6 Hogs Down from Honey Hole, Reductionist Hunting Pattern

Brian Shaffer

Hog Hunter
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Last night was a good night on this new property I started hunting, save for the fact that my video was corrupted, but only the shooting parts. So either the DVR is dying or the SD card is. ERRRR.

I reported all to the landowner and got asked about how many hogs I had taken so far and so started doing some digging. After all, it wasn't like I was going to be spending any time editing video. Since May 4, we have taken 52 hogs off the property. The property is over 700 acres, but we have been hunting less than 500 of it. During this time, there have been 16 visits to the property for hunting, one of which was a drop by to see if anything was visible (nothing was and yielded nothing).

Those 52 (recovered) hogs comprise 8145-8345 lbs on the hoof. I had to estimate for 3 hogs that were found a day after one hunt, hence the weight range. Looking at the sizes of the hogs over time was really interesting because it revealed a positive pattern for hog hunting in regard to the size of breeding size hogs.

The first 11 hogs were killed over 5 nights. They averaged 192 lbs in size with 8 of the 11 being over 200 lbs including the two largest hogs killed, a sow and boar, each weighing 260.

About half way through, 11 hogs killed averaged 167 lbs (June 9 & 16, not including 3 that were 70 lbs and less). At this point, only 4 of the 11 hogs over 200 lbs.

There were 10 hogs from the last 2 nights. They averaged 152 lbs and only 2 of the last 10 hogs were over 200 lbs.

While there are multiple possible explanations for the trend, what I think is going on is that we, as hunters, have tended to focus on shooting the biggest hogs first. I have seen where most hunters tend to do this, particularly if they are trying to just kill hogs. Hunters tend to focus on the hogs that offer them the best shots or greatest likelihood for success and more often than not, the bigger hogs are the bigger and easier targets. After all, how many times have you hunted hogs with buddies and come across a sounder with a bunch of adult hogs and had one or more of the buddies calling dibs on the piglets? So if we are tending to shoot the bigger hogs first, it would fit that given the limited number of hogs likely to be hitting this property over a short period of time (2 months) that the average size of the biggest hogs would tend to decline with regular hunting.

Of course, this isn't any sort of absolute. When you get on a sounder and start shooting, you often shoot what you readily see in your crosshairs, but if you see multiple hogs, chances are you are going to try to shoot your largest choices, first, though they may not be the largest of the group. Even so, I think all that still fits with the general overall pattern. The more hogs you take out of the heavier end of the scale, less your average size hog taken will be over time with regular hunting.

If this pattern keeps up, then I would hope that within a couple more months, the largest hogs that we would be regularly seeing are no more than 150 lbs. The exceptions will be if new sounders move into the area or big lone boars move into to the area since we have likely removed most of the bigger lone boars that would have been here.
 

J BAR K

Just trying to make a day.
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That has been a productive spot for you! Hope the landowner is happy. He should be. Since my hunting is mostly one and done ( generally they are back in the woods before I can get a second shot ) I do tend to target the big ones first. It’s more fun to get the big ones. But unless I know there are more coming in I’m not going to pass on a shot.
 

Brian Shaffer

Hog Hunter
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I think most people, unless they are hunting for a smaller eater pig, target the large ones, first. Some folks will target sows over boars, but even then will target the bigger ones, first.

Like you say, it is more fun. After all, who brags about shooting small pigs?
 

Ratdog68

LSB Official Story Teller
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Isn't "bragging rights", being able to say: "I hit 10/10 footballs at 100yds tonight !! (on the run)" ?

Yeah, one likes seein' those monster sized hogs go down... whether squeezing the trigger, or hunting them vicariously on YouTube.

Hope it's just the SD Card.
 

scrmblr1982cj8

LSB Active Member
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I think the hogs are getting tired of seeing their friends slaughtered!
 

erForman

Greenwood, TX
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Shoot them all and just don't over think it....
 

der Teufel

Livin' the Dream …
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I think that shooting the smaller hogs is more effective in terms of overall population control, since a smaller (younger) hog has more breeding potential. It has more productive years to live. However, for reasons I cannot explain, my rifle always seems to select the largest available target. Go figure…

Nice work on that place, and I agree that the landowner should be pleased.
 

Chopperdrvr

Deep East Tx
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That’s a lot of interesting information. You obviously keep much better records than I do. I have had video problems lately and it has gotten me so frustrated I haven’t even wanted to hunt. I have one video and another hunt I haven’t even written up. I hope you can figure out what your problems are before it gets too aggravating for you too.
 

diggler1833

LSB Active Member
My place seems to be good for 20-25 hogs per year, but we don't have quite the problem that the more open areas do. As of right now, I've removed 25 from here this year so far.

Unfortunately there are about 10 shoats that are going to be breeding age in a few months, and so it looks like next year will provide the same opportunities.

As far as shooting the bigger ones first; I think its natural as they are going to be easier to hit...nobody wants to produce a video where they fire 10 rounds and only produce one small pig....well, maybe Ed (I went there).

I do realize that I just jinxed myself by saying that too.
 
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