting.First it is disturbing to find "plow trails"left by "piney woods rooters" ending in empty candy wrappers left by careless hikers.Secondly,finding Long black hairs in the pig droppings(seems the pigs like steamy gut piles of there former buddies).Thirdly,spending 2 hours slowley backing a cold,demoralized ,hungry,lost and wounded curr hunting dog(rump slashed open from a tusk encounter) out of the snowbird mountains with a half frozen can of ravioli!Lastly Appalacian trail shelters in that area are caged-to prevent Bear/Boar encounters with sleeping Hikers.I have hunted wild pigs for several years feral and russian at least 2 generations removed from domestication brings out the depth of the wild spirit.If you do go hunting have a partner for safety,escape route and beware of the herd(Momma sow is more prone to charge).I quote Jeff Cooper(MR.45 pistol)-Danger is like spice to the hunt some like it spicey.Some people hunt pigs with knives(usually with a pack of dogs and partner toting insurance of the firearm kind).Hope I was helpful and good luck hunt'n.

 

[Waterman]

I hunted Russian Boar in Turkey in the mid seventies. They can take an incredible amount of punishment!!! Due to local regulations, we were only permitted shotguns. I personally have hit a boar at a range of about 20 feet with 12 guage buckshot, turned the boar completely over, and it still had enough oomph left to escape dogs and people. I don't remember the guides ever pointing to sky, but they sure wouldn't go after a wounded boar in thick brush. Biggest boar I ever took home weighed about 450lbs and had 9.25 inch tusks. Took him with a 12ga slug that entered just in front of left shoulder and stopped under the skin behind the right shoulder. The boar dropped in his tracks. They taste great by the way.

Cheers, Bill

 

[Slamfire]

The State of Tennessee has declared the hogs in the South Cherokee WMA are Russian in nature, and has a set hunting season for them. 2 or 3 days between the early and late deer seasons during the week of bear season, which is the other 2 or 3 days. The ONE that I've seen was a russet brown with black bars on its sides. Looked similar in coloring to the sand bass of Southern California's coastal salt water. There are of course guides, if you'd like I'll get you a name or two. :grin:

 

[marwat06]

Ok after reading this thread I am thinking that a 50 cal M/L is on the light side for Boar Hunting?

 

[Blue Smoke]

Ok after reading this thread I am thinking that a 50 cal M/L is on the light side for Boar Hunting?

Thats what I was thinking of using with 385gr. Great Plains bullet.

I had a friend that shot two with 240gr. Sabot no problem.

Blue Smoke

 

[Norskie]

All domestic strains of pig are descended from Eurasian wild boar. So they're the same species. Then the rich folks down here thought it'd be a good idea to put some wild Russian stock behind a big fence. Bad idea, hogs dug under the fence like the armadillos did in Florida. All pigs are equally nasty after a couple generations running wild. 50 cal? I'd consider 58 cal with a bayonet!

 

[dwarvenchef]

In my area that I hunt, they are all Russian hogs (foothills under Yosemite). They do get cranky. I've used 50 cal with no problems, shot placement is always key. The last one I dropped had been shot many times in it's life. Found a 22 centerfire that didn't punch through the shoulderblade and a 357 type bullet that punched through one side of his hip and lodged onto the other side. Along with many scar tunnels through him. All these wounds where well healed. That was one tough piggy.

 

[spitfire]

In my area that I hunt, they are all Russian hogs (foothills under Yosemite). They do get cranky. I've used 50 cal with no problems, shot placement is always key. The last one I dropped had been shot many times in it's life. Found a 22 centerfire that didn't punch through the shoulderblade and a 357 type bullet that punched through one side of his hip and lodged onto the other side. Along with many scar tunnels through him. All these wounds where well healed. That was one tough piggy.

I agree shot placement is very critical.I have seen the same wound scars/bullet fragments on large Hogs recovered in Al,GA and NC. :bow:

 

[hollandbriscoe]

I'll give you a really good reason to leave these critters alone. One word HOGZILLA ,do a google search for this monster. Seriously though I wouldn't go hog hunting with just a ML you definately want some sort of back up with you.

Jack

 

[paulvallandigham]

YOu can use a 50 caliber gun, as long as it shoots conicals. Don't be shooting these with round ball loads. They will kill the hog eventually, but they don't have enough mass to deliver any real shock to the animal. On my first hunt, I used a .50 RB, one friend used a .54 RB, and a third shot his .75 Brown Bess with RB. All of us had to use a second shot to kill the hogs. All the shots were well within 25 yds. All the first shots did some real damage, except mine, where the ball hit the vertebrae, but didn't break the backbone, or the spinal cord. My board had the remains of an Jacketed .38 cal bullet in one of the spinal processes, that was broken, but the wound healed over, so the pigs can and do take a lot of punishment. Use the energy and powder of a conical, and you will have good results.

