The Best Insider Hog Hunting Tips From The Experts

Hog hunting is an exhilarating experience. It’s vastly different from hunting other types of game, and there is nothing like the taste of bacon from a hog you tracked, hunted, killed, cleaned and cooked yourself. Below you’ll find a compilation of the best hog hunting tips provided by experts who, through trial and error, have mastered the art of hunting wild boars and pigs.

Finding the Best Hog Hunting Location

• Just because you observe wild hog damage, that doesn’t make that spot the best location to set up for a hunt. Hogs prefer shady areas that have lots of thick overgrowth and are close to a water source.
• If possible, use trail cameras in wild hog territory to track your prey, and then plan your hunt accordingly.
• Look for fresh tracks, as well as signs of wallowing and rooting. This means uprooted soil and mud, especially near water sources.
• Consider setting up multiple hog hunting sites so you can rotate positions.
• Be sure to obtain the landowner’s permission to go hog hunting if you don’t already have it. A gift or the promise of some of the pork can go a long way in these situations.
• Food plots should be set up well in advance of your hunt. By providing the hogs with food early and often, you’ll condition them to come to a specific spot.

Choosing the Right Hog Hunting Equipment

• If you plan to use a gun, remember that shot placement is far more important than bullet caliber when hog hunting. However, many hunters have reported that they have the most success when using a .308 or a 30-06.
• If you’re a bow hunter, use a bow that you’re comfortable with because the margin for error is exceptionally thin. Also, be sure to use a heavier-than-normal, fixed blade broadhead.
• Some hunters prefer to release dogs to corner a wild hog. If you do this, make sure your dogs are well-trained and have a large, sharp knife at the ready to dispatch the beast.
• Don’t be afraid to use Kevlar because catching the wrong end of a hog’s tusk can be extremely dangerous for you and your dogs.

Pre-Hunt Preparation

• Make sure your truck and off-road vehicles are properly maintained because nothing can ruin a hunt faster than a broken-down vehicle.
• Are your guns cleaned, your arrows sharpened, your knife filed, and your traps laid? This is a must.
• Invest in night-vision accessories and/or hunting lights because the big boys come out at night.
• Hogs have a better sense of smell than many animals, including deer (which can smell 20 times as good as humans). Use of non-scented detergent and deodorant, as well as scent eliminating spray on all of your clothing and gear, is essential.
• Is your hog hunting license valid? Have you received permission from the land owner and do you know who else is in the area? For both legal and safety purposes, you need to be sure.

How to Draw the Hogs to You

• Use predator calls or the sound of piglets in distress to draw out hogs for hunting.
• If you’re able to obtain a fallen telephone pole, place it strategically to attract hogs. Wooden telephone poles contain creosole (a bug repellant and preservative) that is hard for hogs to resist.
• Use 30-second calls to draw the hogs’ attention, and then wait a couple of minutes before repeating the call. Wild hogs can be drawn to you relatively easily via calling.
• Boar hog urine can be used to drive hogs crazy and they rarely resist this tactic.
• The saying “eat like a pig” comes from the fact that hogs will eat just about anything. However, the best bait includes sweet corn mixed with Jell-O, beer or Kool-Aid.
• Use timed-feeders to get the hogs accustomed to food being available at a certain time.

Conclusion

We hope you found the aforementioned hog hunting tips from experts in the field to be helpful. We’d love to hear about your experiences using these tips, and feel free to contact us if you would like to contribute to this list. Pig Soooie!