Should I shoot Hog opening morning??

I currently have hogs showing up morning and evenings at feeder with some nice Bucks. They seem to be coexisting while eating at the same time. Should I drop a hog or 2,3,4 and what will it do to the deer? Will they spook an not come back or not be an issue?

I have some buddies that say don't shoot an some say blast away...just want to hear a few more opinions with opening weekend quickly approaching.

Thanks a be safe out there!

wait until you harvest all the deer you are going to harvest for the year first.

Shoot them and leave them lay until the hunt is over. It will not keep the deer from coming in. Every season for the last 8 years I've had bucks and does feeding within 10 yards of dead hogs I've shot that showed up before the deer did.

Killing a hog that's running in a group of them will likely keep the group away from your feeder for a while and improve your chances of seeing more deer for days or even a week or two. And since they're a true nuisance, it's probably best to bust them for that reason alone.

Also, with the rut almost in full swing, you might see a buck chasing a doe just a few minutes later.

I shot a yote once just before sunrise and left him laying in my food plot. Several deer came later that morning and paid him zero attention.

I would shoot away as long as it is not right under the feeder. I have shot several hogs and deer over the years that were on the edges of the clearing, left them laying and had more deer come to the feeder within minutes. Plus it makes one less mouth to eat your corn.

Ive shot both in one morning. Shot hog first and let him lay, deer came out about 45 min later. Dead hog didnt bother them at all.

Maybe if your just shooting does or small bucks. a mature buck will have nothing to do with hogs.

If you are looking to kill any legal buck then wait that opening morning to kill any hogs. But I will never let a hog ruin a hunt if I have a rifle with me. They don't get a pass very often from me.

Unless I can see the buck I'm after heading my way, I'll never let a hog leave.

Here, the hogs scare off the deer. If I have some deer coming into the feeder, that's because the hogs have wondered off or been scared off. Once the hogs come back to the feeder, the deer disappear. I'm now building a fence around my feeder to keep the hogs out and hope the deer come back before the season ends.

Eddie

Maybe where you hunt, but not where I hunt. I've watched mature bucks lower their antlers and run off hogs from feeders. Also had them feed right next to dead ones.

you should shoot hogs anytime,anywhere, anyplace if you are leasing the land or owning it....PERIOD...

As long as the deer aren't around then yes I will shoot a hog.

I need meat. Either way I'm fine.

I agree with the shoot them and let them lay till after the hunt is over.

Plus shooting a hog one day, may drive that group away from the feeder for a while and then the deer may feel more comfortable, and may come more frequently, and maybe even during legal shooting hours. Maybe. If you have a sow with a litter of piglets-DO NOT shoot the momma sow as the piglets will then hang around that feeder waiting for her until they get adopted by another sow, or eaten by coyotes. If given a choice within a group of hogs I'll always go for the dominant boar, or the most aggressive boar in the group as he is the one that will push the deer off a feeder.

Here's another idea.. If your blind is close enough to the feeder bring a bow with you and shoot the hog with an arrow. That way he will at least run a short distance away from the feeder & you can collect him after your deer hunt is over. Or, bring a .22 rifle to the blind & head-shoot the pig with a .22 short. It will kill them instantly and is about as loud as stepping on & breaking a medium sized twig while walking. The downside is he will drop right on the spot he is standing when you shoot him so you may want to take the shot when he is not under the feeder. If shooting the .22 shorts you may get more than 1 shot as sometimes the other pigs will not run away, or if they do they won't run far and will come right back to the feeder giving you another chance to shoot a different one. The bow or .22 will keep the noise to a minimum and hopefully not scare your deer.

Sounds good! Thanks for the opinions gents! Looking forward to giving a few hogs a new ear hole! Lol!

if the deer have been coming even while the hogs are there, then I'd wait until you have your buck. after that...give the pigs hell. and like ranchman said...I won't end a hunt emptyhanded if there's a hog standing down there.

I have never given a hog a pass....have shot many pigs with bucks standing right there but I hunt an area with lots of bucks. If I didn't have a lot of bucks coming in, I'd probably hold off....

We fence our pens to keep the hogs out so its no longer an issue....we have other feeders set up on other areas of our lease that are unfenced for pigs....

I shot a yote 5 minutes before the feeder went off. 5 mins after the feeder went off I had two deer stepping over the yote to eat.

Agreed - deer may be cautious about coming in and stomp/snort for a bit but eventually hunger always wins.

NEVER DON'T SHOOT A HOG.... that is the rule on our place