Trad Gang
Main Boards => Dangerous Game => Topic started by: 2Blade on March 11, 2007, 11:03:00 PM
-
In June were going on a boar hunt I want to kill one with a traditional bow so I need some advice. I plan to shoot only 20 yards no further. With a trad bow and being my first boar hunt should I do a spot and stalk or stand hunt? To me anyway a stand if less room for error my reason in saying this is because if I hit a little high I can still get the lungs where on the ground if I hit to high I may wound the animal.
Im confident in my shooting but I know ill be pumped on a big Russian boar any tips from the hog hunters? BTW im going after something around 200-250lbs whats a good arrow weight for an animal like a hog? Will wood shafts do the trick? I plan on using a 125gr Magnus Buzzcut 2 blade.
-
Never used the Buzzcuts, but I'm sold on Stingers. If you really expect to see hogs in that weight class, you need a heavy carbon arrow, at least 550 grains, especially if you are still shooting the 45lb bow. Try to bust through what looks like the shoulder and low. Broadside is best. Hunt from the ground and you will have a better experience.
-
Im actully talking to a fella on here about getting his 55lb longbow off him should I still go with the 550gr arrow? Any other suggestions id be thankful.
-
Hogs were madew for spot and stalk.Get on some fresh sign and follow it till you get close.You may have to cover alot of ground,but once your on the sign you should have several days of good hunting if you need it.Low and tight on the shoulder,and really bear down on that spot till you see the fletching melt into it.Good luck.
-
Go with the buzzcuts also. Great for hogs. Justin
-
Wood arrows will do just fine. As with all arrows just make sure you have ample weight and good flight. 550 sounds good. Study the anatomy of a hog and go for the heart shot. They seems to pile up quickly after that. They seem able to travel far on a double lung. I suggest a good 2 blade but have many friends who use 3 blades with success. Spot and stalk is best where I'm at but the terrain may dictate a stand hunt. Enjoy.
-
What can I expect for this hunt should I be phsyically fit? Will I get charged once I put an arrow in the pig?
I was informed Easton arrows is going to sponsor our video so I cant shoot anything but their shafts what size Easton Legacy should I get? I know you guys said 550gr whats a decent size that has a thick durable shaft wall?
-
Being limited to Easton shafts isn't a bad thing IMO. If you have the time and money you should experiment with carbon shafts. By adding weight to the point can get a 500 grain arrow that will shoot good in your bow.
Unless you are running them with dogs or slogging through deep mud I wouldn't worry about getting in shape...If you do kill one they are a booger to drag out though. Much harder to pull through the woods than a whitetail.
I've shot quite a few pigs but only two that were over 200#'s. One was shot with a 60# recurve and a 500 grain carbon and one with a 56# longbow and 490 grain carbon and I had exit wounds on both.
I've been close to a lot of pigs and have been charged one time and that was just a couple weeks ago.
-
I should also add that I killed a pile of pigs with a 480 grain 1916 aluminum and a 51# bow and never had penetration problems. They were all small/medium size but that was enough bow and arrow.
A 2018 Legacy with a 150-175 broadheads would probably work out of your Hi-Speed. That will get you close to 550 grains.
-
I plan on useing a Byron Ferguson Woodsman longbow at 55lbs. I was thinking of going with a 400gr arrow with a 150gr Snuffer I know I was going to use a Buzzcut BUT they only go to 125gr heads. I want as much weight as I can get if my math is correct with the 400gr arrow and 150gr head ill have 550grs correct? I know the Snuffers are good I know a few guys who have taken hogs with them and had 0 problems. Would this be a better outfit or could I use something better?
Sorry for all the questions but I want to put the hog down as quick as I can.
-
Greetings 2 Blade -- I shoot a little heavier bow and like both the screw-in Wensel Woodsman and Montec G5. Both did a good job on hogs when I was in Texas a couple of weeks ago. I have also taken hogs with snuffers and razor-caps, but will be inclined to continue with the woodsman and G5.
Good Luck.
-
Originally posted by TradAlaska:
Greetings 2 Blade -- I shoot a little heavier bow and like both the screw-in Wensel Woodsman and Montec G5. Both did a good job on hogs when I was in Texas a couple of weeks ago. I have also taken hogs with snuffers and razor-caps, but will be inclined to continue with the woodsman and G5.
Good Luck.
What kind of shaft are you shooting? I also have to stick with Magnus because they are sponsoring our video dont they make the Wensel Woodsmans?
