Conference vmsnet::hunting$note:hunting

    Pleas insert "hunt" inbetween available and to.
    
    Not to Bright at 05:30 a.m.
    
    

    Here is a little info.  First, Javalina are not members of the pig
    family (although many of us in Arizona and New Mexico call them pigs).
    Second, the ferral hog in Arizona (and i would guess other states as
    well) is not a game animal.  We can still hunt them any time and with 
    no limits.  A ferral hog is nothing more than a farm pig that got away
    from the farmer/rancher and now has reverted back to its wild state.
    They typically come under stock laws.  Have fun on your CCCP boar hunt.

    
    
    	Just out of curiosity, what exactly happens to a domestic pig 
    	when it goes out into thr woods to live??
    
    		CP
    

    re .2:
    
    Not all pigs that are hunted are simply domestic pigs that wandered
    away from farms.  In many states  in the Southeast, there are wild
    boars.  The ones that I am particularly familiar with run wild in the
    State of Florida and have done so for many years......it's one of those
    Darwinian things.
    
    When you see a wild boar in Florida, like in many other southeastern
    states, you can tell that it's a wild boar because it is very grey in
    color and probably has big tusks that look threatening.  They are and
    unlees you're armed, you're probably in deep sneakers right now :-)
    These wild pigs are aggressive.  They kill humans when properly
    provoked.  
    
    Now, getting back to wht you were saying, there is also a fairly good
    number of domestic pigs that find their way into the wild.  A domestic
    pig is more brownish in color than your typical wild boar.  If you are
    hunting, you may wish to take the more domestic pig if you have a
    choice.  Rumor has it that they taste better than wild boars.  I've
    never really noticed the difference.  
    
    The other thing that one might see is a pig that is splotchy colored;
    sort brown and grey spots.  This is typically due to a wild boar mating
    with a domestic pig.
    
    What happens to a domestic pig in the wild?
    
    In states with a wild boar herd, domestics tend to run around with a
    herd.  Hence, the splotchy pigs.
    
    People that are really into hunting pigs in the southeast tend not to
    shoot them but rather they hunt them with dogs.  Once the dogs run the
    pigs down and wear them out, the hunter ropes and hog ties the pig. 
    Then the hunter usually pens the pig for a week or so and grain feeds
    them.  This gets some of the gamey taste out and makes the meat more
    mild.  
    
    Hunters who shoot pigs usually try to get a surprise shot at him
    and will pass on running shots.  Wild boars are notorious for having
    a horrible adrenaline taste when shot during tense moments.
    
    Hope this helps,
    
    /brett

    O.k;
    
    So there are:
    
    1) Wild boars--Native too certain areas?
    2) Domistic Pigs--Gone Ferral
    3) Imports--I.E-CCCp Boars
    4) Javilina--a not so pig, pig 
    
    Now what is a Razorback, Like the one in the movie with Robert
    Mitchum--"Home from the Hills" where his kid killed the biggiest in
    the county..Is it a ferral hog or Wild boar?
    
    And if one wanted to hunt such huge critters, where would be the best 
    places of place to go..

    It is my understanding that razorbacks are real, wild (or real wild)
    pigs.  Arkansas is supposed to be a state which has a fair population
    of them (hence, the Arkansas Razoracks).  There are probably other
    southern states which have huntable populations.
    
    Jerry

To open an old note up again:
I am about to hunt Pigs here in California.
"No not Diane Fienstien"
These pigs are of Russian decent and were imported to
California in the 1700-1800 time frame "cant remember
when accualy I dont care"  It seems the Russians tried
to colonize the west coast but as luck would have it the
party fell ill with disentary and infulenza or some other
such thing...  When the next supply ship came there were
much fewer people, so they abandoned this god forsaken
place and went home.  They didnt have room for the stock 
so they just let then go.  The lions ate the cows and 
other livestock but the pigs were faster than the lions,
and also smarter, so they survived to this day.

They have just opened up an area in the San Jaquine Valley
where there has been no hunting for many years "30 +" so 
a few guys and I will be going next week 20th - 22nd.
Limit is one Pig per day have to see how we do.

Joe " A hog in the bush is better than no hog at all"

P.S. I have taken two of these over the years both were
good eating.  All the running from the lions makes for 
great lean pork...

Ahhh Gi'day...�

    Well, there  is no native pigs here, they are all domestics gone feral,
    in  most  cases,  over a century ago.  I believe the Royal Navy used to
    release   pigs  around  the  coast  as  a  potential  food  source  for
    shipwrecked sailors, back in "less enlightened" times.

    You must  remember  that  the  "domestic" animals of over a century ago
    look  NOTHING LIKE the "domestics" of today.  Look at a few pictures of
    livestock from the last century.  Ours come in various colours, but are
    basically black, with a few lighter colours scattered about.

