Warthogs are a sickness with me. I love shooting pigs any species anyplace. But warthogs are especially fun for me. One of my hunters Roger and I had a lot of fun with them this past few weeks in Africa. Lots of great video and several nice trophies. With a little luck we will post this special video clip of calling warthogs to us.

Here are a few photos I took:


This was Rogers warthog. A very exciting event it turned out with some circus act style shooting. The first shot was good and knocked the big hog down, then he spun and jumped running straight away like launched rocket. While on the run Roger sticks one straight up the backside while the pig is running full speed at 100+ yards away. The pig skids and rolls but is back up and still running, now at 150 yards Roger pulls another rabbit out of his hat and hits him at full speed a third time but the hog is now out of sight.

I follow up the trail and Roger is viewing the video I took to see what happend. About the time the video is loaded back to the beginning and I'm looking for blood I see the big old boar lying dead. Two shots right up the A$$ and one through the chest. How this hog ran this way is beyond me. Even with good shooting these buggers can travel in a hurry. With a lesser cartridge or only one shot who knows how long we would have been searching the bush!


IN the closing moments of one evening this warthog came trotting in and Roger wanted more video. I said I would shoot the hog if he wanted to film it. So we made a plan and I ended up with this nice old boar. He left a dust trail we could see as he crashed trhough the brush rolling and skidding for about 100 yards or more.



This was another old bruiser I could not let walk. I spotted him with one of the landowners helpers. We took off on foot looking for him in the tall grass and could see the grass moving but not the pig. We followed like this slowly watching the grass parting 50-70 yards ahead of us for 400-500 yards going down hill. After a little while the grass thinned out Then we saw a pig standing about 75 yards away but only the tips of the ears and the tail were straight up. Hmmmm is it the same one? Off to the left about 25 yards I see tusks and ear tips on another hog, nope this one is the right one! Now with proper focus we wait til he settles down to eat or walk again. He covers about 10 more yards and stops perfectly broadside! however with the bush in the way all I can see is the neck and head on one end and the tail on the other. I decided to take the neck shot freehand at about 75-80 yards. At the shot the pig falls in his tracks! Johanas is now jumping and laughing doing a zulu version of a break dance. Spined him and he never took a step. One short tusk but the mass and thickness was impressive. I love hunting warthogs!

You must have some Spanish ancestry somewhere along the line. I have had to physically take the guns away from Spanish clients in the past to get them to stop shooting all the hogs. Thanx for the pix and stories!

Great pictures!!
I have the same sickness but with Kudus !!!
Thankd for sharing....send more !!!

L

I agree! great photo's!!!

Yes! Pigs are a hoot to hunt! I've taken 5 Warthogs and 6 Bushpigs! And I can't wait till I get another one in my crosshairs!

Dude...welcome back. Great pictures...

Sounds like you had a good time....

Senor Hack

Great photos. Nice piggies.

Great pics, enjoyed the stories.

What caliber did you use? I have a bit of sickness on 'em also.

Waidmannsheil, Dom.

Nice warties all of them !

I just came back from Ellisras myself today and spoke to a couple of PH's sounds like the Spanish clients are taking their toll on the warties on some properties where there was plenty there is only a few left. I hope for the warties sake that things can get better for them.

What was your experience on the amnount of warties you saw this year ?

I've had my share of the spanish wack fest hunters too. However I refuse to blame anyone for shooting too much. It's the landowners/outfitter.PH's responsibility to control that, not the hunters. I have once in my life said to a client that if he shoots another animal without my knowledge he will be back in Joburg that night. He never did it again. The customer is always right, according to proper business operation. However the tail will not wag the dog with me! I would sooner lose that kind of hunters business then have lost control of the operation.

As you know RSA is on a slipery slope right now with free ranging game. Baboons, civits, steenbok, etc etc. are now considered free ranging game and cannot be exported without permits from RSA. All species which cannot be fenced are needing or are going to need permits now. They are no longer considerd exempt. Even from Exempt lands

You and I both know the fences do very little for Kudu are they next? I asked about warthogs and they are not fencable but are considered so plentiful and likely to cause sickness when over populated that they remain exempt for now.

