wild boar hunting, where?

[jedi]

I have never hunted before.
Just target shooting on private property and winamac dnr range. i have seen videos on boar hunting from helicopter, from trucks at night, and on foot. the truck night shoots and the on foot looks like fun. helicopter not so much.

in any case have any of you done it? if so where? google comes up with places as far as nevada all the way to virginia and prices are all over the place.

any advise.

it need not be close to nwi but im not flying so driving it will be for me, preferable within 1 days drive.

 

[KJQ6945]

I went last September for my first hunt. Here is my write up of the trip. Hope it helps.

I can't wait to do it again.

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...-hunting-trip-review.html?442433=#post7232501

 

[Rookie]

I looked into dakel hog hunting, but they were booked solid until July.

 

[two70]

Since you are new to hunting a fenced shooting preserve will probably provide you with the best opportunity to get a hog and get your feet wet in the sport. There are several in Tennessee and I believe a few in Michigan as well. If you want to hunt from a truck at night you will probably have to go to eastern Texas, which would likely be a 12-15 hour drive for you. Night shoots using thermal gear are also available in Georgia but that is probably an even longer drive. Also, it sounds like you might be more interested in getting a lot of shot opportunities as opposed to one big hog, which unless you have a very high budget, would also be better done somewhere like eastern Texas or Florida.

Things you need to decide on:
Budget
Hunting one or two large hogs vs. hunting several hogs
Using your own firearms or renting from the outfitter
hunting method: spot and stalk, still hunt, ambush over food source, or with dogs

 

[deanald2pt0]

Since you are new to hunting a fenced shooting preserve will probably provide you with the best opportunity to get a hog and get your feet wet in the sport. There are several in Tennessee and I believe a few in Michigan as well. If you want to hunt from a truck at night you will probably have to go to eastern Texas, which would likely be a 12-15 hour drive for you. Night shoots using thermal gear are also available in Georgia but that is probably an even longer drive. Also, it sounds like you might be more interested in getting a lot of shot opportunities as opposed to one big hog, which unless you have a very high budget, would also be better done somewhere like eastern Texas or Florida.

Things you need to decide on:
Budget
Hunting one or two large hogs vs. hunting several hogs
Using your own firearms or renting from the outfitter
hunting method: spot and stalk, still hunt, ambush over food source, or with dogs

A lot of good points are made here. Are you looking for a trophy, something you plan to eat, or just an eradication type hunt?

 

[jedi]

no trophy
never have eated boar but i imagine its like pork and i do like pork and bacon.
i dont mind driving anywhere in the usa to do it either. ideally closer to home is better but i have plenty of vacation time so that is not an issue.

i want to have the experience of shooting them.
the only wild life i have had to deal with are nasty racoons and let me not get started on those a..hats! HATE THEM for all the damage they have done to me in the past.

 

[phatgemi]

I'M going to Tennessee in three weeks with family group for a hog hunt and will report back on how we do and comment on overall experience.

 

[TurkeyThug]

A guy I work with goes to a place in Crossville, Tennessee he kills big hogs every trip. Its called something lodge not sure.
He said its about a cheap as you can go but its a very nice place

 

[deanald2pt0]

no trophy
never have eated boar but i imagine its like pork and i do like pork and bacon.
i dont mind driving anywhere in the usa to do it either. ideally closer to home is better but i have plenty of vacation time so that is not an issue.

i want to have the experience of shooting them.
the only wild life i have had to deal with are nasty racoons and let me not get started on those a..hats! HATE THEM for all the damage they have done to me in the past.

If I weren't after a trophy or the meat, I'd probably go to one of the southern states and do a night hunt with thermal. The hogs are going to be true wild hogs, probably smaller, but you may see some big ones, limit will depend on your outfitter.

If you plan to eat it, I'd look at one of the high fenced places in TN, MI, or Ohio. They will most likely have some Eruo/Russian domestic cross which they will feed corn and minerals to make them fat and happy. These aren't going to be nearly as skittish as feral hogs, and probably taste like the pork you are used to eating. I've been to Wilderness in TN and they take care of everything, you just have to show up, shoot a pig, and they'll handle everything else. Most of the high fence places are going to have some type of similar package.

 

[deanald2pt0]

I'M going to Tennessee in three weeks with family group for a hog hunt and will report back on how we do and comment on overall experience.

Your trip will be fine, but don't be surprised when you find you aren't the only ones there or the rooms aren't as nice as the pictures on the website. It's there business, they have people coming and going all the time. There were probably 20 or so other people there when we were there last year.

Ive been told about a place in OH I'd like to check out, but I'm trying to save money for a once in a life time hunt elsewhere.

 

[Thor]

I'll just put this here...Germany...with a spear...

