In many parts of the United States, hogs are considered invasive vermin. The reason for this is that they cause destruction to many woodlands and even private homesteads. While hogs are major pests, they also taste great. If you are somebody who enjoys eating wild game, hogs are definitely worth chowing down on.
Hog hunting, in addition to being an effective way of getting food for your family, can be an extremely entertaining way to spend an afternoon. This post plans to explore this topic in more detail and will present the ultimate guide to prepping for your next hog hunting trip.
Preparing Your Weapon
Hog hunting isn’t easy. You’ll need a powerful weapon to take down a hog. In addition to a powerful weapon, you also need to make sure that you have a good sight. The better your sight is, the more accurate your shots will be. It is not fair to shoot and maim hogs. Some holographic sights for AR15 or other rifles are worth investing in.
Holographic sights can help you to take much more accurate shots, ensuring each bullet fired is a bullet that contributes to your target’s demise. Shooting and maiming animals is bad because the hogs suffer, which is not something any hunter wants. Taking more accurate shots means you can ensure that you make kills.
In addition to preparing your weapon with proper accessories, take some time to learn to use it. If you do not take the time to learn to use your gun, you will not make kills, even if you have good equipment. A good way to learn to use your firearm is to take proper classes. Firearm classes should be widely available in your area.
Usually, they are held at gun ranges. Some hunting lodges also have shooting classes. Going to a class at a hunting lodge is a good idea because you’ll also be taught a thing or two about hunting wild game from people who actually have experience in doing this.
Location Scouting
Something else you need to do if you want to go hog hunting is to scout for locations. You should not go hunting on private land. Fortunately, no matter where you live, there should be public hunting grounds that you can use. If you are planning on hunting on public grounds, you need to make sure that you only hunt during the approved hunting season.
Hunting out of this season can get you into a lot of trouble with your nation’s game authorities. You should be able to find information about when your chosen area’s hunting season begins on the state’s official hunting website.
A good way to find out about locations is to visit hunting lodges and speak to the people there. The people who hang out at hunting lodges will be able to tell you about all of the best locations in your area. If there aren’t any good areas, they will be able to tell you this.
Alternatively, you could ask on a hunting forum that’s frequented by people in your area. There are also hunting groups in some states where hunters can get in touch with each other and talk about the best locations to go hunting near them.
Consider Transportation
How do you plan on getting around? Hogs are notorious for hanging out in deep patches of woodland. If you do not have some kind of transportation sorted, you are not going to be able to find any. Hogs are also very fast, which means that if you are chasing them on foot, you are probably not going to be able to make any kills.
One of the most effective ways of getting around on a hog hunt is by ATV. ATVs are relatively affordable to hire and quite reasonably priced if you are interested in buying, too.
Another very exciting way of getting around on a hog hunt is by helicopter. However, hiring helicopters so that you can go out on hog hunts is not an easy thing for you to do. It is also expensive. If you are interested in this, it might not be something you can do locally.
You might have to travel somewhere where hog hunting by helicopter is offered as a service. Make sure that you allocate a large enough budget for this kind of trip so that you do not end up disappointed or have to pay more than you can afford to spend.
Final Thoughts
Hog hunting can be a great way to enjoy yourself and get some tasty meat. If it’s something that interests you, follow the guidance given here and prepare by considering these things. Considering the things listed here will help you to make the most out of your trip.