Good BH for hogs, help me on my setup....

[RT]

               
Hi,I have been hunting hogs for close to 10 years now. My set up is 50lbs long bow and two blade broad heads.

I normally shoot from confident distance of 15 yards in. Most of my shots are aim at the lungs and low. Most shots achieve pass through both lungs.

I am really frustrated as I have very low recovery rate. Maybe 2 out of 10 being shot. I track most of my shots to normally 30 to 50 yards, there on I have. Very little or no blood trial to follow through.

Can some one share with me if there is anything wrong with my setup of am I using the wrong BH. I heard that using 3 blade BH will result in better blood trial, I have also tried that but have poor penetration maybe due to using three blade setup.

Can some one advise me how I can increase my rate of recovery. ? Oh , I normally shoot from the ground stalking and behind a blind.

Thanks for your help and advise. RT

[H Rhodes]

Doggone hogs are tough - even the little ones.  I think a heavy arrow is best and use the sharpest broadhead you can imagine - I mean "hair popping, damn i am about scared to carry these things around with me SHARP".   Try to hit them quartering away if you can arrange it.   I hunt them in wet swampy places, so blood trailing them is difficult at best.   I won't tarry around in the wetlands waiting on a stand for an hour after shooting a hog, or I won't see him again.  I usually try to head off after them right after the shot.  They make so much racket, I think it pays to try and stay within earshot of them right after you shoot.  You can hear the kicking and squealing from a good ways off, but I think you are better off following them quickly.  I also think, they typically run further after being hit than whitetails.  There may be some of these hog slayers to chime in that know more than I do about it.  I lost one this year from a range of about five steps, complete pass through on a little meat hog, ran off, across dry ground, leaving maybe two drops of blood and my arrow.....  Razor sharp zwickey eskimo, which I have killed a bunch of game with in the past.   I feel your pain. 

[Little John]

I know some game agenceys don't approve, but next time when I have a head of game that I can't find, I am going for a dog to help me look for it. I think it will help with the recovery percentage and we owe it to the animal

[tallpine]

Check out the single bevel broad heads made by Grizzly, my recovery rate improved when I started using them. A hog has got to be one of the toughest animals on earth to kill with an arrow, shot placement is crucial.

[mullet]

I've lost hogs with Grizzlies, and pretty much every other broad head at one time. It is shot placement and on bigger hogs it has to be tight. Ideally, I want a pass thru shot, blood squirting out both sides. The fat tends to close the blood trail down after a few yards without one, or it just fills the chest cavity after a few yards. The only time I've dropped one in it's tracks was with a shot in the forehead.

 Like said above, if they run off into water or a swamp I'd stay right on top of them and try to stick them some more. If they are going off into some thick cane and thorns, no matter how much blood has been laid down, I'd give them at least an hour and that is no guarantee. Don't even go in the thick brush to look for blood, a lot of times they will just go in about 20 yds and lay down. If you go in checking for blood they will go another 20 yds, and etc,etc,.

They can be frustrating, but to me they are the ultimate Bow hunting stalk animal. Good luck

[H Rhodes]

I agree with Mullet on them being the ultimate animal to stalk - at least they are in these parts.  There is more than a hint of danger when they are all around you in a palmetto flat or a canebrake.  The sows with babies close by are no joking matter either.   

[mullet]

Howard; Isn't it fun when those teeth start poppin'?

[H Rhodes]

Oh heck yeah!  A mama hog all bristled up when you are too close to her babies is a sight you won't forget.  I have had them charge my canoe when I drifted too close to some of those little striped piglets.  The boars don't scare me near as much.   

[PeteC]

If your getting pass-throughs  with that set up,then you have it down. Hogs are tough,but if you get that arrow through both lungs,with a razor sharp head,they don't seem to go any farther than deer to me. Most of my hogs that I recover ,go less than 50 yards. I  lose one every now and then,but I find more than I lose.I hunt with tradepoints that are at least 1 1/4" wide,really sharp,over 600 gr.arrow,from 50-55 # sticks.  JMHO  God Bless

[mullet]

I agree, Pete. The only problem I've had in Florida and Georgia is 50 yards through a swamp or real thick bush and thorns or your hands and knees is a long way when you finally get there.

[RT]

I am going to try something different this season. will wait for opportunity to do a quartering shots.(better chances to hit the heart)

And if i successfully recover all 3 hogs, then its a proven theory that quartering shots are much better than both lungs pass thru for recovery.
stay tune guys....

[H Rhodes]

I think I have recovered more hogs that had both lungs punched.  The vitals sit sort of further forward than you think on hogs.  Most of the heart is smack between the bones of the shoulders.  It is easy to hit them poorly if you aren't careful. 

[RT]

Hi this 35kg hog was shot quartering away. 3 blad head. Went only 35 yards only. Hit hit but the exit hole was much lower.   

[H Rhodes]

That's the size for the smoker!  Quartering away is my favorite angle.  Good shooting.