Feral Hogs? In Indiana?

[jeremy]

You mean one of these little puppies?


Night Optics USA 940 Extended Long Range IR Illuminator

Exactly!

However, this is an item that is not really needed if you all ready have sufficient Illumination from the stars or the moon. If I recall correctly unless you are below, uh, 12% illumination (I can dig through my books for a correct answer if really needed) you do not need to use an illuminator. This is also dependent on the type and the generation of device also...

 

[tenring]

Got one, Confucius say, 'better to have one and not need it, than to need one and not have it." Compared to the price of the scope, it was peanuts. I don't really need that illumination factor, but if you happen to run across it. WTH.

 

[IDCC]

7 feral hogs were killed in Orange county recently while feeding on a deer carcass. It's Unsure if these were related to the Russian Razorback hybrids that have been found near Spring Mill and other locations in Lawrence county.

 

[millfire517]

Well it looks like I dont have to go to Texas to shoot me some bacon.
anyone know of any farmers who would let 2-3 guys hunt for these critters?

 

[tenring]

Well it looks like I dont have to go to Texas to shoot me some bacon.
anyone know of any farmers who would let 2-3 guys hunt for these critters?

Best of luck with that one, let us know how it turns out.

 

[Hatchrooster]

We got quite a few here in GA.Theirs a lot of people that use dogs to catch them and alot that just hunt for them.I just started getting into it this year and have'nt been lucky enough to get one yet.

 

[Deer_Slayer_90]

yes the boar are here, my dad found a skull in veevay and it had 2 inches of tusk sticking out of the bottom jaw

 

[chraland51]

A couple of weeks ago,the extreme rescue team that my son who is a paramedic/fireman in West Palm Beach was charged with providing meat for their annual Christmas dinner (held in early January). They went out in the palmetto jungle nearby with only dogs and big knives. They took two hogs. The one my son took by himself, a Rambo knife and a dog weighed in at around 150 lbs. It had 2" tusks. Marc said that after he knocked it over, his first cut was right through the aorta and the hog died pretty quickly. He had told me about doing this a few weeks before and I offered him the use of one of my .44 magnums. I guess these guys who risk their lives almost daily need something to give them a thrill. My son thought that it was very exhilarating to hunt this way. The other hog was much bigger so three guys and a couple of dogs were used to bring it down.

 

[DanO]

I lived 6 years in Ga, on the Atlantic coast and in Lee county (SW). LOTS of wild hogs. They make a mess and will ruin your garden, the quail plantations, crops, etc. Picture a group of 20 full grown hogs in your peanuts, soy or corn. I knew a guy who worked for a really large and expensive quail plantation who was paid $70K to shoot and dispose of 1000 hogs a year. That is about 3/day every day of the year. He was not sure it was worth it, with all of the work. He used a backhoe to bury the dead.

I shot 3 from a deer stand over those years. A really large boar (323 lbs) which tasted awful, and two sows under 150 lbs whcih were wonderful to eat. If you shoot a big boar you can mount it but I wouldn't eat it. Most guys used deer rifles or pistols to shoot them. A few dog men would use a large knife once the dogs were holding the hog down. I heard of one guy who got sliced good this way and went over to a Cold Steel (sorry Chubby) boar spear after that. The nice thing was you could hunt them with your hounds year-round, since they were feral.

While I would not wish wild hogs here for the frmer's sake, I would love to have the opportunity to hunt them here.

 

[Principal Skinr]

Wow, with the diseases and parasites these things carry, I wouldn't dare wrestle with one like that. They are some of the nastiest creatures on earth......but man, do they taste good!

 

[jeremy]

I don't really need that illumination factor, but if you happen to run across it. WTH.

I owe you a tap tenring. I have not been able to pull a Minimum % type of number out of my manuals , yet... But here are some hints and tricks that will help out. If you need more tricks and tips ask this is just the tip of the 'berg...

Consider the environmental conditions that you will encounter. Keep in mind that the NVD will amplify the light reflected from fog, rain and smoke as well as the ambient light around the area. Under most of these conditions you will see no further with the NVD than they would under the same conditions if it were daylight.Night vision is not designed to penetrate fog, rain or smoke or heavy snow.


Use a de-fogging solution on the lenses, especially if you will be weapons mounting the device. If you ski, SCUBA dive or just wear glasses you know what happens in certain environmental conditions. Simply put, the glass fogs up. The same happens to the lenses on an NVD. When weapons mounted, the heat rising from the firearms receiver causes condensation to form on the lenses and your view will begin to deteriorate very quickly. We also recommend you use the same solution on any weapons mounted optics. Additionally leave enough room between the NVD and the optic so that you can wipe any dust or debris off the lens of the optic and or the NVD.


An NVD needs some ambient light to work. Night vision will not work in totally dark rooms or caves. Artificial light must be used in these totally dark circumstances. Most units come with an integral infrared illuminator in the housing to aid in these situations. Normally they provide sufficient light 10 or 15 feet in front of you. Major manufacturers make sure that this illuminator is eye safe.If you are purchasing an off brand device,triple check with the manufacturer that the infrared illuminator is eye safe. Some of the illuminators on former soviet surplus NVD's imported about seven years ago were reportedly not. Be aware if you are using the device tactically, the infrared illuminator will mark you as a target if the adversary has night vision. With the night vision and the infrared illuminator on, stand in front of a mirror.You will get the picture.


