Wild pigs

[sambo.]

That leaves the wild pig. Everybody likes bacon, ham, and baby back ribs right?.

be warned, wild pork has a powerful, gamey flavour.

some people really love it, others loathe it.

I have a couple of ARs, but most of what I read indicates that 5.56 does not have adequate power to maximize your chances of a quick, clean kill.

well, my weapon preference for pig hunting is a 70lb Fred Bear compound bow.

followed by a good woofer and a reel of paracord (if i want to box pigs (eg: sell 'em for $$$), i need to take 'em live as i don't have a game harvesters license or a game meat truck)

for a rifle (you pussy), imho a .223 is packing plenty of power. you just have to hit them in the right spot. me and some mates have taken many, many, lots of pigs using a .222.

the nice thing about the smaller calibres, especially the quiet plop of the .222, is you can often bag multiple pigs out of a mob. let rip with a 30-06 and you'll be lucky to take more than one or two from a mob.

mind you, a .303 British is also a most excellent pig-stopper (but scares the tripe out of everything for miles when you let it off).

it's all down to MARKSMANSHIP. if you're a good shot, use the .223. if you're a bit of a target sprayer, use something with more oomph.

What other things do I need to consider?

have you done First Aid training recently? do you have a comprehensive First Aid Kit? Are you proficient with and confident using the contents of your FAK?

personally, i won't even take my bow down to the range without taking my FAK along.

 

[kamagong]

Thanks for all the info guys, this is great. Tejon Ranch isn't really an option. I'm in the Bay Area so I don't see the point of driving all the way down south when there are ample opportunities for hunting hogs in Sonoma County a couple of hours away.

I'm going to go with a guided hunt at first, and if I like it I'll try a hunt on public land later on.

 

[coote]

You have to follow your dreams and I like your honesty. But if you ever felt the urge to save money, I would encourage you to use your 5.56 (.223?) for hunting hogs. You just have to know its limitations and work within them. Chances are you will already have a 'feel' for your 5.56, and I believe we are more inclined to do better shooting.... and are more able to work quickly.... with a gun that is familiar to us.

Not that I would recommend it, but I've shot a number of pigs with a .22 rimfire using subsonic ammo and a silencer. However these were mostly fairly small hogs, and I had to wait to get a steady shot at the vitals. (I am inclined now to go for a heart lung shot rather than go for the elusive, skull-protected, brain box unless I am really close and at a good angle). Lots of people use .223s for pigs and deer, and my father shot a lot of big animals with his Krico .222 Remington.

With a really big hog, it may not be appropriate to take a side-on shoulder shot with a light high-speed bullet which might completely lose its 'oompf' on the tough protective shield skin and shoulder bones. But I'm convinced you could still get some good pork with the modest 5.56 .... And I think that some of the best pork running around the countryside is likely to be packaged in the smaller hogs that the .223 could easily deal with.

But it would be good to own a Winchester 70 with such a versatile cartridge. And certainly a good hit with this rifle would be more likely to have a swift result than anything smaller. However bullet placement is more important than raw horsepower. It shouldn't take long to become confident with the new smoke stick if you've already done a bit of shooting with other weapons.

I don't know how things work in your country. But I'd be doing my best to meet a farmer (rancher?) who has a hog problem and who would be open to allowing a sensible hunter on to his/her land. And if there were no hogs nearby, I'd probably put that wish on the backburner and hunt edible species of another sort closer to home. But like I said earlier, aint nothing more important than to pay attention to your own dreams.

Funnily enough, I'd love to go squirrel hunting. I've shot deer, pigs, goats etc.... but I'd just love to get out in your country with a .22 and get a feed of squirrels.

Best of luck with the adventure. I hope to read about it some time.

When I was very young, a buddy and I went for a walk into game country. He was a keen photographer, and I took along my Anschutz .22 rimfire. My buddy managed to take this picture when a mean-looking sow came out of the scrub. It took more than one shot, but we got the pork. It was a great occasion, but it was some of the foulest meat that I've ever had in my mouth.

