Feral V.S. Pure breds

[bowtech]

I have to say that there is something special about a feral hunt as opposed to a pure bread hunt.

Feral hogs are not large (At least the ones from the true swamps and woods are not) even though you may think you have seen large feral.


(This photo shows the spread between what is considered to be a small average and a good pig.

The large "ferals" that have been getting press over the last couple of years are not real ferals in as much as they are not wild descendants of other wild hogs.

These beasts that you see which are referred to as ferals, are really single line farm hogs that are either released for the purpose of hunting or have escaped and were soon killed thereafter.

Lets consider....a 500#+ hog running the flatlands of Texas?! ;D

Seriously....That pig could no more hide than I could in my own bathroom

True ferals are small....very small

A large feral may be up wards of 300# but for the majority are closer to 75# and below.

Small hogs are fast hogs and fast hogs are a challenge

Pure breads are what you see in the preserves and can be awesome but will not flee as is always the case with the smaller ferals.

A pure bred may well flee but if cornered , you are now the smaller one in the fight and the tables can turn rather quickly.

When going on a feral hunt you can feel comfortable with a 40# compound or 45# recurve....A pure bread should have you upping the equipment 10#+ and I wouldn't feel comfortable with anything less than 60# personally unless I were shooting a quality 2 blade head

Feral hogs do not have large fat reserves compared to pure breds and head design should be considered with this fact in mind.

A feral leaves the field open to head selection whereas the Pure Bred begs for a multi blade head which will allow the maximum blood to be tracked away from the hit site.

A feral and a pure bread have one thing in common and that is speed!.

I have seen Pigs over 200# keep nearly a steady pace with yearling whitetails when spooked and you will want to keep this in mind if you ever hunt swamp hogs

Don't give up on a stuck pig!.

Make sure of the shot and then watch the forest floor for clues leading towards the downed animal.

There wont be alot of blood in either case so being a great tracker is Top Priority
(A good dog isn't a bad idea either )

[michihunter]

Thanks BT!! Nebver got out on a hog hunt, so that info surely helps!!

[admin]

Lots of good info there. Thanks for posting. I hope to go on a hog hunt one day so info like this is always welcome. No boredom here.

[ScottC]

Thanks for the info. Cleared things up for me. We are allowed to shoot any "freal" hogs we see in the woods because of a bunch that are on the loose around my area. Now I know what they are...single line farm hogs. Nice thing is: no license needed.

[bowtech]

Actually feral refers to any domesticated animal that goes wild.

Vermont also has the same law standing as you do Scott.

There is a very large preserve there that loses pigs and other animals on occasion and state law allows anyone to take these animals.

I personally would love to see hogs in the Northeast but they wont weather the winters.

To be more specific...a full grown hog could live through the winter but it is the offspring that would not make it.

It is for this reason that pigs are not found beyond temperate zones.

[archer4evr]

Sorry Bowtech you are 100% wrong regarding your info about hogs.

Its the ferals that can attain weights over 1000 lbs. The European or as they are reffered to as "Russian Hogs" rarely attain weights over 350lbs in the wild.

Here in California, we harvest about 6000 pigs a year in 56 counties, and over 20% of those just in Monterey county where there is still the Russian influence. Very few get be be above 350lbs.
Where did you get your info from?
[/img]
David

[bowtech]

bowtech said:

Feral hogs are not large (At least the ones from the true swamps and woods are not)even though you may think you have seen large ferals.

The large "ferals" that have been getting press over the last couple of years are not real ferals in as much as they are not wild decendants of other wild hogs.

These beasts that you see which are refered to as ferals, are really single line farm hogs that are either released for the purpose of hunting or have escaped and were soon killed thereafter.

Lets consider....a 500#+ hog running the flatlands of Texas?! ;D

Seriously....That pig could no more hide than I could in my own bathroom

True ferals are small....very small

A large feral may be upwards of 300# but for the majority are closer to 75# and below.

Pure breads are what you see in the preserves and can be awesome but will not flee as is always the case with the smaller ferals.

[bowtech]

In the rush to trip me up , I think you didnt pay much attention to what I wrote ;D

#1:I wrote
"Ferals are not large ,At least the ones from the true swamps and woods are not"
(I left room for exception but there is a limit to the exceptions)
These power hogs I spoke of , (500+pounds) are not true wild hogs in the sense that they have not attained their age and size while living from birth to death in the wild.

There are exceptions to any rule but covering a subject to include the exception doesn't make alot of sense since it isn't the norm and therefore does not apply in the vast majority of cases.

I will give you that Calif. has some awesome wild hogs but they are not that out of the norm...just a bit oversize in term of the norm averaging perhaps 50# more than the eastern cousin.

#2:I wrote
"A large feral may be upwards of 300# but for the majority are closer to 75# and below."
(OH YEAH...COVERED THAT IN #1)

#3: I wrote
"I have seen Pigs over 200# keep nearly a steady pace with yearling whietails when spooked and you will want to keep this in mind if you ever hunt swamp hogs"
(REFER TO #1 FOR MY EXCEPTION TO THE RULE )

#4:Did I miss the point where I said that Russians were 500+ pounds?
(or whatever weight you believed I infered)

I re-read this post 5 times and still have not found where I said anything of the sort

What I did say is that if you are hunting a preserve go ready to find awesome tuskers and not the lighter cousins that the swamps hold or for that matter that your grain fields hold out there on the west coast.

