Hog Hunting Tips For Beginners
For decades, hog hunting has become increasingly popular in the United States, and it is at its peak now. Hog populations are rising alarmingly, mainly in states such as Texas. According to the latest estimates, there are currently millions of feral hogs in the United States; Texas alone has almost 2.6 million.
To prevent further population growth, approximately 70% of the population must be eradicated annually based on the current breeding rate. This is why the US government is becoming increasingly lax about hunting wild boars. Even experienced hunters find hunting hogs to be a dangerous sport.
First-time hog hunters should be particularly careful when chasing the animals. Feral hogs could be violent, particularly if they feel challenged or their piglets are at risk. To help make your hunt safer and more successful, let’s dive in and know all about hog hunting basics and top hog hunting tips for beginners.
Top Hog Hunting Tips For Beginners
Understand How To Track Hogs
Like other animals, feral hogs could also be chased, but they “leave” their tracks in several different ways. Uprooted soil, for instance, is one sign of their tracks.
If a hog is nearby, you should see disturbed dirt on the ground since they use their snout to find food in the soil.
Frequently, hogs dig up soil near water sources. Due to the lack of sweat glands in their bodies, they use mud to cool themselves.
When you see disturbed soil near creeks or ponds that smells of faeces or urine, indicating that feral hogs have used it as a mud bath.
A hog also leaves distinctive tracks, so you need to look for them as well. Despite looking like deer tracks, hog tracks are rounded and larger, so they can easily be distinguished from deer tracks.
Choosing The Right Gear
If you really are a beginner and you’ve never done it before, you shouldn’t go without the right gear. A lot of newbies make this mistake and they end up with nothing but bad experiences.
If you’re planning on hunting at night, it is really important that you choose the best night vision scope for hog hunting.
Stalk Your Prey
You probably already know how to stay low and stalk your prey if you are a beginner. But knowing how to call and hunt wild hogs is important.
Feral hogs should also be hunted using the same techniques as they have a good sense of smell and hearing but poor vision. Furthermore, they are highly intelligent, so beware of them.
Keeping a distance from feral hogs is the best way to get a good look at them without alerting them of your presence.
Hogs are known to be very cautious. Following them may be necessary as hogs tend to wander quite a bit. As soon as you are confident you can take a good shot, slowly and carefully shoot your prey.
Choosing The Right Outfit
A lot of people think that hunting a hog is easy and you can do it by sitting in a quiet corner. However, it takes a lot of courage, patience, and effort to hunt a hog. Therefore, it is important that you choose the right outfit for hog hunting.
You should avoid wearing jeans and choose something comfortable. Moreover, you can do layering if you’re visiting a cold place.
Best Hog Hunting States: Hunt In The Most Populated Areas
To have greater success during hog hunting, you should try hunting them in areas where they are most prevalent.
Currently, Texas, Florida, and Louisiana have the most feral hogs in their area and are the best hog hunting states.
The population of hogs in these areas is rising rapidly. As a result, hog hunting regulations in the state are bound to be less strict. Hunting in these areas will increase your chances of taking home a lot of bacon.
Know What Is The Best Hog Hunting Season
Wild hogs can be hunted 365 days a year, but many enthusiasts say that the best season to hunt wild hogs is after deer season.
The months of December to February are prime hunting months because hogs are in greater pursuit of food, increasing their activity level.
A daytime hunt for hogs requires fewer spotting skills than a nighttime hunt. It is much easier to spot a hog and aim in the sunlight than at night when you need special optical equipment.
Best Way To Hunt Hogs: Use Calls Or Scents
Another hunting technique that you can use is the use of calls and scents. Calling wild hogs is one of the best methods to hunt them.
You can purchase commercially available call devices that mimic female calls to get the attention of male hogs, as well as distress calls from piglets to attract females.
On the other hand, you can buy scents from hunting stores as well to hunt hogs. In addition to berries and molasses, hogs may also be attracted by the smell of other foods they like.
You can make your baiting scent, or you can buy one that is commercially available.
Urine and rutting-musk sprays are available in the market, especially for hunting feral hogs. It could be helpful to draw in male hogs.
On the topic of scents, a good hunter must know to get rid of traces of his scent. As this article mentioned previously, hogs have a strong sense of smell, and if they detect a human scent, they most likely will avoid it or, in a worst-case scenario, will attack you.
To reduce human smell, you must avoid human scents, such as those produced by deodorants, colognes, perfumes, detergents, and others.
Moreover, you should thoroughly wash your hunting clothes with baking soda and hot water. It is not a good idea to use any detergents or chemicals as this will cause you to smell like a human.
Hunt At Night
Hogs have adapted to hunters’ behaviour by becoming nocturnal, as hog hunting has become an increasingly popular approach for controlling their population. Because of their nocturnal habits, hunting hogs at night is often the best time to do so.
There are several states where hunting hogs are allowed on public and private lands, with or without artificial light.
It is easier to hunt hogs at night when you have hog hunting equipment, such as the Hog Hunting Light, which is attached to the bottom of feeders and provides temporary illumination when a hog is within range.
Exactly Where Should We Shoot The Hog?
As soon as you have spotted the hog, you must shoot it. Hogs have thick skins to protect their internal organs; if you hit one of them, the animal may bolt and, worse, charge at you.
You should aim for the hog’s heart or liver. The lungs are behind the shoulders while the heart is just above the elbow. If you don’t have success in the heart or liver, be sure to aim for the brain.
Are You Ready To Go Hunting?
Considering these hog hunting tips for beginners, you’ll be more than ready for your next hog-hunting trip. It can be quite thrilling to hunt hogs due to their large size and stature. Have patience, bring the right weapons, and know what to do when a hog attacks.
