Caliber and Bullets for Boar Rifles – A Reality Check

My comment to a belated comment from a reader who believes to be on the track of a sinister conspiracy against rifle caliber .243.



In January 2008 I published an article under the above title that dealt with aspects of rifles and ammunition for boar hunting. In it I weighed pragmatically the arguments for small bore versus big bore boar hunting rifles knowing well that any critical mentioning of certain small rifle calibers would encounter dedicated opposition.


More than two years later my reflections on the smallest rifle calibers drew a pointed angry response.from TheGoldenSockPuppet. Referring to my above article he wrote:


“The 4th paragraph is misleading at best, and untruthful at worst.

It starts out telling you states have minimum requirements for calibers, then says CA's "minimum recomendation" is .243.

There is no such requirement or recomendation (unless you have a muzzleloader, and then its .40).

See for yourself: http://www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/current/mammalregs.asp#475

They consider boar in the same hunting class with deer and bear, too.“



I bet TheGoldenSockPuppet is a proud owner of a .243 rifle, if he/she is a hunter at all.
Maybe that leads him to misread and misinterpret my actual sentence.

It reads actually like this:


“For that reason alone, States set minimum requirements for firearms that can be legally used to take big game. In California for example the minimum recommended caliber for the take of wild pigs is .243 with a minimum bullet weight of 100 grains – and then only for small pigs up to a maximum of about 90 pounds.“



Yes, California mandates that big game, and that is what we are talking here about, may only be taken with rifles firing center fire ammunition of not less than caliber .22. So, here is your minimum requirement for the take of big game in California.
The California Department of Fish and Game also publishes a list of recommended calibers for the taking of wild pigs. This list is found among others in the 'official' DFG guide to wild pig hunting in California on page 13/14 and on the department's web site.



Caliber .243 is indeed the first and smallest caliber recommended by DFG for the taking of boar and then only for small wild pigs up to about 90 pounds.



The requirement for the legal taking of big game/wild pigs is center fire ammunition of no less than caliber .22 and the recommended minimum caliber for boar is .243.
I know, I know, some of you have taken a 600 pound wild pig 800 yards out with a .243.
There are also one or two who have brought down an elephant one mile away with a puny .243 but those are the exceptions usually confined to bragging hunters and related websites for quasi-religious .243 aficionados. Responsible hunters will use a boar weapon that is commensurate with the terrain and the expected size of the quarry.


The link to DFG in the reader's comment is somewhat carelessly chosen. It leads to the Mammal Hunting Regulations of the CA DFG. Don't waste your time on it unless you want to peruse in great detail hunting methods and regulations for about any animal found in California. 
Considering the incorrect quote from my article and the generic link to mammals hunting regs instead of the more meaningful links to weapon requirements and recommendations for rifle calibers to hunt wild pigs, I am assuming that the commentator is indeed not a hunter. Weapons requirements are one of the topics covered in hunter education, aren't they?
PJJ

Texas Boar Won Again

Hunter still stalking success.

Several weeks after my friendly boar hunting acquaintance embarked on his 'fool proof' boar hunting expedition into the land of the plenty ,I am still waiting for the fanfares of success and victory. It is safe to assume that all of the four million wild pigs in Texas managed to disappear mysteriously for a whole weekend while the hunter was in the field.
Has this ever happened to you? You receive report after report after report that huge numbers of
Hunter still stalking success.
wild pigs have taken over a ranch and are running about in the open during daylight hours. You book a hunt, get to the ranch, start your hunt as early in the morning as the law allows. No boar, tracks maybe, but no signs of live wild pigs anywhere.
It has happened to me.


How can this be? How can numerous confirmed wild pigs suddenly and almost like on command turn into invisible boar?
There are many reasons for this strange experience. If you read my tutorial “Signs of the Beast“ you know about the daily habits and routines of wild pigs. Though each sounder has its own individual daily routine, most boar in a general area usually follow similar activity patterns. Successful hunters know and understand these daily cycles of activities and rest periods from careful pre-hunt observations. If you do not, you need a guide who does to lead you down the path to success.
In addition to the daily movements and activities wild pigs also follow seasonal fluctuations of food sources, climatic conditions and the changing availability of shelter and resting places.


