On three hunting trips to Southern Africa, I've seen Bush Pigs twice. The first time, they had none on license, and 8 ran right by me in broad daylight. This is the result of the second time in Zambia. I was using a 416 Rem Buff hunting. One was a 350 X bullet and the second a 400 Gr. solid.

I've got one on the menu in August in Kwazulu-Natal. The species is basically nocturnal but will come to bait so the PH is setting up a hide for us. They're also found in Mozambique but your best chances are during the dark of the moon. You would have to get up reeaaallllyyyyy early to have a chance.

You're right, Mark, that is a nice sow. Since there doen't seem to be much difference in the appearance of the boars vs sows (unlike warthog!) I'll be happy to collect one just like her. Deeeelicious!

Mark,

We hunted Bushpig with a pack of dogs near Malelane, south of Kruger, and you're sure right about the running through the thornbush part! I had to more deep scratchs than I could count by the end of the day! Not to mention that a few dogs had gashes from pigs that needed stiches. This was on a sugercane farm that was having problems with Bushpigs eating the crops and we saw quite a few pigs during the day.
It was very exiting when the dogs caught a scent and started after the pigs, howling all the way. A couple were taken near the cane and the others in dence bush where they were bayed by the dogs. Fast and furious would best describe it, and open sites where definatly the best bet. We also ended up with a warthog that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time! It was a great day and we were lucky to join these guys who help farmers get rid of "problem pigs".



Erik D.

www.dunia.no

I can't answer your question about which country offers the best Bushpig hunting; but I can share a little experience on the subject. I think they are pretty widely distributed across Southern Africa, and most numerous in areas that offer agricultural areas for nightime feeding near thick and/or rugged terrain for daytime cover.

I've hunted Bushpigs during 3 South African hunts, a total of 6 weeks altogether, and finally shot a Bushpig on the last night of the 3rd hunt. Even when there are lots of them around, they are a very elusive trophy. Primarily nocturnal, daylight Bushpig sightings are rare. They are also quite aggressive and have a particularly nasty disposition when cornered or wounded.

If you really want to shoot one, there are two methods that dramatically increase the odds in your favor. The first is to hunt them with a pack of trained dogs. Just as wild hogs are hunted in the southern USA, the dogs will pick up a fresh track, then run down and bay the Bushpig. This is not an experience for the faint of heart or out of shape hunter. Bushpigs like the thickest, nastiest, thorniest cover they can find. You have to keep up with the dogs and get to them quickly when the Bushpig turns to fight; otherwise the Bushpig will rip up a couple of dogs and take off again. This approach has the disadvantage of wasting time and energy running down small Bushpigs that you may not want to shoot, but is definitely more exciting than sitting in a moonlit corn field all night.

The second, and the way that I ultimately shot mine, is to hunt them over bait. As with all wild hogs, Bushpigs are omnivorous and will eat almost anything. In my case a farmer had been baiting them regularly with soured corn on the edge of his fields at the base of a very rugged mountain where the Bushpigs holed up during the day. Just before dark they started coming down the mountain to spend the night foraging in the agricultural areas of the valley below. We had half a dozen Bushpigs show up at the bait pile before I shot this nice sow

We had spent many sleepless nights walking around corn fields and driving through pastures with spotlights without even seeing a Bushpig.

Good luck in your pursuit, Bushpigs are a very interesting animal. Now I want a big boar Bushpig to put on the wall with the Sow! We leave in 5 weeks for a 14 day Leopard and Plains game hunt in Namibia, and Bushpig will be on the priority list once again.

I know, from what I have read, that you could hunt africa several times, and not find a bushpig. Still, if you were on lets say a 10 day plains game hunt, where[country] would you stand the best chance of getting one, while hunting primarily for other species?

Mad Dog

Nice pigs Christer and Palmer! What rifle caliber and bullet did you guys use?

30ott6
Thanks, Mine was a 300 W.M. by John Ricks. I used 180 grain Northfork handloads.

During a warthog hunt the luck was there....





.........It only takes a couple of minutes until we see the first pigs and when we have a big one just along the road we decides to give it a try. Since I want it on video and there is so many of them I decides that it�s worth loosing some of the opportunities waiting for the camcorder to leave the stand by mode and record. And this is such a moment, luckily for me. We see him ran of into the bush and decides to walk for him, just 20 yards from the road we see another one just waking up and Jasper tells me to shot. It is a Bush pig and after the lung shot it runs for 40 yards. When we finally get it to the road we can see it�s a big one................

It isn't a big deal to get a Bushpig during the daylight hours unless they have been hunted really hard...I see them every year in RSA, Zim and Tanzania...I think the nocturnal pigs are crop raiders for the most part...

While on a buff hunt in Mozambique (September 2002) I took a nice one in the midle of the day. A boar and sow were laying atop a small hill and we happened upon them in plain sight. This experience is quite unusual but it can happen.

Beginners luck played the biggest part for me up in the Waterberg mountains.

We were hunting varmints with a spotlight when we saw this old boar with a sow. When the PH shined the light on him he tried to hide in some weeds which unfortunately for him left one brown patch exposed.

His teeth were all worn down - from age I suppose.

Mark



Your bushpig looks like you brushed it or combed it. But I guess it WAS a female and wanted to look good for the camera.



Very nice

I went on two safaris that offered bushpig on the menu. In 23 days (46 man days) of hunting my hunting partner and I (hunting 1x1) saw bushpigs once. My partner saw a small group the first morning of the first safari. His PH said they'd have more opportunities to get one later. I spent 4 evenings into late night in blinds specifically set up to attract bushpigs, jackals, civets, etc. and nary a bushpig came to the sets.



As to differentiating the sexes in a group (or singlely) of course you can't. My PH said just shoot the largest one.

I had options on one in the East Cape. We set some baits but I never got back as I was more interested in Impala and time ran out.