Hog Hunting is Great

Now that deer season is either over or near the end, many hunters leave their hunting property. They return late next summer to once again prepare for the upcoming season. But many hunters are gaining more value from their hunting lease by continuing to hunt for feral hogs. Most of Texas’ deer country now has an abundance of hogs. This is the time of year when little natural forage is available and it is also the best time to attract hogs with automatic feeders.

A valid Texas hunting license is required to hunt hogs and virtually any caliber of deer rifle or hand gun will do an excellent job on them. Hogs weighing in excess of 200 pounds are common and when they are properly taken care of the meat is unbeatable. Hogs are not considered a game animal in Texas. Therefore, they can be hunted year round (day or night) and there is no bag limit on them.

Feral hogs are destructive and most landowners would rather not have them residing on their property. Besides destroying agricultural crops, roads and fences, feral hogs multiply so rapidly that it is nearly a full time chore to keep the numbers down. It is for those reasons above that hog hunting is highly encouraged by landowners. For an example of just how affordable hunting hogs can be it is common to spend less than $100 a day pursuing them.

Hogs are smart. Much smarter than many hunters give them credit for. They have good hearing and vision and their best sense is smell. If a hog gets one whiff of a human, he is gone and won’t come back. I have had deer calmly feeding nearby downwind and had a hog come in below them, smell me and run off.

Most deer hunters don’t like hogs because they run off deer. While deer tolerate javelinas nearby, they keep their distance from hogs. I am a serious deer hunter and I enjoy seeing, hunting and eating hogs. It is tough for me to pass up a shot on a hog, even if I am rifle hunting for a trophy buck. It is for that reason that I will take my bow with me. The silence of an arrow has put many hogs in my freezer while not ruining my deer hunt.

The 2005 deer season is about 9 months away, too long for me to stay out of the hunting woods. Thanks to the ever-growing hog population, I can hunt year round and it is a great way to hone hunting skills.