Adrenaline and hunting have always mixed freely. Tactical Hog Hunting may just be it’s most potent expression yet. We’re talking about the X Games of hunting here. It is quite simply unlike anything else.
Tactical hog hunts are rarely about putting meat on the table, or hanging a trophy on the wall, though they can be. More often, it’s about adventure, high speed gear and assaults on the enemy. Yes, enemy. Ask any farmer who’s lost ground to feral hogs. The tactical hog hunt taps our yearning for adventure and camaraderie.
Who hasn’t wanted to get away from the daily grind, to go play soldier against a destructive and dangerous enemy, but one who can’t shoot back? An exploding part of the hunting scene, tactical hunting of wild hogs puts hunters on groups of hogs from 6 to 60, in various conditions, day or night, in all kinds of terrain and cover. Naturally, engaging these multiple threats effectively leads to communication, intervention and hunting tactics resembling some military or SWAT exercises. It’s no surprise that high-end tactical hog hunting companies like Jager Pro are dominated by ex-military guides and gurus.
A key component of the tactical hog hunt is often the stalk. The hunting party (maybe we should call them the Special Hog Weapons and Tactics Team™ or SHWAT™ for short) sets out to locate the enemy, track it, shadow it, get up close, and complete the mission of hog population reduction. Alternately, hog snipers might pick targets for their 50 BMG from ¾ of a mile out.
It’s the nature of the hogs themselves that brings out the tactics and methods of the tactical hunter. Hogs have proven themselves to be dangerous and worthy foes. Ask the Highway Patrol in 39 of our 50 states. Hogs are not adverse to self-sacrifice at great peril to motorists. Hogs have been known to use their own bodies, individually or in groups, as road blocks! The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department warns, “Their razor sharp tusks combined with their lightning speed can cause serious injury.” Hogs have even managed to invade one of the most highly secured facilities in America: NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They are smart and have excellent senses of smell and hearing. Not native to North America, these disease-ridden invaders are damaging to livelihoods, land and other game species.
If you get too close to them, they might just charge you with tusks at the ready. That means, you want to be prepared – a perfect excuse to get time with some tactical gear. We’re talking night vision and thermal imaging, since hogs are often night operators. Since the tactical hog hunter is looking for groups, lots of rounds available is a plus, making the AR-15 and AR-10 common guns of choice. In some cases, hunting hogs with sound suppressors (silencers) is legal. Someone is bound to use one of the new Slidefire stocks to really get things going on a herd of hogs. Weapon mounted lights, EOTech holographic sights, ACOG scopes, they are all often a part of the equation. The pinnacle of it all is probably airborne hog assaults from helicopters.
The money you can spend and the gear you can accumulate for tactical hog hunting is almost limitless. Honestly, it doesn’t have to be that way. My own introduction to tactical hog hunting started with an entry level AR-15, a good friend and his Remington 700 .30-06. We knew there were hogs in the area, and his father in law scouted them for us. We shot the hogs, repeatedly in some cases. One big boar ran off into the thick Mesquite and underbrush. Soon, we were lined up stalking him with the aid of a couple other hunters. Once the target was acquired, together, we simultaneously eliminated the threat this wounded wild boar posed. That experience led to more sophisticated stalks, more gear, more fun.
So, what is tactical hog hunting? It’s a purposeful heart pounding adventure, reducing the negative impact of the exploding wild hog population. It’s about preserving land and game, and it’s about the pursuit of exhilaration. High speed low drag or low tech, both pay dividends. It can be about as extreme or as simple as you want it to be. One thing is certain. Tactical hog hunting is blowing up around Special Hog Weapons and Tactics™.
