Wild Boar Hog Hunting | Ultimate Guide
Deer season is over and you are restless…
The inner hunter gatherer in you needs some action
Why not have a go at Hog hunting instead.
If this is you plan then you need to gear up to make sure you have everything you need for hog pig hunting.
It’s a dangerous hobby for both you and your dogs…
On this page we are going to review the best wild boar hog hunting locations, the hog hunting knives, hog bows and some of the other gear you will need for both you and your dogs.
Where To Find Wild Boars
Wild Boar Hunting In Texas
The majority of the estimated 1.5 million wild hogs in Texas can be found in East, South and Central Texas. You will find them in abundance in the moist pine forests of East Texas, surrounding any of the rivers or creeks rummaging around in dense vegetation. When the weather heats up they will congregate around muddy areas. Anywhere there are nut producing trees is always a good starting point on your hog hunting trip. The annual Wild Hog Festival in Sabinal is a great event and Sabinal calls itself the Wild Hog capital of the world so you know there are plenty of boars roaming around and with a bit of searching you can find plenty of cheap wild boar hunts.
- Dan Moody’s (Hog hunting and hog dogs for sale in Texas)
- Texas Hunt Lodge
Boar Hunting In Florida
Found in a variety of habitats the wild boar loves oak-cabbage palm hammocks, pine flatwoods, freshwater marshes and sloughs. Some weighing more than 150 pounds there are plenty of prize boars roaming around Florida.
Best Hog Hunting Regions in Florida
- Northwest Aucilla, Blackwater Hutton Unit, Apalachicola Bradwell Unit, Choctawhatchee River
- North Central Andrews, Flying Eagle, Big Bend Hickory Mound Unit, Big Bend Snipe Island Unit, Big Bend Tide Swamp Unit, Mallory Swamp, Steinhatchee Springs and Devil’s Hammock
- Northeast Tosohatchee (dogs hunting), Three Lakes, Tosohatchee, Triple N Ranch, Guana River, Bull Creek, Three Lakes Prairie Lakes Unit and Fort Drum.
- Southwest Green Swamp, Green Swamp West, Babcock/Webb, Chassahowitzka, Myakka State Forest.
- South Dinner Island Ranch, J.W. Corbett, Dupuis, Okaloacoochee Slough, Allapattah Flats and Hungryland (source)
California Hog Hunting
Despite the fact that half of California state is privately owned there are plenty of opportunities for wild pig hunting. Tehama Wildlife region is a good place to start or Cow Mountain Management Area. Laguna Mountain is also a great place to find wild boars. You can also go for guided hunts on the Tejon Ranch or check out Camp 5 Outfitters as they also run guided hunts.
- Wild Pig Huting – Cloverdale CA
- Camp 5 Outfitters
North Carolina & Tennessee Pig Hunting
Nantahala National Forest and Cherokee National Forest are two great hog hunting locations. Spartan Hunting Preserve specialise in trophy Boar hunting in Tennessee so go check them out. You can find wild hogs anywhere from the swamps around Reelfoot Lake right down to the Mississippi. Head eastward to the Smokey Mountains and you are sure to find some good hunting ground. There are plenty of places for free hog hunting in tennessee so check with your local guides for more information.
How To Find Wild Hogs
Hogs are a bit like deer in that they hunt at first and last light. They usually travel in small groups and leave good signs that they have been in the area. They like to hunt near covered areas but will wander out into open fields to find food if necessary.
If you find a water source near you hunting ground then you know hogs will be near by. They need a constant supply of water and mud to keep cool. They don;t have the ability to self regulate or sweat during hot periods of the day so will stay under cover or wallow in the mud to cool off. Find water and you will find hogs – guaranteed…
Look out for rooting. Wild hogs can visit the same place for days or even weeks on end if the food source is good enough. This is where some keen detective work can really pay off. Study the surrounding area where the rooting takes place. Don’t just head to the nearest covered are and hope to find a resting hog. Look for trails leading to the rooting grounds. Backtrack or mark these trails as these creatures of habit will be back if you haven’t disturbed them can prove to be a great location for finding prized wild boars.
Hogs will also tear apart fallen trees to get at the grubs and insects hiding inside. You will see tracks to and from such areas so keep an eye out as they may be close by.
In mudding swamp areas when boars wallow you should do a ‘sniff test’. Boars will pee where they wallow and there is no mistaking the smell. Yet another great sign that wild pigs are in the area.
Best Hog & Wild Boar Dogs (Hog Dogs)
There are any number of dogs you can use for wild boar pig hunting. Bay Dogs and Catch dogs are the two types of hunting dogs you need when hunting game. As there are so many we just picked our favorite breed of each. The best Bay Dog in our opinion is the Lacy or Blue Lacy Dog and the best Catch Dog is by far the Pit Bull. If you go hog dogging let us know your favorite breed of dog in the comments below.
Blue Lacy Bay Dog
The Lacy or Blue Lacy Dog is considered one of the finest wild boar hunting dogs. A super strong and easy to train dog that was purpose bred in Texas should be one of your choices when looking for a solid Bay Dog.
