This blog is written by 15-year-old Logan van Wyk, a keen hunter and conservationist. Logan and his family regularly enjoy hunting in South Africa and spend their time between their game farm in Limpopo and Pretoria, Gauteng.
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Key Takeaways
- Warthog hunting is a fast-paced and exciting game hunting safari thoroughly enjoyed by hunters throughout southern Africa.
- Hunting warthog is both challenging and extremely rewarding.
- Expect the unexpected, with warthogs hunting safaris often seeing the pig dash across your path before disappearing into the veld again.
- Warthogs are extremely fast pigs, reaching up to 35 miles per hour.
Warthog Hunting in South Africa: A Popular & Sought-After Hunting Safari
Hunting warthog in South Africa is one of the most challenging yet reward-filled hunting you’ll ever come across. These animals will certainly make a hunter show their skillset and make them discover reflexes like no other when that pig decides to run straight across your path!
The warthogs in Africa seem to know just how much of a sought-after species they are and know that they will almost always have targets on their backs. They seem to be aware of the thrill that hunters take while warthog hunting. After hunting warthog for years on end, I thought I had experienced it all but on my recent trip to go warthog hunting in Pongola, I was in for one of, if not the best, and most memorable hunting experiences that I have ever experienced. I’d love to share it with you.
Warthog Hunting in Pongola: What an Experience!
Warthog Hunting in South Africa: Day 1
Our game hunting safari started when we once again met our parents who were waiting for us outside our classrooms so we could leave as soon as school ended and begin the journey to Pongola. When you’re filled with anticipation and excitement any given amount of time will seem to completely slow down and take twice as long which was exactly the case for the car ride ahead.
After what felt like an eternally long trip, we arrived at the farm on which we would be hunting. The accommodation was great, with an awesome fireplace for us all and an amazing view of the Jozini (Pongalapoort) Dam. Shortly after our arrival on the farm we met the PH who was the bearer of the unfortunate news that there were problems with the giraffe permits. What was initially a giraffe hunt with maybe some warthog on the side had just turned into a purely warthog and African plains game hunting safari. Having so much passion for warthog hunting I didn’t see any problem with this at all, all it meant for me was more walking and probably twice as much fun as I wasn’t initially going to actually shoot the giraffe myself. Even though our starting plans had not gone accordingly, we would still admire where we were hunting and having the best time possible.
After briefly settling in we decided to head to the shooting range where we ensured my father’s 300 Win Mag and stepmom’s CZ 7,62 x 39mm were still sighted in after the bumpy trip there. I was the only one to properly shoot as my brother had a broken shoulder at the time and my younger sister hadn’t shot her first animal yet. We decided to take a drive around the farm for the afternoon and that was the moment when I realized that it was going to be an action-packed weekend, as the sheer number of warthogs on the farm was amazing!
When warthog hunting in South Africa it is not very common for you to see so many warthogs, this was the first time in my life that I could actually be properly selective of which pig I wanted to shoot and have time to analyze that pig. After driving around for those two hours and not shooting anything we headed back to the camp where we had a fire waiting for us and had dinner all together.
Warthog Hunting in South Africa: Day 2
The following morning everyone was up and awake in the early hours, after having a quick cup of coffee and a morning chat, my PH and I headed off on foot whilst the others searched for animals in the vehicle. Walking around that morning gave us a real sense of just how many animals there were and how healthy the populations were in that area; after seeing countless impala, reedbuck, and nyala we still hadn’t come across any shooter warthog. I wasn’t used to having to pass up any warthogs as when we are hunting warthogs on our farm it is not very common to see them so often. We met everyone else back at the accommodation to have lunch together and later headed out again at about one o’clock. Lunch had filled us all up and had given us all the energy and stamina to go back out on a walk and try once again.
After walking for around an hour or so we finally came across a shooter warthog as he was walking across the road. From the brief broadside view we got off the pig, I could tell he was big; his broadside view could’ve been equivalent to one of what looked to be a buffalo calf. Seeing that pig instantly got my adrenalin rushing as he was easily the biggest warthog in Africa that I had ever laid my eyes on! After a quick stalk, we saw him again. This time he was much closer, only around 50 yards or so away from me. As I looked at him through my sights, I was about to take a frontal headshot, as I aligned my crosshairs in between his eyes and slowly began to squeeze the trigger he abruptly turned broadside and started to run, causing my bullet to go just above and behind his shoulder. After the shot had gone off, he bolted, heading straight towards the thicket where he stumbled but we lost sight of him.
We immediately headed towards the general direction of where he had stumbled only to be met by a small amount of blood with no further pointers after that. Generally, on a shot like this while hunting warthogs I’d be happy with it as I was still confident that I had made a good shot but with the lack of blood backing my feeling, I started to have my doubts. After searching around for a good two hours or so we came up short and decided to come back later.
We would later return to do one last final check, after all, splitting up to search different areas and someone caught a glimpse of him. He had flanked off to the right and passed away just beneath a tree which meant that the long search was finally over, and the warthog had been secured.
