I've been invited boar hunting and I have no idea what to expect

Y

YoungGunz

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
5   0   0
Location
Edmonton
I've been invited wild boar hunting in southern Alberta and I have no idea what to expect so I was hoping to get some tips from the CGN experts. Up until a couple weeks ago I didn't even know Alberta had wild boars. My limited experience hunting is with deer and moose, this boar thing is a whole new ballpark for me. Also did I mention none of us going have hunted these things before? I feel 90% sure we won't find one and 10% sure one of use will be gored but it still sounds like fun.:D

Does anyone have experience hunting boar that could give a little advise on tracking and behavior?
 
aylandacres iirc posts quite often about hunting boars, hopefully he can comment & give you some insight.

Have fun!

Cheers
Jay
 
I have shot them and raised them. They can be mean and will charge a pickup truck never mind a little human. They can be tough but any deer cartridge and bullet will take them down but be warned a big boar can be as large as an average black bear and way tougher. They will be nocturnal if shot at and hunted. They like to spend the day in the thickest bush around especially if it is wet. You will see dug up spots where they have been rooting up the ground, hunt around there. They will eat anything so look for spots that are rooted up even in areas where animals like deer normally wouldn't feed. A pigs tracks look so close to a whitetail deer they can be impossible for a rookie to distinguish, I still cant even after being around them for a few years.
 
Have your track shoes on if you foul tip one.
Their eyesight is poor but their sense of smell is astounding.
Never had one bluff charge.
They will go to the absolute worst possible habitat within miles, then fight.

I culled and guided awhile in the Southern US swamps.
 
silverfoxdj said:
run !!!
Click to expand...

I'll have my UTAS by then so I should have ample firepower that I won't need to run.:50cal:

Republic of Alberta said:
I have shot them and raised them. They can be mean and will charge a pickup truck never mind a little human. They can be tough but any deer cartridge and bullet will take them down but be warned a big boar can be as large as an average black bear and way tougher. They will be nocturnal if shot at and hunted. They like to spend the day in the thickest bush around especially if it is wet. You will see dug up spots where they have been rooting up the ground, hunt around there. They will eat anything so look for spots that are rooted up even in areas where animals like deer normally wouldn't feed. A pigs tracks look so close to a whitetail deer they can be impossible for a rookie to distinguish, I still cant even after being around them for a few years.
Click to expand...

Ya I have heard that they can get up to the size of a black bear, kind of frightening really. So trying to find them throughout the day will be hard since they just dig into a mud hole somewhere to sleep all day?

skypilot said:
Have your track shoes on if you foul tip one.
Their eyesight is poor but their sense of smell is astounding.
Code: 
Never had one bluff charge.
They will go to the absolute worst possible habitat within miles, then fight.

I culled and guided awhile in the Southern US swamps.
Click to expand...

Good to know.


What kind of a population are we talking about with boar? Like would we be searching for days just to find a single group or is there a fair number out there?
 
If you come across them walking through to a feeding area from a bedding area, sometimes the alpha male will be leading the pack of them in single file. Bring a sufficient amount of ammo for your sighted in, & at least deer calibre rifle. Sometimes you will find them bedded down and you might see just one little pair of ears and a pair of beady eyes pop up when they sense something is off. Do not be deceived, where there is one laying down there is sure to be many more. When they scatter at the first shot, thier vision is pretty poor compared to thier other senses. High topped & sturdy boots could be a real blessing in an accidental or on purpose close encounter.
Most hunters are not aware that thier heart/lung area is more forward and lower in the chest than other critters. Matter of fact, thier front elbow joint pretty much covers thier vitals IIRC. Don't be in thier escape route with an empty firearm and watch your 6 o'clock too. ;)

Have fun buddy!!

Edit: When things possibly get real hairy and critters are running everywhere, especially in close proximity to you guys, this is the time to keep your emotions in check and ensure to watch your muzzle control.
 
