Outdoor Adventure USA

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I think inside of 3 years we’ll be hunting in Laguna with an either sex deer tag AND a couple of hog tags “Just In Case."

I have mixed feelings, though. In my opinion now that they are established there will always be Hogs in San Diego. I love that... but I’m only afraid that they may hurt our deer herd eventually. Those deer rely on the acorns in the Lagunas, and hogs are better at finding them and are also far more voracious eaters!

Only time will tell. But I’m sure when I bag my first SD Hog it will be a trophy… no matter what size it is...

I have hunted hogs for years. They never seemed to affect the deer population. This would include Catalina Island, where we no longer have many hogs, and central Calif. It is common to see many deer where we hunt hogs in central CA. Having hogs to hunt in San Diego would be a good thing. There are wild hogs in many places in So Cal. We have many wild hogs in the Santa Ana river basin, which runs through Riverside, Norco and Corona. I have hunted many different animals, but my favorite critter to hunt is a tie between hogs( includes warthogs and bushpigs) and Baboons.

Regards, SSC

Im interested in learning how to hunt. I used to be dead set against hunting any sort of animal (except birds) until i started driving across America and realized how much of a nuisance deer are. Ive had several CLOSE calls, and several near heartattacks. After each of my trips, i wanted to kill every deer in my sight, and it really opened my mind to hunting. Sorry to jack your thread.

ssc wrote:I have hunted hogs for years. They never seemed to affect the deer population. This would include Catalina Island, where we no longer have many hogs, and central Calif. It is common to see many deer where we hunt hogs in central CA. Having hogs to hunt in San Diego would be a good thing. There are wild hogs in many places in So Cal. We have many wild hogs in the Santa Ana river basin, which runs through Riverside, Norco and Corona. I have hunted many different animals, but my favorite critter to hunt is a tie between hogs( includes warthogs and bushpigs) and Baboons.

Regards, SSC

Maybe we can head out sometime and you can show me how to hunt hogs. That would be awesome. I'd have to get a rifle first. What's a good hog caliber?

Baboons, huh? I'd love to have half the life stories you have traveling the world..

Anytime you want to go hunting, let me know. There are cheap hunts and not so cheap hunts. I am going to get my bear tag. Wheeling in Big Bear gives you the chance to hunt bear and with a d-14 tag, deer. Coyote is in season as well. The desert gives you some options as well. I don't hunt rabbits, but they are there as are quail.

Eric, any centerfire rifle caliber will do for hogs if you hit them right. If pushed to give a recommendation, 30-06 in a bolt action win, remington or ruger is as good as it gets. Very versatile. It can be loaded with light to heavy bullets for a wide range of situations, plus if you travel and "lose" your bullets, they can be found anywhere in the world. 30-30 in a lever action marlin is a good gun also. I also have an extra rifle or two around here somewhere . My current fav hog gun is a .50 Beowulf upper on an ar-15 lower topped with an aimpoint. I have some funny hog stories. Do a google search for problems with Baboons in Capetown SA. I could post some pic's of some of the critters taken, but I don't know how it would go over since this isn't a hunting forum.

Regards, SSC

I may just take you up on that. We'll chat at BorregoFest.

ssc wrote:If pushed to give a recommendation, 30-06

Id be able to bring my M1 Garand in 30-06 or my Enfield in 303. Would those be alright? How about we setup some sort of offroading/camping/hunting trip? Im more interested in small game such as large birds and rabbits, etc. I have several smaller caliber rifles too.

Quail season is just around the corner. As for hog hunting and such I use a 35 Remington lever-action Marlin. Its been awhile since I've been big game hunting but I always get out every season for the upland game birds.

Here's some more info I found on hog hunting-

"In general, wild pigs are more difficult to kill than deer or antelope but are easier to kill than elk. Legally, any centerfire firearm using a soft point bullet can be used. Wild pigs differ greatly in size, which complicates the choice of appropriate calibers. Many hunters take young wild pigs that only weigh about 50 to 70 pounds. Many of the smaller calibers that use lighter bullets are satisfactory for taking these smaller animals. At the other end of the scale are the large boars, which weigh over 200 pounds. These are far tougher and have thick shoulder plaques or shields. The larger calibers and heavily constructed bullets are more appropriate for wild pigs of this size.

Appropriate centerfire rifle cartridges to be used for lighter weight wild pigs (50 to 90 pounds) should have at least 800 foot-pounds of energy remaining at 100 yards. This assumes reasonably accurate bullet placement, using bullets that are at least .24 (6 mm) caliber and weighing a minimum of 100 grains. For heavier wild pigs (over 90 pounds), bullets should have at least 1200 foot-pounds of energy remaining at 100 yards. (This information is readily available from ammunition manufacturers' catalogs or reloading manuals.) The table below gives recommendations for various cartridges and bullet weights for hunting wild pigs with rifles, handguns, shotguns and muzzleloaders. While some .22 caliber centerfire cartridges will certainly kill wild pigs if correctly placed, their bullets are not constructed heavily enough for big game hunting and are therefore not recommended for any size of wild pig.

Hunters using handguns, shotguns, or muzzleloaders, generally shoot at shorter ranges. For these methods of take, the same remaining energies that rifles use at 100 yards were used but determined at 50 yards to result in the recommendations for handguns, muzzleloaders and shotguns. For hunters using muzzleloading rifles, only one weight conical bullet is shown. Other conical bullet weights are available for most calibers. Reloading manuals will usually give the energies at 50 yards for these other weights."

Hogs are not tanks. Many people have a unrealistic expectation of their ability to soak up lead. I have seen many large hogs drop to the .243. I have also seen a .243 fail to penetrate when taken at a high angle. I took a massive boar with one round through the heart with a 30.06 and a 165 grain bullet. It comes down to shot placement. The big boars do have an impressive grisle plate, that can stop and/or limit the penetration of pistol rounds. We got into a nasty fight with the largest boar I have ever seen. We have the skull in Corona if anyone wants to see it. This monster was not hit correctly on the first shot and it was game on. It took 5 more rounds from both a .308 and .06 to stop this bad boy. Hence, shot placement.

Dave, your Garand or enfield will do the job. I will probably go hog hunting next month and anyone is welcome to come along. I hunt private ranches so there is a fee. If anyone wants to set up a trip to hunt public land, I am game, but the odds of getting a hog are low. There is the Los Padres National forest and there is hunting on Fort Hunter Ligget. There is also Tejon ranch. As John said, Quail season is coming and there is rabbit. I wont hunt rabbit. They get a free pass from me.

Regards, SSC

ssc wrote: We have the skull in Corona if anyone wants to see it.

Pics!?

ssc wrote: I wont hunt rabbit. They get a free pass from me.

I know, me too...



But squirrels are free game!