On February 14th I was in my stand overlooking a bait station for wild hog in Georgia. I was hunting a very large boar that was feeding in the area. After a few hours he appeared and made his way to the bait. I noticed how large he was and wasted no time in settling in for the shot. I touched off and the boar dropped to the ground. I loaded another round in the chamber and observed through the scope. The boar seemed to have expired, so I unloaded and made my way down the stand and up to the trophy. He was an excellent example of the species.
I walked about 10 yards away to lay my rifle down and heard a grunting sound behind me. As I turned towards him he was suddenly on me! I tried to hold him back with my hands, but the hog slipped his head under my groin and flipped me up in the air, backwards and flat on my back.
As I was in the air I knew once I hit the ground I had to get up and on my feet, but it was too late. The animal was charging in on me fast. I kicked him in the shoulders and face as much as I could to keep him off and away. I felt his cutters dig in behind my calf. I kept kicking as he moved me slowly around, 180 degrees.
I was still on my back and I realized that dropping my guard with my hands or feet to get up would leave me vulnerable to his cutters (tusks). I remained on my back to fight him, and seemed to at least keep him at bay. I continued to kick and punch him in the face and nose knowing this was a sensitive area to this species. Several times he got in close, but using my forearms to push his face and teeth away from mine I was able to push him back far enough to use my feet again.
At that point the boar bit down on my foot, and I could feel the pressure of his jaws and teeth, but it enabled me to push him to the side and hold him still long enough to load my rifle which was laying next to me on the ground. As I loaded and closed the action he lunged forward and I stuck the muzzle under his chin, and with all my might pushed him away and pulled the trigger. He dropped immediately. I crab-walked away quickly and in total disbelief as to what just happened.
As I got up I noticed my pants were shredded and blood was everywhere. I checked myself thoroughly and found only minor cuts and scratches up my legs and in the groin area. I was excited and panting to say the least. Thank God that his cutters were broomed off from fighting other hogs. This saved me from serious injury or worse!
I had made a very stupid mistake, and I took it for granted that the hog was down. I want to go over a few things about wild boar in case a few of you decide to hunt these tough and elusive creatures:
- These animals are tough and can be BIG. They also have a protective shield under layers of fat and muscle that wraps around the shoulders and over the back. It's about 1/2" thick with layers of fat and muscle underneath. It reacts to a bullet impact much like a catcher's mitt. Try to aim behind the shoulder about one third of the way up from the bottom of the chest. If in doubt, aim for center mass.
- If you do get charged, try to keep something between you and the hog. It will help.
- If you do find yourself in a fight try to stay calm, and fight hard. Always keep in mind the cutters are sharp, and if you are on the ground keep these away from your vulnerable soft tissue such as groin, inner thigh, face and neck. These locations on your body have major arteries that if cut can cause you death in a short period of time.
- I am a huge fan of smaller calibers, especially with our modern bullets and propellants that we have today. However, a heavy solid bullet is a much better choice. It will be more forgiving if your shot is off or if you hit that protective shield that I mentioned before.
- I have seen a 7mm round hit a 225 lb boar directly from 10 yards away, and the bullet lay between the skin and the skull. I used a 338 mag 180 gr ballistic tip in a pinch and it did not penetrate the shoulder.
- A boar's eyesight is good but not their best attribute. Their hearing and smell is keen so stay quiet and downwind. Being in an elevated position is always best.
If you haven't hunted these critters give it a try! They are a lot of fun, and I've got to tell you that the meat is the BEST you will eat!
Contact us for suggested loads for your preferred caliber. We can set you up with bullets or ammo from Nosler that will perform best for your hunt.
Keep your powder dry,
Jim Kromka
Jim Kromka