One of these factors gets most often overlooked: Daily temperature shifts. This is particularly true for hot places like Texas and for the Central Valley in California. Our intrepid hunter may have fallen victim to just that phenomenon.
Boar are most active at temperatures between, say, 55 and 75 degrees. Below they tend to bed down early or get going late. Much above these moderate temperatures and wild pigs show definite signs of discomfort. They retire to shady places, mud holes and wallows or to higher elevations where temperatures are in a more comfortable range. This applies to temperature ranges between 80 and just about 100 degrees. Any triple digits are anathema to wild pigs. They react to them by riding out the heat in or near water or in mud wallows. They will generally not come out of hiding in their 'comfort zones' and resting places until temperatures have dropped below at least 80 degrees. During hot Texas summers temperatures quite frequently stay above 80 degrees.
The Californian Central Valley also is not immune to extraordinary hot spells where temperatures can hover around this danger zone during the day and early night.
Look for active wild pigs early in the morning while temperatures still are in the low sixties. As things warm up and dawn yields to a warm day expect the boar to move from the open feeding places to more secluded and cooler hiding areas where they will spend much of the day before coming out again around dusk when day time temperatures are falling.
If you absolutely must hunt during the heat of the day, you need to find your quarry in their resting places and in their wallows. But beware the Wiley boar will abandon these hideouts for quite a while after such a disturbance.



The next hunting opportunity will present itself after temperatures have fallen below the magical 80 degree line which is often only the case after the sun has set. As crepuscular or semi-nocturnal creatures boar will then stay out foraging for the rest of the night.
This presents a problem for boar hunters in California since night hunting is illegal. Not so in Texas where hunters can hunt wild pigs at night and with spot lights and over baited places.



Finally, nocturnal wild pigs are often a product of great hunting pressure. This condition exists more frequently on hunting ranches where boar are hunted every weekend and sometimes even during the week. You should not be surprised when you will not see even one wild pigs during your hunt. Go find another ranch.



Oh, before I forget: experience shows that right after major changes in the weather hunting is better because the boar are more active. This applies to changes from good to bad conditions and vice versa.



I should end this article with a few words on the role of the human scent on hunting success or failure. But I will make that subject of a brief post at another occasion.
Oh, let us not forget hunting attire. Note how most boar hunters are decked out in full camouflage outfits while their guide takes to the battleground in jeans and a plaid jacket! The guide gets the boar! How come?
PJJ

On Hunting Boar -

Did you know . . .

that a "pig is a hog - hog is a generic term for all swine - but a hog is not a pig. In the terminology of hog raising, a pig is a baby hog less than ten weeks old."
Seems to me that in the southern states of the US this terminology related to domesticated pigs (sus domesticus - sic!) was casually transferred to all wild pigs (sus scrofa, ha ha) a little indiscriminately. We can go hog hunting, but according to the terminology above should not call the young of a hog piglets but rather (melon striped) pigs.

Glad there is no pig terminology police.
PJJ

Boar in the News - November 2010

Swedish Boar Mangles Swedish Hunter.

Or was it maybe a Norwegian boar that had immigrated illegally into Swedish woods? We will never know. But Swedish authorities complain vociferously that more and more boar from Norway cross the border to Sweden in order to make their home there.

In early November 2010 a Swedish hunter was badly mangled by a large unidentified boar according to an article in the Aftonbladet Newspaper.

A group of 10 hunters with dogs was scouring an area packed densely with saplings and undergrowth when the dogs began sounding the alarm. The dense vegetation prevented the hunters from determining why exactly the dogs were alerting. Expecting a deer or big elk the hunters were surprised and confused when a very large boar rushed at them at great speed instead. One of the hunters was 'bloodied' even before the others could come to his assistance.

Wild Boar Chase on Madrid Freeway

Motorists on a motorway to Madrid were greatly inconvenienced when two boar used the freeway to relocate from the countryside to the nation's capital. The larger of the two was killed in a collision with a car on the A-6 in Las Rozas. The second boar gave the Guardia Civil (that's police with funny hats) a run for their money. He engaged them on a 2 kilometer (1.6 miles or so) chase down the bus lane of the freeway before he was captured.

