I am new to this forum but glad to see a whole section devoted to hog hunting ... I do some stock farming in Texas and have been somewhat devoted to trying to eradicate them off the face of the earth myself. Daytime, nighttime, on foot, from the jeep, out of stands, with handguns, single shots, and AR's.

I have had the most satisfaction in the hunt using a Ruger 1-A in 7x57 ... the most fun using a Colt AR carbine with an Eotech on top. While I've had several doubles with the single shots, the best I've done with the Colt has been 7 hogs spread out over 300 yards, the last two killed in close quarters ... the last one with six shots out of a Les Baer .45

Some are for eating, most are not, but it looks like most folks here know that already!

They're staying back in the rough right now, but another month or so and I expect them to be back in force.

Welcome to the AR home. Any warrior in the fight to eliminate the feral hog from our sphere of existance is welcome at my fire any time. Look forward to your exploits and feats ridding our common foe.

Nice hog and gun. Like you, I try to line up a couple to get things started. The best at one time was 6 pigs, three with my 7mm STW, then three with my 22-250.

???Eliminate the feral hog?????

What would we do for fun then?

quote:

Originally posted by dustoffer:
???Eliminate the feral hog?????

What would we do for fun then?

Haha! Damn good question!

Welcome to the forum, Mark! Your exploits will be a welcome addition here!

quote:

Originally posted by dustoffer:
???Eliminate the feral hog?????

What would we do for fun then?

I think we all know this is not going to happen from hunting alone. I am going to have fun trying to, at least in my neck of the woods. I could hunt every single day of the year with successs and not put a dent in the feral hog population on the places I hunt.

Thanks.

Elimination is an unobtainable goal Last year, I stopped on the highway and glassed a wheat field in an area that wasn't being hunted. There were eight sows in it. All eight sows had a whole litter underneath them. Of course, about half of that litter is now up and breeding, along with their mothers again. That one (or two) years' worth of hog reproduction out of that one small area equals the 40 or so hogs that I have killed in the last two years.

Feral hogs really don't bother me that bad as long as the numbers are controlled. Seeing a few here and there doesn't hurt much other than a few wallows. Year before last, though, it was not uncommon to come back over the hill from hunting whitetail and there would be 60+ mature hogs in the grain fields behind the barn. The most I ever saw was 75 or so ... spread out in an arc in a big wheat field. I got into 50 yards from one end of this rainbow of pigs with a Ruger 77RSI 30-06 and shot ... and missed ... emptied the magazine and reloaded and emptied it as the whole line of pigs exited the stage right past me in single file. Missed every one of them at 50 yards or less. I had had the rifle on the tractor with me and guess it knocked the scope out.

This year, the government did a flyover and the numbers are way down. Kind of miss them in this love-hate relationship we've got going

The kids like to go --



and because I know the variety of hogs out there is interesting --



The variety fascinates me. One herd will look like overgrown javelinas ... the next will look like a bunch of Hamps and Durocs out for a stroll.

Hey Mark,

Welcome to AR!! There are a bunch of us that love hog hunting.

Good Hunting,

Bob

Welcome Mark. Looks like pigs are just the ticket for kids! That's a cutie you have there - how old? Mine's 6 and I hope to introdure her to hogs in the next year or so.

Keep up the good work!

Mark-

Welcome aboard! There are lots of great guys here, and I'm certain you'll enjoy your time here.

I agree with you: getting the kids involved is fun. Our oldest, now 17, took his first hog at the age of 6. Our twins are currently 5, and it won't be that much longer that they'll get their chances as well. (They can riddle the bulls-eye already with a Cricket. )

Welcome to the AR Mark, hope you enjoy it here.

Mark, welcome to AR.
What part of "West Texas"? I'm from Odessa. I still have a business there.

I am in Snyder.