You hear it all the time: “I want to go hog hunting!” But all too often I talk to people who seemingly assume they’ll never make their dream a reality. In en effort to convince you to jump into your first hog hunt, I’m going to do my best to lay out the options for getting into hog hunting, the gear you need (and likely already have), and everything in between.
Why I’m Qualified to Write this Article: I am by no means a hog hunting expert, but have been fortunate enough to be exposed to various styles of hog hunting. My key qualification is that I did not have any particular advantages getting into hog hunting, and now I get to enjoy hunting hogs multiple times each year, despite living in hog-free Indiana. I’m certain that many of you fall in the former category, and would prefer to be in the latter category. I will be happy if my input can help others get into hogs.
Testing the Waters: Hunting with an Outfitter During the Day. Using an outfitter is definitely the easiest way to get into hog hunting. Find somewhere with good reviews, book some dates, and simply show up. This is quick and easy, but can have some drawbacks. There are likely to be strict limitations on how and where you hunt, with many outfitters requiring that you use their blinds or stands to hunt over bait. While this can be a successful method, it can feel somewhat controlled, and there are plenty of internet stories about outfitters stocking pigs or even requiring you to hunt inside a hog confinement… essentially high fence hunting. Further, some outfitters charge by the hog or by the pound, which may decrease the excitement of taking multiple pigs or very large pigs. I don’t fault the outfitters for these restrictions; after all, they are trying to make a living off unpredictable wild animals. But it may still leave you feeling like you didn’t get the “real” experience.
Testing the Waters: Hunting with an Outfitter at Night. There are also plenty of outfitters offering thermal night hunts in fields. This is extremely exciting, and trying to take down multiple hogs from a sounder 20-30 pigs strong is absolutely wild. Using an outfitter for this style of hunt may certainly be the best option, unless you are prepared to drop thousands of dollars on a thermal scope. These hunts often cost $400-500 per person for a single night, but taking half a dozen pigs is not unusual, especially if you are comfortable shooting moving targets.
Another factor to consider: these style hunts are very tactical in nature, versus being hunting in nature. You’ll end the night with a pretty good understanding of how to use high tech thermal gear to maneuver on a group of pigs in the open and work as a team to eliminate as many as possible. However, you will not learn much about pigs, or their habits and habitat. Non-hunters may find this attractive, although as a hunter, while this kind of adventure is incredibly fun, I would never want to be relegated to only this style of hunt.
Into the Deep End: Hog Leases. If I knew someone was serious about hog hunting for years to come, I would strongly encourage them to get a hunt lease. It allows the most diverse and natural forms of hog hunting, assuming you get on a good lease. In my personal experience, I hunted on a buddy’s lease that was excellent hog hunting. I then got a lease of my own, which had almost zero hogs, and was pretty disappointing. After a lot of research, calls and legwork, I finally stumbled onto the current hunt club I’m in, which is incredible. Several of my buddies have since joined the club, and we travel down south multiple times a year and bring back loads of pork.
You’ll pay $1-3/per acre for a lease each year, although that number can be much higher depending on hunting quality, species present, location and amenities. You’ll also find that many of these leases or clubs are looking for quality people to SHARE the ground, so if you behave like a donkey, you may find yourself uninvited.
Having an investment into a lease or club can allow you to study the hog behavior, ambush or stalk the hogs, and hunt year round day or night. The right arrangement can be pretty awesome. Take a look at Georgia Outdoor Network for lease opening postings, and go into it with a friendly attitude and you may come away with your own hunting heaven.
Gear: Run What You Have. Simply put, if you’re into guns you likely already own the necessary equipment to hunt hogs. Yes, it is an addiction for which you may eventually spend thousands of dollars buying gear, but you can start hunting now! I prefer a lightweight suppressible semiautomatic with day and night optics, but if I only had a lever action, bolt action, or shotgun, I would gladly run south to hunt hogs. When we began hunting hogs we used flashlights taped to our rifles, and we killed plenty. Later we bought some entry grade night vision, then handheld thermals, then eventually thermal rifle scopes, but we ate a lot of cheap pork in the process! You can also find plenty of pigs during the day if you learn where to look and are willing to hike through the swamps.
