Wild hog hunting advice

[Penmon]

My sons, son in law and I are going on a guided wild hog hunt over the Christmas holiday, in Florida.
I am not a hunter and I am primarily going to be with my sons. I don’t want to appear to incompetent in front of my kids, any tips? Type of clothing?

I understand gun safety I better I will be hunting with my adult children. I am a decent shot with paper targets but have never shot at a moving living target.

What type of gun should I bring?
Rifle, 303 ,308, 30-06 ,8mm, scope-no scope
Carbine, 30, 30-30 or 223
Shotgun 12Ga, buckshot or slug
Revolver, 6in, 38/357, 44-40, 45 long colt
Semi Auto, 9mm or 45acp
Browning high power, tangent sight w/shoulder stock, 9mm

Thanks in advance for any help

Penmon aka Jim

 

[35Rem]

Ask your guide what he wants you to use, or more specifically what he's not comfortable with you using.
He may not like you having a short barreled revolver that's easy to muzzle sweep him with, for example.

Hogs aren't exactly made of armor plate, like some make them out to be. I hunted hogs in FL for years.

Any of your listed rifles will be fine (except the 30 carbine). Use what you are comfortable with.

I preferred to shoot them behind the ear, if the shot is there. Kills 'em dead! Otherwise, behind the front leg, about halfway up.

 

[JOERM]

No advice from here, just let us know how it went! Went to a wild hog BBQ once and the meat was great. It was a small hog though. Heard that the big ones aren't so tasty but I don't know. Good luck and get back with us.

Joe

 

[Kelly Green]

I hunt a lot of hog and it’s not so much the caliber but shot placement. You can bring down a hog with any of the calibers you mentioned. If you are in heavy cover a short barrel rifle is nice. In the brush and up close, I prefer a semi-auto. In heavy brush, I use an SKS loaded with ten rounds of 7.62x39 because sometimes one hog can turn into several. For long range shooting, I use a scoped Tikka in 7mm-08 Remington because of the very flat trajectory, extreme accuracy and because at 100 yards, the energy from this round is four times that of the .44 Magnum revolver. The only handgun I carry on hog hunts is a S&W revolver in .357 Mag.

 

[boykinlp]

The only time I went hog hunting, I used a .44 magnum Redhawk. My shot was less than 10 yards. We were also hunting with dogs. Your guide may want one type of gun over another because of his dogs. They frown upon shooting their dogs. Be careful and pick your shot. Sometimes it can kind of be a "cluster". Multiple dogs and a pig, all moving at once, can be tricky.

I know some folks hunt them from stands at longer distances, like deer hunting. Good luck and be sure to post some pictures later.

 

[redlevel]

If you are safe and proficient with the 6" .45 Colt revolver (I'm assuming Single Action? But Double Action is fine), then that wouldn't be a bad choice. The 30-.30 carbine would be good. It could be hot and humid in Florida during Christmas, but it could be in the 30s, depending on where in Fla, and whether a front has just passed. If I were going, I would probably take one of my .357 carbines, loaded with a flat-nosed 158 grain bullet that wouldn't expand too much. Then again, I might take a .45 Colt Carbine loaded with a hard-cast 255 grain swc. It's more about penetration. According to what kind of terrain you are hunting, you probably are better off without a scope.

The last pig I shot was with a 4" Ruger double-action .38 special, loaded with some kind of 125 grain +p hollow point. I wasn't hunting, but the pig just walked out in front of me, my wife and daughter, at about 30 yards. I shot behind the shoulder. The pig ran about 15 yards and bled out. Not the best bullet for the job, but shot placement made up for the lack of power. It was only about a 90 lb shoat. Some good eating!!

 

[amazingflapjack]

You might consider being the hunt cameraman, as it is a Father and Sons deal. You could take a gun for a possible shot as well. Make the most of the acasion! Flapjack.

 

[tomtheturner]

I hope you have a good time. Hog hunting can be real fun.
Remember, if you are not careful that they can hurt you too. Common sense is pretty much all it takes to be safe, but I was at one place where a guy had just gotten 168 stitches, and another time I watched a guide get hit by a pig. If the pig's tusk had not been broken off the guide would have been hurt big time.

I prefer my 6" 629 to hunt pigs, but have used a .357 Herrett contender, a .44 carbine, and a .41 mag. For a big pig I think that a .357 mag is a bit light. Behind the ear puts them right down, behind the front legs they have a mass of cartlidge that can stop a .44 mag. I skinned one that stopped a 240 grain jacketed soft point right under the skin. I have since changed to hard cast bullets.

Have fun.

Best Wishes,
Tom

 

[Texas Star]

I hope you have a good time. Hog hunting can be real fun.
Remember, if you are not careful that they can hurt you too. Common sense is pretty much all it takes to be safe, but I was at one place where a guy had just gotten 168 stitches, and another time I watched a guide get hit by a pig. If the pig's tusk had not been broken off the guide would have been hurt big time.