An official of the local government in Vorarlberg, an Austrian province, has called for
Open Season on Wild Boar in Austria

by suggesting that local hunters should be allowed to harvest sows. This proposal is intended to stem the tide of the ever increasing number of boar that roam the Austrian countryside. While hunters are sceptical about the proposed new tactic and its effect on boar populations, animal rights activists have come out in force to oppose the wholesale slaughter of dedicated wild boar mothers.

Let us see how this one develops. Shooting females instead of their offspring does indeed affect future population growth of boar.

PJJ

On Hunting Boar -

Did you know . . .

that the skin of a pig is thickest at the back?  One sixth of an inch to be exact. The infamous shoulder armor of wild boar is not skin but rather scar tissue and other secondary tissue that is located under the skin. Most of it are 'battle scars' from fights over mates and dominance.

Wild Pigs In Texas Hog - Heaven for Hunters

One of my hunting acquaintances easily qualifies as the most dedicated, if not addicted, wild boar hunter I know. That does not mean that he is equally successful. In fact, the closest he has come to bagging a wild pig up to now was when one stood broadside to him about 50 yards away. Too far for a well aimed shot from his shotgun, he decided. Ever since he has dedicated countless weekends and much money to the pursuit of a quarry that seems to elude him wherever he goes. His refrigerator remains empty.

In desperation he decided to try his luck with wild pigs in Texas. We know what that means, don't we? Feeders on a private ranch, hunting at night from a blind or stand next to the feeder, spotlights, night vision goggles and scopes and almost any type of weapon you can imagine.

This time he has to realize his dream. Or hang up his gloves . . . uh, boar rifle.

Wild pigs in Texas revisited
Texas is the state with the highest population of wild pigs. Estimates vary from 2 to almost 4 million. In Texas every parking lot has its own resident pig, they say. Wild pigs are found in almost all counties except for a fringe along the western border of the state. Nowadays boar in Texas are almost exclusively feral pigs or feral hybrids between imported true boar and wild pigs. Pure strains of true European boar have been diluted to the point of non-existence.

The average weight of a feral boar is generally around 130 pounds; feral sows weigh in at about 110 pounds. But there are substantial variations in in size and weight. Some wild pigs grow significantly heavier than the average. This is due to abundant food as a result of intensive agriculture and environmental improvements and to the practice of ranchers to establish feeding stations for wildlife and hogs.

At first glance it seems paradox that landowners would feed the very same wild pigs that they consider pests. However, it makes sense at least for the ranches that maintain an ongoing boar hunting program. Well stocked feeders attract wild pigs to a ranch and keep them there – even when they get shot at.

The best places to look for wild pigs in any given area are determined by their food preferences. Mark E. Mapston, District Supervisor, Texas Cooperative Extension * Wildlife Services, writes in his highly informative essay 'Wild Pigs in Texas' :
“They prefer succulent green vegetation (they do not digest cellulose well) along with a variety of animal material, fruit and grain.

In the spring they eat grasses, forbs, roots and tubers. In the summer and fall

they eat mostly soft and hard mast such as prickly pear cactus, mesquite,

guajillo, huisache, grapes, plums, acorns and persimmons. Rhizomes, bulbs

and tubers are also important food items during the fall. Winter diets consist

mainly of grasses, forbs and agricultural grains such as corn, milo, wheat,

oats, rice and soybeans. They also eat peanuts, pumpkins, watermelons,

potatoes, cantaloupes and orchard fruit. Shelled corn put out as supplemental

feed for wildlife attracts feral hogs and can be a major part of their diet.

They readily consume carrion and animal matter, including arthropods

(especially beetles), amphibians, reptiles, eggs, birds, small mammals, and the

young of wild mammals and livestock. Large feral hogs also may cannibalize

pigs and shoats.“

Let us add to this list a few environmental factors. Since boar cannot sweat, they must have some water supply both as drinking water and as a cooling agent. They spend much time wallowing in mud holes they have created. It keeps them cool and also has the added benefit of caking parasites and insects in the dry mud on their coat. Rubbing vigorously against trees removes the dirt and insects trapped in it. As you know from my previous posts and my tutorial “Signs of the Beast“ rub marks on trees and mud holes are two of the most visible and characteristic signs of the presence of wild pigs. Rooting is another, of course. It is also the one most responsible for the reputation of wild pigs as loathed pests.

