Where To Shoot A Hog And Get A Quick Kill

Unlike other wild animals, hogs or wild pigs are built differently, and if you are thinking about taking down one, you would have to adjust your shooting before you go on a hunt. Many hunters think that feral hog hunting is easy, but it is not as easy as it sounds. There are tons of stories where hunters have misplaced their shots and end up tracing the wounded animal.

Unlike other animals’ anatomy, the vital organs of a wild hog are compact and situated at the front. Fortunately, hogs have thick skin and bony armor to protect their vital organs from severe damage during a fight. They can even use their sharp tusks to defend themselves, and evolution has brought many changes.

So, before you go down to hunt a wild hog, you need to learn about the body structure and where its vital organs are located, as this makes a huge difference between an instant kill and a wounded kill. Do you want to know where to shoot a hot and get an instant kill? If so, you have come to the right place.

We will talk about various kill zones and tips to get a clean and quick kill. So, without any further ado, let’s get into this discussion.

Best Place to Shot A Hog And Vital Organs Of Hogs

We all know that the right shot placement allows you to get an instant kill and keep you from chasing a wounded hog. It is as important as hunting down a hog. So, here’s a list of hog’s anatomy and the best target locations for a clean kill.

1. Headshots

Even hogs have a small brain covered behind the skull and thick hide. You must know that hogs move their heads fast when they dig or feed on something, making it challenging to take a precise headshot. Unlike other animals, taking a headshot may not kill the hog right away as they have a tiny brain, skull, and thick hides.

Remember, you must have access to necessary hunting gears and enough skills to take a precise headshot. Professional hunters have enough experience to boost their accuracy, which makes it convenient for them to get an instant kill. Plus, there should always be a follow-up shot if you miss the target at first.

When you see a boar facing at the front, you must shoot between both eyes to penetrate the head and get a quick kill.

2. Piercing Through The Heart

Above all, the heart remains at the top when taking down a hog. You should know that a hog’s lungs and heart are positioned in such a way that they overlap each other at the same spot. That means if you want a clean kill, you would need the right skills and weapons to pierce right through the heart.

A quality shot placement would be slightly behind the head and above the shoulders. You must know that a constant search for a food source and survival pressure makes these wild hogs a nocturnal animal, especially during hunting. Taking a heart shot represents a set of challenges during the peak of hunting seasons.

So, you should take the necessary hunting gear so that you can take down the hog easily. Remember shooting at the heart requires consistent target practice at moving objects.

3. Earhole

You know that hogs often move their heads constantly, making it challenging for you to shoot at their ear holes. In this situation, you must hold the shot until the hog comes in a stationary position. When you get the right aim, shoot to get an instant kill.

Top Shooting Techniques In Different Hunting Scenarios

You all know that hunting down a hog won’t represent you with a similar challenge. There will be many tricky situations where you have to apply different shooting techniques to get a clean and quick kill. So, let’s look at various hunting scenarios that you might come across when chasing down a hog.

1. Using A Shotgun

Many hunters love their shotguns as they are lightweight and effective in taking a wild hog down. Thanks to high-powered slug loads and shooting mechanisms, your 20 or 12 can serve as effective hog hunting equipment and offer you a clean kill.

However, most hunters often use shotguns for hunting turkey down, and if you are thinking about using a shotgun for hog hunting, you would have to adjust your optics and improve slug loads to get the best out of both worlds.

Shotguns will help in piercing through the hard bones and thick hide, and even if you choose a decent round, it will help you get a clean kill.

2. Hunting Behind The Bushes

Hunting from a place where the hog won’t sense your presence offers you a great opportunity to get a clean shot. This is one of the effective hunting strategies you can use to hunt down moving or stationary hogs. However, before taking your shot, you must focus on penetrating through their vital organs and placing a perfect shot will lead to instant death.

Whether taking a headshot or piercing through the heart, you must have hunting gear that is strong enough to pierce through the thick hide and bones without damaging the meat.

3. Rifle Hunting

When compared to shotguns, rifles are more reliable, accurate and powerful. You have noticed that hog hunters often use the same rifle for hunting deers. Plus, you can choose any combination of rifle and ammunition used for hunting deers. It would be ideal for hog hunting. For the record, feral hogs often travel in groups and leave their hoofprints on the ground.

