The danger of feral hogs

smokem

New member

FRED FLOYD went hunting in the big timber about fifteen miles from
Atlantic and expected to return early in the afternoon. On his failing to
return a party went in search, and after tracking him for several hours,
found a body horribly mutilated and recognized as Floyd's by the bits of
clothing found. Around on the snow a good deal of blood was seen and a gun
barrel also found which was recognized and which gave unmistakable signs of
his having had a bad fight. A short distance away was found a dead sow, with
a broken leg and a shot gun wound in its side. Several hogs have been seen
running in the timber, and it is supposed Floyd wounded one of them and its
cries of pain brought the others and they becoming ferocious attacked him
before he could reach a place of safety, pulling him down and literally
tearing him to pieces bit by bit. He had been working in the neighborhood
only a short time and was single. His relatives are not known.

Source: Waterloo Daily Courier
Waterloo, Iowa, January 11, 1897
 
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I've heard the old saying "Went to chit and the hogs ate him." Most folks don't understand what that might mean.
 
In commercial hog production there are instances of an individual having a heart attack in a hog pen and being eaten .

 
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AGR's understand what that means. "He died and the Hogs ate him". I heard this saying more than a few times when I was living in the house.

What a horrible way to die. Sad story. All the more reason to hunt all these wild hogs into extinction. They are more than a nuisance they are a deadly menace.
 
Years ago I was squirrel hunting and came between a sow and her piglets. I had to climb a tree and stayed put for 20 minutes. I now carry a 9mm whenever I am out in the field. I'm sure it will never happen again but it does I will be ready. Hogs will eat anything they can get their snots on.

Reggie
 
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I think the danger is a little overblown. If you are in the thick brush and it feels cornered it might charge. I have seen a lot of hogs and when they detect a person or get shot they always run away. Even a sow no more than 15 feet away with her piglets. Our first time hunter friend gut shot it and they still ran away. Sometimes they are in groups of 20 or more but they still all run away. However, we spot and stalk in the open rolling hills of CA. There is always a place for them to easily run away.
 
Originally Posted By: GrainraiserYears ago I was squirrel hunting and came between a sow and her piglets. I had to climb a tree and stayed put for 20 minutes. I know carry a 9mm whenever I am out in the field. I'm sure it will never happen again but it does I will be ready. Hogs will eat anything they can get their snots on.

Reggie

You shoot a hog with that 9mm, he is going to be very upset with you.
 
I haved killed them with .22, 17hmr and a 17wsm. Put one in the ear hole and they go right down. 99% of the time they run when they see you. Come between a sow and her piglets or corner a wounded hog and you might get charged. For me a pistol is simply a backup weapon. A head shot pig is gonna die regardless of the weapon being used.
 
No doubt hogs will run from you most of the time, but there's times when they don't and when they are not cornered. I have seen a few movies when they didn't run. One particular movie involved Dan Fitzgerald and Bob Folkrod when they were bowhunting in the mountains of Tennessee. The hog could have run in any direction in the woods, but it chose to single out one of them and made a beeline for him, putting him up a tree. Another movie I saw showed a hog zeroing in on the camera man, cutting him pretty bad. Again, the area was open and the hog could have run in any direction.

It's kind-of like black bears in that they will run from you most of the time, but once and a while you find one that has different intentions.

 
I have hunted hogs a lot. I have never had one attack me like you see in the video. The only one I ever had charge me was being worked by dogs.

 
Like Yellowhammer, the only one I've ever had charge, or even show an indication of doing so, was wounded and backed into a corner by two dogs. It came out mad at what it probably thought was the weakest link - me. Unfortunately for him, I had a 1911 and he didn't...
 
I have seen wounded hogs takeoff running with no intentions of charging anyone. They just happen to takeoff toward the hunter and once the see the hunter they decided to try and get him before he gets them. It seems the know that it his him vs me and I will take my chances on getting to him first. This hog seemed intent on getting to the hunter before the hunter could stop him.



 
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Quote:A head shot pig is gonna die regardless of the weapon being used.

Have head shot two large boars that didn't; both frontal head shots w/223. Having said that, have shot many more that did, with a little different shot placement.

Watched a 55 gr. BT apparently explode (red splash on impact between his eyes at about 30 yards). He never lost his footing, spun and ran into nearby heavy brush. I do not believe the bullet penetrated the skull, based on the fact he did not seem to be impaired in his escape. I doubt that the shot was fatal.

Wouldn't call the following a charge but as close to one as I care to get. It was getting dark when I slipped up on this boar in a corral. He was busy eating from a horse trough ten ft. past a hogwire fence that was between us. I was trying to get my rifle through the wire for a clear shot when he suddenly bolted, running in my direction through an open gate I had not seen. Next thing I knew he was passing me within 10'. I suspect that he was spooked and was just escaping; not sure he ever saw me??



I will say, I've never seen a hog survive a .223 placed between ear and eye. Suspect a 9mm w/same placement would have done the job, but I'm happy that I had the .223 instead.
smile.gif


Regards,
hm

 
I have guys ask me all the time can you hunt hogs with a rimfire. I tell them you can but it is just like hunting them with a bow with the exception of shot placement. You have to get within 60 yards and you have to put a round in their ear or eye. Any place else will lose that hog. I am curious to see if a 17wsm has enough juice to penetrate the shield of a hog like the one you posted. I doubt if he would be DRT but I would like to see how effective it would be. I have not tried it because I am pretty sure there would be no blood trail. That's a gnarly hog in that picture.

 
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