If you see a lot of "sparkles" (scintillations) in the NVD this is a cue that you are near the minimum light needed to see with the NVD. Besides the built in infrared illuminator, there are many products available to aid the NVD in these conditions. Flashlights with infrared lens covers are available in a wide variety of sizes and lumen output.Infrared flashlights are also available to aid in these situations. Beside the battery operated infrared fire flies, infrared chem sticks, both large and small can be used to mark trails, individuals on your team and aid the night vision device in extremely dark environments. They can also hone your night shooting skills.Hang a few infrared chem sticks from a target at a known range. With your NVD weapons mounted, behind a night vision compatible red dot scope, attempt to "shoot the lights out".

A NVD cannot distinguish between colors. Red, blue, green and white lights are indistinguishable as to color.If color determination is important to the task at hand, make sure to use the unaided eye. Having said that, night vision is more sensitive to red and white lights than blue or green. The color won't be distinguishable, but red and white light may appear closer than green or blue lights when the distance is actually the same. If you are using lights to judge distances be aware of this issue
We are often asked if after using a night vision device will natural dark adaptation be affected? The answer is yes. Not as bad as if you were exposed to bright white light , but after using a night vision device, it will take between 45 seconds and three minutes for natural dark adaptation to be fully restored to the eye or eyes used. This is why we suggest, that if at all possible use your non-dominant eye for night vision observation or traversing.

 

[tenring]

Latest Sighting of Feral Hogs/HNF

Just north of Norman, Indiana, type it into Google Map search and look around.

 

[Electron don]

Feral Hogs? or alien imports?

The last time, I heard that some of the wild hogs were imported by someone well connected politically. Warrick county or thereabouts. I talked with a guy who shot one from his deer stand during bow season. The picture showed it stretched across a full size pickup's tailgate.

 

[southern.in.guy]

I've been told there are some wild hogs around Medora IN they were domestic at one time but now live wild

 

[dcary7]

Hello,

From the Indiana hunting guide:



Has anyone seen these? I take it they can be hunted any time. Where did they come from? Are they farm escapees or what?

I've never hog hunted and frankly, I don't see feral hogs as a bad thing.

How would one go about hog hunting? Would a .45acp work, or should I use a rifle or shotgun, if I should be able to even find these critters?

Josh <><

They are domesticated pigs that have gotten loose and adapted and thrived in the wild. They are very hearty animals and with the vast amount of food we have available to them, it is easy for them to survive. Yes a well placed .45 shot can kill a feral pig, but you have to be careful and pray that it is a smaller hog. You do not want to get very close to a feral pig... unless its dead . I have not heard of any areas where we have a high enough concentration of them to really hunt em. /shrug. I think it is more of a "if you come across one while hunting please kill and report it" kind of thing.

With that in mind I wouldn't hesitate to take one myself if given the opportunity. As far as them "not being a bad thing" that is actually quite opposite of the case. They are VERY destructive in both crops and livestock. They can take down a horse or cow and will typically eat out their stomachs and intestines and leave the rest. This is kind of a obvious sign as to what killed the livestock.

Good luck

 

[dcary7]

Another thing, there is only one way to discern a Russian Boar (what would be brought up from the south) with a feral pig (domestic pig gone wild). That is in the crest of their skull. It is easiest to determine when looking at a bare skull obviously. From talking to CO's what has been taken has shown to only be feral pigs.

I have heard of the "wealthy lawyer/doctor that was trying to import Russian Boar up from the South", but haven't heard any proof to validate it. It is possible, yes, but don't know if it is true. /shrug. I would chalk up that most if not all of what is killed are feral hogs.

 

[TiminMishawaka]

Sweet! I'm a very avid hog hunter. I'll definitely change up my hiking plans this spring. Very fun animal to take. I've taken them with rifle, handgun and knife behind dogs.

For people who had questions about hunting with dogs being "humane" - the dogs chase the boar, but do not physically harm it until the catch dogs come in. The catch dogs are big, scarred bruisers who bite and hold the ears. I've never seen blood from a catch dog bite on an ear but honestly I'm sure it doesn't tickle. As soon as the catch dog grabs, you put the knife in behind the shoulder. You'd be amazed at how fast a knife kills. A knife stab behind the shoulder kills these guys near instantly from the blood loss. From dog grab to death from knife took under 20 seconds. Death from knife took all of about 3 seconds as that big wide blade is the equivalent of 3 broadheads lined up and going in at once. It's a much faster kill than a .44 mag or a 30.06 and I have personally thought of it as a more humane kill than a rifle or handgun. Believe it or not I've never shot one with a bow. I would imagine it would be similar to knife as long as you hit the vitals and cause the same massive blood loss.

They are a very fun animal to hunt. I was charged by one while lying prone on the ground with my T/C contender pistol in .44 mag. It was a 350 lb. sow. Finally stopped her about about 8 or so feet away after firing 4 shots. You'd be amazed at how fast you can reload a single shot pistol when 350 pounds of b--- is headed your way (and not the Elkhart kind). I've never taken a single shot .44 mag for close up ground work again. Always carry a six shooter .44 mag now or a knife.

 

[TiminMishawaka]

BTW - chances are everyhing in Indiana's just ferals and not russians. However there are high fence operations in the state that do russians and it's not unheard of for one to escape. They are houdinis.

 

[Jack Ryan]

I can't see the pictures? I keep looking for one of you guys in a picture with one of these and something like the same weather we are having. May be one from those two or three guys so tickled they just hop on down south and pick one off even though they don't hunt enough to even have a hunting license.

May be something is wrong with my internet connection, I can't see the pictures.

 

[Shadownick]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiHmYsyVniE"]YouTube - Nueces Helicopter Pig Hunt (no music)[/ame]

(Click the watch through youtube button)