This wasnt a world record animal, but it was an excellent bit of pork. Taken with an old Browning semi-auto rimfire fitted with a moderator:

And this pig didn't even cost the price of a cartridge. I caught this in a snare I twisted from some synthetic rope fiber. The satisfaction of having caught this hog in a home-made snare is far greater to me than the thought of shooting anything:

Best wishes .... Coote.

 

[wrxguyusa]

You have to follow your dreams and I like your honesty. But if you ever felt the urge to save money, I would encourage you to use your 5.56 (.223?) for hunting hogs. You just have to know its limitations and work within them. Chances are you will already have a 'feel' for your 5.56, and I believe we are more inclined to do better shooting.... and are more able to work quickly.... with a gun that is familiar to us.

Not that I would recommend it, but I've shot a number of pigs with a .22 rimfire using subsonic ammo and a silencer. However these were mostly fairly small hogs, and I had to wait to get a steady shot at the vitals. (I am inclined now to go for a heart lung shot rather than go for the elusive, skull-protected, brain box unless I am really close and at a good angle). Lots of people use .223s for pigs and deer, and my father shot a lot of big animals with his Krico .222 Remington.

With a really big hog, it may not be appropriate to take a side-on shoulder shot with a light high-speed bullet which might completely lose its 'oompf' on the tough protective shield skin and shoulder bones. But I'm convinced you could still get some good pork with the modest 5.56 .... And I think that some of the best pork running around the countryside is likely to be packaged in the smaller hogs that the .223 could easily deal with.

But it would be good to own a Winchester 70 with such a versatile cartridge. And certainly a good hit with this rifle would be more likely to have a swift result than anything smaller. However bullet placement is more important than raw horsepower. It shouldn't take long to become confident with the new smoke stick if you've already done a bit of shooting with other weapons.

I don't know how things work in your country. But I'd be doing my best to meet a farmer (rancher?) who has a hog problem and who would be open to allowing a sensible hunter on to his/her land. And if there were no hogs nearby, I'd probably put that wish on the backburner and hunt edible species of another sort closer to home. But like I said earlier, aint nothing more important than to pay attention to your own dreams.

Funnily enough, I'd love to go squirrel hunting. I've shot deer, pigs, goats etc.... but I'd just love to get out in your country with a .22 and get a feed of squirrels.

Best of luck with the adventure. I hope to read about it some time.

When I was very young, a buddy and I went for a walk into game country. He was a keen photographer, and I took along my Anschutz .22 rimfire. My buddy managed to take this picture when a mean-looking sow came out of the scrub. It took more than one shot, but we got the pork. It was a great occasion, but it was some of the foulest meat that I've ever had in my mouth.

This wasnt a world record animal, but it was an excellent bit of pork. Taken with an old Browning semi-auto rimfire fitted with a moderator:

And this pig didn't even cost the price of a cartridge. I caught this in a snare I twisted from some synthetic rope fiber. The satisfaction of having caught this hog in a home-made snare is far greater to me than the thought of shooting anything:

Best wishes .... Coote.

You should know that us Americans like to go big as far as caliber. You can take a look at gun forums that make people think 300 Winchester Magnum is the minimum caliber needed for 60lb deer in the event you need to take the deer at 800 meters.

5.56 will be sufficient to hunt hog with the right placement, but perhaps the OP is searching for a reason to get a new gun. and a Model 70 in 30-06 is a great choice, especially now that they went back to the pre-64 action.

That snare looks like fun. How does that work?

 

[coote]

The snare is nothing more than a simple running noose made out of strong synthetic cord.

The bit of cord was maybe seven feet long. At one end I would have made a simple fixed eye by tying a bowline knot or something similar. The other end of the cord was then passed through the eye to form a running noose.

The noose was then opened to the right size and set at the right height (and with hogs that is hard to decide since they come in all sizes). The noose would typically be supported with thin sticks or maybe tied into place with weak bits of grass or vine. The tail end of the cord was then tied securely to a strong tree....in this case there was a handy branch crossing the trail.