-
Good Morning 2Blade -- I shoot Easton XX78 2317 shafts. While I am not sure, I do believe that Magnus manufactures the Woodsman blade for the Wensel Brothers.
Cheers from Alaska
-
Go with the Magnus I 135. They are a LOT easier to sharpen than a Snuffer and you won't miss the 15 grains. I had bad luck with a Snuffer on a hog, however, it was a huge hog with a thick shield. Like the Boy Scouts say, Be Prepared (for the worst case scenario).
-
Originally posted by beachbowhunter:
Go with the Magnus I 135. They are a LOT easier to sharpen than a Snuffer and you won't miss the 15 grains. I had bad luck with a Snuffer on a hog, however, it was a huge hog with a thick shield. Like the Boy Scouts say, Be Prepared (for the worst case scenario).
What is the Magnus I 135? Ive never heard of these heads I have some Nugentblades at the moment I know they preform well I shot a nice doe on film with them but their only 100gr.
-
2blade,
I have been fortunate enough in the past 6 months to take 10 hogs in the 225+ class with either a 57# longbow of my own making, a 50# Red Wing Hunter and took the last 5 with a 53# widow ma II. I used Wensel Woodsmans,Magnus II's, Zwickey Eskimo's, and Zwickey Eskilite's. I also made up some snuffers for my brother to use out of his 65# compound.
Although I recovered the hogs, the Woodsman did not penetrate nearly as deep as the zwickeys or Magnus in similar shot presentations. I can also say that the snuffer, although it cut a big hole, did not impress me with its penetration on larger hogs, even from the compound.
I would recommend a strong 2 blade style head with or without the extra bleeders. Hogs are notorious for closing up and leaving little or no blood. Your Buzzcuts should be fine.
If limited to Easton shafts, you're still in great shape. The majority of these hogs were taken with: 2016s with 175 grain head, 2018 with 145 or 150 grain head or 2117 with 150 or 160. My last was taken with a cedar and 4 blade Eskimo (total wt. 535 grains). I would not recommend an arrow below 500 grains.
The most important thing, as said before, is shot placement. I would recommend broadside or slightly quartered away. My preference is slightly quaretered away. Put the arrow below the halfway point and almost clip the back of the front leg. Few animals go down quicker to a well placed shot but high or far back shots make for a long night. Stay away from steep quartering away shots. Be patient, hogs are always moving around and will usually give you the shot you're looking for.
As for hogs being dangerous, a little common sense goes a long way. Don't track a big hog into a thicket, when the hit is questionable, without a gun. Normally, you will see or hear the hog expire when hit well.
Most of my close encounters have been with sows with small pigs. If a little one squeals, mommas coming to investigate. Standing my ground has worked for me, although having a tree in mind isn't a bad idea.
Either bow that you choose should be fine as long as the shot is well placed. With the 45# bow, I'd definitely opt for a 2 blade head. Owen Jeffrey, of Jeffrey Recurves, is the most accomplished hog hunter I know. At 82 years old, he's deadly on hogs with his 42# recurve. Just think low and forward.
Sorry for the longwindedness,
I just like to talk about hog hunting,
Turpentine
-
Turpetine I dont mind long post on hog hunting I love hearing about them id rather hunt them over any animal for some reason. #42 recurve is nuts I shoot great with mine so maybe that is what ill take the bow is just natural to me and I have that gut feeling I may not be shooting with my longbow as I am with my curve. If do decide to take my curve is 550grs still heavy enough? My dad is going to buy a hog too he said I can shoot it if I want so maybe ill shoot a hog with both. Is a 100gr Nugentblade good enough?
-
2Blade,
550 has always been my target weight. Heavy enough to quiet the bow and do the job yet light enough to have a fairly flat trajectory. Some would argue that heavier is better. I won't disagree but I do believe there is a point of diminishing returns. While 45 pounds is quite adequate, I don't believe you can be over bowed for hogs. Shoot as much as you can shoot accurately. My 50 pound Red Wing has a dacron string and is what most would consider slow. It gets the job done with a 550 grain arrow. Shot placement is critical and can not be stated enough.
Your Nugent blade should do fine. It's actually a little wider cut than my 115 Zwickey Eskelite.
Turpentine
-
2 blade,
You say you are going in June. I don't know where you are hunting but if it is in the South the temps will be high and the bigger boars will likely be nocturnal. If it is possible I would suggest you hunt the days leading up to and including the full moon and stay out until at least midnight. I arrowed a 225 pounder at 9:40pm a couple of weeks ago under a full moon.