For ideal hunting, it is better to hunt during dusk and dawn as these creatures are more active and searching for food sources and travelling. So, before you go hunting hogs, you must improve your shooting accuracy as it is a high precision and accuracy game. You all know that hogs represent small target locations, challenging to pierce when moving or stationary as they tend to move a lot when searching for food.

You can use your deer hunting rifle and adjust it according to hunting hogs. You should start shooting at moving targets to get high precision and accurate shots. That way, you can improve your chances of placing an accurate shot.

Top Tips For Successful Hog Hunting

Now that you know taking a wild hog down is not as easy as it sounds, which means you have to strategize your hunting skills that align with the given situation. Hunters often use three hunting methods for taking down a wild pig: dog hunting, stand hunting, and spot & stalk.

Remember, if you miss a shot, hogs are nocturnal animals and will stand their ground if they get a chance. So, it is better to shoot with high accuracy and precision because if they get an opportunity to fight back, it will create a great hassle for hunters.

So, you must be prepared for every situation because, in wildlife, anything is possible. It would be better to keep other hunting gear as it will help prevent damage to yourself if you miss the shot. So, here is a list of tips that will ensure a successful hunting journey.

• You all know that hogs are built differently from other animals as they have thick hides and skulls, making it challenging for hunters to penetrate the bullet or arrow through their heads.

So, if you are taking a headshot, it would be better to use a rifle with sufficient firepower that can easily pierce through their head and enable you to get a clean kill.

You should aim at the center of both hogs’ eyes as it will help in piercing through its brain. That way, you will get an instant kill when the hog’s in a front-facing position.

• As mentioned above, wild hogs can sense the presence of hunters from a hundred yards away. So, it would be better never to leave any scent behind as it can give them an idea of your presence. Remember to check your hunting gear and ensure that they are scent-free if you want to be successful at your hunting journey.

Feral hogs are not easy to acquire in your sight as they move around a lot. So, take a deep breath and exhale slowly to focus, aim and shoot.

• Aside from their acute smell and hearing senses, hogs often struggle to watch predators through their eyes. So, you must leverage this advantage by implying the stalking and walking method to come near the animal where you can get an accurate shooting position.

So, when you spot a hog, you can use different hunting methods to take down hogs with a clean shot.

• You must know that hogs love to be around water beds, which makes it a perfect spot for shooting as you can set up your grounds to get a perfect shooting position. That way, you won’t have any problem getting a clean kill.

So, make sure you are well hidden behind the shooting spot so they won’t sense your presence behind the woods or in the environment. Also, they are sensitive to scents, and you must ensure that you and your hunting gear are scent-free.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What Is The Ideal Hunting Weapon To Use?

The forehead of some species is protected through thick bone, which makes it challenging for you to penetrate through their brains. So, it would be better for you to use a shotgun that offers great penetration right through the brain.

2. Where To Shoot For A Clean And Quick Hog Kill With AR 15?

Hunters love AR 15 as it comes with everything you need to take down a wild hog. Even though some hunters believe that using 0.233 rounds is too small for hunting a wild hog. But when you know where to place your shot, you are good to go. Most hunters recommend targeting the shoulder’s front curve and the neck center.

3. Where To Shoot For Instant Hog Kill With A Bow?

Unlike guns, hunting hogs using a bow will represent a set of challenges, so you should use broadhead arrows and the best compound bows for better accuracy. To ensure a clean kill, you focus on the front shoulder or the middle chest as it will penetrate through the lungs, causing severe damage.

4. Can You Use A 22 For Hunting Down A Wild Hog?

Yes, you can use a 0.22 rifle for hog hunting as the ammo is available at an affordable price. Some hunters think that using a 0.22 rifle won’t be sufficient for taking a wild hog down, but that’s not true. You have to target the ear or right behind the ear. It will help in getting a clean shot.

5. Is It Necessary To Use Heavy Caliber Rifles For Hunting Hogs?

Like other heated conversations between hunters, some believe that using a shotgun would be sufficient for taking down a hog. But today, weapons are available with a variety of cartridges, which can be used for hunting hogs. Hogs have a thick skin texture, which is why you need rounds that are heavy enough to take down the hog.

Conclusion

Taking a wild hog down is a great way to end your hunting game. But you must know that these are not easy to kill like other prey or animals. Killing them would represent a great challenge, so you should understand the hog’s anatomy and learn to shoot for a quick and clean kill. We have discussed everything you need to know about hog hunting and how to get an instant kill even when they have thick skin and dense bones to cover their vital organs.