In most states wild hogs are considered a nuisance animal. Therefore game laws differ for hunting hogs than what you might expect with other game animals across the state. In many of the states that have them, you can bait for hogs, and you can even hunt them at night. This blog will give you a look at why night hunting for hogs can be so effective.
Night Hunting for Hogs is Not Limited by the Sun Going Down
With the use of trail cameras the hunter can literally pattern what time hogs are coming to bait stations. Wild hogs are slaves to their stomachs. Put up a trail camera and you will soon know exactly what time the hogs are coming in and you can set up your hunt for that very time. You can typically count on the greatest hog activity being after dark. The only disadvantage here is you might lose a couple hours of sleep, but you’ll gain an opportunity at some good hog hunting.
As darkness closes in, the solar-powered hog light comes on.
Pressured Hogs Will Go Nocturnal
When hogs are pressured, they will quick go nocturnal. And with equipment available to hog hunters today, you can stay right in the game with them at night. Hunting hogs that are nocturnal with the use of lights helps level the playing field a bit. The market is flooded with all kinds of lights that enable the hunter to stay out all through the night. The use of color-filtered lights enables the hunter to be able to see the hogs standing at a bait station as well as to take a good, solid, ethical shot with the use of these illuminating tools. There are hog lights designed to mount right into your bow’s stabilizer hole, like the NAP Apache Predator Hog Hunting Light, as well as stationary lights designed to light up the entire bait station area. While some might frown on the use of lights at night for hogs, keep in mind, this is a very efficient and effective means of managing these nuisance animals that do some much destruction on the properties they inhabit.
When darkness sets in, the green hog light puts off just enough light to enable you to make the shot.
Nocturnal Hogs are Hungry Hogs
Because these hog have waited until after dark to feed, they will be even more eager to get to the food once darkness finally falls. Under the cover of darkness, it doesn’t take long for these hungry hogs to come to known bait stations. They let their guard down and will come in running to the bait. The problem is, they don’t usually stand still in one place eating, so the hunter must take his or her time, use the light to their advantage, and find the optimal opportunity to release an arrow on these hungry nocturnal hogs.
Year-round Hunting
NAP’s hog light attaches to your stabilizer hole and provides all the light you need to make an after-hours shot on a hog.
Most states allow you to hunt hogs all 12 months of the year. I have found that the late winter to summer months seem to be the best time to hunt hogs. In late winter, all of the natural vegetation is basically gone, and the hogs will readily come to bait stations. During the summer, hogs often head toward crop fields. They can destroy fields in a matter of a few days. Most farmers will just about pay you to come and kill the hogs that are destroying their crops.
Keep in mind, when hunting in warmer months you’ve got to make special preparations to cool the meat down as quickly as possible. I started carrying frozen gallon milk jugs of ice and put them up in the chest cavity of the hog when I field dress it. It will cool the body down very quickly, allowing you ample time to take it to the meat processor.
Night hunting for wild hogs can make for excellent table fare. As I’m writing this article, I have a couple of wild hog backstraps in the smoker. There’s no greater reward for the hunter who’s willing to spend a few hours after dark to provide some great eating for his or her family. If you haven’t experienced night hunting for wild hogs you owe it to yourself to give it a try. Good luck and safe hunting!
The author doubled up on two fine hogs while hunting the night shift.
