pig hunts at Exotic Island Hunts

[XD40coyote]

On the Susquehanna river between York and Lancaster counties is this 150 acre island. Some of my customers ( I'm a taxidermist) have gone there to shoot these feral-ish pigs, claiming it's the best pork ever LOL. So they are trying to get me to go this winter. 350.00 per animal, and there are also exotic sheep and goats there. I'm not really into these "hunts" personally, but chasing pork around could be fun anyway. The one guy said he got a pig with a black powder revolver, a .44 round ball he says is 60 grains. Was a humane kill. So I was wondering if a .40 s and w would be good enough? Round ball or hp's? Yes my XD40 4", any gun allowed, no hunting lisc required deal. Pigs are about 300-350 pounds live weight, and you can get fairly close to them before they start moving away.

How about .45 acp with 5" barrel? I have access to that too.

[ihunt49]

I wouldn't use anything to hunt hog with that I wouldn't use for deer. Hogs are tough creatures.

[Qtrborecrazy]

Hey XD40coyote I`ve killed lots down in S.C. with my 45acp. If you are that close, one right behind the ear works well. I`ve seen a russian hawg shot at 40 feet with a 12ga solid copper slug and it never made it into the chest. I personally like my contender in 35 rem, they go RIGHT down. I just bought a 375 JDJ for my next hawg hunt just for kicks. Oh and by the way the meat is the best. I make all boar meat into sausage, deer meat into burg, stew, roasts and steaks. Have fun and be ready to run.

Qtrborecrazy

[chesire17201]

why wait, they are NOT considered game by the PGC and are actually considered a nuisance animal, which means that you can kill em when you see em, all year long, no license required.

We have hundreds of these things where I hunt in VA and it's same way, Game wardens there tell us to kill as many as possible because they ruin the habitat for the native animals....

[Gun Bowanna]

I've been on "The Island" quite a few times over the years.
Used Compound bow, Crossbow, .50 cal Flinchlock and .54 cal Flinchlock.

I would be possible to use a .40sw but I don't think you should use a holowpoint, as these bullets are made to readily expand (soft lead formulation). If you really DO want to use a HP, stick with the remington Golden Saber as it has a Brass jacket as opposed to a copper jacket.
A 180gr FMJ would be best for the penetration though.

Always a fun trip, weather plays a big part in the animals movement. If it's too hot they don't move much (like people).
If it's too cold they bunch up for body heat and don't move around much.
When it's just right (Cold, but freezing old) and no snow, it's pretty challenging to say the least.

My last trip up, I shot a 650 lb Boar with the Crossbow.
Steve called us at the shop and asked if we knew anyone who wanted a crack at it right away (as in this week). It was too big to manage on the farm and kept busting up the pens.
Took 6 bolts, four hours between the first and the last. And one .357 shot as I was out of bolts.

[XD40coyote]

After yesterday, I think I need to get better at shooting first! Though a lung shot I could manage, but I REALLY need to get over this flinching thing. I don't think I can just breath and relax when there's a pig I want to bring down and I have 1 second to get the shot off. Maybe if a steady stream of slow moving foxes would start showing up in the poultry yard area, 1 after another, I could get some real practice in, and if I can hit a fox's much small vitals area, a pig wouldn't be so bad...

Keith on here has a dandy .357 with a red dot scope, but we couldn't get the dang thing sighted in right.

[Feddog82]

I'm thinking about shceduling a hunt on "the island" this year for my dad and I. You know, as a present. $350/ea ain't bad, esspecially with a freezer full of pork. He's getting older now (60) and I don't know how long he'll be getting around as well as he does now. So I might as well start doing as much as I can with him. I already take him everywhere with me, he did it with me when I was little, so i may as well add more on to the schedule. Do you guys recommend this as a fun hunt to get you through between deer and spring gobbler? That is when I would schedule it I think. Let me know what you really think. Probably enjoy it, take my SA .44MAG along with my smoke pole. Either weapon would be fun to use.

[djturnz]

Is it really ok to use a semi-auto on them? I wish I could shoot groundhogs with a semi.

[Dredly]

You can use a howitzer on them if you have one legally, they are considered private game animals so you can shoot them with anything you feel like.

My thoughts on canned / high fenced hunts aside I would feel badly about wounding an animal because I wanted to shoot it with an under powered round. Whether its legal or not really shouldn't come into play. If you are going to harvest game do it efficiently and quickly

If you are hunting for pig use something that will work for the job. Also know your limits before you get out there. IF you can't shoot a solid group of 2 - 3 inches then don't aim at an animal, if you need sticks then take em. know your range and know the ballistics of your weapon. know your target

Shooting hollow points at a 350 pound animal... probably not going to work to well. If you are going for the excitement of the hunt and the meat in the end 1 solid round will damage a lot less meat then a mag worth of week ones and will also reduce / eliminate the animals suffering.

I can't fathom putting 6 bolts through an animal and it not dieing unless the shots were poor or the xbow was underpowered. Thats 6 1"+ holes through the animal, if lungs or heart were hit it would have drowned / bled out in less then an hour max no matter how big it was.

[Dredly]

Originally Posted by Feddog82

Do you guys recommend this as a fun hunt to get you through between deer and spring gobbler? That is when I would schedule it I think. Let me know what you really think.

You know thats only like 3 months (Jan 10 - April 25)... I know I get the itch too but.. wow :P

If you are really desperate during then try getting some Red Tags, legal year round and won't cost ya 350 bucks each Or Coyote hunting is cool, same with ground hogs once the fat bastards wake up.