Missouri Wild Hog Hunting
Methods
Probably one of the most exciting animals to hunt are feral pigs. Chasing a big boar through dense scrub can really get the adrenaline running. However, it all isn't just fun and games. Feral pigs are dangerous and they do an immense amount of environmental damage. They kill both native and domestic animals; they wallow in and erode water holes and they are always digging and rooting around in the soil for food they can find.
Pigs are also a big problem to livestock farmers. They carry diseases, and can pass them on to the livestock. Be careful that you check your pig thoroughly before eating any part of it. If you find and worms in it, or if the pig just doesn't look healthy, then don't eat it! It is better to be safe.
The rewards of successful hunt are a freeze full of pork, usually a good set of tusks to mount, and of course the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping rid our environment of these huge pests.
Domestic pigs were introduced to America by the first settlers. Pigs were used for food and were often allowed to roam free. In the early centuries, settlers often kept them unpenned and because the pig is an intelligent, adaptable animal. It quickly established itself in the wild where they came to be a serious pest. They eat and damage crops, damage fences. And will kill animals as large as a sheep. But the greatest threat feral pigs pose to agriculture is their potential to carry diseases likes foot and mouth disease and triginosis. The largest populations live in the Appalachians and in the South, where ever they can find food and cover and always where there is good water supply.
They breed throughout the year under favorable conditions usually producing two litters a year, with an average of six piglets in each litter. There can be high mortality among piglets depending on food supplies and weather conditions. Sows will aggressively protect their young and are quite dangerous of they believe there is any threat. Piglets mature quickly and become sexually mature when they are about six months old.
Feral pigs are omnivores, which means that they will eat both plant material and animals. Grass makes up the bulk of their diet where available. Feral pigs will also eat fruit, roots, beetles, young rabbits and other small animals as well as scavenge on carrion.
The choice of rifle when hunting pigs depends mainly on the terrain that you expect to be encountering the pigs in, and the range that you expect to be shooting at. The rifle should be a centerfire. The caliber of the depends on the size of pigs that you expect to encounter, and the range that you expect your shots to be taken within. A 30 caliber Winchester or a .44 Magnum are good for close range work in dense scrub, and terrain where shots would not exceed more than 150 yards. Such rifles as the Remington 7600 pump action, and the side by side
Chapeus rifles are also excellent because of there compactness and their quick shots. But the main advantage is that they are made in large rifle calibers. This makes them effective at close range, and extends their effective range markedly. Their only drawback is their relatively high prices (about $1,000 for the Remington, and about $5,500 for the Chapuis)
Hunting out in the open is a different story. Here you need higher velocity lighter projectiles, .30-06. Or a 7.6mm cartridge. The increased velocity and lighter aerodynamic projectiles ensure accuracy and velocity are conserved right out to your target range.
A bolt action is best a t longer range. Use a rifle that is light enough to carry in the field and that is also heavy enough to absorb the recoil of a larger cartridge. Once again, this is a matter of how far you expect to be carrying your rifle for; and ultimately it comes down to a matter of personal choice.
Shotguns are also used to hunt pig. The have the advantage of being able to shoot everything from quails, right through to pigs. Hunting pigs with shotguns is invariably done with a 12 Gauge, and takes on two forms: using shot and using slugs .
Using pellets for pig hunting is restricted to close quarters. They are the best weapon against pigs at close range. However they are ineffective at longer range. This is where the rifled slugs and sabot's come into their own. Being very heavy and made out of either solid lead or copper alloy, these slug pack one heck of a punch! The only pitfall is their accuracy, and using them in a smoothbore, accuracy can be very poor indeed. There are bolt action shotguns that have rifled barrels (Mossberg 695, Savage 210F, etc.), and these shotguns can group lead slugs and sabots quite well. I would not recommend a single shot because they take too long to reload.
