I have read several articles on hunting wild boar and it sounds like a challenge and alot of fun.  I would like to break in my 1886 in 45-70 on a boar.  I am from southern Ohio and don't mind traveling as my brother and brother-in-law will help share the driving.  Can anyone recommend a place for courteous, safe and ethical first time hog hunters?  Thanks, Rob

DocRob,get your hands on a copy of the North American Hunter Mag,as I remember there is a place or two there in Ohio that you can hunt boar on,The one I used to go to is in N.C.,but if you want real fun go to Fl.and hunt them in the swamps

Try sending a message via the Messenger service to James Gates (type it in exactly like that).

He's in Florida and does a lot of hog hunting, may be able to hook you up with some information and/or guides.

I hunt hogs in the swamps of extreme NW Fla. There are fairly big free ranging hogs all along the Escambia River and its tributaries.We hunt from or access the area by boat.I don't hunt deer anymore.Hogs are more challengeing and they fight back. The brush is THICK and the shots are close and fast.(Puma, lever action,16" bbl. in 454 Casull) If anybody has any ?'s ref. hogs in the swamps(guns,tactics,equip,etc.) please ask. I'll try to help. Thanks to all you information minded people on this web sight,I've lerned alot already. Good Shootin'----pruhdlr

DocRob, Unless the hogs you are hunting are 300lbs and you are a bad shot you might find the 45/70 alittle much. I've been cleaning house on the local 100-200lbs w/ .35. I bought a 95G last week and shot a hog sunday. The 405gr went ear to ear and kept going. I suspect w/ hogs anywhere in the SE you should be able to get close for a clean head shot so big bullets are probably over kill. I'm even considering using my 22mag next time. I find all my hogs w/ my ears and then I'm real close.
Lots of folk talk about bad hogs and I'm sure they are out there but I think as long as I can keep the hole end of my stick between me and the hog I'll win.My mag is a marlin 57 short stroke lever and I can blaze them if needed. I've only heard one story of a hunter being charged and it was someone else's wounded animal... results of a poor shot. Bootsy droped the hog at 10 feet w/ one shot of his 44mag pistol.
I can't blame ya for wanting to use the 45/70 cuz it's a fun gun, but I'll keep mine for the BIG bruisers in the Ga swamps and when I get north to hunt next fall.
cw
c

DocRob,get your hands on a copy of the North American Hunter Mag,as I remember there is a place or two there in Ohio that you can hunt boar on,The one I used to go to is in N.C.,but if you want real fun go to Fl.and hunt them in the swamps

http://www.caryonah.com/
The place I and a friend went was the Caryonah Hunting Lodge.Great place. Super guide's , clean rooms and good food.
We booked again this Oct. With a crew we met from Missouri.
I'll say one thing, the most exciting hunt with a hand gun that I had ever encountered .
However, the Wild Russian Boar are one tough cookie to put down.
My friend used my Ruger 44 SRH 91/2"barrel w/300 grain HP
pushed out by 23 grains of 296 and it took 2 shots in the vitals. I used my Wildey Mag 45 cal, 10 barrel/240 grain HP w/ 21 grains of 296, both with iron sights , stalking them bad boys on the ground.
WHAT A HUNT !
Should you go there, get Johnny Jones and his son Andy for guides, they know their stuff.

Another good outfit in Tenn. is Clarkrange Hunting lodge, run by Ken Moody. They'll get you "up close and personal" to a wild hog. They have a website, check them out.

Mad Dog

Another good outfit in Tenn. is Clarkrange Hunting lodge, run by Ken Moody. They'll get you "up close and personal" to a wild hog. They have a website, check them out.

