I wanted to get some information from the guys in the woods where the pigs have already taken over. Now that I put it like that I'll explain. I live in south eastern Pa. My family has a butcher shop that we have seen a few hogs come in during the fall hunting seasons. These animals to me seem like escaped pigs from the canned hunt clubs up in northern Pa. But according to some magazine articles and other media the pigs are coming north. We haven't seen any here yet but the way it seems they are on their way!!! So is it really as bad as they make it out to be or is it just wishful thinking on my part for free pig in the woods. From what I understand they can't be controlled through hunting is that true? Pa has some countys that want to have a specific season for them. I think right know its no season, no tag -shoot at will not sure. So to the guys that have the pig epidemic what caliber Black Powder GUN puts them down? And do they make good table fair?
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Wild Hogs
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August West
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I have killed 3 with a 50, 70grs 3f and a 490 round ball, seemed to work just fine.
I think pigs are a big problem to agriculture, but honestly I can't see much harm anywhere else. Maybe because in south GA where I mainly hunt them they have been there so long that you can't see the damage to the habitat. They do compete with indigenous fauna for mast but even with the hogs, there is a good population of deer, turkeys and small game. I think the biggest fear is the diseases that they can carry, for livestock and people alike. Chris
I think pigs are a big problem to agriculture, but honestly I can't see much harm anywhere else. Maybe because in south GA where I mainly hunt them they have been there so long that you can't see the damage to the habitat. They do compete with indigenous fauna for mast but even with the hogs, there is a good population of deer, turkeys and small game. I think the biggest fear is the diseases that they can carry, for livestock and people alike. Chris
Blizzard of '93
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here in NC they are classed as a 'pest'. this is the feral pigs, the black russians over around Nantahala are game - there has been a good deal of in-breeding as russian boar can travel 20-25 miles a day.
I've got 4 myself, 2 with BP revolvers - my '58 Rem 'Buffalo' and my ROA both loaded max powder charge under conical slugs.
2 others I took with my Marlin .45acp 'Camp carbine'.
all shot from ground blind near bait (I had pest permit as they had torn up arboretuem area-preserve) and a nephew was w/me in blind w/his 20 ga Mag H&R loaded #2 buck 3" as back-up.
they are good eating - at least the young males and dry sows. an older male can be tough and gamey - and tough to kill.
I got 2 small males just over 100lb live weight and 2 dry sows one about 150 other about 280 lb.
the big one I shot too far back with my ROA, I'll admit to be a little surprised at the size of that rascal but drilled through both lungs and gullet nonethe less so lot of blood trail after it ran a couple 100 yds. we seen which way it went but too fast for either of us to get another shot off. we found it piled up in thicket about 1/4 mile off.
I've seen larger ones and seen fotos of too. anyway the .50 will do the job IMO.
good luck.
I've got 4 myself, 2 with BP revolvers - my '58 Rem 'Buffalo' and my ROA both loaded max powder charge under conical slugs.
2 others I took with my Marlin .45acp 'Camp carbine'.
all shot from ground blind near bait (I had pest permit as they had torn up arboretuem area-preserve) and a nephew was w/me in blind w/his 20 ga Mag H&R loaded #2 buck 3" as back-up.
they are good eating - at least the young males and dry sows. an older male can be tough and gamey - and tough to kill.
I got 2 small males just over 100lb live weight and 2 dry sows one about 150 other about 280 lb.
the big one I shot too far back with my ROA, I'll admit to be a little surprised at the size of that rascal but drilled through both lungs and gullet nonethe less so lot of blood trail after it ran a couple 100 yds. we seen which way it went but too fast for either of us to get another shot off. we found it piled up in thicket about 1/4 mile off.
I've seen larger ones and seen fotos of too. anyway the .50 will do the job IMO.
good luck.
DanChamberlain
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About 5 years ago, I was sitting on stand at the top of a small "mountain" we call "Fountain Bluff" along the Mississippi river in Illinois as it borders with Missouri. It was late afternoon and I was enjoying the 50 degree weather waiting on a ridge line with lots of good sign.
