Blinds, rests & field gear

The sit: where you wait, and what you shoot from

The optic gets the attention, but the sit decides the shot. The extension publication Feral Hogs in Texas says hog hunting techniques "are essentially the same as those for white-tailed deer," and that because hogs are drawn to supplemental feeding sites and deer feeders, "these can be prime areas for hunting feral hogs." It also says hogs have "poor eyesight but excellent senses of hearing and smell" (Feral Hogs in Texas, B-6149, 2004). So a good sit is quiet, downwind of the feeder and set up days before you hunt it, not just well hidden.

For most landowners, a portable ground blind is the place to start: it costs little, it moves when the rooting moves, and it keeps your feet on the ground. Our best ground blinds ranking picks one tall enough to stand in for a rifle shot, with windows that open without a sound. For a feeder you'll sit for years, the best box blinds page covers steel boxes, a budget tower blind and tripod stands. Thinking of climbing instead? Our ground blind vs tree stand comparison weighs concealment and backstop against the fall risk, and TPWD's hunter-education course is clear that tree-stand hunters should always use an approved fall-arrest system getting in, getting out and while hunting (TPWD, Elevated Stands).

Then there's the rest you shoot from. The real choice is a clamp that holds the rifle hands-free through a long night over a feeder, or a light stick that sets up one-handed on a stalk. Our best shooting sticks and tripods ranking sorts them by where you'll shoot from, and the Primos Trigger Stick vs BOG DeathGrip comparison puts the two best-known rests head to head.

The kit list

A hog hunt needs more than a rifle and a seat: a way to see after dark, a light you can use without spooking the feeder, a steady rest, a knife and gloves for afterward, water, and a plan for hauling a hog out. Our hog hunting gear list walks through what to bring and links each item to the page that ranks it. The two biggest purchases have their own hubs: thermal and night vision for seeing hogs, and hog hunting lights for the lower-cost route.

Knives and field care

Once a hog is down, the job is skinning a thick hide, gutting cleanly and cooling the meat fast. That calls for a short, controllable blade (about 3 to 4 in) and a grip that holds when wet, not a big belt knife. Our best hog hunting knives ranking favors replaceable blades, so you swap in a fresh edge instead of sharpening between hogs.

Wear gloves, every time. TAHC's swine page gives historical figures of about 10% of feral swine carrying swine brucellosis and about 20% possibly carrying pseudorabies (TAHC), and the CDC tells hunters to "Wear eye protection and latex or rubber gloves when handling carcasses" (CDC). Our guide on how to field dress a hog covers the cuts, the cooling and the cleanup.

What to wear in snake country

Hogs and snakes use a lot of the same ground. Feral Hogs in Texas says hogs "prefer moist bottomland" near creeks and ponds and favor "dense vegetation that conceals them." TPWD's hunter-education course says "Snakes like tall grass" and tells hunters to take care along creek banks and underbrush. It lists rattlesnakes, copperheads, the western cottonmouth and the Texas coral snake among the state's venomous snakes, and its advice is plain: "Heavy footwear, snake proof trousers, leggings or boots will reduce your risk" (TPWD, Snakes). Since most hog hunting runs into the dark, a hands-free light to see where you step belongs on the list too. Our guide to what to wear hog hunting covers snake boots, gaiters and the rest of the outfit.

Shopping for a hog hunter

You don't need to know hog hunting to buy a good gift for someone who does. The safest bets are things that don't depend on fit or on the rifle: a field-dressing kit, replacement blades, gloves or a feeder light. Boots need a size, and anything that mounts to a scope or rail needs a quick check of what they already own. Our gifts for hog hunters list sorts picks by budget, and gifts for hunters under $50 keeps it small.

Gear is the follow-up, not the fix

A blind and a rifle take hogs one or two at a time. Feral Hogs in Texas is blunt that shooting "usually will not reduce the population to a great extent," which is why the gear on this hub works best alongside trapping. If the hogs are costing you pasture, start with our plan for getting rid of feral hogs, then come back here to set up the sit.