The Outpost

Going Hog Wild!!!

When someone is said to be "living high on the hog," it means that the person is living a good life. No doubt, this expression came about to describe some wealthy person whose position allowed him to eat the superior cuts of pork, such as hams and pork chops (high on the hog), instead of the pig's knuckles and jowls (low on the hog).

Hunters, who love the adrenaline rush of facing down a 200+ pound charging feral hog and dropping it with a well-placed shot, understand exactly what living high on the hog means. Hog hunting any time of the year is definitely a rush.

Wild swine, whether it's feral hog, wild boar or Russian boar, is one of the fastest growing wildlife species in the Southern United States. These animals were introduced in the South by the early Spanish explorer about 300 years ago. They provided a source of cured meat and lard for early settlers.

The huge population of these hogs in the state Texas is due to Mexican General Santa Ana. When Texas' war with Mexico rousted the settlers from their farms, many of these pigs escaped and hit the road, intent on seeing the sights in Texas. Along the way, they met other pigs and nature ran its course. Since then, the population of these wild swine has exploded. There are other factors at work that brought about the population spike of hogs in other Southern states, the most obvious being the fecundity of the species.

Hunting wild pigs has become a passion of many outdoorsmen for several reasons. Unlike the cartoon pigs like "Porky," these pigs are smart, relentless and more than a little scary. This makes them a terrific challenge for hunters. Plus, their numbers are huge. It is not unusual for a hog hunter to come upon a herd of 20-50 feral hogs in the field.

Another reason for their popularity is that hunters can take a feral pig at any time of the year, by any method, and so long as he has hunting license and permission from the land owner, there is no bag limit. This makes hog hunting a great reason to get out in the field, loaded for boar, during the spring and summer times when the guns are usually sitting in the vault.

The other reason why hog hunting is so popular has to do with the meat. With some exceptions, the wild hog meat is lean and more flavorful than the pork that's available in the store.

Feral hogs are stocky and stout. A mature hog has a shoulder height of about 36 inches and can weigh anywhere from 100 to 400 pounds. They have four, continuously growing tusks, two on top and two on the bottom, and because they spend a lot of time fighting other hogs, these tusks are usually razor sharp. They have fairly poor eyesight, but make up for this with a superior sense of smell and hearing.

It's perfectly legal to take a wild pig with a well-placed arrow. However, most (sane) hunters use a rifle or pistol. Because the feral pigs have such tough hide, most outfitters suggest using a rifle caliber of .243 or greater. Hunting pigs with trained dogs is also a blast, but with the adrenaline rush of this activity comes the potential for injuries to man's best friend.

If you enjoy walking for hours through a quiet, heavily wooded area and then, in a split second, out of nowhere having a large, mean-looking pig coming straight at you, you'll love hog hunting. There are plenty of them out there and the farmers who are sick of their crops being trampled by them will thank you.