Wild hogs are much more difficult to hit with a kill shot than many of the other species of animals found on Escondido Ranch. Hunters have to have a good understanding of the area of the hog that is most likely to result in a clean kill rather than having to track the animal. Feral hogs are extremely tough and it is very difficult to catch them if they are not serious injured with the first shot.

Wild hogs have a very small lungs and a small heart cavity, so shooting accurately is essential. The best place to aim for a clean kill shot is into the middle of the upper shoulder area or slightly to the front into the base of the neck area in a line from the shoulder, another good area to shoot for is behind and below the ear. Shooting behind the elbow or shoulder may not result in a kill since all the vital organs are well protected by the heavy front shoulder muscles and bones, and thick skin.

Are feral hogs only found in the central Texas areas around Escondido Ranch?

Wild hogs are a serious nuisance problem in most areas of Texas. They can actually be found in very suburban settings however they tend to avoid the large cities that are found throughout the state. Almost any community with rural areas or acreages is going to have some type of feral hog population. In general the hogs will tend to keep out of sight during the daylight hours when people are around, however they will come out at night to root and get into garbage, causing a real problem in some areas.

There are feral swine reported in 39 states in the United States and four provinces in Canada. The wild hog range extends well down in to Mexico where they have mated with the domestic hog population, producing a hybrid. It is estimated by a recent A&M Texas study that there are over 2 million wild hogs in the state of Texas and at least another 2 million scattered throughout the other 38 states with populations.

Labels: feral hog hunting, wild boar hunting, wild boar hunts