Why I’m Qualified to Write this Article: I am by no means a hog hunting expert, but have been fortunate enough to be exposed to various styles of hog hunting. My key qualification is that I did not have any particular advantages getting into hog hunting, and now I get to enjoy hunting hogs multiple times each year, despite living in hog-free Indiana. I’m certain that many of you fall in the former category, and would prefer to be in the latter category. I will be happy if my input can help others get into hogs.
Testing the Waters: Hunting with an Outfitter During the Day. Using an outfitter is definitely the easiest way to get into hog hunting. Find somewhere with good reviews, book some dates, and simply show up. This is quick and easy, but can have some drawbacks. There are likely to be strict limitations on how and where you hunt, with many outfitters requiring that you use their blinds or stands to hunt over bait. While this can be a successful method, it can feel somewhat controlled, and there are plenty of internet stories about outfitters stocking pigs or even requiring you to hunt inside a hog confinement… essentially high fence hunting. Further, some outfitters charge by the hog or by the pound, which may decrease the excitement of taking multiple pigs or very large pigs. I don’t fault the outfitters for these restrictions; after all, they are trying to make a living off unpredictable wild animals. But it may still leave you feeling like you didn’t get the “real” experience.
Testing the Waters: Hunting with an Outfitter at Night. There are also plenty of outfitters offering thermal night hunts in fields. This is extremely exciting, and trying to take down multiple hogs from a sounder 20-30 pigs strong is absolutely wild. Using an outfitter for this style of hunt may certainly be the best option, unless you are prepared to drop thousands of dollars on a thermal scope. These hunts often cost $400-500 per person for a single night, but taking half a dozen pigs is not unusual, especially if you are comfortable shooting moving targets.
Another factor to consider: these style hunts are very tactical in nature, versus being hunting in nature. You’ll end the night with a pretty good understanding of how to use high tech thermal gear to maneuver on a group of pigs in the open and work as a team to eliminate as many as possible. However, you will not learn much about pigs, or their habits and habitat. Non-hunters may find this attractive, although as a hunter, while this kind of adventure is incredibly fun, I would never want to be relegated to only this style of hunt.
Into the Deep End: Hog Leases. If I knew someone was serious about hog hunting for years to come, I would strongly encourage them to get a hunt lease. It allows the most diverse and natural forms of hog hunting, assuming you get on a good lease. In my personal experience, I hunted on a buddy’s lease that was excellent hog hunting. I then got a lease of my own, which had almost zero hogs, and was pretty disappointing. After a lot of research, calls and legwork, I finally stumbled onto the current hunt club I’m in, which is incredible. Several of my buddies have since joined the club, and we travel down south multiple times a year and bring back loads of pork.
You’ll pay $1-3/per acre for a lease each year, although that number can be much higher depending on hunting quality, species present, location and amenities. You’ll also find that many of these leases or clubs are looking for quality people to SHARE the ground, so if you behave like a donkey, you may find yourself uninvited.
Having an investment into a lease or club can allow you to study the hog behavior, ambush or stalk the hogs, and hunt year round day or night. The right arrangement can be pretty awesome. Take a look at Georgia Outdoor Network for lease opening postings, and go into it with a friendly attitude and you may come away with your own hunting heaven.
Gear: Run What You Have. Simply put, if you’re into guns you likely already own the necessary equipment to hunt hogs. Yes, it is an addiction for which you may eventually spend thousands of dollars buying gear, but you can start hunting now! I prefer a lightweight suppressible semiautomatic with day and night optics, but if I only had a lever action, bolt action, or shotgun, I would gladly run south to hunt hogs. When we began hunting hogs we used flashlights taped to our rifles, and we killed plenty. Later we bought some entry grade night vision, then handheld thermals, then eventually thermal rifle scopes, but we ate a lot of cheap pork in the process! You can also find plenty of pigs during the day if you learn where to look and are willing to hike through the swamps.
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