Hog hunting at night tips

[FrankT]

Interesting thread. My son and I got a hog in South Texas last month. First hog hunt. Shot it with a 270. So here is my question - is a 556 too small a round to hunt hogs? Obviously it will work with good shot placement, but want to know thoughts from those more experienced.

Daezee is right on concerning the 223/556, they got a very bad rap and barred by outfitters for hog killing because newbies went out there with fmj and other non effective bullets because that is what they had...then the guys were excited and made bad shots not knowing the anatomy of hogs and wounding not killing the game. Today with the correct bullets and knowledge of where to place that bullet they do just fine. I still would not use for eradication where you are shooting running targets and laying down 15-40 a night.

 

[redneck]

Just build a 6.8 upper and it will put there dick in the dirt every time

From The Deep Woods

 

[Daezee]

So, I've been wondering what happens to all the pigs that are killed or caught alive. You see lots killed and caught alive on TV. Some people post they are fed to the buzzards and insects. In Texas there's Hogs for a Cause, cleaning and giving the meat to needy families. My family is eating the 1st one I killed. The 2nd and third were donated to a local needy family for consumption. Some are transported to high fence hunting preserves for canned hunts. Some are eaten by people.

Today I was in PetSmart getting some new puppy food for my allergic to most every dog food puppy. On one shelf I spotted some Wilderness brand dog food made with wild boar. Sure enough, in the ingredients was listed deboned wild boar meat. It didn't say what state or country the wild pig meat came from, but I thought that's interesting. Now I know some is made into dog food...might was well, that seems like a good use for it, not a waste.

 

[Clay]

I know those helicopter hunts, they let them lie where they fall. A lot of wasted meat but when you have an epidemic of pigs I guess the harvesting is not cost effective. Most likely other hogs and Yotes eat like kings.

 

[FrankT]

Heli Hunter (Sportsman's Channel) makes sure all the hogs are picked up they can find and are processed at the property for the needy refer trucks are there from an organization..

We eat all the ones we kill and there is not an agency in FL allowed to accept hogs.

Most guys in eradication I know in TX without a processor who will take them, give as many away as they can, the rest are thrown in a bone pile or left where they fall. The Outfitters let you kill all you want but also process them and send along w the hunter or given to the needy. It all depends on the rancher if you can let them lay or have to remove them.

In TX also there are hog buyers you can sell them to, some are stocked and some are buthchered, about all I can remember now.

 

[Daezee]

I just found it interesting that some wild hog meat makes its way into dog food. Here's a link to it: http://bluebuffalo.com/natural-dog-food/grain-free-blue-wilderness/wilderness-rocky-mountain-recipe-adult-boar/

 

[Chaps]

Exciting atv ride this evening. Me and my little boy decided to take a quick ride before sunset. As we rode down the dirt path that separates two fields, I started seeing a lot of fresh tracks that appeared to be hogs. We also saw quite a few piles of fresh scat. It kinda looked like cow but wasn't as big. I did see some some pellet looking scat that was a lot bigger than a deer. I had a feeling whatever made the tracks were close. As we started to exit the field, we spooked two huge hogs and two smaller ones. It was pretty exciting and they were moving fast. My instinct was correct that the hogs would be back. It's time to start getting serious about harvesting!!!!