Down And Dirty With The Bushpig

In my last few articles I’ve profiled the nyala, waterbuck, eland, kudu, the cape buffalo, the impala, the warthog, the zebra, and the blue wildebeest. Today, I’m writing about one of overlooked and under appreciated animals in Africa: the bushpig. Far from being a magnificent looking animal, bushpigs are pretty ugly. However, they are extremely challenging and fulfilling to hunt.

Bushpig Description & Distribution

Scientific Name: Potamochoerus larvatus

Bushpig are a medium sized species of the pig family and are similar to feral hogs. Male bushpig (boars) are significantly larger than females (sows). Big males can weigh up to 350 pounds and stand over three feet tall at the shoulder.

They have long heads, flat snouts, and long, pointed ears. Their coats are long, shaggy, and vary in color. Boars have growths on their face along with tusks on both their upper and lower jaw. While bushpigs are not normally aggressive towards humans, one that is wounded or cornered is capable of causing severe injury with these tusks.

Bushpig Hunting Methods

Since they are normally nocturnal animals, bushpigs can be difficult to hunt. For this reason, the vast majority of bushpig hunts are conducted over bait at night or using hounds.

When hunting over bait, it’s imperative to sit for as long as possible without making any extra noise. Unfortunately, the bugs can be pretty bad when hunting at night in many parts of Africa. Obviously, swatting a bugs is not ideal in this situation. To minimize the negative impacts of bugs, wear insect repellent or use a device like a Thermacell (the Thermacell Radius is airline friendly).

Hunting bushpigs with hounds can get pretty interesting. Basically, it involves sending a pack of hounds into an area where there is a good chance that the bushpigs will be sleeping during the day. The hounds then flush them out of the thick brush into the sights of hunters waiting along likely routes of escape. Not surprisingly, hunting bushpigs with hounds can be very exciting.

Recommended Bushpig Cartridges

While they are not extremely large animals, pound for pound, bushpigs are very tough. While cartridges like the .270 Winchester and .280 Remington will certainly work, the .308 Winchester (using premium, 180gr bullets) is a better choice as a minimum cartridge for hunting bushpig in order to minimize your chances of having to follow up a wounded bushpig.

For all intents and purposes, the .308 Winchester and the .30-06 Springfield are both outstanding for hunting bushpig, so don’t worry too much about the differences between the 308 vs 30-06. Additionally, the .300 Winchester Magnum, 300 WSM, .338 Winchester Magnum, 9.3x62mm Mauser, and .375 H&H Magnum are all great choices for hunting bushpigs as well.

When hunting in a situation where a shot at close range is likely (like when hunting with hounds), a .30-30 Winchester or even a 12 gauge shotgun with buckshot is also an acceptable choice for hunting bushpig. Make sure you use premium .30-30 ammo if you go that route though!

Bushpig Shot Placement

Even though they are relatively tough animals, a bushpig will not run very far if it is hit in the vitals. Fortunately, shot placement is simple: when the animal is standing broadside, aim at the center of the shoulder, about one third of the way up the body.

The Perfect Shot by Kevin Robertson (which is an excellent hunting book by the way) was used as a reference for shot placement.

Thanks to Big Game Hunting Adventures for the bushpig hunting photos.

Learn more about the South Africa hunting safaris Big Game Hunting Adventures offers on their web site or follow them on Facebook, YouTube, & Instagram.

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