Feral Hogs

[1961MJS]

Hi
This isn't an URGENT need. A friend of mine has had a large family of feral hogs passing through his land. (he's got the place for sale now, so this is probably overcome by events). We were going to see about getting them killed off so as to leave the grass for his cattle. I needed a quick firing setup capable of carrying a night vision setup of some sort, and as many rounds capable of killing. My original idea was the old Marlin in 45-70, but I looked at the Browning BLR and 10 round magazine are available for it. That sounds much better.
Later

 

[The Kid]

Buy yourself an AR15. It’s a far handier rifle than a BLR. Easier to make hits at speed on fleeing swine as well. No need to worry about the effectiveness of the 223 either, I have killed around 500 head with the 223.

I prefer 20 round magazines, they give you the option of shooting prone easier than 30s if needed and fit in the back pocket of blue jeans better.

PS, you’ll never shoot them out. They’ll move off for a while but some more will fill the void in due time. They’re a pox we aren’t going to be able to exterminate. It’s fun to try though.

 

[Devon]

I've taken over forty off of my property this past winter and spring. I built a "figure six" trap with stock panels and bait it with corn. I placed a game camera nearby that will alert me when there are hogs in the trap. It has definitely thinned them out in my area.

 

[Pisgah]

There were folks here in SC who swore that hogs and coyotes would be killed off faster than they could spread over the state.

They have since been trampled by herds of hogs and finished off by packs of coyotes...

 

[IAM Rand]

Anyone eat them and how do they compare to raised hogs?

 

[phwillie]

They are leaner than domestic hog. The best way I have found to cook them is low temp and long cook time, wrapped in foil and covered in bar-b-que sauce. Make sure the internal temp is 170 degrees or better to kill any trichinosis issues.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Gun ain't the issue. Wait until you price a good night vision scope Any good AR in .223 will do the trick
As far as trying to cook them-forget about the big boars. For that matter, forget anything over about 100 pounds. Buzzards and other carrion critters gotta eat too!

 

[22hipower]

Best solution I've found is an AR pistol in 300 BLK with a thermal optic and suppressor. The suppressor isn't so much to fool the hogs, they'll hear the shot suppressed or not, as it is to protect your ears. Accurate at 100 yards which is about as far as I shoot them at night. Much the same result can be achieved with most any rifle and an IR scope but if cost is not really an issue, the AR pistol with a Trijicon thermal is pretty hard to beat. In the dark with the wind right it is not much of a trick to walk up to 40 yards or so from them.

 

[Timothy2700]

As far as trying to cook them-forget about the big boars. For that matter, forget anything over about 100 pounds. Buzzards and other carrion critters gotta eat too!

Any thoughts/ experience on making sausage out of the tough ones?

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Any thoughts/ experience on making sausage out of the tough ones?

I guess if you put enough seasoning and fat into the mix it'll pass muster. I am too lazy (and cheap) to buy all the gear needed to make sausage. I've done it a few times and quite frankly I'd rather get someone who knows what they're doing to make it. From my history here you will notice that I am primarily a bird (duck) and small game hunter that gladly accepts flesh from larger quadrupeds from others. I've processed my share of deer and pigs and at this stage of my life, I'll sit on the porch and accept deer and pig from anyone who wants to drop it by. Still enjoy dressing and coking my birds and smaller critters (squirrel & rabbit).

 

[tops]

Any thoughts/ experience on making sausage out of the tough ones?

It's not that old Boars are tough. The meat stinks and taste worse than it smells. Larry

 

[max503]

I guess if you put enough seasoning and fat into the mix it'll pass muster. I am too lazy (and cheap) to buy all the gear needed to make sausage. I've done it a few times and quite frankly I'd rather get someone who knows what they're doing to make it. From my history here you will notice that I am primarily a bird (duck) and small game hunter that gladly accepts flesh from larger quadrupeds from others. I've processed my share of deer and pigs and at this stage of my life, I'll sit on the porch and accept deer and pig from anyone who wants to drop it by. Still enjoy dressing and coking my birds and smaller critters (squirrel & rabbit).

Me too. I live in Whitetail heaven but rarely shoot one. Dang things are too hard for me to drag out.

I aim at them then say "bang" then go home and eat chicken. Squirrels, rabbits, and turkey are another matter entirely. They die.