During the search for the previous pig, we were walking back to the house around 200 yards from where the other shot had come off, when suddenly across the field stood more pigs staring straight at me! This time the stakes were even higher, and while it was smaller than the previous one, I was presented with the same frontal shot, at a further distance and this time it was off the shoulder instead of the sticks. Taking a shot like this is something that will naturally happen while warthog hunting and whilst being nervous beyond description I still decided to take the shot, this time resulting in a perfect headshot and the warthog dropping in its tracks.
After calling the vehicle to come to pick us and the pig up they arrived where I found my father lying down in the passenger seat of the car, I immediately rushed over and he told me that he had fallen off of the bakkie. Someone had left the gate of the hunting rig open and, my dad leaned against it, fell over the tailgate, and landed straight on his back. He had landed on the same spot where he had his vertebrae fused and had a few broken ribs meaning he would spend the rest of the trip in his bed.
Unfortunately, my dad wasn’t able to see the pigs I had shot so I had to do my best to describe it to him and show him some pictures. I said that it was the “biggest pig I’ve ever shot in my life” and I was sure on the fact that nothing more for the rest of the trip would even come close.
Warthog Hunting in South Africa: Day 3
When warthog hunting in South Africa you are never certain what you’ll come across, which was exactly what happened to me on our third and last day hunting. The morning started well, walking up close and near the railroads that were active and running throughout the farm. We decided to sit on the tracks for a little while and noticed that there were animals constantly crossing, it seemed to be a warthog’s heaven. After seeing dozens of pigs all around 400 yards or further out there were finally some that popped out only around 150 yards away. There wasn’t much time presented as they would run across the tracks without stopping, nevertheless, I aimed in front of the biggest pig there and squeezed the trigger, hoping that she would run right into the bullet. This was a great shot that was executed to absolute perfection. The specific warthog I had taken out was a sow, she had a lovely curled left tusk and a nice body too. This shot was a perfect demonstration of how unexpected warthog hunting can be and the weird situations you can find yourself in.
After having a great start to the day, we kept heading towards the dam, suddenly a previously injured pig sprung up out of nowhere. Wanting to do the right thing we started to follow its tracks, which would lead us to an entirely different group. With us showing up unannounced it startled the pig but gave us a small window of opportunity which we were quick to take, after quickly setting up the sticks I took the shot resulting in another perfect shot for the day. While in the middle of showing my appreciation for the pig and saying my prayers I heard something to the right of me. I looked up to my right, only to see another warthog standing not far away. I quickly reached for the rifle and attempted an off-the-shoulder shot, unfortunately, I had missed the pig. We decided to take this pig along with the previous sow for a nice picture on top of the water before heading out once again.
This day was still far from over, my PH and I continued to walk around while the rest were still going around in the bakkie. A few hours went by without any major luck, I was quite frankly already more than satisfied with how the last day had gone so far. We were walking alongside the railroads again when suddenly we heard another gunshot not too far from us, just a little further behind, my younger sister had taken a shot at a pig nearby making the others flee straight towards us. We walked around 30 yards forward when suddenly a missive figure running from diagonally from behind caught my attention. Out of the thickets emerged hands down the biggest warthog I had ever seen in my life, this absolute beast was the last thing I could expect even though we were warthog hunting. I had never had a rifle set up faster in my life, even though he was still on the move I knew that I wouldn’t get an opportunity like this for an extremely long time. I squeezed the trigger and was flooded with emotions the second I realized that he, too, had dropped dead in his tracks. We rushed over to him and I had no idea how to feel, filled with gratitude, joy, and pure adrenalin it was a one-of-a-kind feeling that is only obtained while hunting warthogs. This pig weighed in at over 180 pounds of pure carcass weight along with the fact that he would measure to be Roland Ward, making him my first one ever!
Still filled with spine-thrilling adrenaline we were lucky to find one last pig. We set the previous tank aside whilst we waited for the bakkie to arrive, and during our waiting time, we stumbled across yet another pig, reminding me of how unpredictable warthog hunting can be. Whilst waiting on the road we saw pigs in the distance and sure enough we were not going to pass up the opportunity to put even more food on the table. After a much easier and simpler shot off the sticks, my warthog hunting trip officially came to an end. With four pigs in one day, and one of them being Roland Ward, I would certainly call it a major success.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are warthogs hunted for?
Warthogs are hunted for sport or are used as bait to lure larger warthog predators, including the leopard and lion.
Are warthogs aggressive?
Warthogs can be aggressive in some instances but prefer to flee. However, a warthog female protecting her young can be extremely aggressive and will not hesitate to defend her babies.
What is the lifespan of a warthog?
Warthogs typically live between 7-11 years.
What preys on a warthog?
Warthogs have a range of predators including lions, leopards, crocodiles, hyenas, and humans that hunt them for sport.
How fast can a warthog run?
Warthogs tend to flee a situation where danger is present, and are actually quite fast, reaching speeds of up to 35 miles per hour.
Conclusion
This trip was one of, if not my favorite ever, and still managed to make me love warthog hunting even more than I initially did. I will never forget the crazy series of events that occurred on this trip, and I will always appreciate it for the rest of my life. In my opinion, warthog hunting will forever be one of the most strenuous yet pleasing experiences that any hunter should be grateful to have.
Author: Logan van Wyk