Hunting feral hogs is one of the best ways to cull the population, which, in turn, helps other competing species thrive. Although they are plenty active during the day, pig hunting after dark is a surefire way to increase your success rate. Granted, you have the cover of darkness on your side, but getting the job done in the evening is still quite tricky. Here are some of my top tips to help you put more bacon on the ground.
1. Work the wind
Even though they may not be able to see you well after sundown, they can still smell you without any impediment. In fact, due to their generally heightened awareness on account of one sense being infringed upon, there’s an argument to be made that they trust their nose even more at night. Knowing which direction the wind is predicted to blow and staying downwind of where you expect the game to emerge is critical. Check your favorite weather app and try to keep an eye on whatever indicators are still visible. Several products are available to help check wind direction, and when in doubt, an exposed nose, ears, and neck will tell you everything.
2. Elevate your position
Whenever possible, get off the ground. Getting even just six feet over your quarry will illuminate more of it while providing exponentially more shooting lanes. This will also lift your scent and help it disperse better should you be forced to hunt upwind of the pigs. Affordable ladder stands placed in strategic locations around the property make your sit more comfortable and help with planning and executing short hunts. Climbing tree stands (climbers) are great for dense vegetation or establishing a position in an area that is hard to get to due to terrain. If you have enough land to cover, nothing beats a high rack and a team of hunters alternating between shooting and driving.
3. Invest in a thermal scanner
Spotlights may be cheap and easy to find, but your range is limited, and your cover is blown the second you flip the switch. Handheld thermal units help detect heat signatures and are stealthy to operate. These can also find life hidden within thick brush. If one person is scanning and the other is shooting, the spotter can also detect blood splatter and let the triggerman know if they need to get out to track a hog or keep moving to find the next sounder.
4. Get a laser rangefinder
The most effective hunts belong to those who use digital night vision or thermal imaging riflescopes. Using an optic of either type transmits a real-world, three-dimensional image of the field back onto a two-dimensional viewfinder. In that process, depth perception is, at best, altered, but in reality, it is eliminated. That becomes a problem when you need to determine a precise distance so you know where to hold your crosshairs to ensure a hit. Handheld units are lightweight and affordable; however, you can lose a pig as you transition to your gun. The best bet is to spring for a unit that has an LRF built in so you never have to take your hands off your rifle.
The Axion 2 LRF's rangefinder allows you to accurately measure the distance to targets up to 1,000 yards away
5. Bring enough gun
Yes, you can kill anything with anything, but if you want to do it well, you’ll use a cartridge suitable for the task. If suppression isn’t a concern, rounds like the 6.5 Grendel, 6 ARC, and .300 HAM’R are capable of one-shot kills with less-than-perfect placement and feed well through the AR-15 platform. If you like to keep things quiet, .300 Blackout or Hornady’s new .338 ARC delivers plenty of punch without breaking the sound barrier. Lastly, if you don’t mind carrying a larger rifle, .308 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, or anything else that is stuffed into an AR-10 these days will ensure that more piggies go to the market.
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