This was an interesting hunt for me. For days we had been spotting this huge (I MEAN huge) Warthog feeding in an open patch of grass. He looked as if Cavalry Sabers were sticking out of his mouth. First stalk ended when we accidentally slipped in amongst some cow Kudu. Next thing I know, they're running and splitsville goes Warty the Warthog. Next day, same scenario, only it was a lone Hartebeast that screwed our stalk. Third day, we didn't get within 250 yards before a lone Ostrich busted us and off goes Warty. As my PH is yelling (and I mean yelling loudly) at our tracker to bring the truck (the radio was broke because my PH threw it down and busted it), I see movement across the field. I pulled up my Bino's and see a Sow entering the field. My tracker isn't answering and my PH is yelling louder and louder. Now I see this pig come in just as my tracker slips up and says he's been watching this hog for sometime. Seems this Warthog was afraid to enter the field while Warty was there. We slip within 110 yards but I was hoping to stay back further: my .280 is sighted in at 200 yards, but we get to 110 and I use the sticks. He turns broadside, I shoot and kick up dust OVER his back. He takes off faster than any Greyhound dog I have ever seen. I jack another round into the chamber, swing on the target, and squeeze the trigger. WHOP! He rolls in a cloud of dust...stone dead. That was too cool. Six and one half inches on the left: 5 and three quarter inches on the right. Both are heavy. I could get used to this. Let's hear your story and see those pics. Good hunting, LDK

Tuli Block. Chance encounter down on the Limpopo. Shot him offhand at 50 yards through the brush, poor shot, but a hit, and he ran. I ran after him and shot him a second time, before he went down. not my finest moment. Featherweight Pre-64 M70 .375 H&H, the perfect pig gun. Uru.

Here are a couple stories about my warthogs:

About the most exciting thing that happened while making a slow stalk along the river bed was encountering a honey badger on Friday morning. I heard and spotted the badger coming from our left and moving slightly away from us at about 15 yards. When the badger got to the road we were walking down, we noticed he was carrying a monitor lizard about twice his length (including tail of course). He then got down wind of us and quickly exited the stage leaving his kill behind. Not only did we see him once but we saw him again. We continued down the road and the badger was coming back to reclaim the kill. Mike said in his 21 years of hunting Zululand that was the first honey badger he had ever encountered. I wish I had a picture to show you but it was one of those days when the camera was left behind in the truck. The badger did come back that evening and get the lizard. Mark and I tracked him for a little while the next morning on another walk down by the river. Later that day Mark and I decided to find where a water line had busted and we figured the animals were watering there because of lack of activity the previous day at a nearby watering hole. We found the busted water line and decided to sit in a ditch about 20 yards from the newly formed water hole. Within about 15 minutes a respectible warthog appeared for his daily mud bath. After some debate about taking the animal because techinically this was my last day to hunt, I decided to harvest the pig. The pig was sitting in the water hole giving himself a bath. I had problems making the shot because first I had a branch that was interfering with the possible flight of the bullet. Then I had a branch that was taking up the top half of my field of view. Not to mention free handed. When I finally felt comfortable about making the shot, I let the rifle ring out loud. The warthog never moved. I hit him in the center of his chest on his right and the bullet passed through and exited out the top part of his chest on his left.




On our way back to retrieve my nyala, we came across a warthog we had hunted the day before but he gave us the slip. I ran to a tree and the warthog took off running in the other direction. He came into an opening about 45 yards away and I let off one round. I heard the bullet it, which sounded like someone thumping a ripe watermelon and saw a cloud of dirt come flying off the animal. He never checked up and kept running up a hill and for some reason stopped about 80 yards away and looked back over his right shoulder. I placed the crosshairs on his shoulder and pulled the trigger. I looked back and never saw him again. Mark and the rest of the guys quickly appeared and found the tracks of the large beast but no blood. I was sure I hit him the first and pretty sure of the second shot. I walked up the hill doubting myself and if I had actually hit him the first shot or did I hit the dirt around him. Then I looked up and there he was stone cold dead right where I took the second shot. Turns out, I did hit him the first shot just in front of the left flank and the bullet exited the center of his chest on the right side. The second shot hit him in the neck and exited just under the left side of his chin, which dropped him explaining why I never saw him again after the second shot. You can tell in the picture that his lower jaw was broken.