I have seen Kudu cows go right under a fence the warthogs dug out, and the bulls just jump over with little effort. I have seen eland jump a 7 foot fence on more then one occasion. We even had a livingston Eland in a non hunting situation jump an 8 foot fence. He was over 2000 pounds and unfortunately broke his front legs upon landing. However he still jumped the fence!

I have noticed that exempt properties are doing fence replacement as needed with 3 meter fencing and then using electricity as well. I think that is the way the exempt properties will stay functional. If the game industry losses it's exempt status for some of the popular species things are going to get complicated where all the permit paperwork is involved with Nature Conservation.

I agree with you that it is still the landowners and PH's responsibility but unfortunately money talks !! The landowner is happy and the outfitter as well and don't forget the client. Money is the root of all evil

Everyone loves shooting pigs

Haven't posted a video in a while, so hopefully it works.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/520/3159Warthog9.wmv

With a little bit of luck and some computer skills I don't have we may be able to put up a short video of calling in male warthogs. Roger took video of this and when it's sorted out we will try to put it on this site.

The caliber was 375 H&H with a 270 grain Swift A Frame. I recovered the bullet from the second shot om the warthog and it weighs around 268 grains with a perfect mushroom. I am SOLD on these bullets and will shoot nothing else at African game in this gun. (Hornady 270's work great on whitetails) They were all pass through with my 10 animals except for the zebra. I wish I could have found the zebra bullet but it probably ended up somewhere in the gutpile . Of course, they were a little messy on the civet and the jackal. Thanks, Jim, for recommending these bullets.

I am working on geting the warthog calling video out as soon as possible.

What is it about those pigs?

My taxi is almost done with my 2nd warty, which I got with a bow in '03. I'm having a wall pedestal done.

My boss has a life sized warty mounted like he's curled up asleep, curled up in a dog bed. He has a sign on his door that says "Beware Vicious Watch Hog".

I'm still trying to convice the wife to let me hang him in the living room.

Jim,

Having seen the footage concerned and the results, I would say its a pretty remarkable and truely unique way of hunting warthog. I hope you can upload the video as a mere written description of the technique simply would not do it justice..

Regards,

Pete

Graet pics.....what type of rifle and scope set up ??

nice hogs

quote:

Originally posted by PC:
Graet pics.....what type of rifle and scope set up ??

It is a CZ 550 American Safari Magnum. It has a Leupold 1.75 X 6 Scope with Talley QD rings. The load I was using was 73 grains of R15 with 270 grain Swift A Frame Bullets and a Winchester Large Rifle Magnum Primer.

I know roger personaly and you hunted with a class individual. Hes raved so much about the hunt that i know when i get the funds in the next couple years to go who will be the PH.

warthogs is gods way of saying he has a sense of humor. great trophies...thanks for sharing, it keeps us hunters hungry

quote:

Having seen the footage concerned and the results, I would say its a pretty remarkable and truely unique way of hunting warthog. I hope you can upload the video as a mere written description of the technique simply would not do it justice..

I have seen it as well, and wholeheartedly agree with Pete. Only the video will suffice. Words can not to it justice.

In fact, I would not believe it at all if I had not seen the footage with my own eyes.

Cheers,
Canuck

quote:

Warthogs are a sickness with me.

Jim,

As far as I am concerned, you ARE "Mr. Warthog". And if this new warthog hunting technique that you have pioneered does not result in that title being universally recognized, I'll be truly amazed.

BTW, my two warthogs made that trip. Love that pig huntin'!


Cheers,
Canuck

How do you go about calling in a warthog?

quote:

Originally posted by Lloyd Smale:
I know roger personaly and you hunted with a class individual. Hes raved so much about the hunt that i know when i get the funds in the next couple years to go who will be the PH.

You really, really, really really really, need to go, Lloyd. Trust me on this. Everybody needs to hunt Africa at least once. You will never regret going.