Hog Hunting 101

Hog hunting is quickly becoming one of the most popular types of hunting, as it is easy to start and doesn’t have many restrictions or barriers to entry. Generally, all you need is a hunting license, a reliable weapon, and plenty of ammo for hog hunting, as most states don’t have a bag limit or even a designated hunting season for feral pigs, so you can hunt them year-round. Plus, hunting wild boars is more than a fun, rewarding pastime that can get you stocked up with plenty of meat; it also helps the environment, protects local wildlife, and prevents extensive property damage that the hogs are known for. Whether you’re a beginner who wants to start wild hog hunting or have some experience under your belt, we’ll help you learn the ropes to increase your chances of success.

History of the Wild Boar Problem

Feral swine are a huge problem in the southern portion of the United States, particularly Texas, Florida, and surrounding states. While the biggest problem is in the South, feral hogs are also found in California and Montana, and even as far north as Ohio and Pennsylvania. There is a saying about wild hogs that rings true: "There are two kinds of places, those that have hogs, and those that will soon have hogs." The animals multiply quickly, taking over both public land and private land and destroying the ecosystems, so many people see the reality of the statement sooner rather than later.

If you’re wondering how the problem began, it started in the mid 20th century. While wild pigs roamed some areas, they weren’t as prevalent. However, pork prices hit all-time lows and farmers didn't want to keep spending money raising pigs, so they turned them loose into the wild. These hogs adapted extremely well to the environment and landscape since they didn’t have a natural predator, allowing the population to grow immensely. While coyotes could take down the hogs, it wasn’t always practical for them, as feral hogs are large and vicious.

With an ever-growing population, people quickly realized how big of a problem wild hogs could be. They destroy any ecosystem or habitat they reside in because they eat nearly everything. Whether they’re searching for turkey or quail eggs or eating as much vegetation as they can find, the immediate area is left devastated. They can even eat plants, shrubs, and trees down to the root, preventing regrowth and permanently killing entire areas.

How to Prepare for Hog Hunting

First and foremost, respect their sense of smell. While hogs have decent eyesight and hearing, their most powerful sense is smell. For that reason alone, before heading out on your hog hunting trip, you should mask your body's scent, because if a hog catches wind of you, it will most likely take off and you won’t see it again. To prevent this issue, make sure you keep the wind in your face wherever you are hunting so that you aren’t downwind of them.

Another solid way to help prevent hogs from smelling you is to wear the right hunting clothes. Plenty of brands, like Browning, ScentBlocker, and Kryptek, make scent-blocking options that go a long way to masking your natural smell. Another quick tip is when you shower before leaving, use odorless body wash and shampoo and avoid wearing cologne or anything else that could add a scent.

Once you get that sorted, preparing the area for hogs is pretty easy. Unlike deer hunting, there generally aren’t any laws that outlaw baiting wild pigs. While you should always check our local laws and regulations, if you’re in the clear to set out bait, grab a game feeder and fill it up. This is an excellent, easy way to bring problem pigs to an open field that lets you line up your shots cleanly.

Effective Ranges for Different Weapons

Whether you’re planning to hunt with a compound bow, AR 15, or AR10, you should be proficient in the weapon before going hog hunting. Understanding your personal limitations with the chosen weapon ensure you can take safe, accurate shots. If you’re totally new to the activity, check out our How-To Guide “What Is the Best AR Caliber for Hog Hunting?” for some help picking a caliber that will let you take down feral hogs at a variety of ranges. For quick reference, .223/5.56 and .300 BLK are solid choices for under 100 yards, especially if you’re going night hunting, .308 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor will help you take down even massive hogs at longer distances.

Once you have your weapon, start practicing shots at everywhere from 20 yards to 100 yards. This lets you tune your rifle scope to be as accurate as possible. Don’t think you can immediately start ringing shots at 100 yards without practice, though, as this takes time and effort to be consistent. Trying to take down a hog at this range without sufficient hunting experience drastically lowers your success rate, as you’re more likely to wound or miss the hog completely.

If you’re an archery aficionado, your distances will be much different. Unlike high-velocity bullets that are effective at long ranges, the best range for bow hunting is as close as you can get without spooking them. About 20 to 30 yards is ideal because it gives most bow hunters the best chance to hit a kill shot consistently with broadheads.

Ideal Shot Placement

Shot placement on a hog is something that is pretty critical, even when using a large caliber. Hunting should be ethical, and even though hogs are nuisance animals, wounding them isn’t a good experience for the hog or you. Since feral hogs are like little tanks, hitting them in the right areas is crucial.

The "sweet spot" where you'll want to shoot a hog with an arrow is in the mid to lower chest area. The easiest way to do this is with a broadside shot, as it’s much harder to thread the needle with an arrow when the hog is facing you. Release your arrow when the hog moves their front leg, as this opens up the vital area of their chest.

If you're using a rifle to hunt feral hogs, forget what you know about deer hunting. Instead of taking the shot around their shoulder when given a broadside, you’ll want to hit the hog either right between the eyes or at the base of an ear. A successful, accurate shot in either of these places puts the hog down instantly, so you don’t have to track them.

Best Time to Hunt Hogs

Since most states and counties don’t have a particular hunting season for hogs, the best time can be whenever works best for you! If you’re looking for the easiest time to hit shots and spot the hogs, take your hunting trip during the winter. Most natural foliage is dormant during winter, reducing the ground cover that can conceal the hogs. Plus, if you’re using a thermal scope to spot your hogs, they’ll stand out easily against the cold ground. Night hunting is another excellent option at any time of the year, especially if you have a night vision rifle scope.

Get All Your Hog Hunting Gear at OpticsPlanet

Whether you’re hunting hogs for sport, meat, or environmental protection, our team at OpticsPlanet has assembled all the gear and equipment you need to make your hunting opportunities as successful as possible. Check out our hunting jackets to make sure you’re warm during cold hunts, and if you need help dressing and quartering your hogs, you’ll need a sharp fixed blade knife. For night vision hog hunting, we also have a wide variety of night vision options. If you still need some more tips, check out our video from Keith Warren below about hog hunting!