Hog Hunting with a Bow - Frustrations

[bigtuna]

I have some good new understanding of where to place my shot and I also ordered a flashlight that is supposed to show blood really well. I will give an update after my next hunt. Thanks guys.

[bjstockard]

If you hit a hog a little high and are lucky enough to get a lung, how far will it go?

[timbobowhunter]

Well I've been after these hogs with my bow for a couple months now. I have let three arrows go and all three have found swine but only one hog recovered. Tonight a group came in at about 30 minutes before dark and of course my heart starting going real good and I probably rushed the shot a little bit. Got out of my blind and started looking for blood, found some and then found some more and then the trail just went cold.

What can I do besides the obvious? Any tools I can use to increase my chances when looking for blood? I usually see these guys close to dark so some tracking may happen in the dark. I've heard something about a blood flashlight from Primos, anyone use this?

I want to get to the point where I am recovering these pigs after I shoot them. I don't like the idea of some critter laid up somewhere with my arrow in them, even if it is just a pig.

What kind of Broadheads are You Using? Also the Primos Bloodtracker Light works pretty good.

[Horitexan]

Sticbow gave you some great advice!! Head and neck shots will also work. Bit it sounds like you are getting out of your blind WAY too quickly!! Unless you SEE the hog crater, give it 30-60 minutes to bleed out- even if you think you made a great shot! They are very tough animals and can take longer than you think to expire. If one is not dead but it laying down, mortaly wounded, and it hears you coming it'll get up and run; and a lot of time their laying down will plug the hole with mud and it can be very hard to find a blood trail again because they won't start bleeding for 50+ yards and who knows what direction they ran in!
Don't bother with all the tracking gimmicks (except for a dog) and just get a good Mag light (3-4 battery) with a LED bulb. If you make a decent shot, are patient before looking for the hog and acquire good tracking skills it's all you need. I track animals for our hunters year-round and that's all I use or need. I've tried all the tracking gimmicks and none worked as well as a good mag light, patience and persistence.

Nobody recovers every hog so don't sweat it.

[Dejashoot]

Most people shoot them too far back - in the guts. The guts plug the hole as they run off and the blood trail stops. Low and tight. Next hog you shoot, cut him open and see where the heart is. I over exagerate shooting at the back of the front leg when they quarter away.

[bigtuna]

I am curious as to how long that period (.) is between those two sentences. Just make sure you are giving the animal enough time to bleed out before you start tracking them. Given the heat this time of year, I would say 30 minutes. Unless the shot just dead centered the heart or lungs, it could take them that long to expire.

Sticbow gave you some great advice!! Head and neck shots will also work. Bit it sounds like you are getting out of your blind WAY too quickly!! Unless you SEE the hog crater, give it 30-60 minutes to bleed out- even if you think you made a great shot! They are very tough animals and can take longer than you think to expire. If one is not dead but it laying down, mortaly wounded, and it hears you coming it'll get up and run; and a lot of time their laying down will plug the hole with mud and it can be very hard to find a blood trail again because they won't start bleeding for 50+ yards and who knows what direction they ran in!
Don't bother with all the tracking gimmicks (except for a dog) and just get a good Mag light (3-4 battery) with a LED bulb. If you make a decent shot, are patient before looking for the hog and acquire good tracking skills it's all you need. I track animals for our hunters year-round and that's all I use or need. I've tried all the tracking gimmicks and none worked as well as a good mag light, patience and persistence.

Nobody recovers every hog so don't sweat it.

Yeah I haven't waited at all so that could definitely be part of the problem.

[dozer]

When I want to ensure pork recovery I usually use my .308 and put one behind the ear.

I'll tell you I've had good luck with magnus stinger 2 blade broadheads doing some carnage and giving a heck of a trail. They are some tough SOBs though, gotta put a good shot in the vitals.

Placement placement placement .........or .308!

[Triple 7]

She took two steps!

[glen]

Wait until they are quartered away pretty hard and shot them to exit in front of the far shoulder. Havent lost one shooting them this way and when I was shooting them broadside I lost a few. I wont even take a broadside shot on a hog if I want to recover it anymore.

[leebtattoos]

I'd say it more of your shot placement than anything else.
Hog vitals are low and forward.
I have a set of pics showing a hog that was not gutted people were suprised at where thay actually are.

