Hogzilla II: hunting, or target practice.?

Question

Story posted on Yahoo news May 25: Three hunters were hunting wild pig in the southeast US. Two adults armed with high powered rifles, and a young child armed with a high caliber pistol. The pig weighed over 1000 pounds. The boy shot the pig 10 times with the pistol, and tracked the pig for over three miles before executing the animal with a final point blank shot. Bear in mind the adults said they were always ready to dispatch the animal with their high powered rifles IF the pig turned and charged. I am no hunter, but seems to me the hunting ethic should be dispatch the prey quickly and as painlessly as possible. Guess there are no animal rights laws covering such behavior?

Answer 1

It's hunting. How do expect to quickly kill something as big as a Mini Cooper? Personally I would have used a Apache Gunship on it.

Answer 2

I've not seen the picture nor heard the story before someone posting something about it in the hunting section. Wild pigs are dangerous and absorb a lot of lead before dropping. This is why I use a .458 Winchester Magnum when I hunt pig. I don't like to shoot anything more than once, especially if it is dangerous.

If three adults with that 'child' were teaching him to hunt, they were, #1 unnecessarily endangering him and perhaps child protective services should be notified. #2 There is no shame in letting a young hunter put in the first shot then finishing the wounded animal off humanly to teach the new hunter hunting ethics. Another observation: To go with Johnny Dollar's brilliant observation; they tracked that hog for more than 3 miles??? Wow! They were hunting on a sizable ranch as there is very little public hunting land in Texas. Most hunting leases you're talking about tracking 300 yards, not 3 miles, but I guess it is possible.

H

Thanks Doc!

H

Answer 3

I have read the story several times and have read nothing about what this pig did to deserve being shot. There is no mention of his charging anyone or being a threat in any way. It appears that these hunters either accidentally ran upon this giant or were out looking for him. Either way, killing something so big seems like such a waste. What an interesting animal, able to live peacefully and silently for so long. What is perhaps saddest of all is the little boy’s reaction to this. He mentions his “accomplishment” of chasing a possibly wounded animal for 3 miles while continuously attempting to kill it and the fact that he will probably never “kill anything else that big.” There is mention that the men feared the pig would charge them. Why then did they continue to chase it? My guess is the pig’s fear of these men and their weapons was far greater.

Answer 4

You don't understand wild hogs very well. It would have taken several shots from those high powered rifles to kill a pig that big, too. The fact that he was willing to track a wounded animal capable of killing him, armed with only a pistol (a pistol he just used ten times on it, mind you) takes more guts than you can obviously imagine having.

I've read about pigs that weren't even a hundred pounds taking multiple pistol rounds in the head before dying. And they are just as deadly at that size as they are when they get up to a thousand.

Answer 5

H, the hog was taken in Alabama, not Texas.

I have talked with some people who know the people who were involved in taking Hogzilla II and they say the hog and the hunt are legitimate.

I grew up in south Alabama, and wild hogs get pretty danged big there. Biggest I ever saw went 880 pounds and was about four feet high at the back.

Someone stated doubts that a kid could handle a .50 caliber pistol for 10 shots. I disagree. While I have no desire to fool with those handcannon, there is nothing to prevent a youngster from learning to handle it, given determination and a good teacher.

Doc

Answer 6

Hogzilla Ii

Answer 7

I have been hunting most of my life since I was big enough to learn from my Dad. He taught me the basic. What I have learned in viet nam and teaching my own children 5 all I can say is be the best at what you do aim small miss small, take game as safely as possible and if by some chance you come upon a really big hog 350+ that can ruin an acre of plot ed land in 1 [one] night by its self-note; "any one living close to woods or swamp Trying to grow flowers can tell you what an armadillo at 3 lb can do not to mention a small wild hog" unload you gun and take the sob down by any possible means and I mean now. Dad> luck

Answer 8

You are right in thinking that an animal should be put down as quickly and as cleanly as possible, and the other answers are right about it being hard to drop a large pig, but I think the whole story is B.S. If you look at the picture, you can see it is a put together job. the hog is out of focus and the boy is in focus. I doubt an eleven year old boy could handle 8 or 10 shots out of that size gun.

Answer 9

Hogs are tough, and will absorb a lot of hits. Once shot it was the hunter's responsibility to track and kill the wounded animal.

Answer 10

My guess is it was more a publicity stunt than anything else. The only thing that would have made the story more infamous is if they named the hog Rosie, and played the song from the James Bond movie "View to a Kill".