Do any of you use a string tracker when hunting hogs, especially from a blind/ladder stand? Pros and cons?
Not sure I classify as a veteran hog hunter but I've killed a few in the GA Swamps.
Good sharp broadheads seem to do the trick.
I use Zwickey Black Diamonds and they bleed em real good. Never needed a tracker.
couldn't hurt!
I am a HUGE advocate of string tracker use. Hog are notorious for leaving poor blood trails. This is especially true when shot above the body curve from a tree stand.
Our most common hit on hogs results in the hog crashing 50 yards or less from the site of the hit recovered quickly.
Second most common is a non vital leg or upper shoulder hit lots a bright red blood that diminishes out about 80 yards and we see many of these hogs again.
Third most common is a body cavity hit that looks bad and the hog crashes 80 to 100 yards out and we recover easily - many of these are liver or kidney and I am amazed at how this shuts hogs down so well.
In theory if a string stayed in a back end body cavity hit I suppose you could walk the string the next day to recover your hog.
I remember when the string trackers were invented in the 70s and cannot think of a situation where I thought having a string in the game would have helped? We find most gut hits the next day anyway.
I think I have taken around 150 all stickbows - helped other stickbow hunters to about at least that many hogs - probably more.
In my experience hog recovery has to do with many things - none of which include getting a string in or through a hog. I can see some negatives to it - but they are probably not deal breakers.
Cory<><
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I hunt two different leases in Florida. We have blood tracking dogs in both camps, and they are good. No string tracker for me on hogs, deer, or turkeys. Brian
I don't think it can hurt anything. Just take a few confidence building practice shots with it before you try it on hogs. I can think of a few situations where a string tracker could have helped recover hogs(stands near swamps,etc)
I'ma let my good friend Bisch chime in on this one since he use uses the game tracker on the majority of his hunts and let me tell ya he stacks up the hogs like chord wood.
I'd use one but I screw my hoglight maurader into the bushing instead
Absolutely! String trackers and Hogs go together fantastically! Been useing them for the last couple of years on every hog I shoot!
Bisch even shoots them through the shoot through netting on his ground blind.
LD
Absolutely ! Shots under under 20 yds are not affected.
Where I hunt there is no way they can run with out crossing water. Pretty darn hard to blood trail through water.