Any advice on how to stock wild boar?

[jen]

As my hog hunt gets closer I am wondering how difficult it is to sneak to within bow range of a bunch of hogs? I am not a rookie bowhunter but this is my first time hunting hogs. I know that I have to approach them from the downwind side. Here is one scenario. Maybe you guys can lend some advice on how to do this.

I spot some hogs a couple hundred yards away. I do approach them from the downwind side. Lets say there is average cover at least enough to contemplate a stalk. Can I cover 160 yards or so pretty fast or do I need to use my whitetail techniques and take a slow methodical approach the whole 200 yards.

I know they have excellant sense of smell and their hearing isn't too bad. Is this the right approach? Ideally I would like to get within 20 yards of them for a good bow shot.

Any advice you can give would be much appreciated.

I would also like to know if hogs in general keep moving? Does it make sense if they are feeding in a certain direction to get in front of them and wait for their approach? I don't know if this is possible. I suppose the wind is a factor in this scenario as well.

 

[Heathen]

Dang....I know more about stocking them than stalking them.Seems like you got it right.Wind is everything.I've walked right up on them several times......I wasn't expecting them and was just walking along......making all kinds of noise.But if they smell you they are gone.Thier hearing might be good but if they're feeding seems like all their focus is on that......feeding.Hope you get one.

 

[Speckmisser]

Jen,

I think you got it right... the main thing is play the wind, and keep your movements steady and slow. They don't see real well, but the one thing they CAN spot is motion.

If they don't know you're around, they can be pretty noisy, so a stalk isn't that tough from a noise perspective. I followed a boar at about 30 yards for 15-20 minutes last summer, walking on corn flakes (it sounded like). Whenever he turned his head in my direction, I'd stop in cover until he moved on. A couple of times I was pretty much in the wide open, so the best I could do was crouch and freeze. He just browsed along, and never paid a lick of attention until the wind finally switched and gave me away. Unfortunately, 30 yards was too far for a good shot with my recurve, so all I could do was sit down and let my heart slow down while he disappeared into the canyons. That's a long time to be that close to your prey and not have a shot.

Most of the hogs I've watched browsing didn't stop and spend a lot of time like deer do. They mill around a lot in a small area, but there's not a lot of standing still. I think if you can get ahead of them (assuming you know where they're headed), and the wind is right, that's an excellent strategy.

 

[prohunter]

hopefully those pigs will be unique pigs. then unique up on them! sorry i couldn't resist.
sounds like you got it right with the wind.

 

[brut]

as long as the wind in in you favor and the hogs are feeding you can move at a fast pace to within good yardage. this has worked many times for us just keep an eye on them and try to keep some cover between you and them. we used this tactic last weak ang got withen 10 yards of 20+ hoggs but even the best chip shots some times go high if you know what i mean good luck

 

[Live2hunt]

One word of advice if you've never hunt wild pigs or seen them mill around before. If it's a herd of them, the way they mill around can confuse you into thinking they're on the run. They will browse off in one direction and suddenly change direction and do a short sprint then off to browsing again.


L2H

 

[jen]

Thanks for the tips about stalking.

Now that we have that out of the way, what happens if I should stick an arrow into a hog? If there are a bunch of hogs around will they take off running at the sound of the bow? Should I try running in the direction of the hog to get a second arrow into him? What I am reading is sometimes it takes several arrows to bring these bad boys down.

I am also wondering if two hunters stalking sometimes both get a shot? Some how I am visioning a stalk from two angles, a hunter approaching from two different directions or at least 40-60 yards apart. Is this something we should try?

 

[Speckmisser]

Jen,

I'll preface by saying I haven't been able to stick an arrow in a hog yet, so what I'm saying comes from other experience.

But, I'd tend to follow the general rule and NOT chase him unless you know you've made a really bad hit (ham, leg, etc.) and want to make him run and bleed. Let him go off, lay down, and get sick, then follow up after a reasonable wait. If you push too soon, you're likely to lose your animal. A well-placed arrow will kill him. Just not necessarily instantly.

I think for two hunters to get simultaneous bow shots on a herd of hogs would be the utmost in luck. Between getting in range, synchronizing your shot, and worrying about safety (where's the other guy standing?), the deck is already stacked against you. Probably the best bet if you're hunting in a team is to decide ahead of time who goes first. If the second guy gets an opportunity, cool. But you should focus on one at a time.

 

[Heathen]

If its a group of hogs it's going to be a 'sounder'...which is a group made up of large sows,sows,young boars and piglets.I am not a bow hunter....but I can tell you what can happen when you use a gun.the sows protect the piglets and the young boars if she didn't then the large boars would kill the young boars and piglets.This said....it's hard to tell what'll happen for sure. Shoot a large sow and a young boar might charge you .....shoot a piglet and you double your chances of getting charged.They'll probly run off.....But I wouldn't go running after a wounded hog..(not with a bow for sure)..walk slow at the ready.Make sure you really understand where the kill zone is on a pig....it differs from that of a deer.
If you are interested in managing hog herd for the future(I am not)......then you should't shoot the large breeding sows. They're your source for more pigs and they protect the young from danger.

I just wanted to say that .....the bow hunters will fill you in on their experiences....I just wanted to say even with the bang of a gun....they don't always run.Also charges are not as serious as some people will have you believe.....sure you can get hurt......But there wouldn't be any hog hunters left if you believed all the stories......."Hit that hog with a law rocket....he just got mad a charged me.....Jim opens up with the big 50......we were buried in a pile of casings before that hog died....but not before it killed two good friends......that was a fifty pound boar....I hate to see what a big one could do...."

 

[F350]

Jen,
best advice I can give is, hunt with a guide at least the first time.
Otherwise, find an experienced hog hunter who's patient enough to teach and have him/her show you the ropes. This is by far, the best hunt you'll ever have (IMO).

"Nuff Said"
Good luck!

 

[BDB]

I have only arrowed one hog so far so all I can tell you is how that group acted. There were about 8-10 hogs a nice little sow (100lbs or so ) a little smaller sow (maybe it was a boar, I don't know) and about 6-8 little ones about 30 lbs.

At the sound of the bow, all hell broke loose. Pigs squealing and running in all directions. A well placed arrow (heart or lungs) drops them same as any other critter. As I understand it though, due to the fat layers and the heavy hide they don't bleed well sometimes leading to a tough tracking job. We all know how well a mortally wounded animal can hide themselves sometimes and without a good blood trail they might be tough to find.