Most hogs I shoot cartwheel in 20-25 yds or less, they may do a longer last ditch run and make it 40 yds but they leave a blood trail that's unreal. ( I use Snuffers)

Try this, let one turn slightly broadside, foreleg forward and shoot them in the arm pit.

The heart of a hog sits directly on the breast bone, and exactly between the front legs if you drew a line center of leg to center of leg. you can not shoot too low on a hog. to low is a miss. shoot no higher than 1/3 up. A whitetail shot placement is a lost hog. !! it's behind the liver(gut shot) The lungs sit like a saddle over the heart and they are small too. there is a 2-3 inch wide area above the lungs it's non-lethal. seen lot of scars in that area.

Hogs are tough critters to begin with a slightly marginal hit is most of the time a lost hog.



I'll see if I can find the pictures.

this is all you need. just settle in and shoot straight

[Bonesplitter]

What do you guy's call the spot?

[bigtuna]

Wait until they are quartered away pretty hard and shot them to exit in front of the far shoulder. Havent lost one shooting them this way and when I was shooting them broadside I lost a few. I wont even take a broadside shot on a hog if I want to recover it anymore.

I've talked myself into shooting pretty quick when they show up because they occasionally get spooked out and don't return. Next time I am going to wait for a quartering away shot and try and slide it into that armpit area.

[WayneLouisiana]

I'd say it more of your shot placement than anything else.
Hog vitals are low and forward.
I have a set of pics showing a hog that was not gutted people were suprised at where thay actually are.

Most hogs I shoot cartwheel in 20-25 yds or less, they may do a longer last ditch run and make it 40 yds but they leave a blood trail that's unreal. ( I use Snuffers)

Try this, let one turn slightly broadside, foreleg forward and shoot them in the arm pit.

The heart of a hog sits directly on the breast bone, and exactly between the front legs if you drew a line center of leg to center of leg. you can not shoot too low on a hog. to low is a miss. shoot no higher than 1/3 up. A whitetail shot placement is a lost hog. !! it's behind the liver(gut shot) The lungs sit like a saddle over the heart and they are small too. there is a 2-3 inch wide area above the lungs it's non-lethal. seen lot of scars in that area.

Hogs are tough critters to begin with a slightly marginal hit is most of the time a lost hog.



I'll see if I can find the pictures.

This advice is "dead" on.

[glen]

Dont shoot the armpit on a quartered shot- I wait til they are quartered hard and enter about the last rib. It takes out liver-lungs-heart- They usually pile up in less than 30 yards.

[Greywolf in Hawaii]

I found the pics.
This is meant for instructional purposes only.

This hog was shot 3 weeks before it was killed. it was shot just above the center line of the body, which was above the lungs. it had one Bi delta vane still inside the body.

This is a #60-#65 hog.
This is how it looks standing as if feeding.


I removed the fore leg and opened the ribs so you can see actually where every organ lays with respect to the leg. Notice where the heart is? it's dead on the breast bone, the lungs in a hog is rather small. they are fighters. there lung size are 1/2 less then other animals because they aren't made to run long distances. They stand and fight!


Here is the leg put back in place, see how I have to lift and angle the leg and shoulder blade forward to see the heart?
look back at the picture of the red circle?


Here is the shot placement people are use to shooting, this is too high. it's perfect for a whitetail, but it's a lost hog.
This shot hits hardly anything vital. it misses the heart,might catch the lung edge and goes just forward of the liver.


Here is where everything lays.



Bonesplitter asked what is the "spot" as it's called? I'd say it's the armpit. if the leg is back(standing normal) tight behind the leg, you will miss the heart.
Hogs are built for fighting so everything is low and forward covered by the "Shield".... the shoulder blade covered in Grissel.

Hope this helps. I know it's hard to explain things in words but pictures are a whole different story.

Another question was ask, how long before taking up the blood trail? If you do the armpit, quartering away shot, you should hear the hog go down. They will make all sorts of comotion.

I have a hunt along video I'll post soon, you can hear the hog.

Got to go to work, ya'all have a good day. And just wanted to say, I really enjoy this site. I've read and learned lots of great stuff here.