8/23/07
Hog hunting makes great practice for deer season
By Terry Madewell

Terry Madewell Photo

Early season hog hunting can be a great way to try out your equipment and practice your woods skills before deer hunting season begins in earnest.

Hog hunting in South Carolina seems to be on the increase and there are likely several reasons why that is the case. I had the opportunity to hunt hogs recently (even in this heat) and saw how some hunters use the sport of hog hunting to prepare for the upcoming deer season. In addition to deer season preparation, they just enjoy being in the woods hunting anyway.

“First and foremost for me, hog hunting is a lot of fun,” Bruce Ayers said. “There’s a lot of reason and one is that wild pigs have a very keen sense of smell and pretty good hearing. They can be a challenge to successfully hunt in their own right.”

Ayers added that it’s also his way of preparing for deer hunting and other hunting seasons.

“Woodsmanship is the key to just about any hunting sport and hog hunting will hone and sharpen almost anyone’s skills,” he said. “Plus, while hunting hogs I am always on the lookout for deer sign. During August, I can learn where deer are at that time. I also enjoy hunting after the deer season ends. So, during January, I can learn a lot about the late season deer moments that I can apply to late-season deer hunting the following season.”

Some hunters use hogs to hone bow hunting skills as well.

According to bow hunters who hunt both hogs and deer, bow hunting for hogs is just a natural complement. You’ve got to get close and shoot well to take a hog. It’s great practice and that’s another reason some hunters enjoy hunting hogs, especially with a bow.

Josh Airey, another hog and deer hunting advocate, added that from an equipment standpoint, it enables him to ensure all of his “tools” for hunting are working properly.

“I like to hunt post- and pre-deer season for a variety of reasons,” Airey said. “First, I can ensure my scope is sighted-in right and get some good shooting practice under a live fire situation. It’s one thing to drive a nail, so to speak, from a good bench rest. It’s another to make a well-placed shot on a pig from an awkward angle while contorted in a tree stand. In that way it’s very similar to deer hunting.

“Plus the other equipment I have gets used too,” Airey said. “I get to play with the hearing enhancers, spotting scopes, binoculars, range finders and other tools of the hunting trade.”

The data compiled by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources backs up the idea that hog hunting is on the increase. As part of the overall survey for the annual Deer Harvest Report, they also have data on Wild Hog harvest.

According to the report, during 2006 an estimated 26,843 wild hogs were harvested by deer hunters in South Carolina. That’s a 15.8 percent increase from 2005 when 23,166 hogs were harvested. Evidence of the presence of hogs in 42 of 46 counties was made by hunter harvest activities versus 38 of 46 counties in 2005.

Clarendon County did not make the top five county list for hog harvesting, but we’ve got plenty of pigs in some areas. Plus we’re very close to some of the best hog hunting in the state.

According to the report, the top five counties for wild hog harvest per unit area were Sumter (4.51 hogs per square mile), Allendale (4.29 hogs per square mile), Calhoun (4.27 hogs per square mile, Richland (4.03 hogs per square mile and Darlington (3.80 hogs per square mile. With respect to the river drainage system, top counties for wild hog harvest per unit area include Allendale, Hampton and Jasper in the lower Savannah River drainage and Calhoun, Richland and Sumter counties in the Congaree/Wateree drainage.

According to the report, this data comes from the 2006 Deer Hunter Survey that also asked hunters to provide information on their wild hog harvesting activities.

The report adds that historically documenting the harvest of this species has been difficult to accomplish in South Carolina. However both wild hogs and coyotes are commonly taken incidentally to deer hunting. On one hand, wild or feral hogs are often thought of as “game” and there is a certain amount of sport associated with harvesting hogs. Wild hogs provide quality meat for the hunter and mature hogs can make a highly sought after trophy.

The report also noted that the down side to wild hogs is they directly compete with native species like deer and wild turkey for habitat and food. Plus, hogs can do significant damage to the habitat and agriculture production through their rooting activities. The reports added that legislation passed during the 2005 session of the South Carolina General Assembly prohibits the release of hogs in the state.

While much of the prime hog hunting in South Carolina is on private lands there are a lot of opportunities for hunting on public land as well. There are a significant number of Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in the state offering wild hog hunting. While too numerous to name them all here, plus different regulations and opportunities at different WMAs, you can look in the SCDNR Rules and Regulations for specific WMAs that offer hog hunting.

The top counties noted above are loaded with hogs, some with greater than 10 animals per square mile around the major river drainages. However, there are few places in the state that don’t have at least some hogs in the neighborhood. Keying on where to specifically find and hunt wild hogs, especially in this hot weather time of year, is the specialty of hunters like Ayers and Airey.

“Some hunters will chuckle which I say this, but pigs are going to be wherever you find them,” Ayers said. “Let me expound on that a bit. In any given area there are probably several different foraging patterns a wild pig may be using at any given time. It depends on many natural conditions such as weather, location of water, types of food sources and also the external impact of hunting pressure.”

On a large tract of land with a diversity of terrain, they may be using a specific area one week, something totally different the next, Ayers said.

“But there are some common denominators we key on for hog hunting success,” Ayers said. “One, pigs and water are going to close together. An ideal spot is one where a river or creek has been high and the water is receding back into the channel. The areas that are still wet where the water has recently been standing are great attractants for wild hogs. These areas are full of worms and grubs they can root and easily get to.

“Another thing to look for is an area with a lot of blown down timber that’s rotting,” Ayers said. “Decaying timber is full of forage opportunities for pigs. Fresh rooting is the sign you’re seeking here as well.”

Granted the weather is hot but if you’re looking for a good hunting opportunity to prepare for the deer season, give the hogs a try.