Mad Dog

I checked out the Clarkrange Hunting lodge web site and
a few things that appeal to me as a plus @ Caryonah's is
that all rooms have their own full bath's/showers&heat, you don't have to cook "the folks @ Caryonah" do some fantastic home style cooking "all you can eat".
And the rates, appear to be in the same ball park, with the exception of price per head count of the hunting party/s such @ Clarkrange Hunting lodge.
Many of the lodge's we had looked into before we booked a hunt @ Caryonah had a range of fees by the size boar that was taken, not so @.Caryonah . As a last resort they will use dogs in order for you to get your trophy hog (Up close to where you could smell them). They do all the work, your there for a hunt of a life time, "no field dressing"or roughing it. However, to each his own.

I hunt hogs in the swamps of extreme NW Fla. There are fairly big free ranging hogs all along the Escambia River and its tributaries.We hunt from or access the area by boat.I don't hunt deer anymore.Hogs are more challengeing and they fight back. The brush is THICK and the shots are close and fast.(Puma, lever action,16" bbl. in 454 Casull) If anybody has any ?'s ref. hogs in the swamps(guns,tactics,equip,etc.) please ask. I'll try to help. Thanks to all you information minded people on this web sight,I've lerned alot already. Good Shootin'----pruhdlr


You don't happen to hunt accross the line in AL do you? I'm really interested in going hog hunting, I just don't know that much about it. I'm mainly looking for public land to hunt as I don't really have the money to do the guided thing. Does FL have a year round season like AL does? And if I was to hunt in FL How much are out of state licenses?


Any suggestions would be a lot of help.
Thanks.
you can email me @
Pair005@bama.ua.edu

Im from Upstate N.Y. I realy want to move out, BAD! Florida is one of my top relocation posibilitys.
I have hunted big game(whitetail/black bear) all my life. I dont know squat about pig hunting.
I mostly use a bolt 6.5x55mm for big game up here. This probobly wouldnt be the best tool for pig. I dont know the firearm regulations eather. Is it O.K. to use a semi-auto rifle? I hear pig hunting is fast. How important is it to have a a second shot ready? I have several firearms that can probobly take a pig, but they are Bolt, singleshot, or a .50 inline.

My strong suggestion would be to use either an auto loader or a lever action for hogs. You will(just when you think that you wont)need a fast follow up shot. If you prefer to use a lever gun i would suggest a "short stroke gun". I use a Marlin 1894 Limited in 44 Mag cal. It has a 16" bbl and will hold enough ammo for the situation if it becomes UGLY. Also suggest 44mag,heavy loaded 45LC,or 454 Casull. Not 45-70,450Marlin,444 Marlin.These do too much meat damage.Also definately not 30-30 and up.(30-06,308,270,etc.) Been my experiance that these do way too much meat damage.(BULLET VELOCITY) Forgot to mention that one of my other guns is a Ruger 44 Mag. auto. This it the old model,but the newer ones would be better because of the detatchable magazine. I have never killed a 300 pounder but got my biggest last year (250) and the power of a 44or45 cal.is in my opinion all you need as long as your using hot loads.Got my 454 Casull for the 600+ pounders of south Fla.,hopefully this fall.---- more later----GOOD SHOOTIN'----pruhdlr

I had a great hunt at www.Coldbrookhunts.com this is fair chase German/Russian boar hunting at its finest,Upstate NY. I recommend to hunt the latter part of the year, preferably in the snow, why, no bugs LOL and less foliage to deal with, a bit cold but if you dress right you should be ok, Last year it was March 2003 below zero, we all scored boars 250-350 pds range, The coldbrook spread is huge, in tern they can situate the hunters far enough apart to make the hunt very challenging. He only hunts one group per hunt, so you have the whole place to your selfs, you can shoot your rifles before hand, behind the dwelling, there is a small range to make sure your rifle is on before the hunt,the place you stay in is nice can sleep around eight hunters comfortably, bring your own food, there is everything you need to cook with there, all you need is food. Also Coldbrook will butcher you boar for a small fee of $50.00 at the time, I did my own with the butcher to insure it was done right and it was, they have a good setup, nice walking freezer etc...Clean butchering area as well, that is important to me very much, don't want my meat going bad before the cut, well good luck where ever you pick to hunt. Aim small hit small. RAMbo.
http://www.hunt101.com/img/030030.jpg
http://www.hunt101.com/img/030022.jpg

