Wild Hog Hunting

Wild hogs are often a target of big game hunters. Shooting hogs can certainly help reduce their numbers, but it is not effective on its own. Hunting should be paired with trapping to be effective. Shooting by itself often does little to reduce the population.

It is often hard to eliminate an entire sounder through just shooting. Hogs will adjust their behavior and become increasingly difficult to target when exposed to hunting pressure. Wild hogs can produce multiple litters per year.

If any hogs are not removed from an area, their population will recover in a short period of time due to their high rate of reproduction. Hunting also requires a lot of time and effort. Hunting can be effective for single animals, such as lone boar.

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As hogs face more pressure in an area, they will likely become more nocturnal. This means they will only be out at night, so night hunting may be the most effective way to shoot them.

Make sure to check the local regulations, but some areas allow night hunting. In South Carolina, a property must be registered for night hunting through South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Night hunting can be dangerous, so make sure to identify your target and know the direction you are shooting. It is illegal to shoot across a paved public road in South Carolina.

Rifles equipped with spotlights may be used. The range of spotlights is often limited. It is best to use spotlights in an open habitat. Using spotlights can be very challenging and often not very successful.

Night vision optics can be used at night and can be utilized in a variety of habitats. These optics can allow the shooter to take multiple shots. However, these optics can be very expensive.

Thermal imaging optics have also become widely available, and they are a good option for night hunting. They allow the shooter to have a greater visible range, but they work best in an open habitat. These can be quite costly.

(Photo by Andrew Jamison)

Dogs can be used as a tool for finding and removing hogs as well. Some dogs can be trained to detect hogs and alert hunters when they are found. Hounds are often used to find hogs using their keen sense of smell. In some instances, catch dogs can be deployed to hold onto the hog until the hunter arrives. Dogs can be used to find hogs that have become more skittish due to pressure put on them by hunters and trappers. Be careful when using dogs, hogs can become dangerous when cornered. A cornered hog is dangerous for the dogs and the hunters.

(Photo by Adobe Stock)