Hunting wild boars

Hunting wild boars

Over the past few decades, wild boars have become a very popular game. With the increase in their population, not going out and stopping hunting can have negative consequences. Overpopulation of these wild pigs will certainly cause an imbalance in the ecosystem. So hunting wild boars is not only our tradition but also our duty. This article aims to highlight some of the most important tips to help you start or improve your hunt.

Hunting wild boars

What can you expect in a wild boar hunt?

Boar hunting can be dangerous. These animals are known to be aggressive, especially when cornered or attacked. Therefore, no hunter should be too lenient when dealing with these animals. You must take every precaution when pursuing them to avoid unnecessary injury.

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Hog hunting tips for beginners

Learn the habits of wild boars

Like any other animal, wild boars can be tracked, but they have several different methods of “leaving” tracks. One example is the search for scooped soil. Since pigs use their mouths to find food in the soil, you should see moved dirt on the ground if there is a hog nearby.

Wild pigs have also been known to dig up soil near water sources. They use the mud to cool their bodies because they don’t have sweat glands through which they dissipate heat. So, if you see disturbed soil near ponds or streams that smells of urine and/or feces, it probably means that a feral hog has used it as a personal mud bath.

Of course, you also need to look for clear tracks. As you can see in the photo, it looks like a deer track, but it is slightly rounder and larger, so you can easily distinguish it.

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Track your prey

If you are already a novice hunter, you probably know how to stay in the shadows and track your prey. You should use the same method to hunt wild boars since they have a good sense of hearing and smell, but poor eyesight. In addition, they are quite intelligent, so don’t underestimate them.

Hunting a wild boar is much more effective when you are at a distance. That way we won’t alert it to our presence. It is known that pigs are very cautious. It may also be necessary to follow them, as they often wander. When you feel you can get a good shot, quickly but carefully shoot your prey.

Become a nocturnal hunter

Some wild boars have become nocturnal as an adaptive response to hunters hunting them during the day. Therefore, it’s best to hunt them at night for a better chance of a kill. Remember to hunt at night only in an area you know well, so you don’t get lost. Moreover, a thermal imager or at least a night vision device is necessary for effective observation and detection of the game. Hunting 8 x 56 binoculars are becoming increasingly rare, in favor of just more modern technology.

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Know where to shoot

So you see your wild hog, you track it and you’ve already got it in your sights.  Where do you shoot now?

Hunters must be very familiar with the anatomy of the animals they hunt. Hogs have thick skin that can protect them from bullets or arrows. If you don’t hit the right organ of a feral hog, chances are it will attack you or run away. Knowing the anatomy of a feral hog can help you make an accurate shot. For a lethal shot, aim for the pig’s heart or lungs. Of course, you need to know where it is. The pig’s heart is slightly above the elbow (as shown in the photo), while the lungs are a few inches behind the shoulder. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a quick and lethal kill, aim behind the ear straight for the brain. However, this is quite a challenge even for advanced hunters, as it is located in a hard-to-reach place.

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Use effective ammunition

The most popular caliber among hunters is 7.62 mm caliber, that is, for example, .308 Winchester, 30 – 06, or 30R Blaser. Ammunition for this caliber is widely available on our market and, most importantly, effective against wild boar. The recoil in all these calibers is very noticeable, so some hunters choose 6.8 mm, e.g. .270 Winchester. Other calibers that do well against the larger game are 8mm (e.g., 8×57, 8x57JRS, 8x60S) and 9.3mm (e.g., 9.3x74R, 9.3×64), although they are less popular due to annoying recoil.

Hunt in the areas most populated by wild boar

Recently, the population of wild pigs in Poland has been growing rapidly, so you should have no problem finding a game. Hunting restrictions related to the pandemic have had a big impact. It should be remembered that wild boars are often tied to one place. Hunting clubs know their terrain very well, and their members know in which places a wild boar encounter is most likely.

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Use decoys or scents

Another hunting method you can use is to use decoys and scents. There are commercially available calling devices that can mimic the call of a female to attract male pigs. There are also decoys that mimic the call of piglets to attract sows. On the other hand, scents are also widely used by hunters. Hogs are attracted to the smell of berries and molasses, as well as other foods they like. You can create your own scent for bait, but you can also buy commercially available ones. Unfortunately, their effectiveness is very difficult to verify. Some people think highly of beech tar, while others see no effect from it and experiment with different agents. 

As for odors, a good hunter should know how to remove traces of his scent. As mentioned in this article, pigs have a heightened sense of smell. They are most likely to avoid (or worse, attack) if they smell a human scent. To remove human odor, make sure you are free of human odors such as deodorants, colognes, perfumes, detergents, and others. It is also recommended that you wash your hunting clothes thoroughly with hot water and baking soda. Do not use any chemicals or detergents, as this would cause a “human” smell.

Be very, very quiet

In addition to a good sense of smell, pigs also have a good sense of hearing. They can easily hear you when you cough, sneeze or drop a fuse from your rifle. Therefore, it’s best to avoid such human sounds so as not to put off your pigs.

Use wild boar bait

A good baiting technique is to dig a hole in the ground, as narrow and as deep as possible, before inserting the bait. Good baits are ripe fruit or corn, but boars basically eat anything. Feral pigs would then spend time digging in the ground to get to the food. And since it is difficult to access, the pigs would be forced to stay in the area and perhaps attract more pigs. When using baiting as a hunting technique, you should make sure to position yourself upwind or sit on the pulpit at the right distance.

Summary

Here are 9 useful tips for a successful wild boar hunt. The most important thing in all this work is to maintain safety rules for both us and the wildlife. The topic is much more extensive so we will expand the topic with more and more threads in the future.

Max Richardson
Hey, I'm Max. I am a writer living in the USA in New York City. I love sports and kayaking. I love to fish and go down the rivers. I have a personal blog about kayaking and fishing - https://inflatableboatlift.com/