The first time I shot a hog at night, I missed. Second shot too. Third shot connected, but poorly, and I spent the next two hours tracking a blood trail through brush thick enough to hide a truck. Found the boar eventually, piled up against a fence line about 400 yards from where I'd hit it. That was eleven years ago, and I learned more that night than in six months of daytime hunting.
Night hog hunting isn't daytime hunting with the lights off. It's a different discipline with different gear, different tactics, and different mistakes waiting to be made. I'm going to share what I wish someone had told me before that first miserable night.
The simple answer: that's when they move. Hogs are crepuscular to nocturnal, especially in areas with hunting pressure. During summer in Texas, they might not move until well after sunset because the heat is brutal on animals with no sweat glands. A 300-pound boar lying in a mud wallow at 2 PM isn't giving you a shot.
At night, they feed. They travel between food sources, water, and bedding. They let their guard down somewhat because they evolved to be safe in darkness.
Before you buy a single piece of gear, confirm the legality in your state. This changes regularly, so don't trust what your buddy told you three years ago.
Texas: legal on private land with landowner permission. No restrictions on methods, calibers, or equipment.
Oklahoma: legal for feral hogs and coyotes at night with artificial light or night vision.
Louisiana: legal on private land. Some parishes have additional restrictions.
Florida: legal on private land. Check WMA regulations if you're hunting public.
California: night hunting for non-game mammals including wild pigs requires a depredation permit.
Georgia: currently legal with electronic calls and lights. Check DNR website before each season.
Call your state game warden if you're uncertain. A five-minute phone call beats a citation and confiscated equipment.
Weapon
Your deer rifle probably works fine. I've killed hogs with everything from .223 to .45-70. For night hunting specifically, I prefer AR platforms in .308 or 6.5 Creedmoor because follow-up shots matter when you're dealing with groups.
Suppressor if legal in your state. Night hunting often happens on private land near other residences, and a suppressor keeps the neighbors happier. Also keeps the hogs calmer.
Optic
Night vision scopes amplify ambient light. Thermal scopes detect heat signatures and work in total darkness without any ambient light at all. The third option is a visible light. Hogs don't seem to spook from red or green light the way deer do.
I put together a detailed night vision setup guide for hog hunters that covers the gear side in more depth if you want to get into sensor specifications and tube generations.
Feeder and bait (where legal)
Corn works. So does soured corn, which you make by mixing corn with water and letting it ferment for a few days until it smells like death. Hogs love it. Everything else avoids it.
I set mine to dispense at 10 PM and again at 2 AM. This creates predictable feeding windows.
Calls
Electronic calls with hog vocalizations can work. Distress squeals bring in curious and aggressive hogs. The success rate varies wildly by location.
Other gear
Good binoculars or a thermal monocular for scanning. Shooting sticks or bipod. Bug spray, because the mosquitoes at 1 AM in July will carry you off. A backup flashlight for walking back to your truck. First aid kit, because hogs have tusks and sometimes they run toward you.
For stand hunting over feeders, either works. For spot and stalk, thermal wins. You're scanning large areas looking for feeding groups. A thermal monocular lets you spot hogs at 400 yards in standing corn.
For running shots on moving hogs, NV arguably has an edge because the image looks more natural. Thermal heat blobs can be harder to lead correctly.
Budget also matters. A decent digital NV scope runs $500 to $800. Entry-level thermal starts around $1,200. If you're testing the waters, start cheaper.
Stands versus stalking
Stands produce more consistent results if you have access to feeders or known travel routes. The success rate on a properly scouted stand is probably 70% or better.
Stalking is more interesting but harder. Hogs have excellent hearing and smell. Their eyesight is poor, which is your advantage. Stay downwind, move slowly, freeze when they stop feeding.
Wind
I can't overstate this. Hogs smell you from 200 yards if the wind is wrong. I check wind direction before leaving the truck, halfway to my stand, and continuously while hunting. If the wind shifts, I relocate or go home.
Moon phases
Darker nights concentrate hog movement. New moon through first quarter is my most productive time. Full moons spread their activity over more hours.
With thermal, you're looking at a heat blob, not anatomical features. Aim for the center of the heat signature on a broadside shot. The lungs and heart show as the warmest part of the torso.
Headshots are tempting because they anchor hogs instantly. They're also easy to miss at night. I save headshots for stationary hogs at 75 yards or less.
Shooting at the first hog in a group — The first one through is often a younger pig. The big boars typically follow. Patience. Let the group commit to feeding before you start shooting.
Using too much gun — .300 Win Mag is overkill. .308, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30-30, even .223 with proper bullets.
Not confirming zero at night — Your optic may shoot differently when the tube is on versus off.
Overestimating thermal performance — Thermal sees heat, not animals. A hog behind thick brush is invisible to thermal until it moves into a gap.
Underestimating wounded hogs — A wounded boar running at you in the dark is not hypothetical. I carry a .357 revolver on my belt when walking up on downed hogs.
Start with a private land hunt in Texas with an outfitter. Cost runs $300 to $500 for a guided night, all equipment provided. You'll learn whether you like it without buying $3,000 worth of optics first.
If you're hooked, buy a mid-tier thermal or digital NV scope and find private land access. Talk to farmers with hog problems. Offer to help for free. Access follows relationships.
Then one night it clicks. You spot a group at 300 yards, close to 150, drop the biggest boar in the group, and watch the others mill around confused long enough for a second shot. That night pays for all the frustrating ones.
See you out there.
