I would appreciate any advice/opinions on hog hunting, never tried it but it looks/sounds like fun. a few problems are I'm overweight out of shape and have a bad back and occasional vertigo, so tree stands and long hikes and drags are out. also I have no hunting partners down here in fla so I will be alone &my dogs are of no use for hogs. I generaly like to hunt the heavy brush and swampy areas all my shots on deer have been very close 5- 40 yds mostly, maybe 3- 75 to 100 yds, should I use a low power scope or open sights? I'm thinking my winchester xtr lever 375 cal with open sights is good to 50 yds reliably in brush and maybe double that in the open, or a remington mdl 7 in 7mmo8 with a 1.5- 5x scope that is handy up close and out to 200 yds? in this fla brush can you even see a hog from the ground at any distance? and what about slugs or buckshot, I've never hunted with buckshot , will it penetrate a hog? sorry for the legnthy post , most seem to be one liners, any help appreciated thanks N.G.
I would appreciate any advice/opinions on hog hunting, never tried it but it looks/sounds like fun. a few problems are I'm overweight out of shape and have a bad back and occasional vertigo, so tree stands and long hikes and drags are out. also I have no hunting partners down here in fla so I will be alone &my dogs are of no use for hogs. I generaly like to hunt the heavy brush and swampy areas all my shots on deer have been very close 5- 40 yds mostly, maybe 3- 75 to 100 yds, should I use a low power scope or open sights? I'm thinking my winchester xtr lever 375 cal with open sights is good to 50 yds reliably in brush and maybe double that in the open, or a remington mdl 7 in 7mmo8 with a 1.5- 5x scope that is handy up close and out to 200 yds? in this fla brush can you even see a hog from the ground at any distance? and what about slugs or buckshot, I've never hunted with buckshot , will it penetrate a hog? sorry for the legnthy post , most seem to be one liners, any help appreciated thanks N.G.
well im 300 lbs and walk forever. you just have to get used to walking in the heat. The first time it was hard i was not used to that.. but over time your body will get used to it. it took me a whole season os just scouting to get used to it.
To find hogs you gotta get into some thick stuff. For example where i hunt hogs on the property i hunt if i didnt cut a trail out with a machete i would of never been able to walk in there to find the hogs.
If you have a problem you can just pay for guided hunts and they will put you on a hog. YOu might still have to walk tho. When you say out of shape what do you mean? I know people who are skinny and cant keep up cause they are not used to walking.
Sometimes hogs are easy and sometimes they are hard. Sometimes they are standing right in the road and sometimes they wont even go to a trap. Sometimes they will dissapear for months then come back.. Depends on where your hunting. If you are hunting on public land be ready to walk, and walk, and walk. Unless you get lucky and see one close by. What else do you need to know..?
by out of shape I mean 325 lbs down from 350. i can walk maybe 5 miles if I go slow enough and its not a bad back or vertigo day. the more I keep moving the better if I stand or sit in one place too long my back cramps and spasms. yes this heat realy takes it out of me, and the way I sweat (alot) I could scent myself at 100 yds. up north I could keep moving and still not break a sweat, but thats not possible down here. I guess keeping down wind is the same for hogs as deer? well thanks for responding N.G.
yea i was 350 and got down to about 300-310 depending on whats in my stomach.
I was walking far at 340 so its possible. just choose your paths. when i hunt chazz i walk on dirt roads, avoid sugar sand and hunt on spots wheres there is allot of shade. Scouting will tell you where those spots are.. lol
Just take your time and scout. thats what i did for my first year in florida. Finding out where all the wmas are and then picking the ones close and scouting, and scouting, and scouting. then the next year i already knew where the nasty sugar-sand trails were and the nice shady dirt roads were. But thats just me.
IM from up north also. Born and raised in NJ. so i know up north its nice and cool all the time. YOu can walk in the slate quarries all day and get lost and not even break a sweat. In the catskills its always shady and cool cause theres no openings cause they dont clear cut nothing and its all natural and full of cover. I miss it and the reality is i need to adapt here because this is where i live now.
Im telling you start walking and scouting to get your stamina up.
That .375 is perfect,two of my buddy's have used them for years.There's some big boys in my club that sit in chairs on the sides of roads and kill plenty of hogs.Main thing is find a place to hunt ,see if you can find an old skidder tram then chum them up for awhile with some corn. Just sit and be quiet ,they will come.