Hunting boar in Texas

Because wild pigs are so abundant in Texas hunting regulations are quite lax compared to those in many other states. Night hunting is legal, so are spotlights, night vision goggles and night vision scopes. Harvesting boar over bait at feeder stations is also permissible. In fact, much of boar hunting in Texas consists of a guide leading the hunter(s) to blinds or tree stands right at the feeder. When the wild pigs arrive to partake of the generous offerings of food, hunters open up with a wild and wide variety of weapons because there are few weapons restrictions, if any. Always check with the local game warden to assure that your hunting methods and equipment are legal. There are a few local restrictions on the use of spotlights for example.

Wild boar may be hunted year round in Texas. Since much of the land is private property, written permission from the landowner is required to hunt on his land. Expect to pay an access fee or a hefty guide fee despite the fact that ranchers and other landowners loudly complain about the damage done to their property ańd the environment. Even trophy fees are not unheard of.

Access and guide fees vary wildly. I have seen from $ 150.00 to close to $ 1,000 and anything in between. Average fess seem to hover in the range between $ 25Some ranches charge a very small access fee ($ 50.00) and then collect $ 1.00 per (boar) pound.

Because of the extremely high number of wild pigs and the damage wrought by their activities, Texas has created a unique, albeit rare, version of boar hunting in the form of wild pig eradication companies. Several boar control and eradication companies offer their services to landowners – often, but not always, free. Once a job is secured these pig exterminators employ wild boar hunters to do the actual shooting. The hunters are charged for their participation in the 'eradication program'. At least in theory. I have not yet independently confirmed these reports. I suspect however that the participation fees charged to hunters will be not much less than access fees at the low end of the fee schedule.

With several million boar running around all over Texas eradication of wild pigs in Texas is next to impossible. Under good conditions wild pigs can live four to five years. With ample food from feeding stations or 'natural' resources a wild pig population can double in four months!

Wild pigs are here to stay in Texas.

PJJ

On Hunting Boar

Did you know . . .

that boar and wild pig sows have an even number of teats. The norm is twelve. And so do female domestic swine. Also called sus domesticus.

Curious how long till this term has found its way into the web sites of guides and outfitters.

Wild Pigs in California: Boom or Bust?

Afterthoughts to reports and opinions on the future of boar populations in 2011.


Two recent articles explored the effects of favorable environmental conditions on wild pig populations in California. My articles opined that because of the past wet winter that resulted in good to excellent acorn drop and overall improved habitat conditions, we could expect a rapid increase in boar populations this coming spring and early summer 2011.



My reports, or shall we say speculations, are supported by findings of wildlife biologists working for the DFG and by results of a brief survey among hunters and ranch owners. Consensus among them was that we could indeed expect a significant increase in the number of wild pigs. Some felt comfortable enough to state that they already noticed more boar in the fields, up to 20 or thirty percent that is.



I am always suspicious of glowing reports from ranchers and guides about the high number of trophy boar roaming their specific ranches. If they note a thirty percent increase I deduct in my mind a few percentiles from that figure to allow for the effects of self-interest. But not so when wildlife biologists produce similar or identical population estimates. Hunting buddies also get a free pass on their observations because they are the ones who pay for the privilege of hunting on private land. If they do not see any of the many trophy boar that reportedly are overrunning a ranch they will tell us truthfully, I guess.
It just so happens that all groups I sampled agreed more or less that they observed greater numbers of wild pigs in the field. So far, so good.



However, I also had a few less optimistic reports. One from a boar hunter who is one of the most active and persistent hunters I happen to know. That does not mean that he is also equally successful. When he reported consistently few boar signs and even fewer wild pigs I paid only moderate attention. In fact, during fall he saw only one boar. It mysteriously disappeared in some high grass right in front of his eyes before he could even shoulder his rifle.
But there were also reports from FHL (Fort Hunter Ligget) about the lack of signs. Among others the comment of a reader about his experience at FHL in mid-October. His hunting party saw only one wild pig during an entire weekend. It also quickly disappeared never to be seen or heard of again while he was there.
Other reports spoke of signs, 'seasoned' signs, but no wild pigs.



