have you ever been charged by a hog
 

have you ever been charged by a hog

https://huntsfish.com/hunting-wild-boar-shoot.html


Ive shot dozens of hogs over several decades, most try hard to avoid hunters and vacate the area your in fast.
now I'll be the first guy to point out that some "charges" guys talk about,
maybe the result of some hog just picking the direction he was headed in and running flat out to escape a perceived threat!
but I'm convinced after decades thats not always true!
I know from decades of hunting hogs that on a rare occasion if you wound a large hog,
he may have revenge on his vindictive, little pig minds agenda!
on one of the first hog hunts I ever went on my buddy was in a tree stand overlooking a field of about 7 acres,
and I was across that field that was covered in densely grown grass, weeds brush, about 2-3 feet thick And tall mostly sawgrass,
covering an area that had been burnt off the year previously.
he had just shot at a large hog with his 12 ga using buck-shot at a range of about 50 yards,
As I was about 1/2 way across that field the hog must have heard me walking as at the shot,
I could see the grass parting like a bow wave from a ship as he headed straight for my location,
while several other smaller bow waves generated by other hogs took off at about 90 degrees, from his route.
I had a 44 mag model 29 loaded with 240-grain hard cast gas check bullets,

over a stiff load of 19.5 grains of 2400 powder,
I could see the grass parting in a straight line headed in my direction,
but until the hog got to about 30 feet distance I could not see him.
now keep in mind, the ranges where we hunt in Florida seldom exceed 40 yards and 50 yards is a rare long shot,
most shots are taken at under 40 yards , in very thick brush. saw grass palmetto etc.
frankly, I was not ready at the time to repel a charge but as soon as I saw a target I fired and the hog flipped and skidded and kicked a few times,
the body stopping about 10 feet from me I thought Id fired once, but after checking I realized my pistol had two empty cases,
and the hog was hit once in the spine behind the head and once in the ribs further back along the spine,
Id fired twice both double action shots at close range,(at under 35 feet)
with both hard cast 44 bullets passing through that hog that had to weight in the 120-130 lb range,
exiting the lower hog stomach area at different angles and locations.
dressing out the hog we found two buckshot in the left ham.



on a different hunt a buddy shot at a hog that looked like it dropped instantly he went over and was about to nudge it with his toe when it jumped up and hooked him in the calf causing a 15 stitch slice in his leg
both he with a 9mm and another buddy with a 357 mag revolver stopped further damage, with a hail of bullets,
and a rapid trip to the local hospital resulted from the serious medical damage to his leg, that took months to recover from and it left a damn impressive scar!

That's been my experience when hunting hogs.

99 times out of a hundred they are going to head for cover it is that one time you have to worry about. Most attacks are from a wounded Hog, but there are exceptions.
I was slowly creeping into my high seat mid-summer Roe Deer rut, well before dawn. I was just crossing a ditch and a very large Sow charges right at me across a pasture from near a hundred yards. I've shot a lot of Hogs mostly passing shots, where you can't exactly place your shot, the vast majority of Hogs run another forty to sixty yards before they go down. This was my thinking when I raised my rifle and thought when I shoot, the chance of me getting off a second shot before she made it to me was slim. The math is simple, a running Hog can travel at about 15 yards a second, Working the bolt and re-aiming and she is going to cover 45 yards in three seconds, I really hope I don't miss. After that encounter when sneaking into a high seat in the early morning I now carry my 1100 loaded with slugs.
A buddy of mine and a farmer, that had clipped a large Boar with his Brushhog, were tracking the Boar, the Boar came out of the brush and went right at them. My buddy couldn't shoot fearing he might hit the farmer, He ended up killing the Boar with his knife. This guy is an unassuming type, don't judge a book by its cover, he is the real deal. Thankfully he was wearing leather pants and had no puncture wounds but his lower legs were really bruised.
On one of my first Hog hunts, we were hunting a Boar that had opened up a teenager's leg fourteen inches. The story was he and his girlfriend had snuck off into the woods and had sex. Just when they'd finished and they were walking off, the Boar attacked. Best guess is the hormones in the air set him off.
On a two-lane highway, end of the working day leaving a nearby major city, a car hit a large Hog. The story was the sounder got spooked out of a Cornfield that was being harvested. It ended up being a multiple car accident and the Police were called. Both directions were blocked, the Police and multiple drivers and passengers were out in the street milling around when the sounder returned and got aggressive. The Police opened fire with their 9mm pistols and pissed off the hogs even more. The sounder eventually left. They called me and told me to bring my dog to track the wounded hogs, thinking this bunch was aggressive enough and were likely even more dangerous wounded. We tracked that sounder for twelve hours over two days and never caught up with them and never found any dead hogs.
Like I said 99 times out of a hundred they are going to head for the hills, it's the exceptions you have worry about.

