Bowhunting Hogs: Part 1 – Why I Hunt Them?

Field Turkeys – A Different Approach
April 6, 2017
When Gobblers Ain’t Gobblin’
April 20, 2017

Some hunters like to hunt pigs…. not me.. I’m a HOG hunter!  Just the word “hog” brings to mind visions of a grunting, snorting, slobbering mouthed boar with giant tusks protruding from his gnarled lip!  I can envision his coarse mud caked coat with the hair on his back bristled and standing straight up as he cautiously goes about his business.  With the wind in my favor I can even smell his musty stench. If this description sounds familiar then you like me are probably a HOG hunter!  If not….. well you ought to be!

The reasons to hunt hogs are almost as numerous as their ever growing population.  A few readily come to mind. First every time you shoot a hog you are doing the environment a favor!  Especially in the Lone Star state!  These wary critters have gone beyond out of control and are now a serious threat to our ecosystem.  They are an invasive species that compete heavily with whitetail deer and many other animals native to our land. Hogs destroy many plants and grasses and cost farmers and ranchers around 52 million dollars per year in Texas alone according to a recent Texas A&M study!

Another great reason to shoot them is simple… BACON!  Who doesn’t love bacon?  To be honest I haven’t had wild hog bacon but I have had jalapeño and cheese sausage, green onion sausage, andouille sausage, pan sausage, pork chops, tenderloin, pork burger, and pork roast to name just a few of my favorites!  When it comes to table fare I rank wild pork second only to the amazing Axis deer!  A pork roast cooked with sweet potatoes and served over brown rice is a meal fit for a king!  I understand shooting these animals in the name of population control but to leave one laying in the field makes no sense to me!  If you shoot one and don’t eat it you are missing out!

Third reason and this one is great… no limits and no season!  Sometimes in deer season i find myself not wanting to shoot a deer to soon for fear of “tagging out”. Not so with hogs!  Shoot one, two, or the entire sounder!  As far as methods that are legal?  You name it!  Rifle, pistol, black powder, air gun, bow and arrow, spear, traps, hog dogs, and as far as I know you can use a grenade if you want!  I love being able to hunt these animals night and day year round.  In fact the other day my wife told me that ever since I started HOG hunting the season never ends!  That’s the way I like it!

The final reason I am going to bring up tonight ( I say tonight because at the time of this writing I am sitting in a bow stand hunting hogs and it’s almost midnight) is that hogs are the perfect animal for bowhunting!  No doubt I enjoy hunting animals and birds all around the country but my hands down favorite form of hunting is bowhunting hogs!  Hogs  are very smart!  If you don’t pay attention to scent control and wind direction you simply will not be successful!  Once you learn to beat a hogs nose then you will find deer hunting to be much easier. Hogs are tough to kill!  Shot placement is vital!  Hogs are a great target for learning to calm down and squeeze the trigger. The more you kill the more proficient you will get at bowhunting in general.  They are also tough to track. With all of their fat they tend to seal up rather quickly after a shot and can be an extremely difficult animal to track.  Bowhunting hogs will definitely make you a more adequate tracker.

Bowhunting hogs is just plain fun!  What else can I say? Every time you kill one you are doing your state a great service, they taste awesome, they provide year round excitement, and they make you a better hunter!  Hog hunting is a win, win, win! I encourage you to get in the woods and join me as a fellow baconator! You never know what size or color hog is going to come out but I can promise you this. Im hooked on  BOWHUNTING HOGS and once you kill a few there is a chance you will be as well!  Keep following our Bowhunting hog series because in part two we will begin to discuss setting your bow up for maximum performance as well as a few other archery tips.

Story by Brian Johnson

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