This poses the question in the mind of any reader how it can be that twenty or thirty percent more wild pigs can roam the fields leaving few if any traces of their presence. And few or no boar are seen?
Inexperienced boar hunters or stealth boar? Overly optimistic estimates to please inquisitive minds or sound self-interest on the part of those who have vested business interests in an abundance of boar on their property? Smart wild pigs that stay out of sight (and therefore the minds) of ranchers who would love to eradicate them and of hunters with a taste for wild boar bacon?



There are some reasonable, factual explanations.

First, wild pigs are not evenly distributed over California. More of them live in good habitats on mainly private land than anywhere else. Good habitat produces food faster, in greater quantities and better quality than marginal land. Result: More boar in fertile areas of the state. One would expect much accelerated growth rates there because more sows produce more piglets. Simple, isn't it?.
Abundant and good food sources equal fast growth of wild pig populations. Marginal areas with fewer, qualitatively lesser food resources equal comparatively slower growth.



Second, at this time wild pigs only begin to recover losses suffered during the dry years. The task to go forth and multiply still rests mainly on the shoulders of drought survivors. Their numerically increasing offspring will start contributing to the production of more wild pigs later next year. We will see impressive growth rates once the first and second generation 'post drought' wild pigs join the boar production lines. Boar sightings should then no longer be the exception.
Again, this effect will manifest itself sooner in good wild pig areas than in more marginal pig country.



Third, there is a reason why wildlife biologists and ranchers see more wild pigs than hunters. Biologists are not primarily hunters but rather observing scientists. As such they do not spook boar to the same extent hunters would. Ranchers and farmers work the land. They do not only go into the fields to harvest wild pigs. Boar soon learn to discern the sound patterns of equipment of husbandry from the sound of 4x4 and ATV vehicles. One can be greatly ignored (if not cherished because it brings feed for the cattle) while the others trigger disappearing acts.



Fourth, let us not forget the influence of boar hunting on wild pig populations. With the exception of FHL all comments involved wild pigs on private land. Ranches that have established boar hunting programs with guides and outfitters organizing and conducting boar hunts every weekend (and sometimes during the week) will harbor more of the 'disappearing' wild pigs. Boar are smart enough to learn quickly to vanish during shooting hours. The readily adjust their natural crepuscular nature to a nocturnal lifestyle. I remember vividly a ranch in Kern county that held a very large, very mean and very smart stealth boar. He was known to (and sometimes seen by) dozens of eager boar hunters who were all wildly determined to bag him. For years none succeeded because he had learned only to make himself known long after shooting hours. He always disappeared well before dawn.



Our smart wild pigs are not going to hang around a ranch with an active hunting program. Those that do become nocturnal. All others move to the neighboring ranches with less active guide services. They will move even further away when they get shot at that ranch as well. But eventually they will be back right where they started from.



Fifth, wild pigs react in a very similar way to any unfavorable changes in habitat conditions of their home ranges. For example, if water becomes hard to find on a ranch or food sources near depletion, the boar will move on to properties that offer easier living. It is therefore very possible that a ranch owner can observe a greater number of wild pigs on his property but hunters looking for them a week or so later will not see them – only old signs. Ask your guide when he last guided a hunting party on the property and how many times before that in the most recent past before you book a hunt with him. Private hunting clubs observe 'boar hunting seasons' on their leases in order to allow their wild pigs to recover from hunting losses and to avoid turning them into nocturnal foragers.