I had a guy read this thread and post what I thought was an interesting related question.

many years ago I started out using a seaco bullet mold I borrowed from a friend,
after a few weeks Id cast 700 -800 plus bullets,
but he wanted his mold back,
and at that time I could not find a duplicate mold to buy,
so
I purchased a lyman mold I found at a local gunshop,
which proved to be even more accurate in my revolver at longer ranges
after a few years I purchased a Lee 310 grain which I personally found to be accurate in both my marlin lever action and my S&W revolver,
something that was not true of the lyman 300 grain, bullet,
in the marlin lever action, at ranges over 100 yards or so

300 grain lyman
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categ.../LYMAN-429-650

240 grain seaco
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101034511


310 grain lee
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010207991?pid=511417
the load used was 310 grain bullet over 21 grains of h110
all the bullets work well on game, but the lee is the most consistently accurate in my weapons
many 44 mag revolvers have a twist rate in the 1 in 18-20" range the marlin has a much slower twist rate near 1 in 38"

I do believe I have been charged once. The hog had to make multiple direction changes to get on target. With that said, I have had several hogs run at me, all of which just ran right by me. Most were already pointed toward me or I put myself in a position to anticipate where they would run (they often run back in the previous direction that was safe, though they sometimes it is not a direct route).

This is a favorite hog charge video of mine...

why on earth, this guy in that video, did not put a second arrow on the bowstring,
the second he released the first,
shot and draw it and aim it in anticipation,
and have it ready for that potential charge?
thats like archery hunting 101 !
like with every other weapon, you keep shooting until the game drops as long as its in range
even a less than ideally placed body shot on a wounded game animal is better,
than standing helplessly and useless and clueless , unprepared as the game charges or runs away!


If he could not learn that skill (a fast second shot with a bow)
he might want to spend $69 on a back-up plan to repel,
what might have been very expensive personal bodily damage
cold steel makes a semi-decent boar spear with a crossguard to keep the vindictive boar from advancing up the shaft once stuck through the body

Bowhunting is different than hunting with a rifle or pistol. But I'd be darned if I wouldn't have at least a .357 magnum pistol with me as a backup. I use a .44 special mainly for the ability for a quick second shot, less recoil quicker second shot.

Here there are classes of hunters, those that do it mainly as a full-time job. Serious hobby or semi-professional, weekend warriors and novices. The professional or serious hunters are often the ones that go after wounded game, especially in group hunts. You see more and more of them with bayonet lugs on their rifles or slug guns and bayonets on their belts. Looking for a wounded Hog in thick brush can be a sphincter tightening experience, They move through the tunnels below your eye level, you are making a racket breaking brush while moving so it is hard to hear them coming. Even the dogs get confused with all the racket and Hog scent everywhere. My opinion is do what the professionals do, us a bayonet when an attack is possible to fend off an angry Hog. The professionals are also fond of the bigger is better philosophy when Hog hunting, you rarely see one with anything less than a 30 06 with 220-grain bullets or the all-time favorite is a 9:3 X 64.

If you watch videos of Hog attacks, the guys that are experienced fend them off with their rifle barrel then take a shot when practical.

Why many places have forbidden bayonets on rifles eludes me, the only real reason I can think of is they look scary, kind of like partially serrated blades on a knife, they look scary so they must be bad. My thinking is a serrated blade comes in handy when filed dressing large game and a bayonet might keep a big sow from chewing my testicles off.

Side note, Boar have all the rep, but Sows will chew up and run off a Boar (I've watched them do it). A large Sow comes at you head back jaws wide open and those jaws are crotch high on most people, Boars slash, Sows bite and the biguns have bone-crushing bites. I'm not really afraid of them, but I do respect them as a threat.

while its been my experience that most hogs will immediately,
try to be as far as possible from any hunter they see,, and youll seldom get a shot still hunting,
as they will generally detect you before you can get a decent shot.
much of my local area is very well stocked with wild or feral hogs
many farmers will let you shoot hogs on their property if you ask , look like your responsible and
offer free cases of beer.
the larger hogs (boar or sows) are potentially a threat, once they are cornered or wounded.
so approach a wounded or presumably dead hog ready to shoot, if that's required.
now Its been my experience that hogs stick to the thicker brush in daylight,
and you just don,t get shots much over 30-40 yards.
thus a reasonable handgun, iron-sighted rifle, or shotgun work rather well and scoped rifles are not always ,
as useful, BECAUSE IN THICKER AREAS THE LOCAL HOGS SEEM TO PREFER,
ranges can frequently be in the under 10-15 yard ranges,
I've talked to a great many of the local guys and they seem to shoot most hogs from tree stands while in theory waiting for deer.
if your 15-25 ft up in a tree stand your scent does not seem to be as easily detected.
know a few guys that say they can attract hogs to an area with bait,
rancid milk and molasses, cattle feed , and 3 day old frozen shrimp and molasses, raw peanuts and mollases are popular from what I hear.

https://www.jacksonville.com/article...ORTS/801239392

https://www.hogmanoutdoors.com/blog/...ing-feral-hogs

https://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/ga...hog%20hunting.

http://www.floridasportsman.com/2020...ke%20to%20dig.

