mainehunt

Can you hog hunters give me some advice. Myself and 2 friends are going to Florida this July to hunt wild hogs out of tree stands. We're from Maine and don't have any experience in shooting a pig with an arrow. We are using a guide that has good percentage rates for kills.

We are all accomplished bowhunters for deer, what do we need to consider for hogs??

Thanks, Kev

hunter9022

U can use your same deer setup, but use fixed blade broadheads, no mechanicals. I know alot of people use them for pigs, but there skin is so strong, youd be better off using a cut up front like a magnus stinger. Wait for quartering away shots. I think its pretty much like deer hunting for the most part, just have to be real careful with shot placement, and make sure theyre dead when you walk up on them, they get cranky after bein shot, as well as when they havnt been.

HNI_Christine

I agree with the fixed blades. I use a 125gr 3-blade muzzy on my pigs. Haven't had any problems with pentration with them out of my old bow set at 55lbs.

I aim for the heart... which is low and tight to the shoulder. (this pig in the picture ran/rolled only 40-50 yards after the shot) If you take a quartering away shot, make sure you are aiming so that the arrow exits low and forward. A high shot and/or a shot even a tiny bit far back is bad news on a hog.

mainehunt

Thanks for the info hunter9022 and Amanita,

I use the Muzzys in 125 grain also for deer, planned on using them when going on my boar hunt. I'm happy to see that you have had good luck with them.

BTW, Amanita, could you give more info on your hunt please?? Where you hunted, bait?, treestand, ground blind, distance to pig, time of year, outfitter, etc.......


Thanks, Kev

PS- Love the photo, and congrats on the boar!

HNI_Christine

mainehunt, Thanks!

I was hunting down at Clarkrange Hunting Lodge (run by a good guy named Ken Moody) in Tennessee. You can hunt it from a ground blind or stalking or with dogs.

We were mostly using dogs (I think the hog/dog hunts are the most exciting) and there were plenty of angry boars tossing dogs and charging the hunters.. I had one charge and it came within inches of getting me... even tho' I was doing some serious side-stepping.

I got this hog when we were walking along a ridge, waiting for the dogs get on a hog. It was lying down next to a downed tree a little bit below us. We were able to stalk up within about 12 yards. (by that time it had noticed us and had it's hackles up and probably was deciding whether to charge us or run away)

It is a low-fence operation on about 500 acres. The terrain at Clarkrange is hilly with the assorted cliffs and creeks and other fun things ....so you will work for your hog. This was my 4th time there and that was by far my 'easiest' hog. The one time I was there, we had a group of 13 hunters and it was 2.5 hours of running (not walking... but running) all over everywhere before any one got a hog.

I'm thinking about organizing a 'HuntingNet' group hog hunt next year.

Red Hawk

some good tips and nice shot/picture of that hog you have there Amanita.

If you organize a group hog hunt, count me in and with hopes on my side that i can actually go

drstalker

Aminaita that sounds like a great idea.I hunted oceola outfitters in Florida a couple back and am going again this summer with a group from another bowhunt site.It's a great time and can be extreemly intense.I use my 125 muzzy 's also.I like a quartering away shot aiming for the far lung.Hog hunting is an interactive way of hunting. Hunting Florida with the heat, dogs, and gators is a blast I was charged too, at least three times while hunting with the dogs, that dude had some nice 4" cutters[:@].It's one hunt more memorable than any deer hunt that I have ever had.

High Tine

If you are a competent deer hunter with bow, Boar hunting will be quite abit easier. They are not near as skiddish, They do have a great nose and good ears, there eye sight isn't the best.

I ussually use 100gr. 3blade muzzy's on a 400 gr. CX arrow. Shooting matthews outback @72#

drstalker

I don't agree all the way hightine,especially about not being skiddish,they are very skiddish,and have an excellent sense of smell probaby more so than deer do,I expierenced it myself while stalking them.Thier
eye sight like you said is pretty poor,but believe me they pick up movement big time and will bolt in a hurry.

mainehunt

I want to thank everyone for writing on here. It's great. I have booked our hunt with Southern Arrowhead Outfittters in Blountstown, Florida. The guide is very informative and has put up with a few phone calls and several e-mails. I have been very impressed with him.

One question that I had for him, really surprized me. I asked him which fixed blade broadhead that he thought I should use and he said he likes a mechanical broadhead the most. That floored me. He recommended the Wasp jackhammer.

Edited to add; Please post pics of any boars use shot