Finally, hunting wild pigs more often than not involves the luck of the draw, good hunter intuition and well founded knowledge of the terrain, the seasons and the daily routines of a specific wild pig population. Though it is generally true that boar can be found under or in the immediate vicinity of oaks trees during the acorn drop, in or near barley and corn fields and watering holes they do not necessarily have to be under the trees just because it is fall. To divine correctly where to look is an absolutely necessary skill for any wild pig hunter who strikes out on his own for a real hunt – private or public land. It does not matter.
For all others guides come in handy. They spend a lot of time in the field observing the boar, studying their daily and seasonal routines and keeping track of reactions of the quarry to environmental changes. Your chances of bagging a wild pig are therefore greatly improved when you use the services of guides or outfitters. Responsible guides also make sure that the ranches under contract are not over hunted because it would result in wild pigs moving away and hunting success rates consequently plummeting together with the reputation of the guide.
Unfortunately, not all guides act this way. Do a little research before you hire a guide. Personally I have an issue with guides who charge a trophy fee.
But that is a topic for another day.
PJJ



 

On Hunting Boar and Wild Pigs -

Did you know . . .

that Miss Piggy is the fastest breeder among farm animals. She is also fast in the wild.
A new generation of wild pigs arrives after three months, three weeks, and three days.

Reader Comment Destroys My Prediction Regarding Growth Of Boar Populations in 2010/2011.

Feeling warm and fuzzy after my optimistic outlook on the development of wild pig populations in California one of our readers quickly dunked me into a therapeutic bathtub filled with water and ice cubes. Much like staff in psychiatric clinics used to dunk overly gregarious or belligerent inmates of an asylum for the mentally unstable.

He wrote in a comment to my report on wild pig populations in California:

"We hunt on a private ranch in San Benito county and our pig numbers are considerably down this year. We have full Barley fields and plenty of acorns on the ground but no pigs! Other nearby ranches are experiencing the same thing. A local Warden blames our pig shortage on the liberal depredation permits.
-randy"


Ouch, that hurts. But should it? Maybe not.
Wild pig populations in California (and elsewhere) do not  increase uniformly. While areas with better habitat and less hunting pressure have higher growth rates, less favorable habitat conditions and more hunting slows down the overall increase.

San Benito County is situated in wild pig country. According to DFG statistics this county has contributed around 400 boar per year. The highest number of boar harvested was just over 700 and the low point reached less than 300 wild pigs in one year. That is an average wild pig harvest. It is better than San Luis Obispo and Sonoma counties, but comes not even close to harvest numbers for Monterey County. Even Kern county is doing better than San Benito.

Add to that active wild pig control measures by ranchers and farmers and hunting pressure from boar hunting and you could well encounter the situation described in the comment.

Contradiction explained away.
Woooohooo, that makes me feel better.
PJJ




 

Hunting Boar And Wild Pigs -

Did you know . . .

that boar can interbreed with pot-bellied pigs. Given a chance they will do exactly that, of course. The resulting piglets sport a black coat, straight tails, may have a pot belly and a white stripe on their forehead much like a skunk.

Also, some of them may end up as wild boar on the Big Horn Ranch. Well … they are black. Just kidding!

PJJ

Status Update - Wild Pigs In California 2010.

All things boar are looking up for wild pig hunters in California. Boar populations are beginning to rebound from the long years of drought as a consequence of the wet past winter and the early rainfall this fall season. Add to it the good to excellent acorn harvest and you can expect the number of boar in California to increase even faster early next year.

Reports I received from hunters recently in the field and from ranch owners indicate an estimated growth of 20 to 30 percent in the number of wild pigs spotted or evidenced by signs they leave behind.

This applies among many others to the Tejon Ranch north of Los Angeles. 

At the Bryson Resort in the vicinity of Fort Hunter Ligget the "... wild pig population is thriving, the numbers have increased around here by about 20% - 30% this year, but that is because we had good rainfall last year. Oak trees are loaded with acorns this year so it looks like we'll have a nice acorn drop for the fall/winter & spring."

Fort Hunter Ligget also appears to hold an increasing number of boar as Chris S. noticed during a hunt in mid-October:

". . .Lots of signs but the pigs moved up the mountain and disappeared by hunt

time every day. We heard one at the river ten minutes before hunt time

and that was all the time he needed to get out of there.0 pigs for all

pig hunters that weekend."

Similar reports from other parts of California confirm this trend, including the unusual situation in San Diego County where wild pigs are also on the move. Spring and early summer of 2011 is bound to accelerate growth rates because wild pig sows could fatten up on the rich acorn drop and are in top breeding condition. In 2011 we can look forward to much better wild pig hunting than during the past few years. Provided we do not get a very harsh winter, that is.

PJJ