I heard a lot of noise coming my way, similar to the sound of a deer moving at a trot in the dry leaves. All at once, around the bend came a pig! Not a farmer's pig, but a pig covered in black fur, really lean with a longer snout than I was used to seeing on the farm. It was shuffling along, with its nose in the leaves. It came to about 10 yards of me and I had my scope on it, but didn't shoot (when I'm deer hunting...I don't shoot unless I have a deer in my scope). Never saw a wild pig before so I just let it pass.
It scented me and took off faster than I could imagine such a creature could run. No one back at camp believed me.
I called the DNR and they didn't believe me either. There are "NO" wild pigs in Illinois. They told me a biologist would call me back.
Well, two months later, an Illinois biologist called me back. Seems there is a healthy population of wild pigs in the Mark Twain National Forrest of Missouri and along the river bottoms of Missouri...and the floods of 2003/05 caused some of them to swim or sink! Most of them swam. Now Illinois has a fledgling population of wild pigs, mostly along the Shawnee National Forrest where it borders the Mississippi.
Problem with pigs, is the size of the litters. They really poop'em out!
Dan
I heard a lot of noise coming my way, similar to the sound of a deer moving at a trot in the dry leaves. All at once, around the bend came a pig! Not a farmer's pig, but a pig covered in black fur, really lean with a longer snout than I was used to seeing on the farm. It was shuffling along, with its nose in the leaves. It came to about 10 yards of me and I had my scope on it, but didn't shoot (when I'm deer hunting...I don't shoot unless I have a deer in my scope). Never saw a wild pig before so I just let it pass.
It scented me and took off faster than I could imagine such a creature could run. No one back at camp believed me.
I called the DNR and they didn't believe me either. There are "NO" wild pigs in Illinois. They told me a biologist would call me back.
Well, two months later, an Illinois biologist called me back. Seems there is a healthy population of wild pigs in the Mark Twain National Forrest of Missouri and along the river bottoms of Missouri...and the floods of 2003/05 caused some of them to swim or sink! Most of them swam. Now Illinois has a fledgling population of wild pigs, mostly along the Shawnee National Forrest where it borders the Mississippi.
Problem with pigs, is the size of the litters. They really poop'em out!
Dan
flyfisher76544
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A .50 caliber ball will do the trick on one. Like mentioned here, go for the ones running about 100lbs or so. The larger ones start to get a bit rank as they get older. In Georgia they are classified as an Invasive Species. Open season, no limits. Farmers hate them, they can tear a field apart in one night.
GreyWhiskers
69 Cal.
You need a tag for wild pigs in CA but the season is open all year. I can see how they could be a problem if left unchecked. Sows can have almost 3 litters a year. Not many of predators can take an adult hog.
When hunted much, they go nocturnal. They can root up acres of ground at night and you will never see them during the day.
Their weakness is that they don't sweat. They need moist ground to lay in. In summer months here I stake out water areas in the mornings and evenings. GW
When hunted much, they go nocturnal. They can root up acres of ground at night and you will never see them during the day.
Their weakness is that they don't sweat. They need moist ground to lay in. In summer months here I stake out water areas in the mornings and evenings. GW
you know when the first english settlers settled the east coast there were tons of pigs from florida to new york, the settlers killed them all off, so they can be controled by hunting if the hunting is agressive enough, I know where I'm from in Texas we have to consistantly hunt them or they get out of control, but it is an awsome environment for them, basicly no winter kill off.
Smithsonian Magazine just had an extensive article on the spread and destruction of feral pigs - very interesting info there.
I live about five hours north of San Francisco and there are areas east of the HWY 101 where the pigs are well established and they can be very destructive. What others have said before me is true - they can plow up a large area of ground in a single night. Pigs are resourceful, very smart, and they reproduce almost like rabbits, so yes they are formidable in their destructive ability.
I went out pig hunting several weeks ago with my .54 Investarms Hawken into an area that was just rank with fresh pig sign, and I had a chance of shooting an enormous sow at 30 yards but the light was just dim enough where she stood under the trees that I could not tell exactly where the sights were lined up, so I did not take the shot. She looked in my direction, wiggled her ears in a very comical fashion and trotted away. Dangit, I had been taking photos of my hunt and was hoping to share the story and its successful conclusion with everyone on this forum, but it was not to be.