I prefer to not use any locking mechanism on my primitive snares. That way, if the animal breaks the tether cord, the snare is likely to slip off the animal within a short time. If the snare had a locking device or a locking knot the animal might have to wear the snare for life. But locking devices are useful and are perfectly OK if used with caution.

This particular snare was just a fixed snare.... no spring-up mechanism or anything.

Best wishes.... Coote.

 

[wrxguyusa]

Very cool, thank you for explaining. I need to try that out on my next outing.

 

[coote]

Yep, traps and snares are cool and they can be hunting for you 24 hours a day. Sometimes there may be laws that restrict their use though, so it may pay to check. If you do try setting some, it would be good to learn what happened. It is satisfying to use traditional hunting tools you can make yourself.

 

[mr.trooper]

Ditto post #2 - Hunters education classes don't cover anything that is at all related to actually hunting animals. It is little more than a cursory primer in not shooting yourself or your hunting buddy. That stuff is important, but don't expect to come out of it a "hunter".

I fully understand the need to buy cool new gear... but for the record, your ARs would suffice with proper ammunition.

Also, if you want to know what it's like to really hunt, pay for a reputable guide with a high success rate. I've been on a LOT of self guided hunts, and hunts with buddies, that failed to catch sight of a single animal. LOTS of times. Its fun to be outside and all, but humping a rifle and gear up and down steep hills in 90* weather just to catch a fleeting gimps of a fleeing animal? That's not so much fun, and if THAT had been how I was introduced to hunting, I never would have pursued it.

 

[CWL]

kamagong lives in CA, he won't be able to carry an AR for hunt unless it is on private land, and sometimes, they won't want you to use "black rifles".

If you're still following this Kamagong, don't forget that you can use a shotgun as well. Lot's of brush hunting available here in Northern CA where you won't have the distance or time to use a scoped rifle.

 

[Planetcat]

kamagong lives in CA, he won't be able to carry an AR for hunt unless it is on private land, and sometimes, they won't want you to use "black rifles".

If you're still following this Kamagong, don't forget that you can use a shotgun as well. Lot's of brush hunting available here in Northern CA where you won't have the distance or time to use a scoped rifle.

If the rifle is legal to own and not a rimfire, it is legal in CA to hunt with it. Fill up that 10 round magazine and have at it. I personally wouldn't use a .223 to hunt hogs here, but like others said, a nice .223 shot behind the should or in the brain (difficult at long range) will do the job. I occasionally guide hog hunts and although I like AR rifles, I would deter someone from hog hunting here with one in .223. An AR-10 in .308 would be a fine rifle to hunt with here.

 

[BeTheToad]

I'm in the same boat as you. I've never hunted, but now I find myself wanting to get into the sport. My dad used to hunt small game every once in a while, but I never got to go. I'm thinking that I would enjoy bird hunting.

On a side not, I've read several places that some folks use an SKS to hunt hogs with. Is that enough gun?

 

[TDahlgren]

7.62x39 (with decent soft point ammo - NOT FMJ or hollowpoints) is fine for hogs.

My only other addition to all of this advice would be, if you are sensitive to gamey tastes DO NOT shoot a large male hog.

Find yourself a nice small to medium sized female. Young and tender is the way to go (same goes for deer, really any animal.)

Also, do your homework and be prepared to properly handle the animal once it is down. That means careful but rapid field dressing and a quick trip into cold storage (I'm assuming you will be hunting in warm/moderate temps.)

I am a firm believer that many people's aversion to 'game' meat comes from the abysmal way some (but not all) hunters treat the carcass and handle the meat. Even the best meat will taste horrible if you do not keep it clean, cool it down quickly, and store it properly prior to processing.

 

[mr.trooper]

Even the best meat will taste horrible if you do not keep it clean, cool it down quickly, and store it properly prior to processing.

You would love to hunt with my cousin. After gutting the deer in the field, he hangs the carcase from the rafters in the barn to 'age' for for a few days.

