Sleep When Your Dead.

Pig are nocturnal animals, so night time hog hunting requires the sacrifice of sleep. Hog hunters put sleep on the back burner for a chance at that monster boar. It’s just something you learn to accept. We usually hunt all night Friday, rest Saturday during the day, hunt all night Saturday night, and then head home Sunday. It’s intense and does make for a rough Monday morning at work, but it’s something I’ve learned to enjoy. One night we hunted, so long that we watched the sunrise over a cornfield. That’s some dedication for a pig.

Four Reasons Why

So the question I get from people after telling my hog-hunting stories is “Why?” There are four reasons.

The first reason is that I like to know where my meat comes from. Clean, self-harvested meat trumps anything in the grocery store. It’s healthier and tastes better. Jimmy Dean can’t compare to a fried homemade sausage and biscuit.

The second reason is just the sense of accomplishment I get. The amount of work that goes into getting a hog is something that comes through in the meat. It just tastes that much better when I know I’ve earned it through some serious sweat and effort. It’s an added element that nobody will ever get from that supermarket stuff.

The third reason is responsibility. I am an outdoorsman, so I try to be a good steward of the land. It only makes sense to maintain the land I enjoy and hog hunting helps with that. One less hog is one less hog to tear up that farmer’s lively hood. I enjoy Georgia peaches, peanuts, and pecans. Hogs can ruin crops, so any hog I can take benefits me and the farmers. More hogs equal more crop damage. More crop damage equals higher prices at the grocery store. Win Win.

The fourth reason I do this is the camaraderie. I’ve met some of the nicest people through my hog hunts.  Our friends at Dog Life Kennels have become awesome friends through our trips. They are always welcoming and provide us with a bed to lay our heads. In return, we usually throw down in the kitchen and do a big group meal every trip. There is also something to be said about someone who is willing to sacrifice sleep and hike through a swamp with you, all because you both want that hog. Plus a mounted hog head hanging on the wall just looks awesome to me.