Best of luck,
deepshaft
-
Were going to Tioga PA to hunt them they said you can ususaly kill on the first day so we will see.
-
Turpentine, great post. I also agree with you wholeheartedly. Save the Woodsmans for deer, they seem to need a whole lot less killin' than hogs do.
I'll take a big 2 blade or 2 blade with bleeders every time.
-
Thanks for the compliment Slowbo. The Woodsman does seem to zip right through a deer but hogs are a different story. If I were to use the Woodsman for hogs again, I'd step my bow weight up to 60# minimum and I'd still pick the two blade with bleeders or wide two blade given the option. The small bleeders on the zwickey just seem to help give a little better blood trail than the two blade alone. It's amazing how a hog can close up. I've recovered them after the shot and even though I saw the impact point, had to search for a couple minutes just to find the impact hole. The big ones are tough to get an exit on. Thats another reason for shooting them low.
2Blade, You said you may either stand hunt or spot n stalk. I'm limited on spot and stalk advice. I broke my back in a treestand accident 2 years ago and can't walk very well or far now. Fortunately, I can still climb and do most of my hunting from stands. One thing I can tell you is to listen often. They are pretty vocal and theres not much louder than a hog rooting in river cane. Lots of popping and crackling.
When stand hunting for deer, I like to stay around 18 to 22 feet high. When strictly hog hunting, I'll drop down to around 12 to 15 feet. This gives me a better shot angle to get under the shield.
Good Luck,
Let us know how it turns out,
Turpentine
-
My cousin wants to still hunt I think for film quality tho a stand hunt would be much better but I too want to get up close to a big boar. We did some squirrel filming and were on the move and it still came out good so we should be fine.
Now heres a good question when im in range of a group of hogs how do I tell which is a boar or a sow? I was told sows have tusk too and can be as big as the boars sometimes im guessing the ones that have piglets following them around arent the ones to shoot? I was told to stare at the boars rear because you can often see his man hood and that is a good indication. Also is it rare to catch a boar alone or are they usualy in groups? Sorry for all the questions.
-
Most of the boars I've seen have a rear end that looks out of proportion with the front end. Rear end looking small in relation to the front. Sows seem to be more in proportion. Normally the sows bag is easy to see. Seems they either just had pigs, just weened pigs, or are carrying again, So they tend to sag. Most large boars are very dominant when around a group of sows and pigs and are usually given space readily. I've seen them alone or in groups. Groups of boars seem to spar alot. It's not to hard to distinguish between sexes.
At recurve distance from the ground or not so high stand, you can usually see a boars penis sheath from broadside and the testicles are usually very visible from various rear views.
If traveling with sows and pigs, the larger boars are usually the last to come in to a stand site when bait is used. I guess they prefer to let the sows and pigs test the waters. They aren't as wary as deer but they have a great nose. Some of the older boars seem to just sense when somethings not quite right.
Turpentine
-
Thanks for the tips Turp ill keep that in mind.
-
Hey 2Blade here is a little porker my 8 year old grandson shot last year. He was using a 42lb @ 28" Browning recurve with chundo arrows tipped with the old bear razor heads minus the bleeder blade. He made about a 15 yard shot and center punched the little guy, it ran less then 30 yards.
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b334/AnointedArcher/Kodyhishog2.jpg)
-
Looks like a great shot thats some good shooting and hes got many years to progress imagine him in 10 years!
-
He turns 10 in August and in Michigan they can legally bow hunt deer, guess where he will be opening weekend ;)
-
2Blade, I've killed three more since my last post. We're under orders from landowner to kill all we see or he'll find someone that will. Dry sow at 240#s,53# bow, 2117 and 4blade magnus 125, 60 yard recovery. 60# pig, same bow and arrow, zwickey eskimo 125, complete passthru, 50 yard recovery. 225# boar, same bow, sitka spruce arrow with zwickey eskimo 4blade (total 520 grains), 75 yard recovery. All were shot tight to the front leg and very slightly quartered away. Hit the sow a little high. The Magnus did a good job. Left a decent blood trail, a large hole and I watched her fall. I just don't like replacable bleeders. They don't do well in targets and all I practice with is broadheads. The boar was hit half way up the body with the arrow angling down and into the opposite leg. No exit because the leg bone was centered. I was impressed with the 4blade eskimo. I usually shoot 2blades. It made a big nasty hole and left a blood trail Stevie Wonder could follow.
Turpentine
PS Did you ever decide on a bow.
