Definitely some good advice and a few hair raising experiences. There message is not lost on me. I'll be armed with more than a bow and arrows when I venture back into the woods.

Some scary stories... Every one getting ready for Holloween ?

That hog will probably always have that reaction to humans. I have seen domestic hogs challenge humans that way, and usually it was the exact same hog doing it every time. Aggressiveness is a genetic trait. You might see that boar's offspring acting the same way.

Did you have any cover scent on you? Did you wear those clothes before on another hunt? A hog has a very excellent sense of smell and relies on that more than sight. If you smelled like another boar, you may have had a big issue. If you smelled like a sow in estrus, you might have ended up with hoof marks on your back and a lot more boar scent on you

Zombie pigs.


I've had a young buck follow me around mending fence like a puppy. I've had hogs pissed because they busted me at the feeder circle and growl while popping their teeth.

We are just another animal until they recognize us as a predator.

But if you are scared maybe you could take up a less hazardous activity. Like knitting.

No one said I was scared, per se!

A man without some semblance of fear often lacks judgement and respect. He is little more than a fool!!! They are the ones who need to take up knitting because they are a menace to themselves and all who are around them.


As for the clothes I wore...
They had been washed in un-scented detergent the previous night and I had also sprayed them with scent blocker and had hung them up in a mesquite tree to air dry before putting them on that afternoon. However, I did rub a bit of bug dope on my shins, right above my boot tops, to ward off chiggers and ticks.

As the hogs came into the feeder it was obvious the big boar had followed the path I had taken as I came in and got set up. He was the only one of the 10 that angled his way up the embankment. When he stopped in front of me, 10-12 feet away, he turned his head and looked right at me. He knew I was there but it was obvious he was uncertain as to what I was and if I would be a danger.

Personaly enjoyed your post on the experience & my posts weren't judging your bravery... i have played the part of the fool.. Tried taking pic of sow on bluff charge defending some 5#ers, pistal in my holster... Sow was at most 100# & am confident at my abilities... A wounded hog tis most dangerous, especialy when felt cornered... Had hit hog last minutes of daylight... Went ta camp to get pistal & flashlight.. A member of lease just arrived, & offered ta help... Trail was easy ta follow... It got thicker as we followed trail threw woods... He stopped, i kept going & finaly stopped when had ta get on my knees & it was a dark tunnel of briers... Left TP for next morning... Another time was a morning hunt.. Hit hog on run heading twards thick brier patch... Had 30-30 not best choice for thick stuff... Only had few hours left ta spend.. Over mile & half back in, so figured keep pressure on & hope hog keep moving ta open ground get second shot... i got lucky, hog kept moving... Bout week later, same thick area, wounded hog, it went ta same thick area... Differance, twas right at dark, cool weather, so went back next morning... Didn't find neather one of those three hogs, bad shot placement on my part, although did spend over hour on each doing best ta recover...
98% time huntsolo , & on WMA for hogs... As in thread Fun-de-mentals of chooten it done gone missing... tis trying ta desiffer it... i know limitations of weapon i'm using when wondering about the woods , mostly my limitations... Very aware of my surroundings, usualy thick area, & limit my shots ta close range... On public land, last thing need is hunters with jumpy triggers... Have had hog jump up in front of me, run ta my left, & let person take shot...
Again cool thread, as pappy once said: Keep your head held high & your powder dry ... Stay Safe, tis a jungle out thar... Edit: my screen jumps at times...

I've experienced hogs having no fear several times. In each of those cases they had not had any hunting pressure. Once pressured, they always run. Just my experience.

Welcome to the forum!!

^^^^^^^AMEN!

Close on their heels....are those who don't know when to QUIT!

Prisons, Hospitals and Cemeteries are FULL of both kinds.

I think Clint Eastwood said it best: "A man's got to know his limitations".

fLINT

Reading this thread & posts been a real eye opening Yagh, an awakeoning.... Could be reason my wife left... Me caveman ways of hunting..... Wondering about the woods with pistal & rig on me hips.. Flash light off, in snake infested area's, deer raised on cain & buck rage ... Zombie hogs with raiser sharp cainine teeth, chubbacobra's. squash sightings... Getting wives & kids envolved in it... No-wonder most HF members gots me on the ignorance list ... They don't want thar kids growing up like me... Grammer is bad, ended up worken in foundry using idiot stick, takes manual labor ta work one of them thar things... Gov tis against against alians they still spying on me for alian body parts workmans comp tis a joke... Wasn't able ta keep up with high-tech, got replaced, as pappy once said: don't do no good ta complain found out hard way, ya can be replaced... Can learn a lot on here... Headen out ta check cams after this rain.. my guns been pud up... If not back in half hour... Send help.... Stay safe out thar, tis a jungle out thar whin archery hunters have ta cary pistals...

Thanks again for the well wishes and welcomes.

From all the comments and experiences posted I have gained insight and knowledge. I appreciate all who have shared their knowledge. It is quite constructive and instructive.

