How Good Are a Pigs Senses?

Smell

Wild hogs have an amazing sense of smell; they can smell around 2000 times better than a human can. Did you know that a pig can smell odors up to 7 miles away, and up to 25 feet under the ground? A pigs hogs nose is its best attribute, not only can it locate food from an extreme distance, but it is also used to differentiate other pigs, ones in their group from singles and other groups, as well as status and sexual reproductivity. Any unfamiliar odors smelt by pigs will generally send them running the other way. Be as non-intrusive to your hunting area as possible, you try using scent eliminating products, which eliminate or minimize the amount of scent you are leaving when walking to your area. You can also try scent attractants made for pigs as a way to attract or stop pigs that are in the area. Pay close attention to wind direction as it plays a critical role in where your scent will carry and use it to your advantage when hunting from a blind or when stalking pigs.

Hearing

Hogs have big radars for ears. They can hear a human whisper up to 100 yards away and can distinguish between different sounds. Hogs are tolerable to certain common noises, such as rustling of leaves or swaying tree branches, but will flee with any unusual sound. Wear clothing material that makes minimal noise when moving around. Watch where you walk, a broken stick or loud crunchy leaves can send a hog into alert or run mode. Be as stealthy as possible when approaching your blind as well as when out spot/stalking, also minimize noise you make when sitting and waiting for those pigs to show up. Again, pay attention to wind direction as it will carry any noise you make farther in the direction that it is blowing, but at the same time can make it easy to get within range to take a pig if the wind is played correctly.

Eyesight

Contrary to popular belief, wild hogs aren’t as blind as we think. Since their heads are low to the ground it is more difficult for them to see through taller vegetation. A hogs eyesight is actually decent, as they have monocular vision (each eye can independently see different images) which gives the about a 310-degree panoramic viewing area helping in spotting food, dangers and prey. However, they cannot see the last 50 degrees directly behind them, as their own body blocks their vision. They can also see low wavelength light fairly well, such as the color blue. However, their depth perception is not great. Wild pigs may see an object up to 100 yards away, but most likely will not associate it with immediate danger. However, at closer distances, any nearby movement or even a shadow can cause them to flee. But of all the senses pigs have, this is probably one of the weakest sense pigs have and can be easy to take advantage of when hunting.