The warthog measured just over 11" and completed my first African safari.

Here are a couple of pictures of the larger warthog mount.

I shot a good warthog at about 98 yds. The bullet entered the point of the right shoulder and exited out the left flank, just ahead of the rear leg. He ran maybe 75-80 yds spouting a huge blood stream and died in midstride. We had a lot of fun at this waterhole watching lots of smaller warthogs, hartebeests, bat eared foxes, red mongooses, an aardwolf, and a whole bunch of the brightest blue, red, yellow and green birds you can imagine. Definitely, plan an evening at a waterhole with a camera if not a rifle.

I took this one at six yards from a blind on a waterhole in the Northern Province of RSA. He was on his on his knees, scooping up mud and I had to wait for him to turn-I was shaking so bad I had to tell myself to calm down and pick a spot! Tusks are 14"-SCI scoreof 35 5/16. Gold Medal and top 25 for archery.



Here's the mount:

2005 RSA, Limpopo province, Landelani Lodge, PH Henk Viljoen:





Cheers,
Canuck

Day 6…April 12, 2004: The day started out about the same as the previous five. Up at 5:30, breakfast, load the truck, pick up the trackers/skinners and make the drive to the hunting area. We were headed to Harold Lombaard’s farm to hunt warthog and mountain reedbuck. After the 30 minute drive we were there. Meeting the land owner, Harold, was a pleasure. He was the kind of man that just makes you feel comfortable. Harold is the 6th generation of Lombaard’s to own and work the farm in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. He walked out of the “ranch†house with his young daughter on his hip. We exchanged greetings and Harold drew up a map in the dirt of the area we should hunt for a good warthog trophy. Harold said he had seen a very good specimen a few days earlier close to the windmill area. We would be able to recognize him due to the noticeable limp he carried around.

Parking the truck in the shade of some trees, we readied our gear for the several mile walk to the windmill area. The terrain was rolling hills mixed with brush, rocks, and semi-open areas. We spotted a steenbok only a few hundred meters into the hunt. This one was too small in horn length for Jannie’s taste. So, on we went as he bolted for the next county. Off to our left Lucas spotted some movement and pointed to a small group of young warthogs. We continued and soon found a red duiker bounding through the bush. About a mile into the walk, Jannie glassed the far landscape and softly mentioned, “Bunch of warthogs over there.†I quickly snapped up the Swarovski’s on my chest and scanned the area. I didn’t see any because Jannie was on the move again and I was trying to keep up without falling down on the rocky terrain. Jannie would walk in front of me with his eyes glued to the terrain searching for game without ever looking down to see where he was walking or where the rocks were under feet. I had to walk with my eyes glued to the ground to maneuver around the rocks to keep from eating dirt from a fall. Jannie’s ankles seemed to be made of rubber. We made our way through an open area scattered with foot tall succulent plants and small purple flowers. There were a series of water dams we walked over with large holes burrowed into their banks. These were warthog hot weather staging areas. We were getting close. A few hundred meters farther we rounded a large bush. Jannie turned to me with the whites of his eyes obvious. He pointed 50 meters in front and said, “Shoot that one!†As I looked, all I could see was huge ivory tusks in the grass.

