Bowhunting Shot Placement for Hogs

More and more bowhunters are hunting feral hogs each year, and for good reason. The invasive critters are destructive, delicious and a ball to hunt. But it’s important to know your hog anatomy before flinging any arrows. Unlike a whitetail, the biggest portion of a pig’s vitals rest between its shoulders, rather than just behind them. Wounded hogs can be extremely difficult to recover (not to mention dangerous) after a marginal hit, so listen up.

On a broadside pig, aim directly for the shoulder and a little low, since the heart rests low in the chest cavity. If you're shooting at a large boar or using a light-poundage bow, it's best to wait for a slightly quartering away angle and aim just behind the pig's elbow. The idea should be for the arrow to exit through the opposite shoulder blade or just in front of it on a quartering-away shot, or to "pin" the shoulders together on a broadside shot.

--Will Brantley

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