Suggestions for 1st Hog Hunt as a family

[308 Wisconsin]

My sons (8) and (11), my wife (who shot 3 deer in the last 2 seasons), and I are going on a hog hunt in Christine, Tx for 2 days in April. The outfitter is "Boars and Bucks". We plan to hunt from stands/blinds with one shooter and one spotter paired up. We have hand held spot lights with blue/red/yellow lens to assist at night. The lights reach out much further than I expected...100-200yds. We will be using .308s with 180g fusion rds. I have picked up some 00buckshot for at night, per the outfitters suggestion. I have also picked up some #4 shot for varmints at night. Anyone have any suggestions for thoughts on this adventure.

 

[kc]

#1 be ready for the ticks, bring some good bug spray and use rubber bands around the pant legs and use some extra bug spray on your arms and check your clothes for Scorpions always tap your heels to bring out the bugs even the spiders love dark places. If you are on foot get sont gatiers made of Kevlar for snake bites. don't be surprised when it get hot.
Other than
its a place I would love to hunt every year, you lucky dog.

 

[308 Wisconsin]

Had no idea bug would be that bad. We still have snow on the ground, here. I was hoping to walk short distances from my truck to the stands, less than 1/4 mile. Do I really need gaters vs rattlesnakes?

 

[308 Wisconsin]

Anyone have thoughts on the idea of taking a lighter caliber for hogs, like a 30-30, for my lightweight sons instead of a 308?

 

[308 Wisconsin]

I was told to take OO-buckshot for night hunting of hogs, is it necessary if I have spot lights and a rifle? Specifically from a stand/blind?

 

[Topgun 30-06]

I'm in Michigan, but I've shot quite a few hogs down in south Texas over the years. If you can get good broadside shots while there are standing at a corn feeder the best shot to take is right in or slightly below their earhole. Any caliber there will do the trick. If you shoot them in the body, aim just behind the front leg and just about mid body in height with your .308s. Since you will be in blinds where the kids can be on a seat, just make sure they are up high enough so they can get the butt into their shoulder good and have a little padding. Those .308s shouldn't kick any worse than a 30-30, which is usually built in a lighter stock and total gun weight has a lot to do with what felt recoil is. Have a good time and I would leave the buckshot at home and drill them with your rifles because they can be a tough animal when not shot properly and buckshot would have to be only for an up close and personal shot. The last one I shot last March was about 135# and was with a .243 in the head at about 80 yards out of a blind with a good rest.

 

[308 Wisconsin]

Sounds like the advice I was looking for. I will update this one with pics.

 

[Pons]

Have Fun!

I went on a hunt in the not too far from where you mentioned and with the same guide service.

Make sure whatever sights you use you can see easily in low light. I used a Trijicon scope (5 to 20 X with mildot and a very finely softly illuminated dot at the crosshairs), made the night time a lot easier to work with. A couple of friends on the same hunt had difficulty seeing their crosshairs on their scopes (one 3 - 10 X rifle scope with large dot, but fine crosshairs, one 4 power pistol scope and one 6.5-20 rifle scope with varmint reticle) during the low light conditions. (We were hunting red-lighted bait piles from 40 to 110 yards away.)

I also had another scope with me in the blind, a red-dot type sight on another gun. The dot was alright, but it was brighter and larger than I wanted (at night), Just take some time before your hunt to look through some of your scopes at night and see if you can put your crosshairs on dark targets.

Going to Texas in early April, climate is quite a bit different from Wisconsin. Be ready for temps anywhere from 40's (not as likely as 50's to 80's) to 90's or so.

Here is a link to a site with quite a bit of hog information on it. http://www.texasboars.com , check out the anatomy of a wild boar page, he dissects a boar to show where the heart, lung, and vitals are. (a bit further forward than many would first guess)


Oh, and be on the ready for hornets (hope you don't have any in your blind)

Good luck!