The warthog knew the jig was up and jumped up from his bed and took off running to our right. The first shot went over his back as he ran full out to the right. The second shot landed just next to his head on the right side as he turned and was running straight away. Jannie turned to me and said, “THAT WAS A MONSTER!†Then he turned and ran in the direction we had last seen the hog. I gathered my gear and tried to keep up. We finally slowed to a walk and began a wide semi-circle until we reached a 4 foot fence. Jannie sent Pompcilla to the left and Lucas to the right to check for tracks through the fence. The warthog had not crossed the fence so we waited there for awhile. Jannie smoked a cigarette and buried the butt in the dirt. We began to walk downhill to our right along the fence. After a hundred meters or so we turned back perpendicular to the fence to look for the pig. Jannie suddenly stopped and threw up his binoculars. He set up the shooting sticks quickly and pointed at an object 60 meters ahead in the grass. I set the rifle on the sticks and studied the object through the 10 power Leupold. It was a large hog lying in the grass facing away from us. All you could see was his butt, back and ears. Jannie stood on a termite mound just behind me to try and see the tusks if any. Jannie whispered something in Xhosa to the trackers. The trackers started whistling while I had the cross hairs glued to the hog’s backside. The hog twitched an ear to the rear but did not move. We waited. Jannie whispered to me, “If I give you the okay to shoot, take him in the spineâ€. The whistling started again with the same results. I started to whistle as loud as I could. He just sat there. Finally he stood and Jannie said, “Take himâ€. Aiming for the Texas heart shot, the 7mm bullet did a little whistling of its own. The thump of the bullet against flesh could be heard without mistake. The hog ran to the left a few feet and disappeared. Jannie told me to load the magazine full and the chamber. He said those warthogs can be very dangerous when wounded. We followed up slowly. When we reached the spot the hog was laying, no blood was found. I got a bad feeling. Several meters ahead Lucas found a chunk of pink flesh on the ground. We continued ahead until we found him lying down and still breathing. Jannie said to get ready and he would throw a rock at him. If he moved I was to shoot him again. The trackers began to yell and would not come any closer. Jannie said to shoot him. I shot him in the spine behind the shoulder and that finished it for good. Jannie and the trackers rushed over to the front of the hog, inspected the tusks, and began to jump around and celebrate. I couldn’t understand what they were saying, but it was obvious they were impressed. Jannie said, “Congratulations, you have just killed the biggest warthog in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Well, that was the same warthog I had missed twice on the run. When we came up on him lying in the grass the second time he was hiding from us behind some trees. He was waiting for our approach from the front. We had circled around his rear and got lucky. The left tusk measured 14 4/16 inches and the right tusk measured 14 inches even. The 150 grain Barnes X bullet penetrated the entire length of that hog! It entered the rear and exited under the chin.

Namibia 2004, first is 12" and second was 13"

Love those warthog! Can't shoot enough of them.

This is a female warthog and an oldish one too. I shot her last year while the hunters took a siesta. I just love the pictures that I took and took some time to set her up properly but it does give justice and respect to the animal have a look. Shot with my 375 H&H musgrave K98 and 270gr Rhino bulets.

Here is a few I took in 2003 and 2005 in RSA.

My first African animal...

My wife, Rena and her Warthog. He was pretty much standing in this postion when told to shoot. You can see where she clipped his right tusk and hit him right on the point of the shoulder.


Dulcinea

Here are three more:






All three from the Okavango Delta, taken with30-06's.

Great photos and stories. I just love warthogs can’t get enough of them.
Doyle




OLD WARTHOGS
Republic of South Africa, Limpopo Province, Nylstroom, Waterberg Mountains 2006

Here's mine from Zim in 2003:

Took this one at Melorani, RSA in 2004.

Larry Sellers

Well he wasn't the elephant whose tracks we were following but it was late in the day and the bull had probably made it across the Moz border... and what the heck, this old boy had a decent set of ivory himself! Morgan spotted him leaving a waterhole and the .416 Rigby did the rest. Me and Buzz's gang... Tino, Criton, Royal and Morgan... and the game scout.

Now, that's an OLD boy. Look at the top warts.

You guys have some GREAT hogs! Here's mine from September 2006. I am pointing to the bullet hole. Practicing the frontal brain shot.

/

Lotta nice pork here!

A few of mine:

This was my first, you can see a bullet hole in the front. After a good broadside shot with my -06 the boar ran off. We could barely see him but did just in time, he was waiting for us in some thick grass up on a small ridge. I took aim to place another in the brain and was successful. Good practice for future elephant hunts.



Some crafty camp hogs that loved crackers.


My largest archery pig taken at the property where my jumbo kudu came from. I had a pass through on this old boy, he jumped clear over the water hole and expired twelve yards past. That is the exit wound showing.



One of several cull pigs I have arrowed, it was delicious on the braai.



My most interesting kill ever, a six tusk sow, she has two pairs of matching upper tusks and a typical set of lowers. She was taken near Pongola. I dubbed her Ms. Manytusks.

Another grizzled up old boar taken by a buddy from the same hide as mine posted above. Two Rowland Ward pigs in two days!

This is the only picture I have from my Warthogs that I can post. all the others aren't hosted

I'd gona a bit pig mad in the first couple of days and as we were coming to the end of a morning stalk we came accross a bunch of hogs in a dry pan near a waterhole. They were about 350m away and I suggested we try and get a sneak on them. Dennie kinda rolled his eyes and mumbled something about me being spanish not greek....

