When in doubt, shoot again
Kc45,
I haven't killed enough wild hogs to comment, but on the deer situation, they bear watching if you can see 'em fall. Had several get up after dropping like a hog shot in a butcher pen! I suppose approaching any downed critter you need to approach with caution. Eyes open and still usually means they're done, eyes closed, we might be in for a surprise when you poke him. Being humane and respectful of the game we are blessed to take seems the least we could do.
Freakish things happen so be prepared! I shot a muzzle loader buck 4 times from a ladder stand years ago, 1st shot anchored him, cut the spinal cord and paralized everything but head and neck. He kept moving around, I kept reloading and shooting, back then it was 50 caliber round balls. That was an awful experience! A guy that worked on our maintenance crew thought he had killed a buck and rested his rifle against a bush a little bit too far away. That would have won the prize had it been videoed, he finally finished the deer off with a cheap Pakastan pocket knife. When I was working, our shop in west Florida was in the sales area of Dothan, Alabama. One of the electrical salesmen told about a hunt he was on in Alabama where one of his friends had busted a fine buck, drug him to the road and laid his rifle across the bucks antlers waiting for a ride. All of a sudden, the story goes, the buck jumped up and ran off with the guys' rifle caught in the horns by the rifle sling! They never found the rifle or the deer. So it might be good to "shoot em' again Liz'beth", be it hog or deer!
Others here have posted the best advice, "When in doubt shoot again." The price of an additional shell is not a consideration when you compare it to lost meat or a suffering animal!
Treefarmer
I shot a 140lb sow a few weeks back. Used a 30-30. first shot dropped her like a bad habit. Neck shot. she never got up but she laid there kicking and squealing. after close to 5 minutes she was quiet but I could not see her chest. got down and walked over to where she dropped-not there. lots of blood but she had clawed about 5 yards to the left and was digging trying to get at me. .357 to the head and that was that. first shot broke her neck but did not kill her. If I had a clear second shot I would have done it from the stand.
I saw a bar hog that needed shot TWICE in the head at point blank range with a 22 mag pistol after we bayed him up. I have had to shoot multiple mercy shots on bucks, more often with a bow. I have no problem with a quick back-up shot.
