Pigs are a widespread environmental and agricultural pest. They are also an intelligent and challenging quarry and there are many ways to hunt them. Don Caswell says that whatever your preferred method, get out there, have some fun hog hunting and do the country a favour.
We had camped overnight on the edge of a vast Arnhem Land flood plain. Our plan had been to spend the night then, at first light, shoot and butcher a buffalo for the local community. Lady Luck had smiled on us, for when we had arrived late the previous afternoon, there were a number of young bulls grazing conveniently close to our intended campsite. My hunting buddy and son Ryan had cleanly dropped a nice young bull with the .458 and we had managed to load the boned-out meat into the ute before darkness set in. That made for a relaxing evening and a good chance for the two of us to consider how best we could now use the early morning.
We had seen quite a few pigs as we entered the hunting area. The wetland in front of our camp was well worked by hogs. An additional attraction was the scattering of half a dozen buffalo carcasses within a radius of a few hundred metres. These were the result of earlier hunting trips. Even though the pigs quickly and thoroughly demolished the remains of our boned-out kills, they would still regularly visit each spot to sniff hopefully about the meagre collection of well-gnawed bones and skin.
Having earlier taken a couple of buffalo with it, Ryan was now keen to give the Brno double 9.3x74R a work-out on some hogs. There was every chance we could accomplish that in fairly short order and still have the meat delivered before it got too hot. We awoke before first light to the delightful sound of some nearby grunting and squealing. As soon as there was enough light, we quietly crawled out of our swags and pulled on our hunting gear.
The gathering light revealed a plenitude of hogs. A few hundred metres away, on the far side of the swamp, there was a mob of several dozen, ranging from squeakers up to a couple of huge brutes. Had we plenty of time it would have been worth the effort to circumnavigate the marsh and stalk that mob. However, with a load of meat to distribute, we could not spare that much time. A few minutes scanning with the binoculars revealed three reasonable-sized hogs bedded down in the mud a few hundred metres away, on our side of the wetland.
Ryan picked up the broken double, slung a belt with half a dozen rounds over his shoulder and we set off. As we neared our quarry, he pulled out four rounds, slipped two into the double’s chambers and kept the other two between the fingers of his left hand. We got within 100m before two of the hogs became aware of us. The biggest hog stayed comfortably bedded down in the mud. We closed the distance until we were directly between them and the nearest cover. They had nowhere to go and were not yet alarmed. It was worth closing the distance a bit more.
I followed Ryan as he now walked slowly toward the hogs. The two standing pigs were starting to exhibit signs of unease. Ryan wisely paused to close the double, put in his earplugs and take a comfortable stand. He then lifted the rifle to shoulder for an offhand shot. He chose to target the biggest pig, which was lying in the mud facing us, about 60m away. In that vast, open area the boom of the rifle seemed quite muted. The big pig never even twitched as the 285-grain Woodleigh round-nosed soft-point raked it from end to end with a meaty wallop.
The other two hogs now went into alarm mode. The deep mud hampered their efforts to gain speed and they were floundering in their efforts to make haste. Ryan swung smoothly onto the next pig and delivered a well-placed chest-shot. Standing directly behind him, I was surprised at how much the bullet’s direction changed on its passage through the pig. The big projectile came out at a good 45-degree angle of divergence, threw up a shower of mud and a brief second later threw up a second big splash way out in the swamp.
Ryan flicked open the double and the two spent cases arced back over his shoulder, twinkling in the early morning light. He deftly reloaded the two cartridges from his left hand. The third pig was now gathering speed as it got closer to firm ground and further away from us. It was more than 100m away, but my companion was not fazed. He turned slightly, settled himself again and the shot comprehensively flattened the fleeing hog, which performed a nosedive and a forward somersault to round-off a rather balletic display all round.
A lot of my pig hunting, be it in the Far North or colder southern locations, is secondary, like the episode just described. The primary quarry for me is usually buffalo, wild cattle or deer, but if there is an opportunity of indulging in some pig popping without interfering with the main objective, then I normally take it. This means using heavier calibres, but it is certainly good practice and more than effective on the pigs.