Anyway we stalked into the group and glassed them up. We'd been asked due to the drought to shoot anywarthogs that didn't have dependent young as they were one of the first to suffer, (along with the Kudu I think). Either way Dennie pointed out the biggest which was a sow that had no young so I rolled her over. Then all hell broke loose and there were pigs and piglets everywhere. Only one animal made its way towards us and it crossed at about 50m, so I swung on it and shot. I'm convinced it stopped and Dennie is convinced it was running full tilt. I thinnk he was just trying to flatter my ego but either way the pig stopped moving pretty rapidly after the 308 had got involved...

Anyway after a few minutes the bakkie turned up to take us to lunch, and my mate was on the back. He'd heard the shots and said somethng like "Don't tell me you've shot another pig?"

When we pulled one each from the shade and put them on the back of the truck I had a bit of a grin on my face.




This is the sheild I mad up with all the tusks. I have had it altered a little since the photo to turn the brass vertical and when looked at face on the tusks don't look so cramped. It's one of my favourite trophies after my shoulder mounted Eland that is still taking up half the room because I can't fit it on the wall!!





Rgds,
FB

Zimbabwe - June, 2006. The hunter in the area before me passed on this pig. I told the ph if we ran into him I wouldn't - and I didn't

Killed with John X Safaris, East Cape in 2003. PH was Ed Wilson. Win. M70 .264 Wmag

some very impressive pork being shown on here for sure!! I have yet to find one of those elusive 14+ monsters, but rest assured, I will ALWAYS be on the lookout on every safari I go on. Warthogs are always on the menu when I'm on safari!! I am gonna try to find a monster next year when we head back.

here are the 2 I've taken thus far..
took this one in 2000 near Elisras, RSA.


and this one I took near Hoedspruit, RSA last year.. this guy is nicknamed my "dugga" boy because he was in a herd of about 100+ Cape Buff in a low laying area with good grass. Had to pass my crosshairs over several monster buffs to find him in the scope!

I'm smiling in this pic cuz I'm getting the evil eye from a big bunch of buff, not 150 yards away!! They ran just a bit and stopped to check us out.

Taken in South Africa with a 9,3x64 on an FN Mauser

Wife's "Pumba" from 2001 RSA Limpopo Province.
(Timon optional pose)

Here is ALP#4's dandy warthog from NW Namibia near Kamanjab...



Cheers,
Canuck

Thanks Canuck! I've given up trying to get pictures to post

Awesome hogs guys! Old warthogs are great trophies, and make excellent and inexpensive skull mounts.

Here is a broken-tusker management pig from Humani (SAVE Conservancy), stalked along the Turgwe River:


This guy was from Lolkisale (Masailand), Adam and I ran after him for about a mile, and I made a ~100-yard quartering-away shot as he trotted away.


My son's from Sapi (Zambezi Valley) in 05. This was a neat story...we were tracking an elephant, which we located after about an hour standing under the shade of a large tree. He was a one-tusk ~55-pounder, and while were debating taking him, we heard a crashing in the grass coming straight towards us. We assumed it was another elephant, however, Tino the tracker yelled "PIG". Buzz took one look and said in a firm and monotone voice "SHOOT THE WARTHOG".

I had my Lott, however, Cryton carried the .300WM just in case, which I grabbed, cycled, and handed to my son Brett. Meanwhile, the pig is still heading in our direction, and the elephant is standing calmly under the tree, not more then 30 yards away. Brett stood, shouldered the .300, clicked the safety off and tried to find the warthog (which had now stopped his "charge") in the scope which was set at 9x (DOH!). He cranked it down and tried again, the pig had retreated but stopped to give us one more look, and Brett nailed him.

Now in all the comotion I sort of forgot about the elephant, but Buzz said he had one eye on him. At the shot, the elephant’s eyes bulged and Buzz said he actually flinched, figuring he had been shot. I caught him as he tore off in a cloud of dust, tail held straight out behind him. He probably didn't stop running until he hit the Mana boundary and realized he wasn't leaking.

A nice little piggie shot by my big mate behind me. 25-06 100TSX, dropped it in it's tracks.........