Trapshooters Forum banner

Hog Hunting

8K views 39 replies 30 participants last post by  Rick in Ohio 
#1 ·
I'm looking for recommendations regarding places to go and/or guides to go hog hunting. I live in St. Louis, Missouri, but distance is not a limiting factor. I'm looking for a good hunt. I'm thinking about using a handgun and am wondering if a .45 acp revolver would be adequate. I'd appreciate your suggestions and recommendations. Thanks, Tom
 
#2 ·
If you are close enough. I shot a small one with my Smith Govenor, .45 Colt round, at about 20 yards. That was the only thing I had in the pickup at the time I saw him. Lucky shot out the window. I use a .223 normally. I live west of Amarillo, Texas, and I haven't seen too many lately on that ranch I day work at. Most of our problem now is coyotes trailing cows that are having calves. We haven't lost any babies yet, but they are more after the afterbirth.
 
#3 ·
I attached the link to where I went..great time and super hosts,..hogs all over the place..mixture of feral and wild boar ...no a 45ACP wont do on their size of hogs unless you get close enough to put it in his brain cuz most are over 2oolb plus and even then you have to have a square on shot because at an extreme angle , the bullet will just skid off his noggin..and the kinds of boars they have are so aggressive and mean you better have huge cojones to get that close for a head shot...I used a 375Winchester caliber Marlin and it dropped them without any further argument from the pig
 
#9 ·
There was a ranch in Western Missouri that had Hog hunting as well as a few other animals. Problem is, I can't remember where it was. A local bow shop owner had went and hunted several animals with his bow and a pistol. If my memory serves me correctly, it was off of I-70(not that it narrowed it down any). It's been 6 or 7 years ago when he went and he has since moved away or I would find out more for you. It was a private ranch with all sorts of hunting.
 
#13 ·
They are not bad at all Oz..its in the prep after you kill them that makes the difference..the boars have scent glands etc..just make sure to go after a sow specifically...the ferals that ravage cropfields are as good as any storebought piggys...in Texas we intentionally went after piglets 30lbs and under using light loaded 30-30s with lead hardcasts at 1350 to 1400fps..you could eat everything but the hole...we'd put three on a 7ft stainless spit arranged nuts to butts and slow cook them for two days mopping them with BBQ concoction...best meat ever
 
#15 ·
California is full of hogs. We owned a ranch in NorCal and would kill a half dozen per weekend. Most shot with 30 cals.. Shot a few with a Python. You can see sows running with 2-3 different litters in tow. Some of the ranchers catch babies and raise them. The little critters look like chipmonks until they get to 10lbs ish. Not alot of huge hogs. Probably 150-250.

100 lbs is a good eater. Lots of sausage.

RW
 
#21 ·
As a rule I don't like wild game, except Pheasant and Quail. We went hog
hunting a couple of weeks ago, killed one about 200 and another 100lb.

A friend of ours wanted to cook the smaller one. He soaked it in brine for 4 days then slow cooked it for about 14 hours, finished it with bar b que sauce was as good of pulled pork as I have ever eaten anywhere.

Enjoy
Buster
 
#22 ·
don't quite understand some of the statements above. if you want the best eating and smelling pork...period, follow these rules:

Don't shoot anything male

don't shoot anything old and big

No experience w/russian or mix

Javelinas stink and hard to cook/eat

in my hometown in central TX...there is a legal market on feral hogs. many people buy young feral hogs and fatten them in a cage before slaughtering. absolutely no need to do that as they eat better (and smell better) than anything domestic...period. it's not a matter of opinion...but a fact. we now live in the midwest and drive to texas twice a year to purchase trapped feral hogs. won't purchase pork in stores unless it is premium fed with no chemicals.

Ask Cecil at Kornegay's butchering in Cleburne, TX. When a feral is not claimed, there is a waiting list for it year around.

do yourself a favor - shoot only the young female ferals.

milt
 
#24 ·
Buster--

To really test feral, don't cook it forever like you guys did. fry it rolled in flower like you would a pork steak or chop. that way you can truly test the real truth about eating feral hogs. no brine or soaking. ferals have very little blood in the meat. Remember, a mature buck deer is in season once a year. feral hogs are in and out of season all year round. so yes, a big tooth'ed old boar should smell and taste nasty as does an older buck deer when in season.

I recently met a man that hunts all over the world. he stated to me that he has always wanted to hunt wild hog but his friends have told him they are not edible. He is big on feeding his family only wild game, fruits and veggies. I gave him a package of feral hog steaks from an older female. Not melt in your mouth (like the younger ferals) but the best smelling and tasting pork ever (according to my friend). so now, he will split the ferals we purchase in TX with us.

Matt, yes, like the best tasting chicken you ever ate.

OBTW, if you live anywhere near DFW, contact Kornegay's in Cleburne for the best sausage I've ever eaten in 60 years of harvesting and eating wild game. they make multiple kinds of sausage that are all tops, but their wild hog summer sausage (without jalapenos or cheese) is the best I've ever had...anywhere!

milt
 
#25 ·
One of my older Texas Lady customers lives on the edge of an area called Government Canyon. Hogs are a big problem digging up the plants in people's yards. I noticed her yard didn't appear to have the damage others had. When I asked her about it she went in the house and came out with a family heirloom 1911 .45 ACP that had been liberated during one of the wars. She said she just pops them with one of these and they run into the canyon and never return. I would say this would keep me from using the .45 ACP if I was looking to feed my family. Ron
 
#26 ·
I got to shoot a hog on a friends ranch in California and it was kind of a 'bonus hunt' that we did after filling our spring turkey tag. The guy that owned the ranch had alot of experience killing the wild pigs and he insisted on the hunters using a powerful big game rifle with heavy deep penetrating bullets. .270 and up. Last thing he wanted was to have to go after a wounded pig. I used a 7mm mag and didn't consider it an overkill.

I wouldn't advise a conventional handgun of any caliber as you need to accurately place your shot usually at moderate to long range. (unless you are hunting with hounds).

As far as table fare, the wild boar ranks right down there at the bottom of the list IMO but we did make some summer sausage that was passable.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top