California Hog Hunt coming up...Tips/Advice?

[rdsii64]

I also forgot to mention that the key to non lead bullets doing their job well is SPEED.
you want a minimum impact velocity of 1850 FPS. A well placed tripple shock in the boiler room at sufficient speed will put that pig down hard.

 

[Crop Damage]

I'm going to try some test loads with a few 168 gr triple shocks that my buddy is giving me. He likes them for deer around here. Hope my rifle likes them.

I'm so excited about this hunt I can't stand it. I've already bitten off all my fingernails, while fiddling with my gear and rifles. My buddies that are going on this trip are really laid back, they don't really care too much about the hogs, just want to get away and have fun. I'm planning an all out assault on the entire hog population of western CA. I want the hogs to be glad when I leave to go home.

I did hear there were plenty of ground squirrels. Is a .243 too much gun, or a .22-250? I can borrow a .223, if need be. I've got some work to do, to get these rifles set up with copper ammo.

 

[Miller Outdoors]

I realize that pigs are quite tough, but some of you guys are letting perfection crowd out sufficient. Either of the bullets you mentioned placed in either eye, behind either ear, in the neck or through the boiler room will knock porky absolutely silly. Shoot him already. Good luck and have fun.

 

[loaders_loft]

behind the ear can be tricky on a hog unless its facing away from you. The position of the ears on a wild hog is at the back of the skull, and the spine is quite a bit lower than the ear. Most of whats behind the ear is gristle. Between the eye and ear is a good spot.

 

[Goofycat]

Ditto to colasweet's advice. Take plenty of water; it will more than likely be hot in San Luis. It may be hilly where you hunt, so wear shoes/boots with lug soles in case you have to climb some hills. You should also watch for ticks on the animal, and perhaps buy one of those thick plastic drag sheets in case you have to move the dead body. If the dead animal is heavy, without the drag gizmo or an ATV, you will have to hand carry the animal, risking getting bitten by ticks that may remain on its skin.

Leave the shotgun at home; you won't need it. If you are concerned about a hog attack at short range, carry a pistol...maybe .41 caliber or better. Also, bring some gloves; they are nice to have if you have to handle the body. Also bring some skinning knife or knives.

The biggest job in hog hunting is having to get the body out of what may often be heavy brush and transporting it to your truck bed. Whatever you do, don't go alone. If you are unfortunate enough to get sliced by one of these tuskers, you are at risk of losing your life if there is no one else to perform first aid or to get help. Also, take along a cell phone. It may not work if you are in a dead spot, but you never can tell.

Remember that these animals like to hide out during the heat of the day. Early mornings and evenings are the best times to hunt. Always helps to have dogs, also.

 

[Goofycat]

I'm going to try some test loads with a few 168 gr triple shocks that my buddy is giving me. He likes them for deer around here. Hope my rifle likes them.

I'm so excited about this hunt I can't stand it. I've already bitten off all my fingernails, while fiddling with my gear and rifles. My buddies that are going on this trip are really laid back, they don't really care too much about the hogs, just want to get away and have fun. I'm planning an all out assault on the entire hog population of western CA. I want the hogs to be glad when I leave to go home.

I did hear there were plenty of ground squirrels. Is a .243 too much gun, or a .22-250? I can borrow a .223, if need be. I've got some work to do, to get these rifles set up with copper ammo.

A .243 or .22-250 are too much "rifle" for ground squirrels. I am a veteran at ground squirrel hunting, having shot thousands of the little critters. A .222 or .223 is as much rifle as you will need for distances of up to maybe 250 yards. Besides, on a hot day the barrels of the heavier calibers heat up the barrels very quickly during fast & furious shooting, making it a good idea to have at least two centerfire rifles available, so as to let one rifle cool down while you use the other. You should clean these rifles after every 10-20 shots anyway.

I personally have shot more ground squirrels with an accurized 10/22 Ruger Clark Special rimfire rifle than anything else, using a 4 x 12 scope. You can use a more powerful scope, but it will just add weight to the rifle and is kind of useless on a rimfire rifle since you are usually restricted to shooting at ranges under 100 yards. Mil-dots are okay, but at shorter ranges, I have found that a fine duplex reticle works fine. You can range it like a Mil-Dot by using the top of the bottom post on the reticle as a guide for shooting at distances over 50 yards.

I usually buy my rimfire ammo at Walmart. I have found that the 40-grain Winchester Power Points work well, but I recently ran across the Winchester 36-grain "333" rounds. They cost a little less than the Power Points and shoot flatter than the Power Points due to their lighter weight bullets. Using the rimfire also means that I don't have to stick around the truck to keep the rifle clean, such as I would be forced to do when shooting centerfires. Also, the squirrels don't like the noise of centerfires; the rimfires are much quieter.

Take along a range-finder and a pair of binoculars. They will really help. Don't forget to sight in your rifles at your hunting site before you start plinking ground squirrels. I like the compact version of the MTM target holder. I don't like the higher version; it sticks up too far, making ricochets more probable. The MTMs are available through Amazon. You will need some sort of target holder so you can sight in your rifle. A bore sighter is a good thing to have to help you when you sight in your rifles, but it isn't mandatory.

Put all the stuff you want to take in a back pack so you can leave your hands free to carry your rifle, bipod, or the shooting platform of your choice. Make sure you have your hunting license readily available. Plan on taking along a straw hat with a wide brim to keep your head cool. Baseball caps are fine, but if you wear one, slather a lot of sun screen on your face and ears.

Ground squirrels might be a bit few and far between at this time. They start to hibernate in July and don't usually come out of their holes until the end of January....at least in Northern California where I hunt. They also tend to stay underground during the heat of the day. Best time to hunt is early in the morning on a cold day. They then like to come out and warm up in the sun. Also, forget using any type of mouth caller.

Whatever you do, do NOT pick up the dead bodies. They may carry the Hanta Virus. Leave the bodies for the eagles, hawks, magpies, crows and seagulls. PM me if you need any more info.