Seriously, I hope you get to do this and have fun...and get a hog. They make a great stew I have found.

 

[two70]

no trophy
never have eated boar but i imagine its like pork and i do like pork and bacon.
i dont mind driving anywhere in the usa to do it either. ideally closer to home is better but i have plenty of vacation time so that is not an issue.

i want to have the experience of shooting them.
the only wild life i have had to deal with are nasty racoons and let me not get started on those a..hats! HATE THEM for all the damage they have done to me in the past.

Sows, piglets, and cut boars taste like pork but are leaner and will be a bit tougher if they are older. Boars taste like... well, boar. They taste like they smell, which is very strongly of testosterone. Personally, I find the smell of uncut boar meat cooking hard to deal with let alone the taste. Others are able to season it strongly enough to make it palatable for them and some, my FIL for example, even like the taste. It's best to shoot smaller pigs and sows to eat.

It sounds to me like you would enjoy a free range hunt in one of the southern states the most. I'm partial to eastern Texas because that is where I've been and what I'm familiar with but Georgia and Florida also have a lot of opportunities for hunting hogs. Large numbers of hogs, generous limits on the number of hogs that can be shot for the price, and lots of property to explore would be what I would look for. I would also verify with whoever you choose that you will actually be able to explore the property via spot and stalk or still hunting methods with a guide vs. just being stationed in a blind over a bait pile. There's nothing wrong with hunting hogs over bait but it doesn't sound like it would fit what you are looking for quite as well and isn't as action packed or exciting in my opinion. Many hunting operations prefer to hunt hogs over bait because they can fit more people on a property at one time and success rates are a bit higher.

If I weren't after a trophy or the meat, I'd probably go to one of the southern states and do a night hunt with thermal. The hogs are going to be true wild hogs, probably smaller, but you may see some big ones, limit will depend on your outfitter.

Good advice, although the meat is fine on truly wild hogs, you just have to be a bit selective on the type of hog you shoot if you intend to eat it. If you don't intend to eat the meat, you will probably find plenty of people willing to take it off of your hands if you bring it home.

 

[jedi]

so if i want to eat it i should be looking for piglets/sow places?

 

[yetti462]

^^^^ as he said the uncut boar stinks, so does the meat. I don't even mess with their meat, coyote bait and to be honest, it takes a coyote awhile to eat it. A tending boar is even worse, the last one I butchered and tried to eat caused my hands from handling the meat to stink for 3 days. I tried vinegar, repeated washings, and paint thinner, time is what it took for the stink to leave my skin. The meat smells like ****, no joke. I marinated a loin steak for 24 hrs, the meat smelled good, threw it on the grill, once the heat hit it, there came the old **** smell.

A sow or young boar (80# or less) is good eats.

 

[Thor]

Ragu di Cinghiale ? Wild Boar Stew - The Tuscan Gun

https://www.brokenarrowranch.com/Recipes/ClassicWBTuscanStew.htm

https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Wild-Boar-Stew-in-Red-Wine-518481

Wild Boar Stew Recipe - Genius Kitchen

I'll take a Wild Boar stew anytime I can find one...which is not often. The first one I ate in Germany in the '70's had me hooked.

 

[two70]

so if i want to eat it i should be looking for piglets/sow places?

Yes, unless you have a strong stomach and a weak sense of smell(or no someone that does). The younger the more tender the meat will be but anything up to around 100 pounds should be fine. A slow cooker will take care of any older and larger sows. Where I hunted in Texas, I saw three sounders of sows and immature pigs of varying sizes of 30-75+ animals over the course of 5 days. The only for sure boar I saw was a loner. The same was true regarding the boar my hunting partner killed although he saw much smaller groups of sows and piglets. I would guess that it would be somewhat similar anywhere in the south, though I wouldn't expect to see sounders quite as large as I did. You may find boars in with the sounders but any mature one will likely stand out.

 

[jedi]

guess i should ask the mods to change the title to wild pigs then.

 

[deanald2pt0]

I will say the boar I shot in TN was a big boy and it tasted fine. But, it wasn't exactly wild either. They were bred and raised for that purpose.

 

[Hookeye]

Loshbough and Caryonah the Crossville places.
Used to be one called Renegade way back.
My uncle used to own ground next to one of the preserves.
Could hear them blasting

 

[ChrisK1977]

Only get a big hog if you are looking for something to have your picture taken with it and not eating them. You can tame some of it with pineapple juice. When they get so big they do smell. The best ones are the ones that just lost their spots. Sows with a whole heard of piglets will be pretty lean.
I have only hunted them in S.Texas. We trickled corn up and down the Senderos. I say trickcle not pour. We didn’t have yellow brick roads or use feeders. We trickled it to make the corn go further. Worked for us. We only used bows. Want to take a rifle one of these days.