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Giant Forest Hog Game Hunting Adventures

The Giant Forest Hog provides hunting enthusiasts with a challenging walk-and-stalk hunting adventure.

The Giant Forest Hog (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni) is the largest pig worldwide and calls the Guinean and Congolese forests in Africa home. These hogs prefer a habitat of wooded savannas, forests, and grasslands, where there is plenty of dense cover to assist in hiding from predators. Although their numbers are decreasing due to the loss of their habitat, the IUCN lists their status as that of “least concern” and they are still the target for many game hunting safaris.

These hogs live in sounders of up to 20 members and are nocturnal. They are herbivores, sustaining themselves on a variety of grass, herbs, and leaves, although it is not unheard of for them to include eggs and carrion into their diet.

Their breeding season runs from February to April and again from August to October. The giant forest hog has a gestation period of about 151 days, with 2-11 piglets being born. All members of the sounder care for and protect the piglets. Should they encounter danger, the piglets will freeze while the adults surround and protect them.

While their main predators include the hyena and leopard, man also targets them during African hunting safaris, resulting in a thrilling hunting adventure through dense bush and vegetation.

AT A GLANCE

Name:
Hylochoerus meinertzhageni

Male Weight:
220-605

Male Shoulder Height:
2.2-3.3 feet

Range:
Congo and Guinea

Gestation Period:
151 days

Life span:
10-20 years

Hunting Giant Forest Hog

The Giant Forest Hog hunting adventure takes you through dense bush.

Size and Appearance

When giant forest hog hunting in Africa, you are going to search for a very large pig-like creature with thinnish legs and gray-brown skin. It has large, pointed ears, small eyes, and a large snout. Its hair is long and coarse, standing erect on some areas of the back as well as the neck. Only males have tusks that can reach up to 14 inches. It is an exceptionally large hog, with a shoulder height of 2.2-3.3 feet, and can reach weights over 600 pounds. Males are much larger than females, with females weighing up to 440 pounds.

Hunting Methods

Timing is key when hog hunting in Africa. They are more active at first light or later in the afternoon, so plan your hunting safari around this time. A walk-and-stalk method would work well when wild pig hunting in Africa.

Challenges and Rewards

A challenging hunt through dense bush and vegetation, this hunting adventure will see hunting enthusiasts bringing their A-game for the walk-and-stalk! The reward would be successfully hunting the world’s largest pig and making it part of your game hunting trophy collection!

Rifles and Requirements

When hunting in Africa and targeting the giant forest hog, the key is shot placement and rifle caliber. Anything up from a .243 will get the job done and have them in the salt before you know it.