I have more knowledge than most my friend and all of it attained hands on unlike the books that you have been reading

And the fact that you believe there have been wild ferals arrowed in CA anywhere near 1000# tells me as much ;D

(I figure I got that shot coming to me after the slam you hit me with )

All better now

[admin]

I have been researching the "Feral Pig" and so far, most sites don't list weights to speak of. I did find one that has been studying the feral pig and their conclusion is the average is 59kg and the largest they studied was 102kg, now I went to a kg to lbs site, (not smart enough to do it on my own) and those totals equal to 59kg - about 130lbs and 102kg is about 240lbs.

So I would think this fits the catagory that:

Feral hogs are not large (At least the ones from the true swamps and woods are not)even though you may think you have seen large ferals.

[bowtech]

Reason being is that wild pigs eat wild food which does not have the fat content to put that kind of weight on and they have short life spans in the wild.

As our friend from CA points out though , the wild hogs on the west coast have the advantage of grain fields and warm weather....unlike our pigs from the east.

Not 1000# ;D....but still , very large by comparism , maybe 400# once in a blue moon and 250 being a large pig for that area.

[archer4evr]

Sorry wasnt trying to trip you up just correcting a few things that I believe is your oppinion but not the truth.
I assumed that "purebreeds" were "Russians" that are being bred for these fenced hunts. I misunderstood.

First of all I agree that those pigs that have gotton all the press, were raised to attain their size then released.

However alot of what you said is absolutley wrong because your of your facts.

Fact is , ferals are large. averaging over 75lbs as an adult is rediculous. Mine ave. over 170lb. Are you shooting babies?
Where do you get your info?

And going after them with a 45# recurve is a way under power. They deserve much better killing power. They are tough animals with small pockets. And dont forget their shields. Make sure what ever you shoot that you want to acheive complete penetration & then add additiional blades for more cutting surfaces.
And turning to run. Ferals of all sizes sometimes turn to fight or come after you. Have been chased over 7 times by these cunning tuskers. Bad advice.

And ferals do have fat reserves.

And if the shot is good, hopefully the bottom third, alot of blood is the norm.

Are you making this stuff up?

I think you spent too much time at the keyboards & not enough time in the field. Come out west & I can teach you all of what I know. Have taken over 120 wild pigs in over 20 years, 99% with my bow.

And I never said 1000lb pigs were shot in Cal.

David

[bowtech]

Fact of the matter is that I am referring to the average ferals in the east and I should have said that.
Although everyone knows where I am from and the majority here are central and east .
None the less , I should make an amendment to the thread.
good point
(I'll take the hit for that)

But....
Most pigs throughout the country do not have the high life style of your swine in CA.
From Texas to North Carolina pigs run much leaner and smaller.

East coast ferals do not have the survival rates that your west coast pigs do and therefore...even though there can be large pigs here....they are not the norm.
75# is the average and if you want a spread I'll go 75-110#

I also said ferals run up to 300# for a large pig...so whats your point?.

Fact of the matter is that although your equipment requirements are fine they are overboard for most pigs that you will encounter.

Going into the woods with an elk rifle while you are hunting for deer would make about the same amount of sense.

The fact is that 45# is more than satisfactory for ferals at ranges considered average for trad. equipment and I also did say to use a proper head for the weight.
(something else I know a bit about )

Also...a bowhunter that hunts pigs knows about the shoulder and arrow placement.
Shot placement at a quartering angle opens it all up and makes easy work for any trad. bow of moderate weight.
(Have you ever shot a trad. bow )

Your statement of the critical shot placement also supports my trad. bow selection as the lighter bow aids in achieving better shot placement as opposed to over gunning yourself and wounding due to the inability to take a steady aim or hold for that shot

I will say that you had me smiling when you said that these ferals have body fat
They have fat (like anything else)but not the loads you are thinking of and they certainly don't bleed well.
(Are you sure you have ever shot a pig
Maybe you are talking about the blood that comes out of the package when you pick it up at the grocery store ;D)

Having taken a large number of hogs myself , I can attest to the fact that a 45# bow is more than enough.

Not that this proves anything but I will mention that My son shot 40# for two years and took (cleanly) four pigs in the 150# range .
One being shot out to the 30yrd mark.

The fact of the matter is that it is you who are living in a bubble as you reference only what you know whereas I have been around and do get around.
(notice how I say "things you know"...I don't question you I just point out your lack of knowledge on the bigger picture )

Stick around guy and you might learn a thing or two beyond your own knowledge and who knows?...maybe you'll know something that I don't

Hey!...stranger things have happened lately ;D

[bowtech]

I'm gonna let my reply stand here guy because #1 I believe it and #2: I know it

But....

There is no sense in you and I tossing insults around (fun as it may be) and I am sure you have alot to offer from your side.

I would actually like to know alot more about the CA. hunting (black tails) and you might be the one to inform me.

That would be very cool

I will give you the last word on this thread and lets move on to greener pastures

[admin]

Proud words buddy.

[archer4evr]

Its only in fun.

I wish I could help you regarding Blacktails, unfortunately after growing up in N.Cal when I started bowhunting, it was Blacktails & Boars that I sharpen my skills on, mostly private property.

All I can say is if you want a public land Blacktail hunt I would look at Timber Co. lands in S.Oregon during the November rut or else above timberline in the Trinitys or Marble Wilderness in N.Cal.

David

[ScottC]

Hunter Mike: All I can add to this is for future reference a kilo is equal to 2.2#. I have to do a lot of conversions in various weights for my son's medical stuff.

[michihunter]

BT- I thought I was the only one that could disagree with you? ;D ;D Once again, great class exhibited by both parties. Thanks gentlemen for not having the dogs called in on this one. It's a tribute to you both!!

[admin]

The dogs were on alert Ted. But as usual, all was worked out. Again a tribute to what class acts our members are.

[bowtech]

;D LMAO!! ;D

I could hear thier teeth gringing behind me Michi!