Two weeks ago however I managed to kill a 200 lb boar with bow and arrow, so now my freezer runneth over.
A .50 or .54 etc will certainly be enough for wild pig. For a sow or smallish boar I would even venture to say a .45 would be enough, with correct shot placement and within the effective range of the caliber. If you keep the wind in your favor you can stalk very very close to wild pig - as in just yards away - so there is no reason for taking long shots.
It is very important to be familiar with the anatomy of the pig vs. that of the deer, as they are different - essentially the kill zone is smaller on a pig and the lungs do not extend as far back. Do some research online and you will find diagrams and cross sections etc. to guide you. You may also check out a place online called "The Boar Blog" that has lots of great info.
Pigs are great fun to hunt, but it serves to remember that they can also be quite dangerous if wounded or cornered, so the pursuit deserves a good deal of care and respect.
In terms of eating, it seems pretty safe to assume that a dry sow or a boar up to a certain size makes for some FANTASTIC eating. Some folks say that any boar over 150 lbs or so is too rank and gamey to eat (unless you have it all smoked), and many times that can be true, but I think it also depends on various factors including what the boar has been eating. The 200 lb boar I just killed had been eating a lot of California Buckeye nuts and acorns and its meat is downright sweet, with just a hint of a ginger spice flavor!
Good luck and have fun out there in the swine fields.
I live about five hours north of San Francisco and there are areas east of the HWY 101 where the pigs are well established and they can be very destructive. What others have said before me is true - they can plow up a large area of ground in a single night. Pigs are resourceful, very smart, and they reproduce almost like rabbits, so yes they are formidable in their destructive ability.
I went out pig hunting several weeks ago with my .54 Investarms Hawken into an area that was just rank with fresh pig sign, and I had a chance of shooting an enormous sow at 30 yards but the light was just dim enough where she stood under the trees that I could not tell exactly where the sights were lined up, so I did not take the shot. She looked in my direction, wiggled her ears in a very comical fashion and trotted away. Dangit, I had been taking photos of my hunt and was hoping to share the story and its successful conclusion with everyone on this forum, but it was not to be.
Two weeks ago however I managed to kill a 200 lb boar with bow and arrow, so now my freezer runneth over.
A .50 or .54 etc will certainly be enough for wild pig. For a sow or smallish boar I would even venture to say a .45 would be enough, with correct shot placement and within the effective range of the caliber. If you keep the wind in your favor you can stalk very very close to wild pig - as in just yards away - so there is no reason for taking long shots.
It is very important to be familiar with the anatomy of the pig vs. that of the deer, as they are different - essentially the kill zone is smaller on a pig and the lungs do not extend as far back. Do some research online and you will find diagrams and cross sections etc. to guide you. You may also check out a place online called "The Boar Blog" that has lots of great info.
Pigs are great fun to hunt, but it serves to remember that they can also be quite dangerous if wounded or cornered, so the pursuit deserves a good deal of care and respect.
In terms of eating, it seems pretty safe to assume that a dry sow or a boar up to a certain size makes for some FANTASTIC eating. Some folks say that any boar over 150 lbs or so is too rank and gamey to eat (unless you have it all smoked), and many times that can be true, but I think it also depends on various factors including what the boar has been eating. The 200 lb boar I just killed had been eating a lot of California Buckeye nuts and acorns and its meat is downright sweet, with just a hint of a ginger spice flavor!
Good luck and have fun out there in the swine fields.
flyfisher76544
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Heres a link that shows the "boiler room" on a hog. Shows that even on an adult, its no bigger than your hand.
http://www.texasboars.com/anatomy.html
http://www.texasboars.com/anatomy.html
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In Florida, they're open to hunting on private land all year. They are beginning to cause problems in some residential areas - rooting up people's lawns.