As for caliber concerns, 95% of pigs never get bigger than those seen in Coots photos. The stories you see of 'hogzilla' and the like are all confirmed to be domestic pigs. Most of them are not even escapees, but rather placed on game ranches intentionally. They are a non-entity in the wild. I would feel fine with a .22 magnum for the pigs I have seen in the wild around here.

 

[Kirk_Ferentz]

planecat and others: I have seen some maps of public hog hunting areas around the Julian area. I'm familiar with that area and was thinking about heading out there with a rifle and seeing how it goes. Is that just a really poor area?

 

[Kirk_Ferentz]

Also, to the OP, I love 30-06 -- it is the caliber I got my rifle in. I wanted to be able to hunt everything from normal sized hogs up to moose without having to get a new gun. That being said, who knows when I will finally line up an elk or moose hunt, and in the meantime, for deer, pics, antelope and the like (probably mor likely game for me), I am convinced that a .308 would do just as well. That would certainly be preferrable when you take the ammo up to the cash register -- .308 is more widely available and cheap military ammo out there. For 30-06, you can buy cheap old military ammo too I have noticed, but I'm not sure what people think about it (if anyone has an opinion on buying old garand ammo for target shooting in a new rifle, let me know).

I will say that if I ever go hunting where there are huge hogs, I will make sure to have an extra mag full of 200+ grain rounds in case any of them were to come after me. In that scenario, I'd be glad to have the full sized .30 caliber cartridge.

 

[bmilla35]

I know money was only one reason you don't plan on hunting for a few years, but did you check out gunbroker? You may be able to find a slightly used gun for less than expected, and the prices on scopes tend to be very good, too.

While i've never actually gone on a hog hunt (I reallllyyyyy want to but they haven't made it up this far north yet, I think your desired set up would be more than sufficient. Should I ever have the opportunity to hunt them I would probably just use my 7mm08.

 

[RyanW]

I did a write up on my blog about a recent hog hunt a buddy and I did in Texas. We had a blast, we took 1 ea. with a knife and 1 with a rifle. The 5.56 will do the job as others have said, you just need to hit the right spot. Even the 30-06 won't make a clean kill if you don't hit the vital areas. I feel that if you wait that much time the interest will diminish or divert to other game. I think it would be a great idea if you took the .22 or 5.56 and did some small game hunts after you get done with the hunter education.

If you are interested here is a link to my write up on the Texas Hog Hunt: CLICK ME

 

[kamagong]

I didn't realize this thread was still going. Thanks for the continued input guys.

I went to the CA Department of Fish and Game website and did some reading on hunting hogs. This is what they said about caliber selection -

Legally, any centerfire firearm using a soft point bullet can be used.

That being said, they recommend against the use of all .22 caliber cartridges for hogs. I don't know why, since it's legal to hunt hogs with bows and arrows. So even though I can legally use my AR, I doubt that I will do so.

That's okay, at least now I have a good reason to buy a new gun. I'm leaning away from the Winchester Featherweight though and I have a different rifle in mind. Say hello to the CZ 550 Safari Magnum in .375 H&H.

 

[DWK2]

I like CZ rifles. Unlike most folks, I'm not going to tell you 375 is too heavy, if you can handle the recoil. I do 90+% of my big game hunting with a 338 WinMag that probably weighs a pound less than that CZ. I don't like the recoil off the bench but in the field I don't notice it.

I was seriously thinking of going to the 375 instead of 338. The trajectory is about the same and it hits harder without much additional recoil. With today's high prices for premium hunting ammo, I don't think there's much difference in cost. Although you may not need a 375 for pork, it would not be wasted on elk, moose, brown bear, and heavy African plains game. 375 is a great cartridge.

DancesWithKnives

 

[mbjannusch]

I have a Remengton 700, 30'06 and it is plenty of rifle for anyhting in the US. Plus its light enough to carry. My suggestion is dont buy too much rifle. You will spend more money than you want to, and when you shoot it, it will hurt, and you wont want to shoot it again. Truth be told my 300 Win Mag has less recoil than my 30 '06 but is heavier. You have to weigh the pro and cons.