(mostly private property)
but thats not legal in many areas
I generally hunt deer in preference to hogs , but some local guys just love hogs
while I prefer a magnum handgun, lever action rifles and 12 ga shotguns are the more common firearms used locally

I was several years ago in SC. I had shot a nice boar at 35 yards. I aimed for the head behind the ear, the hog moved his head just as I pulled the trigger but he went down like he was pole axed. AS is my practice I give them 10 minutes after they stop kicking before I get out of the stand and go to the hog to take photos. I took my gear and , back pack and rifle and walked to the hog, sat down the pack and slung my rifle, the hogs eyes were open and he looked dead. I took one picture from the side and walked around the front to get a good picture of his head and cutters. When my camera flashed the hog blinked. Before I could say ah crap, he was coming at me growling like I have never heard a hog do. I was wearing my Kahr MK .40 on my hip and I drew and fired in one motion and killed him at my feet with a shot to the head. To say my heart gas pounding like a jackhammer is an under statement. The adrenaline took about a half hour to wear off. If I would not have my handgun on me I would have been torn up without a doubt. All the years of having to qualify and practice drawing and firing for a close quarters fire fight sure paid off. This is the hog, 162 lbs.

I watch a LOT of hunting videos. I can say that I DON'T recall very many archery hunters immediately nocking a second arrow. Many are very experienced hunters. Some are 'professional' hunters. What is it they usually do? Admire their shot. Why do they not nock a second arrow in case a hog charges? Because it virtually never happens. They are more concerned in watching where the hog runs so that they can recover the hog

If they aren't going to nock a second arrow, then they aren't going to ridiculously try to produce a spear and get ready for a charge either, LOL.

I suppose its a different way of hunting,
I was always taught, never ever, take your eyes off the game,
and if you can,t draw and nock a second or third arrow on your bow string,
without looking at the process, or if a hunter can,t do it seamlessly and nearly effortlessly,
they need much more practice,
you re-chamber or reload your rifle, working the bolt, or lever or slide during recoil,
I know I darn sure do that and get the sights back on target,
without thinking, a second about the necessity,
as you might need a follow up shot, even if 90% of the time its not needed,
you do that, without looking or dropping the rifle off your shoulder don,t you!
but admittedly I was taught to hunt with a 70 lb recurve not a compound bow

I was recently asked what to buy if you wanted a rifle designed to hunt deer and hogs in thick brush,
here in florida by a neighbor who is getting rather pissed at the damage hogs do to his 50 acres
(yes he lives out in the middle of a rural area bordering a WMA)
hes called the local FISH & GAME dept about the damage,
and he wanted a rifle he could use once deer season opens,
I told him,
(youll rarely need to take shots over 100 yards in most areas on deer or hogs)
Hogs in florida are hunted on private property all year,
as they are considered vermin,
as they destroy millions of dollars in farm crops and do lots of property damage every year
pictures are NOT his property but hes seeing similar damage






well that answer depends mostly on your budget and personal preferences,
if you have to have a kick butt and take names carbine I doubt you can improve on a BLR.
I've found these two lever actions both dependable and accurate
THE BROWNING BLR in either 358 win or 450 marlin caliber chamberings
I received a brief e-mail asking why I seem to be promoting the 450 marlin and 358 win cartridges in the BLR
I'm not promoting any caliber or action type,
simply pointing out what I see rather frequently, being used.
they easily shoot tight groups and can be used on anything,
even ELK out a 250 plus yards in skilled hands.
(certainly the most versatile choice,
but it could easily cost near $1000
with a scope and mounts extra)


the marlin 1894 in 44 mag is about the most common and well liked carbine around here and loaded with a lee 310 grain cat bullet over 21 grains of H110 powder its certainly very effective out to about 140 yards... most hogs are shot at less than 60 yards, and I can count the deer I shot in florida at over 150 yards,
with several fingers left over on one hand,
cost generally runs close to $500-$600 currently on the 44 mag carbines




these Norinco sporters are an excellent choice in my opinion,
but are hard to find,
and generally cost about $475-$550


certainly, a 16"-20" barrel AR15 has become very popular in this area
keep in mind your limited to use of a 5 shot magazine in florida (while hunting)
prices vary with options but $650-$800 should get you a decent example
I would suggest a heavy varmint barrel in a 16" version

https://www.model1sales.com/index.cf...category_id=78

I've killed hundreds of them over the years and only been charged once. I was tying a baby I had caught up with a bandana and it was screaming bloody murder. Momma snuck around behind me and plowed me up in the air pretty good. She took her baby and left after popping me again - I went looking for my bow and she went back to her sounder with her little one in tow. He still had my bandana tied to a back leg last time I saw him.