MATTPAIR--- I live in the Pensacola Fla. area. I have friends that belong to hunting clubs in the Camden,Oak Hill,Pineapple,Ala. area. This area is what we refer to as the black soil belt. This area is in contrast to the area to the south,towards Monroeville,where the soil is all white sand and red clay. Pigs LOVE rich black fertal dirt as opposed to white well drained sand and red clay/dirt. All the area around the Alabama River up towards where you live has lots of hogs,so we hear down here in Fla. Follow the river and you'll find the hogs. Talk to the farmers that live within a few miles of the Ala. river,they should know.--- Fla. does have a year round season on hogs similar to Ala.( i belong to a hunting club just outside of Brewton Ala.)That season is only on private property.(Same as AL.) In Fl. and Al. you must have written permission from the landowner to hunt his property.If you have permission then you can hunt hogs year round. In Fl. we have alot of management land.This land is owned by the state.We have regular hog seasons on this property.The seasons usually go along with the deer seasons,but not always. On management land you are allowed one hog per day,either sex,but must be 15" at the shoulder.---A Fl. nonresident big game (for hogs) will cost you $151.50. If youhunt on management land it will cost you another $26.50. In Fl. you get quite a few days to hog hunt on management land with regular gun,bow,and muzzleloader. (i also hunt with a T/C Omega .50 cal.) On the Escambia River management area property the hogs are usually 80-200 lbs. but there is an occasional 300+ pounder. The shots are usually VERY close. Where i hunt a long shot would be 40 yds. Most shots are 5-20 yds. You need a weapon that is very quick to mount and/or swing. A 44mag or 45LC is about all you'll need. You will need a weapon that will give fast follow up shots.( no bolts or singles) These hogs can get quite agressive.Especially a sow with piglets.---GOOD LUCK,STAY SAFE---pruhdlr P.S. any other ??? don't hesitate to ask.

GREGARAT-- My opinion is for hogs use a big bore, heavy,fairly slow moving bullet. The shots are usually close and the 200lb. hogs don't need alot of killin'. Remember that NOTHING will take the place of good shot placement but the use of a big hunk o' lead kinda helps. Handloading is the "name of the game". Like Burger King,you can have it your way.----- GOOD SHOOTIN'---pruhdlr

I agree with pruhdlr,Boars are very tough critters and have a nasty attatude also. I used a Marlin 450 guidegun using Hornadys 350gr Interlock FP in front of 50gr H4198, CCI Mag primers, Lee factory crimp, 2180fps. This round hit that boar at 45 yards and lifted a 250pd boar off his feet, flopped around from nerves but never took another step, dead as a doornail, Shot placement is no# 1 when hunting big dangerous game, I actually got charged bye his buddy after knocking him down, the second boar ran right at me and stopped twenty yards away and then proceeded to trash the bark off the tree next to him and looking right at me and snorting, as he was doing that, I had the scope on him, one more step he would be pig roast dinner;) I was really hoping he would get smart and leave, it was weird after he acted like that, the boar went back to the one I shot, to try to get the boar up to move, he was putting his snout under his body and lifting upward, never seen this before, right before he left the area, he made sure he looked at me and snorted one more time, bye this time I brought a portable camera and I was filming him, caught most of it on film;) Aim small hit small. RAMbo.

One opinion--- Bullet placement: The well placed bullet will be DIRECTLY on the shoulder. Maybe just a little high. On a broadside shot,anywhere in back of the shoulder,even slightly will miss the vital organs. A hogs vitals are further forward than most people think. A big,heavy,slow moving bullet placed directly on the shoulder will shatter the shoulder and send pieces of bone into the heart/lung area.(secondary projectiles) I have encountered sows with piglets in the heavy swamp underbrush and they will stand their ground. We do not shoot sows unless the piglets appear to be weaned but i have pointed my weapon at more than a few of them just waiting to see what they was gonna do.( I'm too old to climb trees) ---GOOD SHOOTIN'---pruhdlr

Well said and good advice!!!

