| | | Hog Hunting | While hunting of hogs for food probably dates back to
prehistoric times, the sport hunting of hogs does not.
In the middle ages, boar hunting emerged as a sport
for nobility. These nobles had no need to hunt for
meat, but only desired the thrill of killing an animal
with their own hands. The sport was accomplished from
horseback with long spears, or in some cases, swords.
A hog hunter had to keep a level head and a steady
hand, even though the threat of being killed by the
quarry was likely. The sport was thought to be good
practice for war for nobles, who might otherwise be
unprepared for battle against human adversaries. A
boar is an extremely dangerous quarry, and has the
ability to eviscerate a man in seconds, not to mention
the inclination and temperament.
One cannot describe the sport of hog hunting without
considering the use of hog hunting dogs. They are the
most important tool of the hog hunter, and the use of
dogs to hunt pigs dates back as far as the fifteenth
century. The dogs are used not only to track a hog on
the run, but also to attack it when it is caught. A
boar hunting dog is called a "catch dog," and they are
selected more on the basis of temperament and instinct
rather than dependance on a particular breed. Pit
bulls and other varieties of bull dog are often used,
because of their tendency to latch onto a hog, and
their refusal to let go once the bite is made. This is
not to say that they are the only suitable breed of
dog for hog hunting, or even the best for that matter.
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