Pig hunting in California is becoming more and more popular. They are your best bet at big game. Seasons are open year-round with no seasonal bag limit. The average size pig makes great table fare. The big boars are great trophies with some in California going well over 500 pounds with anything over 300 pounds a trophy. These boars may have large tusks extruding from their jaws up to 4 inches.

Wild pigs are not native to California. Several different breeds were brought here in the 1800’s, as with the wild Russian boar. As they escaped, the population became feral. That is why there are so many color combinations, tan, black, striped, and spotted. These are not the dumb farm animals you may think of. They are very smart, vicious, and dangerous. They do not see very well, but can easily pick up movement. Their sense of hearing and smell is excellent. When shooting them, you will need hard hitting caliber in your firearm, preferably above .243. Bigger is better because these animals are renowned for their toughness and if hit badly, they do not leave a good blood trail.