Outback boar hunt

[Aussie_hunter_JD]

G'day guys,

Got back recently from an outback boar hunt, beautiful part of my country and most definitely the real Australia with real Australians you cannot find in the big cities. Tough with the drought but we managed a few good boars.

Not really a roughing it trip in terms of camp situation. I'm always the cook with hunting mates, did roast chicken, chilli, etc. For meals so it was a great trip to just unwind with mates.

Saw some nice billies but with the American Arab market being so good property owners now sell them so we couldn't hunt them.

Property we hunted was 35,000 acres which is small up there. Ran into the neighbour one arvo and had a chat. Ended gaining access to his 140,000 acres for next trip!

 

[LCH]

Do you hunt the hogs mostly in the day or at night too?

In my hog hunting over here, the number of nighttime hogs I've found/killed probably are probably 10-1 the number of daytime hogs. But, from the looks of your terrain they may be easier to find bedded up over there. Around here they live in stuff so thick you can practically step on them before you see them.

 

[KipCarson]

Looks like fun! I’m really curious, How aggressive are most of the boars y’all have down there? I hear stories of extreme aggression of Australian pigs and how they’ll get after you, chase you up trees and keep you bayed there where you can’t get down for hours.

I’m around wild hogs here in the U.S. all the time and I find ours to be complete pushovers when it gets down to it. They’ll huff and growl but tuck tail and run every time unless being bayed with dogs. That seems to be the only time they’re ever dangerous. I don’t think twice about crawling into thickets even with wounded ones being armed only with my bow. I’ve only ever had one “charge” me after I shot it but truthfully the only reason was that I was between him and the best exit spot, not sure if he even realized I was there. Here when the subject of wild hogs comes up every ignorant redneck has a story how some sow got after them trying to protect her piglets, or some boar charged them and I call BS on it. When I’m around they huff a few times and cowardly run away, Its all just people running their mouth trying to act like their tougher than everyone else. What’s the truth about down under pigs?

 

[LCH]

Looks like fun! I’m really curious, How aggressive are most of the boars y’all have down there? I hear stories of extreme aggression of Australian pigs and how they’ll get after you, chase you up trees and keep you bayed there where you can’t get down for hours.

I’m around wild hogs here in the U.S. all the time and I find ours to be complete pushovers when it gets down to it. They’ll huff and growl but tuck tail and run every time unless being bayed with dogs. That seems to be the only time they’re ever dangerous. I don’t think twice about crawling into thickets even with wounded ones being armed only with my bow. I’ve only ever had one “charge” me after I shot it but truthfully the only reason was that I was between him and the best exit spot, not sure if he even realized I was there. Here when the subject of wild hogs comes up every ignorant redneck has a story how some sow got after them trying to protect her piglets, or some boar charged them and I call BS on it. When I’m around they huff a few times and cowardly run away, Its all just people running their mouth trying to act like their tougher than everyone else. What’s the truth about down under pigs?

Haha.. I don't feel that I've ever been in any real danger either. Flipping/tying them while a dog had ahold of them can be a little sketchy, but I've only done that a couple times under supervision from a friend.

I'll tell you though, a big wounded boar crashing through a thicket making sounds like an African lion will certainly give me pause before heading in there.

 

[duckhunt]

That looks like an absolute awesome hunt.

 

[Aussie_hunter_JD]

Do you hunt the hogs mostly in the day or at night too?

In my hog hunting over here, the number of nighttime hogs I've found/killed probably are probably 10-1 the number of daytime hogs. But, from the looks of your terrain they may be easier to find bedded up over there. Around here they live in stuff so thick you can practically step on them before you see them.

Both, we got one in the spotlight (not pictured) but I'm not really into spotlighting any animals personally, much prefer to hunt so did mostly that.

They bedded up in really thick country did some drives but it was really a trip to get to know the area. I have gps'd where they water and bed so will get in amongst them next time.

 

[KipCarson]

. Flipping/tying them while a dog had ahold of them can be a little sketchy, but I've only done that a couple times under supervision from a friend.

I'll tell you though, a big wounded boar crashing through a thicket making sounds like an African lion will certainly give me pause before heading in there.

I have a friend that was put in the hospital a few years back, the catch dog was thrown and the boar whipped around and gave him 2” of cutter right in the butt cheek! the wound was bad but infection was the real problem.

That guttural warning growl they do when your in close just scares most people is all and then imagination makes up a great story about how they were about to be attacked lol! Every time I hear it I just know that game is up, and they’re about to get out of there.

 

[Aussie_hunter_JD]

Looks like fun! I’m really curious, How aggressive are most of the boars y’all have down there? I hear stories of extreme aggression of Australian pigs and how they’ll get after you, chase you up trees and keep you bayed there where you can’t get down for hours.

I’m around wild hogs here in the U.S. all the time and I find ours to be complete pushovers when it gets down to it. They’ll huff and growl but tuck tail and run every time unless being bayed with dogs. That seems to be the only time they’re ever dangerous. I don’t think twice about crawling into thickets even with wounded ones being armed only with my bow. I’ve only ever had one “charge” me after I shot it but truthfully the only reason was that I was between him and the best exit spot, not sure if he even realized I was there. Here when the subject of wild hogs comes up every ignorant redneck has a story how some sow got after them trying to protect her piglets, or some boar charged them and I call BS on it. When I’m around they huff a few times and cowardly run away, Its all just people running their mouth trying to act like their tougher than everyone else. What’s the truth about down under pigs?

There are most definitely videos out there on the net of guys being charged by boars in Aus and NZ. I saw one just last week on youtube. And every now and then a news article pops up about a bloke who copped a tusk to the calf (nearly always sticking with dogs) I can't say how frequently or rare it is though.

The second boar pictured we got driving to a crop on last light (you can see the sun fading in the background). That was dumb luck, he was heading across to the feeding area as we were heading to another one. The guy in front of the buggy had an adler lever 12G with SSG's and as the boar took off wrapped off a couple of quick shots. He chucked on the skids turned to us and started that woofing. He seemed pissed enough but we were in the buggy and I quickly put a 30-06 round through the base of his neck so wouldn't even call that a near miss.

 

[Kharper]

Great photos! Forgive my ignorance but what exactly are the billies?

 

[Aussie_hunter_JD]

Great photos! Forgive my ignorance but what exactly are the billies?

Male goats, lots of feral goats in this part of the world.

 

[OzzyDave]

Good stuff. Good condition on those boars. They seem to be able to thrive even through drought. Have the places your hunting got any exclusion fences ?? Hope it rains soon - there are plenty doing it real rough here.

 

[Aussie_hunter_JD]

Good stuff. Good condition on those boars. They seem to be able to thrive even through drought. Have the places your hunting got any exclusion fences ?? Hope it rains soon - there are plenty doing it real rough here.

Not really, i think when a pig makes it's mind up it wants to go somewhere there's not a lot you can do to stop them. Apparently they got a couple of inches two weeks after we were there. More harm than good this time of year, just rots the dry feed faster. Fingers crossed for a good season next year, this cockie hasn't harvested a crop in the last 3 years.