-
Good deal Turp you got a PM
-
Annointed Archer
Tell your grandson I said good job on the pig. Good to see a young fellow shooting traditional gear.
A couple years ago, I was shooting my 60# recurve in a 3-D tournament. I was shooting alone and a ten year old boy came up and walked with me while I shot and asked a billion questions. He finally got up the courage to ask if he could shoot my bow. He said he'd never shot a recurve before. This little 75 pound boy shot the last fifteen targets with me shooting my 60# bow. Afterward, he told me that was the best time he'd ever had at a 3-d tournament. Turned out his dad is a big time tournament archer with wheel bow and so was the little boy.
I havn't seen the boy since but I sure hope his dad bought him a recurve. So many times the little guys just don't get exposed to our type of equipment and its a shame.
Turpentine
-
Russian boars(males) have a shield under the skin that extends from the front of the shoulder to the last rib. It thins out near the belly.You will not penetrate it form a broadside shot. Quartering away is the only shot that will penetrate the vitals. Use a two blade as three blade has far less penetration. I speak from many hog hunts on Wilsd Boars
-
Are the Boars you are hunting purebred Russian wild boar? If so, as I said on my last post , they have a shield under the skin much like a kelar vest that is not penetratable by standard weight bows on a broadside shot. I have only seen one occaision where an arrow penetrated into the vitals on a broadsude shot and it was very low right behind the front leg where the shield thins, a very difficult shot to make!sbrussian
-
They have a mixture of Russian and European boars im not sure of the difference maybe size? Id like to go after the Russians from what ive seen on TV they are huge and that's what I want being these are in an inclosure im not sure if their as big as some wild ones. Ive seen the Fiztgeralds ( Dan and Guy) shoot some monster hogs some of the ones Guy shot were 4-500lbs. My take on their preserve they let the animals free range inside the fence which is suppose to be really big and they pretty much live wild so to speak I guess they dont feed them but im guessing they have food plots because some of the deer they have are giants again I wont be sure until I go.
-
I would definately go with the 2 blade and try for quartering away shots behind the shield. The shield on a 200# hog can stop a 3 blade in its tracks. Got a friend a shot at a 250+# boar and he shot it at 6 yards with a 60# recurve. He was shooting snuffers. Got less than 3 inches of penetration. Arrow stuck in the shield and broke off. I killed one the next day that was 220#. Shot it with a 52# recurve with a 160gr Stos. Took a quartering shot and got a pass thru.
-
A lot of good comments on here. A couple of things to reiterate. Two blade, make sure they are as sharp as you can get them, also be able to hit where you aim. An aluminum, wood or carbon with a "sharp" broadhead put loooow and tucked in behind the front leg quartering away will put them down. It doen't have to pass thru, it just has to get in and cut. Also I would limit my distance to 10-18 yds. If this is possible. I hunted Tioga in 96'. Had a absoulute blast. The guide allowed me to distract my buddies boar for him to get closer and to get the quartering away shot. We got treed once. But another party of two got treed and lost a new bow in the process when the one hunter failed to make a anchoring hit and was chased. He threw down his bow while running to a tree and the bow didn't make it to the ground. The boar got tangled up in the bow and destroyed it. But it gave the hunter enough time to make it up a tree and wait till the hog expired at the bottom of the tree he was up. Also don't think the boars will just be standing there waiting for you to take a shot. There might be 5-25 sounders. Go slow pick out which one you want and wait till you have a good shot and pick your spot, pick another spot inside that spot, and when the fletchings go thru that last spot then take in the whole experence. I have used #45 to #65 bows. As long as you can hit what your aiming at and have a sharp 2 bladed broadhead you'll do fine. Have fun, let us know when the video will air or how to get a copy.
-
Will do we will be making copies of the video to sell for $5 we feel that is cheap and that is enough for us to keep dubbing videos. We already have some squirrel footage and got 5 on camera kills I also have one deer kill with my instinctive compound this was before I got in to a trad bow. Our video is based around our style of hunting which is to put meat on the table and not get caught up in the trophy hunting aspect that people do currently.
We are not against trophy hunters but we feel they are missing what hunting use to be about which in taking any animal was a trophy but the meat was the best trophy of the whole deal. If people like our video we plan to make a website in the future BTW we will be on Roger Raglins show I believe in June or July for our squirrel footage. Were going to hunt just about every legal critter with both bow and gun but mainly bow since that is my love of hunting. If anyone would like the video link and if its ok with the MODs & Admin ill be glad to post it to see what you guys think. If you would like to see this please PM me.