Last edited:
just remember the heart is a little lower and if ones charging you either drop it in its track DG style or move the f*** out of the way

id carry something with a wide bullet a 12ga with a hard cast round ball slugs i have a better option my martini henry but like someone else said anything that works on deer will work on pigs
 
antiqueguy said:
just remember the heart is a little lower and if ones charging you either drop it in its track DG style or move the f*** out of the way

id carry something with a wide bullet a 12ga with a hard cast round ball slugs i have a better option my martini henry but like someone else said anything that works on deer will work on pigs
Click to expand...

What is "DG style?"
 
Brutus said:
If you come across them walking through to a feeding area from a bedding area, sometimes the alpha male will be leading the pack of them in single file. Bring a sufficient amount of ammo for your sighted in, & at least deer calibre rifle. Sometimes you will find them bedded down and you might see just one little pair of ears and a pair of beady eyes pop up when they sense something is off. Do not be deceived, where there is one laying down there is sure to be many more. When they scatter at the first shot, thier vision is pretty poor compared to thier other senses. High topped & sturdy boots could be a real blessing in an accidental or on purpose close encounter.
Most hunters are not aware that thier heart/lung area is more forward and lower in the chest than other critters. Matter of fact, thier front elbow joint pretty much covers thier vitals IIRC. Don't be in thier escape route with an empty firearm and watch your 6 o'clock too. ;)

Have fun buddy!!

Edit: When things possibly get real hairy and critters are running everywhere, especially in close proximity to you guys, this is the time to keep your emotions in check and ensure to watch your muzzle control.
Click to expand...

That's why I would never allowed a client a muzzle brake or ported barrel. Good advice.
 
tried it for the first time last fall with my bow. when I saw him, my arrow fall from the bow, by the time I replace it, he charge me. I just got enough time to pull on the side. my arrow touch his back when he passed beside me. my brother got him 1 hour later with my .410 with slug. last time I do this with a bow.
 
Down here in the states where some areas are over run you have to watch the roads as they cause many accidents. One big thing learned down here is, use a semi-auto.
If you use a bolt gun in the bush, where they mostly are, shots will be very close. Some only 15 and up to 30 yards. If you just cripple one or even piss one off you will perhaps never get a second round chambered. If you use a bolt gun, better hunt the open field country. Bush hunting, well, the SKS is near the tops. We use any X39 with SP bullets. In our Southern states the big boars can go 400lbs plus real easy. In Georgia they have taken ones of over 1000 lbs. Don't go if you do not know what you are doing and how to hunt them. They can be as nasty and destructive as a Grizzly.
 
This comes from one hunt, so take it with whatever salt you desire:

-Like others said look for rooted patches, often I saw it in short fresh green grass, it would be all turned over and torn up in random fashion, sat downwind of these.

-Be quiet, they hear anything, smell anything, but can't see for crap. I was within 5 yards of one in long grass sitting and waiting, and within 10 yards of another I crept up on spot and stalk. Thought he was too small, it was just before full dark, but we were looking at his arse as he rooted and thought that was the whole boar. We crept up for amusement to see how close we could get, and he turned sideways when he winded us; he wasn't the little piglet we thought.

-Watch open areas of grass in between bush patches literally right at last light, and don't shoot at the first pigs to come out, often small. For some reason the bigger ones seemed to follow the little ones.

-I would bring an iron sighted hunting rifle, not a lightspeed tactical shotgun, you'll have far better chances of success shots can be reachy despite what you see on TV. Unless your friends hunt with dogs (sounds unlikely, and might not even be legal there don't know) expect shots the same length as whitetail hunting; can be close, but be ready for 150 yards if that's the shot you get.
 
Know one guy, locally. Shot one out of the bunch and next thing he knew, he was fighting off the whole herd.:) Yup, Pigs should qualify as Dangerous Game and that includes domestic hogs as many a farmer can tell you.

Grizz
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom