Where NOT to Shoot a Wild Hog

Feral hogs are tough animals. So much so that they have gotten the reputation for being bullet-proof. It is common to hear stories from hunters making claims of bullets bouncing off hogs or failing to penetrate their "armor"
The Myth of the Shield
Mature male hogs have a thick layer of subcutaneous tissue, commonly referred to as the shield or shoulder plate, which serves as a protective barrier for boars fighting for breeding opportunities.
The shield begins in the shoulder region and covers an area extending from the base of the neck back to the front portion of the hips. Older boars can have a shield as thick as 2 inches.
Although the shield of a mature boar can be tough and very thick, even a .22 rimfire will consistently penetrate through a 2 inch thick shield.
The two most common mistakes hunters make when shooting pigs are:
1. Aiming behind the shoulder. A hog's vitals are lower and farther forward than a deer, therefore a shot behind the shoulder will typically miss the heart and lungs and result in a run-off.
2. Not waiting for a broadside shot. Shooting a hog head-on or while it is quartering can significantly decrease your chances of getting an instant kill.
As shown at 03:28 in the video, even with several shooters aiming directly at the boar's head from close range, it required several follow-up shots to finish him off. The shallow angle of a hog's skull can cause a bullet to deflect rather than penetrate. Also, when hogs are feeding they are almost constantly moving, especially their heads. This further increases the chances of a misplaced shot when the margin for error is already small.
The best thing you can do to decrease your chances of a run-off is to wait for a broad-side shot. A broadside shot to the neck or behind the ear will almost always result in a dead hog.
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** Why Do We Hunt Hogs? **
Feral hogs are a non-native and invasive species in Texas. Each year hogs cause millions of dollars in damage in the form of damaged crops, contaminated water supplies, broken equipment, transmission of diseases and injury to livestock.
Feral hogs compete with native wildlife for resources and also prey directly on the eggs and young of ground nesting birds and will actively hunt small mammals, frogs, lizards and snakes.
Due to their intelligence, adaptability, and prolific breeding habits, traditional methods of hunting and trapping have been largely ineffective in reducing the feral hog population. The introduction of night vision and thermal optics has greatly increased landowners' ability to mitigate the destruction caused by feral hogs.
Feral swine are not considered game animals in Texas and may be hunted by any means or methods at any time of year.
More information about the feral hog problem in Texas: • Feral Hogs Are Tearing...
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