 

[CrackStock]

Hogzilla was a hoax. Snope it out.

On the other hand, one should be careful to have an escape and alternate means of self defense if hunting such an aggressive and tough animal.

I have killed with roundball loads, but also carried a non period correct, high capacity; large bore sidearm readily available and also had a good tree to climb.

CS

 

[Hoyt]

I've hunted hogs for over 40yrs. and killed more hogs than I can remember with bow, New Army Remington BP revolver, shotguns, rifles and muzzle loaders.
Some had Russian blood..caught little pigs with the stripes on them...never had a hog run at me...had plenty run towards me after shot..but they weren't coming for me and veered off. I always grabbed a tree anyway. However..they will hurt you if you crowd them. Get in a pen with a caught hog and he'll come after you. Catching them is the most dangerous..they will cut you if you give them a chance..espically when you catch boar hogs cut them and let go. Saw a cowboy on south fl. ranch.. let one loose after cutting and the hog got the inside of his thigh..60 stitches.
But far as hunting I just make sure I got a tree within reach when hunting with bow, or single shot. Even this morning when I came on the hogs I took pictures of I made sure I had an easy tree to jump up in close at all times...just in case.

 

[ossabaw]

Living in Georgia, I get to hunt a lot of wild hogs. As for taking a lot of killing, the true Russian boars have very thick grissel plates over their shoulders. On a good size animal, these will stop a round ball. I only tried this one time, with a .50 New Englander. The animal was at twenty yards broadside. When the smoke cleared, he was standing there looking around and walked away. I only shoot conicals and one thing should be said about shot placement. The lungs and hart sit lower in the pig chest than on a deer. You can shoot over the vitals and under the spine. Placing the shot behind the shoulder and in the lower one third of the chest helps. The true measure of blood line shows up in the new born pigs. The Russian young have gold and brown stripes just like a chipmunk.

 

[spitfire]

Even this morning when I came on the hogs I took pictures of I made sure I had an easy tree to jump up in close at all times...just in case.

It would be nice if you could post the pictures!Please :grin:

 

[Arrowstorm]

Hogs are certainly abundant here in south eastern louisiana. You can even see them during the daylight hours on the side of the road sniffing around where I live all the time! Now I LOVE the taste of wild hog. And pretty soon, here I hope to start hunting them. I understand that here in louisiana you can hunt hog year round. I was planning on taking my .50 longrifle and my .50 kentucky pistol for back up. Both flint. I see that lot of you say that roundball is no good, so I guess I"ll have to buy some conical bullets? Ok then. But of course, I'll have to at least TRY PRB for my own tales.

Of course when I bag a few with my muzzleloaders, I'll naturally wanna see what I can do with my 30-30 lever action (popular gun for hog hunting round here I hear)... and then.. maybe my Mauser. That is... if shooting a hog with an 8mm Mauser is legal... :thumbsup:

 

[spitfire]

I live in Alabama were you can hunt Hog 24/7 and no limit!Hog hunt'n Utopia! :grin:

 

[CrackStock]

I have killed many hogs in southeastern Louisiana. Mostly just west of the East Pearl River.



Unless there has been a recent change, you could take hogs there with any gun or bow that you could have on that land for any other hunting. eg -- you can try to take one with a .22 during squirrel season or with bird shot during duck season. might not be the best idea, but would be legal and I do know people who have taken them with .22 LR from a deer stand during squirrel season. Outside of regular hunting seasons, you need to file for a special permit from La Dept of Wildlife and Fisheries to take hogs. To get one, you must have a current hunting license and big game permit.

Do not go onto public land with a large caliber rifle out of deer season to hunt hogs without a permit. The wildlife guys have a sense of humor, but it does not extend that far.

>

I carry an ML as a primary, but carry a modern multi shot large bore auto as a backup.

 

[Arrowstorm]

I have killed many hogs in southeastern Louisiana. Mostly just west of the East Pearl River.



Unless there has been a recent change, you could take hogs there with any gun or bow that you could have on that land for any other hunting. eg -- you can try to take one with a .22 during squirrel season or with bird shot during duck season. might not be the best idea, but would be legal and I do know people who have taken them with .22 LR from a deer stand during squirrel season. Outside of regular hunting seasons, you need to file for a special permit from La Dept of Wildlife and Fisheries to take hogs. To get one, you must have a current hunting license and big game permit.

Do not go onto public land with a large caliber rifle out of deer season to hunt hogs without a permit. The wildlife guys have a sense of humor, but it does not extend that far.

>

I carry an ML as a primary, but carry a modern multi shot large bore auto as a backup.