One more opinion to go along with my last few: CAST BULLETS-- I use almost exclusively cast bullets. I do not cast my own,I buy them. You can buy them hard or soft. If you can't scratch them with your fingernail they're hard enough. You can also buy already loaded hard or soft cast bullets if you don't handload. Most of the HOT! loads that you can buy are hardcast.(Buffalo Bore,Cor-Bon,etc.) Forget what you think that you might know,that your great uncle told you ref. cast bullets. THEY WORK GREAT Remember that they have no jacket to shed on impact or while passing through the animal. The hard cast bullets will out penetrate any jacketed bullet. These are great for use on the huge(600+ lbs)south Fla. hogs. I have gutted alot of deer and hogs and the hard cast always perform great. I have hit 200+ lb. hogs on the shoulder and the hardcast always goes through both shoulders,shattering both.----- Good hunting to all you hog guys and gals out there. I have found that wild hogs are better table fare than deer and very challangeing to hunt. ---STAY SAFE---pruhdlr

Thanks for the reply guys, when I move ill probably get a bigger gun.
My only semi auto rifle is a 7.62x39. and my gramps old 94Win in .30-30. I took 4 whitetail myself w/h the Winchester, but I really want to retire it as a hare loom. Pulse as a beginner in hogin, I want a rifle w/h more punch. Ill probably find a used lever action, or semi on the cheap.

Bonjour pruhdlr and all of you,

I have hunted wild boars for 35 years (I am 53). My first gun was a self-loading 12 ga. shotgun loaded with buckshot and slugs (at that time, the buckshot were allowed, not nowadays). A few years later, I bought a Remington autoloader rifle (model 742) chambered for the biggest caliber available for that rifle in my country, the 280 Rem.(the 30-06 and 308 win are forbidden). Several years later, I hunted during 2 or 3 seasons with a used Browning BAR in 300 Win Mag, then sold it because I felt better with the Remington. Once, I saw in the hands of a hunter, a Remington 7400 with a rebored-rerifled barrel in 9.3 x 62 mm. I was thinking about the same project, then the 35 Whelen chambering appeared on the French market. I bought a 35 Wh. 7400 in 1992, and still have it. Another good option was the model 7600. We use to hunt taking stands ahead of running dogs, and due to the vegetation in this area, the average range for a shot is 20 - 40 yards, seldom more than 50-60 yds, and if needed, a second shot must be quick. According to my own experience, all those guns performed reasonably well, but the stopping power of the 35 Whelen overtakes all of them, particularly with the biggest boars. I have never shot cast bullets at boars because I have often been told their efficiency is poor, compared to jacketed bullets, so I have no personal experience. A few years ago, I bought a Rossi 92 stainless in 44 mag, because it's a light, short, fast handling rifle and I use it when - seldom - I follow the running dogs on brushy and difficult areas. With it, I killed 2 boars facing the dogs in thick brush, both on the first shot, but both weighed under 120 pounds. In my opinion, I would feel a little "underpowered" if facing a 300-350 lbs angry boar with the .44 mag in hand, don't you think so? Let me know your experience with the Rossi and cast bullets. Are they actually some hogs weighing 500-600 lbs in some areas in your state? WOW!!! :) Where? Do you realize how lucky you are, the biggest I have ever seen was 340 lbs.

