Mowing wild hogs

[the6shooter]

This is something new to add to mowing and working in the field, here in Oklahoma and most of all the southern states, and the wild hog problems.
I have seen lots of the wild hogs while mowing and have desided to start carrying some added protection. mowing sitting up high in the tractor seat, and fairly protected is just fine, But not too safe when walking though the high grass and weeds higher than I can see, It's come to the fear of walking up to a napping wild hog. We will probably scare the crap out of each other..
I do know for a fact, I'm not as nimble as I used to be he or she could easely
run me down and cut me and then comes the (me) picknic for it and it's family.
So this spring I guess the new .44 ruger will be the fields best friend.

I don't believe this topic has ever been discused before so, we'll see.
What are your thought's on the subject ???
david

 

[Dan Hunter]

This might be one of the few legitimate uses of a Taurus Judge variant with the first shot a .45 Colt and the rest .410 buck. I'm in OK but don't have hogs yet I still carry a Super Blackhawk, stainless, .44 Mag if I'm not running machinery/saws/etc.

 

[OkieDave]

I think that if you send me a PM with your location, I--and a few friends of mine--would be happy to help you control them. But yes, carrying a .44 seems prudent. Most of the time, they'll run if they hear or smell you coming, but every once in a while, they decide to stand their ground. I really don't want to meet those tusks.

 

[bubbacuse77]

Call the Lady Hoggers of A&E........:thumbsup:

 

[TRR]

I have come face to face with hogs, much closer than I like - measured in feet. One encounter was with a Sow and piglets. In all cases I was unarmed and both I and the pigs stopped looked at each other and we both turned around and went back the way we came. There were many ways out so they were not cornered. However, I would not count on it always turning out this way. I'd recommend carrying a personal protection device.

 

[creekbend]

Unless feral hogs are cornered or feel threatened, they will usually not become aggressive. They are, however, more a threat to your crops and farmland than they are to you physically. While hunting in Florida, I did discover one characteristic of wild hogs. If the hogs are coming in your direction, while in heavy palmetto, they run so fast while going past your position, all you see is the tops of the palmetto bushes waving and it is extremely difficult to get an accurate shot. An "Old Timer" once told me that if the dogs cause the hogs to come your way, just remain still. He said that they sense your presence, and will somehow skirt around you. This happened to me twice, and they all just darted pass me. Pretty close at times, but no contact. Pit bulls are mainly used in Florida. Once they grabbed a hog they really won't let go unless they lose their grip. A boar can and will gore and rip a dog pretty bad.

 

[CurlyDave]

I have hunted and killed a few feral hogs.

If you drive up in your tractor, dismount and explore for a few feet, you are not going to encounter a napping hog -- the tractor will wake it up and warn it.

Even the best of pistol shots is going to be less effective than a rifleman.

If you want to carry a gun on your tractor, a light, handy rifle can easily ride in a scabbard and will be a lot more gun in almost any situation.

We killed a lot of hogs with a .30-30, I like my lever action .308, and I have even seen very compact carbines in .44 magnum if you really like that caliber. A couple of guys carried .44 handguns, but they would always reach for a rifle when it came time to actually shoot a hog, even at 20 foot ranges.

The other advantage of a small rifle is that you can kill hogs at much greater distances, if you happen to see them. Try to eradicate as many as you can -- they are problem animals.

 

[TripleR]

We haven't experienced feral hog problems here yet, but they are only a couple of counties away. Years ago, we did have a feral dog problem and I had to shoot quite a few while trail riding.

I find myself agreeing with much of what curlydave says and have seen first hand how handgun skills can go out the window under stress. I always recommend anyone new to handguns, if you are going to carry, get some training and PRACTICE a LOT.

The "problem" is that many if not most of us will not bother to have even a short barreled carbine with us when we dismount while we may tolerate a belt gun.

Personally my philosophy is if I think I am going somewhere I will encounter something that will cause me harm, I just don't go. Working on/around rural areas, it is often impossible to avoid so I carry a sidearm because while a dangerous encounter is not likely, it is possible.

Probably the best advice is for each of us to assess our own situation and prepare accordingly. For some it will be to just stay on the tractor, for others it will be an appropriate side arm, others a handy carbine, others a sidearm and carbine.

 

[texasjohn]

Seeing that many hogs means you need to start trapping them. The damage they do is huge .

 

[KYDan]

They are becoming somewhat of a problem in southern Kentucky. My son's neighbor killed one this fall that weighed over 300 lbs. They are very destructive. Here is a link to feral pig hunting in Texas.
Shooting Feral Hogs From A Helicopter In Texas [VIDEO]