-
Not to burst your bubble, but every thing I've heard about Tioga is that it is a small "put and take" pen - nothing close to free range either in area or game offered. I have never heard of anyone who went that would return or felt they had a quality experience - even those who went with realistic expectations.
Steve
-
I dont like to hear that the place my dad went and killed a red stag had a pen where you could pick your trophy or you could hunt free range and he said it was very much like deer hunting in our woods but he lost the number.
-
2Blade, I was born and raised in southern PA and Maryland and have been seeing the "Tioga Boar Hunt" ads among the classifieds forever in a variety of outdoor magazines. I have always wondered what such a hunt would be like, esp. being so close to home as a youngster. Please follow up on your hunt, I'd really be interested in what this place that I've beem reading about for years has to offer. Thanks and have a great hunt. Best wishes!
-
check out the thread in the pow wow area on Boar shot placement. some great pics and I just added a few from last weekends hunt.
-
Turpentine,
Thanks for the encouragment for my grandson. I have 5 grandchildren 3 boys ages 9,8 & 4 and 2 girls ages 8 & 2. They ALL shoot trad gear, their grandma and I start them out at about 18 months old. The two oldest boys can shoot and hunt as good and better then some grown men I know.
My 8 year old grandson shot a nice little ram this year with a 30lb Browning Recurve and it just bugs his dad big time because he is also one of those big time compond tourney type shooters. Jacob has 2 nice little compunds but what does he shoot? you got it, his cheap little recurve grandpa got him.
Here is my second oldest grandson with a little 4 horn ram he shot with a 30Lb Browning recurve with ACE 100 grain razor sharp broadheads!
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b334/AnointedArcher/Jacobsram13_17.jpg)
-
Thanks Annointed Archer,
This makes me think back to when I was that age. My dad always had work to do so my grandfather (Pappy) took me hunting. He always seemed to have time for us. Heaven knows what I'd have grown up like if he hadn't been around.
I have a four year old now and he's tagging along. He has his own fishing rod and bow. He does pretty well. Theres just so much for kids to get into these days. It's hard to keep them on the right track. My hats off to you, it looks like your heading in the right direction. Give your grandson a high five for me.
Turpentine
-
I agree Turp I know that if I hadn't been introduced to hunting and archery id probley in all types of trouble. My parents complain because I spend virtually every dollar I have on archery but me and my bow shop guys tell them I could be spending that money on drugs or alcohol then they start to see the picture that im a good kid and have made better choices then most kids ever will like I said all of my friends party drink and smoke pot glad that's not me. I admit I chew but I could be doing worse things to.
-
Be sure of the vitals! They are quite different than that of a whitetail. Lungs are further forward. Aim directly above the middle of the front leg on a broadside animal. I have a wonderfull illustration, but don't know how to add photos on here!
-
2 BLADE I TOOK A 100 POUNDER WITH ALMOST COMPLETE PASS THROUGH. I USED THE 125 GRAIN MAGNUS WITH A 2013 OUT OF A 45#@28" FRED BEAR. I HAVE KILLED LOTS OF 250-300+ WITH COMPOUNDS. THE ABSOULUTE BEST SHOT IS NOT BROADSIDE IT IS A QUARTERING AWAY SHOT. YOU PROBLABY WONT GET A PASS THROUGH BUT IT WILL KILL A 200+ BOAR. AVOID THAT SHOULDER I LIVE IN TEXAS AND YOU WONT KILL A HUGE BOAR THROUGHT THE SHOULDER. ON MY COMPOUND I HAVE 64#S OF KE AND I HAVE MADE A BAD SHOT AND HIT THE SHEILD AND ONLY GOT 2 INCHES OF PENETRATION. GOOD LUCK AND STAY IN THE ARM PIT AND OFF THE SHOULDER
-
texas terror which magnus were you using and which bear bow. i was thinking about going hog hunting with a 125 grain magnus 2blade, 2013 xx75, out of my 50# at 26" fred bear montana longbow but i didn't know if it would be powerful enough.
-
YEAH YOU WILL BE FINE I SHOT MINE OUT OF A 45# VINTAGE BEAR GRIZZLY. THE KE CHARTS SAY IM ONLY SHOOTING 24# OF KE. THAT IS A 475 GRAIN ARROW @ 150FPS. THE ONLY THING I DID WAS I ADDED WEIGHT INSERTS TO MY ARROWS I USED THE 2 GRAIN PER INCH ONES.
-
I USED JUST THE REG 125 GRAIN BLACK MAGNUS