Trophy Warthog question

[Sarg]

South Africa gets hammered by hunters with many taking warthogs. Add in it’s a frequent hunting destination for European and Spanish hunters who often like to shoot a bunch of 1 or 2 species (warthogs being a favorite) and it would be near the bottom of my list for places to hunt a truly big pig.

I’d focus on countries like Uganda, Mozambique, and Tanzania targeting areas with softer soil, and less rocks. If South Africa or Namibia were my only options I’d also target the areas that are less rocky to maximize my chances.

While you are absolutely correct on SA having the the Hogs hammered by all hunters, including Europeans, especially Spaniards, there are still a incredible number of big Warthogs in South Africa & if you ask your Outfitter ahead of time, they may well line up a super concession where giants hogs are !

I have seen two Warthogs in the 18in+ range one near Marken SA & the other in Namibia near Kombat.

All these were taken on or near our lodge near Swartwater.

 

[Charlie64]

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Warthogs ! Don't get me started !

I have shot 101 warthogs to date, the last two being last year in Thabazimbi.

Heaviest tusks that I have taken were in Mauritania - thousands of pigs, soft sand, good genes, Muslim population & no predators. Shot 10 pigs over a 5 day hunt in 2016 with the heaviest tusks weighing 760 / 742 grams.

If I was going to try & hunt one or two big pigs as part of a 10 day safari I would look at Mozambique with Mokore. They have & are taking a lot of nice pigs there.

But the OP asked specifically about RSA! Two areas that I have & continue to hunt - Thabazimbi & there specifically on the cattle farms where the pigs are coming in on the feed. I have spent many days in blinds after a specific warthog that we had seen! The second area is Pongola at the Jozini Dam. Carl Langman has a concession which borders the dam & I kid you not, every morning you can see 50 plus pigs grazing on the short green grass along the dam. He used to get a couple of groups of Spaniards in every year that shot 100 plus pigs over 4 or 5 days. Not sure if they still come. But a 5 day plains game hunt there should be more than adequate to shoot a 12 inch plus pig.

I know of & have been on one farm north of Thabazimbi near Rooi Port, where you could shoot 16 inch plus pigs. But the owner does not allow pigs to be shot on her farm. Her son (the manager) is allowed to shoot one a year for meat & inevitable that one will be 16 inches plus - every year! I have begged & offered silly money to hunt warthog on her farm but to no avail!!!

I am still looking for that Holy Grail of a pig to put on the wall with the rest of the sounder!

Cheers

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[Charlie64]

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Adding to my post above, warthog may live 7 to 11 years in the wild & to get to a decent set of tusks with length you are talking 7 years. Sandy soil, good grazing & water are all key for big tusks, with water being critical. They must drink every day!

Plus some 25 years ago hardly anyone was shooting pigs - they were considered pests & we were shooting them at R 100,- per pig ! I kid you not! You could easily get a 12 inch plus pig back then.

Nowadays we are shooting pigs with 8 inch tusks & considering them to be good trophy pigs. I guess it's similar to the 100 lb ele of old & todays 50 lb ele! The good old days!

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