The Largest Wild Hog Ever Caught in California

Going by many names, such as wild hogs, wild boars, or just feral pigs, these descendants of domesticated swine are estimated to roam in over 35 states in the U.S.

With a population of at least six million, they are also considered an invasive species. Wild hogs (Sus scrofa), which have few natural predators, can grow to enormous sizes. The heaviest one ever caught in California weighed as much as a grand piano.

One for the Record Books

For several years the record for taking down a humungous hog in California was held by state native Jim West. Catching this 600-plus pound porker was the achievement that boar trophy hunters can only dream of.

Enter Oakdale, California’s Joe Orth. In 2012 Orth’s new bride gifted him with a special guided hog hunt as a 50th birthday present. Despite enduring two days of heavy rain, and nothing to show for it, Orth persisted.

On the third day of the hunt, the rain stopped, and Orth and his guide traversed the hunting grounds for any hints of hogs. Then he spotted the mammoth beast emerging from a grove of trees along with two others.

He dropped the feral pig with one shot and carted it off for an official weigh-in.

Coming in at 733.51 pounds (332.7 kilograms), Orth’s hefty hog became the heaviest kill recorded in the “Free Range Wild Boar Weight Class.” Although that epic big boar hunt took place over a decade ago, the Golden State resident still holds the record for the biggest boar ever caught in California.

The Legend of Hogzilla

Tales of gigantic wild pigs are the stuff legends are made of.

The story of 1,000-pound “Hogzilla,” a wild Georgia swine taken down in 2004 by hunter Chris Griffin, was investigated by a team of experts dispatched by National Geographic.

Wearing hazmat suits, they exhumed the remains of Hogzilla in 2005 to try and confirm the hog’s size. The official results reduced the super-swine down to 800 pounds (362 kilograms) and a maximum of eight feet in length.

The owner of the hunting farm where the prestigious pig was shot felt a bit cheated. “I need to stress that they did not have that much to work with,” he told the press at the time. Still, residents of Alapaha, Georgia, where Hogzilla roamed, were super excited about the documentary made on their hometown hog.

Even losing a couple of hundred pounds in the postmortem weigh-in, Hogzilla still set a Safari Club international record.

Other Wild Hogs of History

North Carolina’s biggest wild boar came in at 707.5 pounds (320.9 kilograms). Captured by Bruce Florence in 2016, the “big boy,” charged Florence before the veteran hog hunter took it down.

Oklahoma hunter Winston Brown was positioned in a deer stand in 2011 when he saw what he first thought was a cow. But it was a humongous hog. Brown, who was bow hunting, hit the swine three times, capturing an Oklahoma record for a wild boar — 760 pounds (344 kilograms).

Other super swine include a 2020 record-setting South Texas trophy weighing in at 488 pounds (221 kilograms). Still, nothing beats Big Bill.

Not quite wild, but still a pig, Big Bill was lovingly hand-raised during the 1930s in Jackson, Tennessee. Weighing in at a whopping 2,552 pounds (1157 kilograms), the prestigious porker unfortunately broke its leg while traveling to the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago and had to be put down.

Hogs Gone Wild

According to the federal National Invasive Species Information Center, wild boars first arrived in the U.S. hundreds of years ago. Originally imported as a source of food in the 1500s, these pigs either escaped from captivity or were intentionally released.

At this point, however, the wild swine situation in the U.S. has become a major issue.

The United States Department of Agriculture lists a host of damages and dangers attributed to feral swine. These include risks to natural resources, property, agriculture, and even pets and people.

Because of that, “bag limits” for feral pigs has a lot of leeway in many states.

In California, hunting hogs is allowed year-round with no limit, although a hunting license and “wild pit tag” are required. Alabama, where wild pigs roam in every county, similarly has no limit. On private land, hog hunting season is 365 days a year.

But no state beats Texas when it comes to numbers of feral swine. The Lone Star State has a whopping wild pig population of over 2.5 million strong. Classified as an “unprotected species” there are no limits, seasons, or restrictions on taking them. To catch them on private property in Texas, not even a hunting license is required!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © WildMedia/Shutterstock.com