When it comes to hunting a hog with a bow, you have to be pretty careful about where you are shooting. Call them wild hogs, boars, or anything else; hogs are among the hardest animals in the world to kill. If you want to become a master hog hunter with clean killing, you need to know where to shoot a hog.
Luckily, we’ve got the best advice as a clean kill guide on where to shoot hogs with a bow.
Here we’ll be going through the following subjects on placing a kill shot that helps to get into some hog hunting fun.
- Shot Placement
- Right Archery Gear for Hunting hog
- Approaching a Hog
- Best Time to Hunt a Hog
- Where to Find a Hog
- Following the Blood Trail
- Preserving the Meat
Shot Placement

To kill cleanly, hunters are required to kill as quickly as painlessly as possible. This means it is important to learn about the shot placement that needs comprehensive knowledge of the physical structure or autonomy of the hog. If you are new to hog hunting, we suggest hitting the vital organs that will put the hog down on the spot.
So, going for vital organs like the neck or head is the best shot placement for a quick and clean kill.
The neck’s large surface is an ideal place to pursue, even if you are new to hog hunting. The neck is the center of the spinal cord of a hog, so; a shot of the neck will guarantee an instant kill.
When a hog faces you, the headshot is also the right place to kill a wild hog. The forehead or front of a hog has a tough bone protecting the brain, whereas the brain of a hog is small. So, it would help if you were very careful to hit the brain compared to the neck.
A good tip for hunters is to consider that hogs are living animals and often move around. This means they do not just stay in one spot, so you have to develop the patience to wait for the right opportunity to shoot on your targeted placement.
Right Archery Gear for Hog Hunting
The selection of the right archery gear for hunting hogs is another important aspect to discuss among hunters. Because a hog is a big mammal with more than 120 pounds, hunters are required to use a broad-head with more than two blades. Even a broad head with three blades is the most useful gear for hunting game. (1)
If you are interested in shooting a big pig, you should go for a three-blade broadhead. This punctures a better hole, causes massive damage to the organ, and helps a clean hog kill.

Note that the right or suitable archery gear for a wild hog can probably get a clean hog kill for a 125-pound hog by just using a bow. You may also consider a broad-head with two blades, but this will be helpful to kill a 65-pound hog, not for the bigger one.
Approaching a Hog
Like selecting the shot placement and proper gear, hunters are also required to consider how to approach a hog. It is rare for hunters to shoot a hog from a long distance because of the difficulty of getting a successful shot.
The best tip for hunters while approaching a hog is having good camouflage. With branches and leaves, it will be easy for hunters to camouflage in a bush or tree. This helps to hunt hogs successfully.

Another piece of advice for hunters is spraying themselves with some deodorant to remove the odor from the body that a wild hog will probably smell. Not all hog’s noses are as sensitive as wild hogs, but feral hog’s eyes are more helpful to track the hunter. (2)
Despite sensitivities, movement is necessary for hunters while approaching a hog. So, they should move carefully and as slow as possible.
Best Time to Hunt a Hog
Like deer, the active hours of hogs are in the early mornings and late evenings. In these hours, hogs are moving around and searching for their food. We suggest that hunters consider these hours as the best time to hunt a hog.
To find the most suitable time to hunt a hog, we suggest going the early morning route. As compared to the night, the early morning route will be easier to spot the target and is much safe and relaxing for the hunter.
Though it is not necessary to hunt only in these hours, the probability of finding a hog at any other time will be rare.
If you are hunting in the winter months, you might find active hogs during the middle of the day as they prefer mid-day for searching for their food.
Where to Find a Hog

The basic tip for finding a hog is by searching for hog footprints. Another way to find a hog is to search for the places having high likelihoods of their existence. For instance, hogs usually sleep underneath big trees in dense forests.
You may find a hog around riverbanks, hardwoods, bottomlands where they come seeking water and food.
Another way to find a hog is to lead them towards you. Instead of searching for a hog, it is better to lead them to you by using their favorite food. Whether it’s a wild hog or a feral hog, corn is their favorite food. So hunters can set a corn trap to trap them easily.
Also, note that hogs are often found in muddy areas, so you can easily find a hog there.
Following the Blood Trail

There is no doubt that shooting a hog is not an easy task as there is a high risk, especially when using a bow. There is a high-risk chance to miss a shot that will not kill a hog immediately. In this case, a hog will probably run as fast as possible, requiring the hunter’s instant action.
As soon as you shoot a hog, the hunter should try to preserve the meat of a hog by following the blood trail.
Preserving the Meat

For preserving the meat, some tips are important to consider as shared below;
- Cover the meat with 2 gallons of apple cider vinegar
- Cover the meat with 2 gallons of orange juice
- Cover the meat with a large amount of sea salt
Conclusion
The information provided is for a clean kill shot of a hog with a bow. This is all a hunter needs to know before shooting hogs. Considering all this information will make it easier to hunt hogs and successfully down the hog in a single shot.
References
(1) big mammal – https://www.thoughtco.com/biggest-mammals-4065678
(2) deodorant – https://www.healthline.com/health/deodorant-vs-antiperspirant