Thanks for your answer.
Faber

MATTPAIR--- I live in the Pensacola Fla. area. I have friends that belong to hunting clubs in the Camden,Oak Hill,Pineapple,Ala. area. This area is what we refer to as the black soil belt. This area is in contrast to the area to the south,towards Monroeville,where the soil is all white sand and red clay. Pigs LOVE rich black fertal dirt as opposed to white well drained sand and red clay/dirt. All the area around the Alabama River up towards where you live has lots of hogs,so we hear down here in Fla. Follow the river and you'll find the hogs. Talk to the farmers that live within a few miles of the Ala. river,they should know.--- Fla. does have a year round season on hogs similar to Ala.( i belong to a hunting club just outside of Brewton Ala.)That season is only on private property.(Same as AL.) In Fl. and Al. you must have written permission from the landowner to hunt his property.If you have permission then you can hunt hogs year round. In Fl. we have alot of management land.This land is owned by the state.We have regular hog seasons on this property.The seasons usually go along with the deer seasons,but not always. On management land you are allowed one hog per day,either sex,but must be 15" at the shoulder.---A Fl. nonresident big game (for hogs) will cost you $151.50. If youhunt on management land it will cost you another $26.50. In Fl. you get quite a few days to hog hunt on management land with regular gun,bow,and muzzleloader. (i also hunt with a T/C Omega .50 cal.) On the Escambia River management area property the hogs are usually 80-200 lbs. but there is an occasional 300+ pounder. The shots are usually VERY close. Where i hunt a long shot would be 40 yds. Most shots are 5-20 yds. You need a weapon that is very quick to mount and/or swing. A 44mag or 45LC is about all you'll need. You will need a weapon that will give fast follow up shots.( no bolts or singles) These hogs can get quite agressive.Especially a sow with piglets.---GOOD LUCK,STAY SAFE---pruhdlr P.S. any other ??? don't hesitate to ask.


Thanks for the info, I plan on hunting with either my 444 or an 1894 in 44mg I recently picked up. I still have a lot of investigating on where to hunt, but I look forward to putting together a trip. I can smell the pork cooking on the grill now...

FABER--- Check out the website at:www.suwanneeriverranch.com. These hogs are what i use my Puma 92 in .454 Casull for.--- GOOD SHOOTIN'---- pruhdlr

MATTPAIR--- The 1894 will do just fine unless you plan to go after the 400+ guys. ( I have killed several hogs with my 1894"Limited" 16"bbl.) I use the Hornady 240gr. XTP. It will usually pass completely through. If you feel that you need a little bit more go to the 300gr. XTP. These are great bullets. It's been my observation that the 444 Marlins and the 45-70's do way too much meat damage. The bullets are moveing way too fast. If i can be of help to you in your qwest for grillin' or smokein' pork you can email me at: barefoot@panhandle.rr.com---- GOOD LUCK AND GOOD SHOOTIN'----pruhdlr

Hello FABER,

My name is Marc. Je suis un chasseur Americain.

I think it's awesome to see a French hunter on these forums. I've wanted to hunt in France ever since I read a story by Stephen J. Bodio in a book titled On Killing. He talked about running into two hunters in in France, members of the Serignan hunter's society, and they take him on a hunt for a boar they are after. Later they tell him to return to in the fall to share in some truffles and partridge and bartavelle and grieves and boar. My favorite part of hunting has alway been the eating and after reading this story about hunting in France I was turned on to recipes by Paul Bocuse and other chefs. If there is one thing I think we miss on here in the states is more recipes around wild game.

I just wanted to take a minute to say hello. I hope to see you around more of the forums and to hear some more about hunting in France.

NATURE EST NOTRE CULTURE

Matt I'm in prattville , neighbor .
We bow hunt on Corps of engineer land on the river , a few of them let you do hogs , the area around Jones Bluff dam is one of them .
The Coosa Management area has hogs I believe , not sure . we deer hunt there a lot .
Yeah the Camden area is good I grew up near there .
think the Lowndes WMA on the river lets you do hogs too , bow only I believe .
Matt send me a pm and we may can hook something up , no promises though .

DocRob
You may want to get in touch with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, they report that Beford and Cambria counties have populations of feral hogs. From the Ohio border to South Central PA is about 250 miles or so.

I use both Marlin or Winchester lever 30-30s. But, my shots are usually less then 50 yards. And if I can't get a good shot right behind his ear then I'll pass. Hogs can get real nasty, especially when wounded, and a bang/flop is a whole lot better then trying to track one thru our heavy Florida brush.