While elk hunting on Fort Sill in 2003 a friend wounded a 250 pound boar. Hog was lying on the ground and i started to approach.. My friend yelled: :That hog will kill you". Hog jumped up and charged, when his head was size of a 55 gallon drum end in the scope i fired my muzzleloader. Hog was DRT.

While hunting i saw a group of parti colored pigs eating grass. i was unaware momma was taking a mud bath in the pond to my right. Momma came at me and i stepped aside. After she turned and came on again i killed her. Few days later i saw a big sow running with seven black pigs and a bunch of parti colored pigs.

Some time in the mid/late 1990s an auto dealer in OK City ordered breeding pairs of Eurasian boars from Bavaria. He turned them loose north of highway 62 west of Lawton. In 2007 i killed this very old boar on Quanah Parker range. There was an ear tag from a game farm in Bavaria.



Killed this boar in 2010. This hog had recently killed four dogs belonging to a hog dogger who spotted him while in route to a hog dogging show. He neglected to put kevlar vests on his dogs.

No I haven't been charged by a hog but I have unloaded an entire .357 magazine into a hog and he kept running for a mile before he laid down. Those creatures are pretty tough.

Yep I am a member of the been charged by a hog club. I was quail hunting. I had three English pointers on the ground. They pointed and on the covey rise I killed one and unfortunately wounded another. It flew a distance of about 200 yards across a harvested peanut field all the way to the wood line and appeared to go down in a heap. The remainder of the covey also flew across the field and entered the woods. One of the dogs quickly retrieved the dead bird. I had no intention of hunting the singles but set out across the field to see if I could retrieve the wounded bird. I had mentally marked where it went down. Immediately upon reaching the other side of the field I entered what was a laid out field heavily laden with broom sedge and dog fennel. The dogs entered about 50 yards above me. Just as I was going to whistle them back to hunt the wounded bird, I was charged by a very large feral hog. LOL There I was with a shotgun loaded with bird shot!. I shot just over the hogs head but it did not deter it. The hog was now only about twenty five yards away and coming fast. I carefully aimed between the eyes and shot. I blinded the hog with this shot. I emptied the gun between the eyes as fast as I could. Thank goodness I had the plug out! The hog went down at a distance of about 5 yards from me. By that time the dogs where also there. The hog was moving somewhat so I loaded up again and stuck the barrel to the head and shot again. I only then realized that it was a sow. I quickly found the very small piglets and killed them. So I had happened upon a feral sow with piglets present.

After I stood shaking awhile, I called for the dogs to hunt close and they quickly winded and pointed the wounded quail. I kicked around and did not get a flush/run and then clucked to the dogs and called careful. The bird was indeed dead and one bird dog retrieved it.

LOL, that was the end of that hunt! I went back to the truck and loaded the dogs into the dog box. I then sat in the cab in a trance thinking about how close that was to a disaster. Beware of a pissed off mamma sow. That is the second time I have been charged by a feral hog while quail hunting. Both times it was a sow with pigs.

LOL don't get me started on rattlesnakes. I have killed a truck load of them through the years while quail and dove hunting.

I've been charged several times by hogs in traps. Yeah, it's a bit unnerving!

Many moons back, I was still hunting squirrels with a 20 gauge shotgun.
I stepped across a dead log and was immediately greeted with that "growl" followed by a VERY angry "huff"! Took me a second to locate the source through the heavy undergrowth.
The apparently angry hackles were clearly visible along a sandy, red back.
A 20 gauge stuffed #7.5's wasn't really apropos! 😳
I eased back across the huge, dead log and readied myself for a full frontal assault.
My hope was that the log would slow her down enough, I could give her a load in the face at halitosis range before the pattern opened up.
Thankfully, she gathered her 3 piglets and departed for parts unknown! 😅

If you hog hunt you're gonna get charged
 

I've been charged maybe 7 times in my life. I've killed probably 80-100 hogs. All the charges have been when I went into thick brush after a wounded hog. Fortunately I was able to make the finish shot at point blank. I worry that one day I'll miss and the hog will win😩