I prefer my 6" 629 to hunt pigs, but have used a .357 Herrett contender, a .44 carbine, and a .41 mag. For a big pig I think that a .357 mag is a bit light. Behind the ear puts them right down, behind the front legs they have a mass of cartlidge that can stop a .44 mag. I skinned one that stopped a 240 grain jacketed soft point right under the skin. I have since changed to hard cast bullets.

Have fun.

Best Wishes,
Tom

Thanks for the info about the cartilage plate stopping the .44 Mag. I'd wondered if that could happen.

 

[tomtheturner]

You're welcome, Texas Star. It is the only time that has happened to me, and it was a good size, 250lbs +, pig that was unusually nasty.

I had a friend shoot a pig three times right behind the front leg with a .41 mag using .240 JSP, and when we autopsied the pig all three of the bullets did not penetrate. A shot in the spine finally killed it. It was also a good sized pig about 225-250 lbs.

Best Wishes,
Tom

 

[David LaPell]

The only wild hogs we have up here in the adirondacks freely roam the bars and you don't want to hunt them. They hunt you by plying you with drink and sweet songs.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

The only wild hogs we have up here in the adirondacks freely roam the bars and you don't want to hunt them. They hunt you by plying you with drink and sweet songs.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh the adirondack bar pig. I've heard of them. Have a distinct sicky sweet smell about them. They've been known to roam in packs and can be quite danderous is provolked. Mississippi has a closely related cousin, the truckstop bypass pig-I believe Charlie has spoken of them at great length in the past

 

[Sebago Son]

Adirondack Free Range Hogs....

The only wild hogs we have up here in the Adirondacks freely roam the bars and you don't want to hunt them. They hunt you by plying you with drink and sweet songs.

I know that species. From North Creek to Pottersville all the way down to Warrensburg was my Ancestral Hunting Grounds.

Before they burnt down the Mountain View Hotel in Minerva, that was a prime spotting area... they always come down to water (actually to "BEER") during hunting season to see if they can corner a monied 'sport' from the city... Pickled Eggs, Bar Bags of Stale BBQ Potato Chips and Genesee Cream Ale are the preferred baits...

 

[Sebago Son]

Back to the topic on hand...

Whenever I think about hunting boars I remember this little clip...

Up close wild boar hunt Attack of pigs! Hunter himself defense!!! - YouTube

 

[cass]

Most people don't realize that the structural anatomy of a hog is a little different than that of other wild game. The heart is positioned very deep and low in the chest - certainly not where you'd expect it to be, and the spinal cord drops down dramatically from the skull. The rib cage and breast is encased in a very very thick layer of gristle that can stop a hollow point in smaller calibers. I've taken them with everything from 30-30, 308, 223 down to 357 mag. Shot placement is the key. Have fun - it's more fun than deer hunting.

 

[JM4151]

Wild Boar Hunting!

Jim,
If you are going to Florida after Christmas, make sure that you take some winter clothes with you, I was down a few years ago and it was cold.
I have found Florida pigs to generally be smaller than Tenn animals. We just got back from Crossville, Tenn and we both shot nice animals. Been going to the same place for four years now. Meat is good just like you buy at the super market. Past few times I used a 44 mag handgun. Exciting hunting! Good Luck.
John Murphy

 

[SWKilroy]

Penmon, if you have no previous hunting experience, it might be better to just go along and enjoy the trip. Flapjack's suggestion sounds like a good one, too.

That said, if instead you decide to actively hunt, ask your guide for advice, as already suggested. There are too many different ways to hunt boar, all requiring different guns. Not only that, but the most difficult part in trying to match gun and game, in boar hunting, is their extreme variety in weight and size, and often you find you have the wrong, or less than optimal, gun / bullet for your prey. That's why shot placement, always important, becomes even more so with boars.

As for safety, just remember to approach cornered or wounded boars with caution (I am sure your guide will see to it), and avoid shooting at very close-range at any big pig running in your direction from above. Take a side step, instead, and shoot at it after it has passed you by (if you have a safe backstop, of course).

Enjoy your trip and your venison!

 

[Penmon]

Thanks guys, lots of great imformation, I think I will take my 625 mountain gun in 45 long colt, I also like the camera idea.
Penmon aka Jim

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

I know that species. From North Creek to Pottersville all the way down to Warrensburg was my Ancestral Hunting Grounds.

Before they burnt down the Mountain View Hotel in Minerva, that was a prime spotting area... they always come down to water (actually to "BEER") during hunting season to see if they can corner a monied 'sport' from the city... Pickled Eggs, Bar Bags of Stale BBQ Potato Chips and Genesee Cream Ale are the preferred baits...

I was up in Rochester back in 1996 for a national championship sailing regatta-discovered Genesee Cream Ale-good stuff-only bad thing was that the yacht club had Guiness on tap (they called it "mother's milk" ) so that was the shore beer-but we did get into the Genessee when we were on the town.

 

[mm6mm6]

This post by me:

RugerForum.com :: View topic - Amazing 1st Wild Boar Hunt at Croy's Cabins in Tennessee!

may give you lots of advice about the questions you've asked. We sure had a great time and bet you will too!