    Here, they  are  a  pest,  and do a great deal of damage.  There are no
    hunting seasons, and they are basically hunted on sight.  They are also
    a  great  threat to spreading disease throughout the country (eg Should
    Foot  and Mouth disease ever get into Australia, every pig will have to
    be destroyed).

    People hunt  them  on foot or from vehicles with rifles, shotguns, bows
    or  knife,  with  and without dogs.  Taking on a pig with a knife takes
    rather  large  testicles.   You get within their comfort zone, and they
    WILL attack you or your vehicle.

    The govt.   agencies (Rural Land Protection Board or National Parks and
    Wildlife)  have  active  programs  to  reduce  their numbers, including
    poisoning  (fed  with pellets and 1080), shooting, and help quite a few
    landholders  to control numbers on their property (1080 trained rangers
    and technical assistance with baiting programs).

    Last Christmas,  one  bloke  who's  worked  as a ranger on one of these
    programs  was  telling  us that he worked for a couple of days shooting
    from  a  helicopter  with an L1A1 (FAL SLR) in the Narren Lakes area in
    North-Western New South Wales.

    How many did they get in two days of shooting????

				    4,000

    There's a  LOT  of  hogs  out there.  People won't eat them (used to be
    worried about secondary poisoning in the days before 1080 (you don't go
    far  with  1080  in you)) for love nor money.  The only situation where
    many  bush people will eat them is taking a small sucker and feeding it
    for a few months, although some city based hunters will take some meat.

    There is a lingering suspicion that they carry some disease that causes
    miscarriage  in  humans.   However,  in spite of this, large numbers of
    small  towns  in  Australia now support chillers that take pigs as game
    meat.  Pigs must be shot through the head IN THE FIELD, dressed leaving
    many  organs  in  place  (to  detect  disease), and quickly gotten to a
    chiller  who pay good money - I know of one guy who's taken $25K in the
    past 5 months.

    It gets  shipped  to Europe (esp.  Germany) for use as "Wildfleish" for
    their game appetite.

I was asked if I was interested in going Boar hunting 
last Sunday.  The friend that asked me was one of the 
folks I went Caribou hunting with last Sept.   The spot
he has found is a game preserve in Aurora ME.  The price
is good at $300 no pig no pay.  This includes 2 days 
hunting, meals and a nights lodging.  I was told I could 
use any weapon I wished.  I am contemplating using my 
S&W 41 Mag.

           My questions are as follows

  1) For any of you who have hunted Russian Boar will
     the 41 be sufficient?

  2) What are the recommended target areas on a Boar?

  3) Has anyone had any experience with this Preserve?

The hunting was a great last fall (Caribou and 2 deer)
and I am experiencing woods withdrawal.  I was reading
the notes on the African Safari hunting yesterday ....
Boy do I have it bad.  Oh well I should be able to hold 
out till March 22.

With regards to 606.7 -- How did your hunt go ?

Thanks in advance

Carl

    Carl, I don't have any experience with the place in Maine but I went to
    Wild Hills Preserve in VT late last fall boar hunting. I assume the .41
    is a hand-gun ?
    
    Put it to you this way. My brother-in-law used a 300 win Mag and it
    took 3 bullets to take his pig off its feet. It was about 30 yards
    away, I was standing there and could see pieces of flesh blowing off
    the animal. On the other hand I used a 12 ga slug gun, I got a lucky
    shot and killed my board at about 40 yards with one slug. It was on a
    big hill and the slug went through the heart and lodged itself into the
    spine - dead. I would recommend that you use your partner for a backup
    while you shoot yours and if he uses a handgun you could back him up. I
    assume the place in Maine would allow you to hunt as a team, the place
    in VT did.
    
    Don

Thanks for the advice.  I was planning to have my buddy
backing me up with a Rem 7mm mag.  It's good to know 
what could happen.  

Were you hunting Russian boar in VT?  What did you think
of the hunt?  How was the meat ?  What shot would you 
recommend for a clean kill on this type of game ?

Thanks again for the input
Carl

    Yes, it was supposedly pure Russian wild boar. The meat is really just
    ok, I find it much stronger than say venison compared to beef. They say
    the heart and lungs are much farther up front on a boar than other
    animals so instead of taking a shot right behind the shoulder I would
    go right into the shoulder or a bit up front. If you don't want to
    mount the head a good head or high neck shot might be best. As far as
    the back up goes I would suggest a heavy round in the 7mm vs a fast
    bullet. If the pig is facing you, don't bother with a shoulder shot, I
    guess their shoulders are built for fighting amoungst themselves and
    they have a VERY thick bone to avoid injury to their vitals. The WIld
    Hill preserve lodge and food were excellent, the guides were plenty
    friendly and helpful. I have no complaints against the establishment.
    My only hesitation is that the hunt did feel a little canned which is
    why I like the idea of a handgun or muzzleloading hunt with a back-up,
    I think it would put some more back into the excitement factor.
    
    Don