Feral pigs are widespread in northern Australia and they do an enormous amount of damage to the wetlands and other areas. I have seen for myself how in some areas they work over the beaches seeking and destroying vast numbers of marine turtle nests. In the less remote parts of the country, they are a significant agricultural pest. Feral pigs pose a major risk of providing an effective vector for exotic diseases such as rabies or foot and mouth. In some areas, they are a major predator of newborn lambs, but in most areas, they are a pest to crops, particularly grain. Pigs are omnivorous and are readily attracted to carrion. I might add that they are cannibals too and are quite happy to chow down on their brethren when the opportunity presents itself.
I have shot a fair few pigs off crops and from around cultivations using a range of calibres. In recent years, I have had good results from flat-shooting calibres such as the .25-06 and 7mm Remington Magnum. At the moment, a new deer rifle in .270WSM has proven itself a pretty fine pig calibre as well.
My buddy Steve and I had set out to shoot some venison on a big western Queensland property. Steve had a brand-new custom Howa in .260 Remington. The rifle had been sighted-in at the local SSAA range and this was a christening trip for both the rifle and Steve’s son Sam, who was tasked with shooting his first pig. The property owner had asked us to look out for wild dogs and pigs, which he had recently been seeing in increased numbers about the property.
Our deer hunting had gone smoothly. We had the carcass of a plump stag hanging in the cool shade of a tree by mid-morning. It was an overcast winter’s morning, but clear and crisp with a slight, but sharp breeze. It was not difficult to locate some hogs. We parked the vehicle and set off to walk a gully bordering the cultivation. Sam and Steve took the lead and I followed a little way behind with the camera.
We encountered a few pigs within a few hundred metres, but they scattered back into the bush before Sam could take a shot. I could sense his disappointment, but that did not last long. As luck would have it, the fleeing pigs disturbed a crusty old boar that obligingly moved back into the open creek bed and posed long enough for Sam to take a carefully placed shot with the .260 Remington. It was a typically good shot from the youngster and he folded the boar comprehensively.
He was a cracker of a boar, heavily encrusted in dried mud and Sam was rightly pleased with his first pig. We moved on and cleaned up a few smaller specimens before returning to the car. Late that afternoon, Sam was rewarded with another good boar, taken at long range just on dark. I always find it rewarding seeing youngsters learning to hunt and shoot well.
I enjoy hunting pigs myself, particularly when it is at reasonably close range and big calibres are employed, but hey, that is just my recipe. Pigs are widely hunted all over Australia with all sorts of calibres and techniques. Some of my cronies prefer distance work with high-velocity long-range Magnums. Some prefer shotguns for shorter range work.
For those who like really close encounters of the hoggy kind, there is bowhunting. Whatever your preferred method, you are doing Australia a service, so get out there and pop a few hogs.
Pigs are a widespread environmental and agricultural pest. They are also an intelligent and challenging quarry and there are many ways to hunt them. Don Caswell says that whatever your preferred method, get out there, have some fun hog hunting and do the country a favour.
The gathering light revealed a plenitude of hogs. A few hundred metres away, on the far side of the swamp, there was a mob of several dozen, ranging from squeakers up to a couple of huge brutes. Had we plenty of time it would have been worth the effort to circumnavigate the marsh and stalk that mob. However, with a load of meat to distribute, we could not spare that much time. A few minutes scanning with the binoculars revealed three reasonable-sized hogs bedded down in the mud a few hundred metres away, on our side of the wetland.
Ryan flicked open the double and the two spent cases arced back over his shoulder, twinkling in the early morning light. He deftly reloaded the two cartridges from his left hand. The third pig was now gathering speed as it got closer to firm ground and further away from us. It was more than 100m away, but my companion was not fazed. He turned slightly, settled himself again and the shot comprehensively flattened the fleeing hog, which performed a nosedive and a forward somersault to round-off a rather balletic display all round.
I have shot a fair few pigs off crops and from around cultivations using a range of calibres. In recent years, I have had good results from flat-shooting calibres such as the .25-06 and 7mm Remington Magnum. At the moment, a new deer rifle in .270WSM has proven itself a pretty fine pig calibre as well.
He was a cracker of a boar, heavily encrusted in dried mud and Sam was rightly pleased with his first pig. We moved on and cleaned up a few smaller specimens before returning to the car. Late that afternoon, Sam was rewarded with another good boar, taken at long range just on dark. I always find it rewarding seeing youngsters learning to hunt and shoot well.