 

[22hipower]

It's not that old Boars are tough. The meat stinks and taste worse than it smells. Larry

Coyotes seem to like it though. And then, if you're lucky and persistent, the coyotes can become targets too. Here's what was left of a 200+ pound one less than 12 hours after it was shot the evening before.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[Muddyboot]

Coyotes seem to like it though. And then, if you're lucky and persistent, the coyotes can become targets too. Here's what was left of a 200+ pound one less than 12 hours after it was shot the evening before.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

What did you take the hog with?

 

[22hipower]

What did you take the hog with?

A 6.5 Creedmoor. At that spot I usually take the Creedmoor for the long shots and a 300BLK pistol with thermal for the dark hours. In this case the hog was out about 180 yards just as it was getting dark. When I went back in the morning the coyotes had dragged it out of the field under a fence just inside the mesquite. I could see the coyote early with the thermal but it was too far for the 300BLK so waited until it was light for a shot at the coyote. There's another coyote lying just outside of camera range to the left that came in a half hour after I shot the first one and made the mistake of checking on a free lunch. It's amazing how they can make a 200 pound hog disappear in a few hours.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[Muddyboot]

That 6.5 would do the job, i have one that's a little older. 6.5x54

 

[DocSkinner]

A 6.5 Creedmoor. At that spot I usually take the Creedmoor for the long shots and a 300BLK pistol with thermal for the dark hours. In this case the hog was out about 180 yards just as it was getting dark. When I went back in the morning the coyotes had dragged it out of the field under a fence just inside the mesquite. I could see the coyote early with the thermal but it was too far for the 300BLK so waited until it was light for a shot at the coyote. There's another coyote lying just outside of camera range to the left that came in a half hour after I shot the first one and made the mistake of checking on a free lunch. It's amazing how they can make a 200 pound hog disappear in a few hours.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

Ever seen an all you can eat at a BBQ joint?

 

[ISCS Yoda]

I've killed feral hogs with a .45-70 and I've chased them with a .223 and a .308 but my favorite hog rifle in my Yugo 98 Mauser sporterized to .35 Whelen. Generally one shot one kill excellence.

 

[22hipower]

I've killed feral hogs with a .45-70 and I've chased them with a .223 and a .308 but my favorite hog rifle in my Yugo 98 Mauser sporterized to .35 Whelen. Generally one shot one kill excellence.

View attachment 757432

I've shot them with everything from a 222 Remington on up to a 450 Marlin. That 35 Whelen should be a great choice but I've seen them run off when hit in the boiler room with just about everything, and then again drop in their tracks with a 40 grain 222 Remington in the ear.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[hardluk1]

You could trap hogs using a roll of 5ftx150ft steel mesh roll like used in a concrete slab !! You can make two traps out of a roll . Depending on trees you can wrap the wire around a number of trees and use wire straps to secure it or use steel t post and wire straps made for fencing . . "door ways" for hogs can be a two types requiring not extra material ,turn one end so hogs follow a a natural travel path -
Picture small and a borrowed photo or curl both ends of the fence inward so its shaped sorta like a heart and in ether case tie the top foot of fence together well . Hogs can push there way in but not get out easily . Small pigs might push there way out from ether type . Keep trees are t post no more than 4 to 5 feet around and try to keep the wire mesh tight to the ground .


Bait - deer corn in 5 gall buckets and pour several cans of bear over the corn and snap the lid on . Set in the sun for a few days but flip the can half way thru the day . The corn will ferment and give off a smell hogs love . I harvested a lot of trapped hogs wih a 22mag . More about your accuracy than cartridge used .

When I was a young man back in SW FL years several of use had traps set and checked after school while in high school . Boars could be caught and cut then released or pinned depending on what you can feed them like free breads and vegs out of date or spoiled . A Boar will become better eating or just shot and put in the ground for those large older boars . To many good sows running around to eat a bore and coyotes are not wanted any more than you may already have so do not leave gut piles around the same area . WE had Feral dog packs to deal with for a couple years . Be sure to wire the top foot or so of the door tight together well and leave a small gap at the bottom for the hogs to push in through , they will get in the trap .

Now if your going to remove the skin and cut up the hog , scald the hog to remove all hair . If your not a hunter - good luck . It can test your knife skills and fingers !

I always scalded a hog to remove the hair before processing and there is a number of ways to do this . I used those blue 50 gallon containers cut in half for animal waist . Easier to clean up and haul off .

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