I got a 120 lb. sow last spring with a .45 cal, using a maxi-ball. She dropped in place. I'll be heading out again in a few weeks.
Good eats!
I got a 120 lb. sow last spring with a .45 cal, using a maxi-ball. She dropped in place. I'll be heading out again in a few weeks.
Good eats!
My grandson Silent Sniper shot one last year on a private hunting reserve in southern Ohio with a TC .54 Hawken .I think he used a Max-ball with 110 grs of 2ff, it weighted over 600lbs, dropped it in its tracks,one shot. Was good eating too :thumbsup:. This hog came from Texas. Cost close to 500.00 to shot it. He is wanting to go this year were it will be cheaper, maybe you guys can help him out as were to go?. He is a good hunter for his age,16. He killed a bear in W.Va. in Dec. He also has a Buffalo under his belt. Shot at same place as the hog. Got me beat, but that's fine. He is a member here. Dilly
Boar-Dilly reminded me of something I forgot to mention: some private reserves that specialize in pig hunting will raise and release boars that they have castrated. These boars tend to grow huge bodies and tusks and don't get the spicey-rank taste and smell that 'intact' boars can.
600 lbs - holy boar!
600 lbs - holy boar!
I tend to head shot hogs if at all possible. If I am intentionally trying to get the area under control we hunt at night with night vision or thermal sights and use 3 or more shooters with semi auto rifles. It really is a war here in the Sabine river valley where the main agricultural crop is sweet potatoes. If we are fishing I never go to the river without a 12ga. slug gun and a dog. Going to try the new flintlock out as soon as I get it sighted in.
Ben Athens
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The problem with hog as I see it here in Georgia , is once they move in and get established you will never kill enough to keep up with the population. A sow drops 6 or more piglets twice a year...
August West
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Bencattin said:
At least 2 litters, sometimes 3, sows become sexually mature at about 7 months, which means in her life time she will add over a thousand pigs to the area. As Bencattin said once they get a toehold it is dang hard to impossible to get rid of them. Not to mention unlike most game animals, predators don't take as big a toll, a sow with piglets in my opinion is much fiercer than a big boar, the only problem I've ever had with a pig in the woods was a sow with little ones. Chris
1. I'm not sure about them migrating north although in Europe wild boar live in Germany and Russia in as cold a climate as imaginable.
2. IMHO they cannot be hunted out of an area once they are established.
3. They do not seem to adversely effect deer and turkey populations.
4. They do root up the ground- looks like some guy ran a discing machine through the area.
5. Eating quality varies- sows better than old boars.
6. Head shots- in really heavy cover it pays to drop them on the spot although in PA that shouldn't be an issue. If the animal isn't a trophy (where the head needs to be saved) and- if you are within your comfort zone to make such a shot- a head shot would seem a good choice.
7. PIG IN THE GROUND ALL YEAR and lots of breakfast sausage every day. How's that for a healthful diet plan :grin: :grin: :grin:
In some areas you might want to use heavy rubber gloves to field dress and butch wild hogs- I'd check with your state's wildlife dept.
2. IMHO they cannot be hunted out of an area once they are established.
3. They do not seem to adversely effect deer and turkey populations.
4. They do root up the ground- looks like some guy ran a discing machine through the area.
5. Eating quality varies- sows better than old boars.
6. Head shots- in really heavy cover it pays to drop them on the spot although in PA that shouldn't be an issue. If the animal isn't a trophy (where the head needs to be saved) and- if you are within your comfort zone to make such a shot- a head shot would seem a good choice.
7. PIG IN THE GROUND ALL YEAR and lots of breakfast sausage every day. How's that for a healthful diet plan :grin: :grin: :grin:
In some areas you might want to use heavy rubber gloves to field dress and butch wild hogs- I'd check with your state's wildlife dept.
Ben Athens
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Hogs here in the south compete with the deer for acorns. About all you need to do is find a white oak or chestnut oak dropping acorns and the hogs will run the deer out quick.
Robert Scheffler
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They are now in most counties in Michigan. Some deer hunters have brought then into the DNR stations or have sighted them. There's been a couple that have been killed in auto collisions.
