boar


dodge4x4

Recommended Posts

does anybody here boar hunt? me and a friend saw somethin on TV and got interested in it. what kind of weapon would be good? should we hunt a treestand or a blind? and does anybody know any good places to hunt boar in southern illinois. we know they have open season down there because the boars are tearing up the trees. any tips, suggetsions, or answers to questions? thanks yalls

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: boar

I hunt them in Calif. Boar are probably one of the most exciting hunts we have in our state. I don't know how big they get in the east but I assume there isn't much difference. Here in the west, we normally set up on their watering holes, feeding grounds or where they bed up for the day.

On one ranch I hunt, the hogs bed along a normally dry river bottom that is thick with willows. So thick that the pigs are forced to tunnel into their beds in the center. In a single willow stand, sometimes 1/4 mile + in length, you can find 20-30 hogs at a time sleeping the day off. If I don't catch them in the open, I like to crawl into their tunnels and pick them off that way.

I use a Marlin Guide Gun in 45/70. My load of choice is the CorBon 405 Gr Penetrator. I know a lot of guys that use a wide variety of guns and calibers with success. One good friend shoots and old lever 30/30. I stick with the lever 45/70 because it's relatively light, short, fast and the bullet puts 'em down fast with little to no fuss. Every game animal I have ever shot with the 45/70 didn't run after getting hit.

Personally, I think it's important to use a big/ hard bullet with hogs. They are very aggressive when necessary and a monster boar can hurt or kill you relatively quickly if he's upset.

The other issue with big pigs is the armour plating on their flanks. Old tusker boars have a couple of inches of calloused, grizzled hide that starts below the ear and ends at the beginning of the end of the chest wall. They get this with age for protection from other boars during frequent fights and tears from razor sharp tusks.

Sometimes, bullets just don't get through the hide and into a vital area. I've pulled old bullets or pieces thereof, out of the sides of pigs I've killed. The wound festered and stank to high heaven, but it didn't seem to effect them otherwise.

Pigs have great hearing and their sense of smell is probably the best of any game animal. Their Sight, on the otherhand, is lacking. They will eat anything edible to include each other. Unlike deer and other game animals, hogs seem to have no curiosity. If they spook due to an odor or noise they will not stop if you whistle at them. They won't stop running until they're clear of the threat.

If you get a chance to go hog hunting...go. It's addicting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: boar

Here's a picture of a February hunt and the a truck load of bacon. If I remember correctly, the average weight of each hog was 350. I got two that day. One sow on the run at about 75 yards. The second was low crawling through the willows at about 15 feet.

171771.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: boar

Good way to bump up the numbers! 350 lbs is not really all that big. The largest I saw was from a guide friend with a 800 pounder. His client shot it with a .50 cal from a long distance...1000 yards, I think.

I'm a relatively new bow hunter and I haven't tried it on pigs but I know you can do it. The problem is with their nose. It's better than a deer and you really have to use the wind to your advanctage.

I'm not sure how fast they run but I'd compare it to a large breed dog in speed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.