Full of energy these dogs are great hunters and have a fantastic nose for blood trailing hogs. Also a good herding dog and they work hard with purpose. Due to their high energy they are not really suited as pets if you have small children.
You can read more about Lacy dogs here
PitBull Catch Dog
If you are looking for the ideal Catch Dog then you should look no further than a Pit Bull. Equipped with a very strong bite the pit bull is built for hog hunting.
Once your bay dogs have done their work the Pit Bull comes in and grabs the hog, holding him until you the hunter dispatch your quarry.
Check with local laws though as Pit Bulls are banned from some states and are not advisable to have anywhere near children due to their aggressive nature.
Dog Cut Collar
Hunting wild boars and hogs is a dangerous hobby for both you and your dogs. Boars have long tusks and will always lash out when cornered or threatened. Make sure you protect you dog at all times.
One quick strike and your dog is history. Probably the best piece of kit you can buy for your dog is a Cut Collar. This hog dog collar is one of the best affordable options to keep your dog safe out on the next hunt.
Hog & Wild Boar Hunting Knife
Given how dangerous a wild boar really is you need to be 100% certain the knife you use to dispatch this animal is up to the task. This is not the time to pull out you trusty pocket knife and lash out or you will end up in serious trouble yourself and the hog will take off laughing at you – after it’s taken a few lumps out of you…
Lets first take a look at some of the features of a good pig boar hunting knife and then we will review our top few hog knives based on reader reviews and features.
Cold Steel 39LSP Boar Hunter 8 3/4″
The Cold Steel Boar Hunter knife is a well balanced razor sharp knife ideal for dispatching dangerous wild boar. The 8 3/4″ 4.7mm stainless steel blade is up to any task you throw at it. The handle with its double guard and sub-hilt protects you from any damage to yourself when you plunge this knife into a boar.
The design of the blade – while unusual to some is what makes this blade so good. The curved top of the blade helps push the razor sharp straight edge into the toughest of boars and the ultra sharp tip slides in without any resistance whatsoever.
A great budget priced knife that is up for the task of dispatching the meanest of wild boars…
- Blade Thickness: 4.7 mm
- Handle: 5 1/8″ Long Kray-Ex
- Blade Style: Wharncliffe
- Steel: Japanese Aus 8A Stainless
- Sheath: Secure-Ex Sheath
- Blade: 8 3/4″
- Overall: 13 7/8″
Tops Knives Wild Pig Hunter
The Tops Knives Wild Pig Hunter is a 7 1/2″ hardcore beast of a knife. The blade itself is ground from thick 1095 high carbon steel and is finished with a black riverwash look.
The green Micarta handle offers up plenty of grip and this well balanced knife feels great in your hand.
Razor sharp out of the box this knife will put you in control against even the most aggressive of hogs and the piercing point will glide through tough cartilage like a hot knife through butter.
A quality USA made product from Tops Knives…
- Overall Length: 13″
- Blade Length: 7 9/16″
- Material: 1095 High Carbon Steel
- Blade Finish: Black River Wash
- Handle Material: Micarta Canvas Scales
- Comes with Leather Sheath
Hog & Wild Boar Hunting Bow
Another great option for hunting wild boars is a bow. We could go on until the end of days about the various options and brands in the hunting bow arena but today we are going to just focus in on two.
We looked at overall cost and available features. You could spend 1000’s of hard earned dollars on a bow for hunting wild pigs or boars but that is not in our budget at this time. The bows we have listed are great all rounder hunting bows and once you decide using a bow is your preferred style then you may look to upgrade or add additional accessories to your existing bow.
SAS Rage 70 Lbs 30’’ Compound Bow
The SAS Rage 70 Lbs 30’’ Compound Bow is a great all rounder hunting bow. If you are just starting out with bow hunting then this would be perfect for you.
Both lightweight and very sturdy this bow delivers a consistent spread time and time again. You might want to upgrade the arrow rest to something like a whisker biscuit and a Trophy Ridge three point sight, then you will have a serious hunting bow.
For the price it’s hard to find anything else that compares. The bow connoisseurs out there might disagree but at this price you can’t really go wrong.
- Outstanding Autumn Camouflage Color
- Compressed ABS Limbs for long life
- Draw Length: 26″ – 30″
- Draw Weight: 55 – 70 lbs.
- Max Speed: 270 FPS
Bear Archery Cruzer Ready to Hunt Compound Bow Package
The Bear Archery Cruzer Ready to Hunt Compound Bow Package is second on our list in the hunting bow review. More expensive than the previous bow but with the additional cost comes a host of additional features.
Fully adjustable draw weight that goes from a low 5 lbs right up to 70 lbs so can be used by many different types of hunters or for somebody new to bow hunting as you can adjust the draw up as they get used to it.
It comes complete with a string suppressor, 4 pin illuminated sights, and MV cams. It also sports a whisker basket arrow rest and a 4 needle fibre optic sight so you can adjust your firing to different distances.
- Aluminum
- Made in USA or Imported
- Max-Preload Quad Limbs for proven power
- Advanced grip design eliminates hand torque for enhanced accuracy
- 12″ to 30″ Draw Length in ½” Increments
- Offset String Suppressors