Thanks again,
Andrew

I guess I'm one of the rare ones that have never seen a hog charge (other than in a pen or unknowingly in a panic) or run when a human shows up. I do hunt in probably more populous area's so maybe they just are used to and have more of a fear of humans.

Same here and still hoping I find these fearless animals.

Hog smelled the fear on you. Just like a dog, horse, etc. He smelled it and knew he was the dominant one of the two and was popping and grunting letting you know he knew he was boss.

If you are going to continue , bring a sidearm.

As far as your fear "quote", ??????

Welcome to the THF.

I've had a boar follow me growling and popping his jaws until I left the area. It was dark and past legal hunting time(WMA). Had to spray the brush with buckshot a couple of times until I got out of the area.

Always carry an effective sidearm, just in case. You may get in a situation where you can't swing a rifle around(brush). Also good for applying the Coup de Grace when needed.

Have worn a sidearm while speaking with Game Wardens on quite a few occasions. Only one mentioned it, asking if it was for "personal protection". A simply "yes" and that was the end of it.

Be safe.

I too had never seen hogs that would not run at the sight of man especially when I was waving and yelling. That's why I made my original post.

When I was in my college wildlife classes, down in Nacogdoches, our instructor had 3 or 4 of us boys jump into the hog pins with freshly trapped hogs in order to catch the younger boars. We'd jump on hogs up to about 150 pounds and wrestle them to the ground and then our instructor would castrate them. Many times the larger boars would charge us, growling, popping, and gnashing their teeth, so I am familiar with such behavior. As stated I had never seen such behavior from a hog that was not cornered.

Learn something new everyday, right?!?!


As for my statement / quote...
"A man without some semblance of fear often lacks judgement and respect. He is little more than a fool!"

Semblance - the outward appearance or apparent form of something, especially when the reality is different.
Fear - an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that something is dangerous or a threat.
Judgement - the ability to make considered decisions or come to sensible conclusions.
Respect - a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
Fool - a person who acts unwisely or imprudently.

It is my belief and experience that when one doesn't show a bit of fear, even though they may not be fearful or scared, then they lack the ability to make a decision, based off of admiring the abilities and qualities of a wild animal, which should lead to a sensible conclusion. The conclusion being one in which injury to oneself may be the end result.


Just trying to clarify my thoughts and statements.

Any chance that boar could be an escapee from a farm? Or maybe too aggressive as he reached maturity, and got turned out to fend for himself?

As many have stated in this thread each hog, deer & hunter are individuals... Have said many times i'm bout as bright as a burnt out light bulb ... huntsolo most of the time... The hog dubbed big tooth , was archery hunt on WMA, heard hogs squeeling... Eased over ta were sound was coming from... Small little valley tall grass... Slowly moved closer ta comotion... Two hogs ran right ta left in front in me... First hog limping rear leg... It kept going 2nd hog stopped & turned back heading in direction they came.. First thought hog hit by an archer, soon realized hogs were fighting... Eased my way twards 2nd hog... It slowly eating, looking my direction, popping its jaws... Got ta what thought was 20yrds with hog staring at me, was low ta ground, & miss judged distance... It kept popping jaws & could see the canine teeth... Only had one arrow... At time was still in good shape, 70# bow & light on me feet... Hog turned giving slight quartering away shot, stood drew, 20yrd pin, arrow just over its back... Hog took off running could hear it squeeling, even after found arrow, took off broadhead & cleaned... Followed general area it went till dark-thirty.... If given an option, they gonna avoid ya... A wounded cornered hog tis most dangerous ... even with alien body parts, still haven't taken up knitting...

I bet that was an eye opening experience. I've only had one hog try to give me an education, I didn't wait long enough after shooting him with my bow. Thank God I had a side arm to change his mind. Taught me a heck of a lesson, always take plenty of time to follow up on a bow shot - and never forget your side arm. I hope we all get to see this boar after you let the air out of his tires!! Stay safe bro!

I too hope I get another crack at him. He needs an attitude adjustment in the worst way. I'd like to shish-ka-bob him with an arrow and then if he's still sassy I'll put a 300 grain slug, or two, in him. LOL

Thanks for the well wishes.

I may be a fool but fear will only lead to failure.

And just for the record I was just yanking the chains of the shiver and shakers on the thread. Wasn't intending to offend. My apologies if I did.

Not exactly, fear has many benefits that are significant for survival.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181681/

Having a rational urge to preserve ones person doesn't constitute fear. Fear is a paralyzing irrational reaction. Kind of like the difference between pain and discomfort. Pain is discomfort to the level that keeps one from functional activity. If you can still function it's just discomfort. The fact that I pin a rattlesnakes head down before I pick it up doesn't mean I'm afraid and Steve Irwin wasn't. It means I understand what I need to do to keep from being bitten to pick up the snake relatively safely. The person who freaks out and runs away, or has to kill any snake because they fear it is venomous has irrational fear.