Some friends and I went on our first hog hunt this past weekend. We went down to the Love Valley WMA in southern Oklahoma. Anyways, we saw signs of hogs all over the place. Lots of tracks, trails and torn up ground. Bedding areas everywhere. But we only saw one hog. He came blasting out of some brush right in front of my friend and me. By the time we got him stopped, we had used three 12 guage slugs each. I don't know if we hit him every time though. The first shot for me anyways was kind of a panic shot. We gave him some time to make sure he was dead. When we flipped him over, he had a softball size hunk of meat missing off of his left side. He had obviously been shot or wounded a couple weeks ago. The wound was filled with maggots and he was in bad shape. So, we didn't feel comfortable taking any of the meat. Was that the right thing to do?

I have some questions now. I'm thinking that a rifle like a 30-06 with iron sights would be best for hunting an area like this. But I never see any 30-06 that doesn't have a scope on it.

Does anybody use a tree stand to hunt out of? I was thinking about setting up a feeding area and then setting up a tree stand nearby and wait for the pigs to come. Does anybody do something like this?

What do you guys do? Do you walk around until you come across some pigs, or do you sit somewhere and wait? I definately had a good time though. Other than when I went walking across a dried up pond and went crashing through the crust up past my knees. That wasn't as bad as when the mud dried and fused my socks to my leg hair. Ugh.

I have a feeder just for hog hunting. I have it set up 150 yds from my travel trailer and we just sit at the picnic table and watch for them to feed. shot about 25 to date doing it this way most of them 1-2 hours after dark. and have also shot several stalking into the wind when acorns fall and they are feeding on them making lots of noise. You just dont see many during the day unless its overcast or cold.

We're not allowed to hunt them after dark here in Oklahoma. I wish we were! Matt

can you hunt at night on private land

Nope. One half hour before official sunrise to one half hour after official sunset. Public or private land.

I live about 30 miles east of Houston, Texas and my deer lease is about 45 more miles north east from here in the deep piney woods of southeast Texas. I have one bow stand dedicated for hogs with two feeders on opposite sides. Both feeders are set at 20 yards from the stand and the further distance is 30 yards. I throw corn mixed with roasted soy beans and the hogs love them. I can just about see them each morning and evening when it is not full moon.

KC10Chief: May want to be careful,on public landsI think the regs for OK say that you can only hunt hogs with weapon of the current season (ie during deer archery you can shoot them with a bow) and you must posses a hunting license and deer tag either filled or unfilled. I would double check.

Spotlighting hogs in OK is legal on private property if you obtain permision from the land owner and a permit from the local game warden. Some will let you some won't. I know guys who have had luck with it around Marrieta and Atoka.

If you can find a Remington 7600 that would be perfect. Dependable pump action with iron sights. Just my opinion.

KC10Chief: here's what the regs say about hunting hogs on WMAs.

Hog Hunting on Public Lands, except Honobia Creek, Three Rivers and Broken Bow WMAs
On WMAs open during any regular hunting season, hunters will be allowed to harvest feral hogs by whatever means legal during that season. Hunters must comply with all other current season and WMA regulations. However, feral hogs may not be taken by the aid of a light or light enhancement device (night scope).

To answer the origional question. Yes there are some 30-06's out there with iron sights. Excellent choice of calibers by the way. Browning makes a lever action in 30-06 and you might find an old Remington pump action.
A fun gun to shoot in 30-06 is an M-1 Garand. You can wear a hog out with that one.

I rpobably wouldnt eat the meat either, infections run througout the blood stream