Skateboard Hog Hunting: A How-To Guide
Imagine this. You’re getting tired of the same grind of hunting hogs on foot. You consider all sorts of mobile forms of transportation to use to spice up your hunting game. Finally, your eyes set upon the perfect device for high-octane hog hunting: an electric skateboard. If this sounds a bit strange, that’s because it is.
But in the fast-paced world of electric skateboards, the innovative ways some riders use their boards never ceases to amaze us. That’s why blogs like E-Skateboarder help users find the right board for a number of impressive applications. Even if you think you’ve seen it all, there’s always likely to be someone out their using their board for an extraordinary purpose you might not have ever considered.
This is certainly the case with the ultra-niche practice of electric skateboard hog hunting. To be truthful, electric skateboards probably aren’t the perfect ride for hug hunters looking to maximize their efficiency. But even so, hunting hogs on an electric skateboard could be the perfect ways for hunters to combine the sport they love with the excitement and uniqueness that boarding provides.
Picking an offroad board electric skateboard for hunting
If you’re dead set on going hunting using an electric skateboard, picking the right device is absolutely essential. Skateboard hog hunting remains an extremely niche pastime, so there isn’t much in the way of a definitive industry standard. To help guide you through picking the ideal board for hog hunting, we’ve targeted four main features that every hog hunter’s skateboard should include. These features include a relatively quiet motor, a wide deck for sitting/lying, a set of quality all-terrain wheels, and a large maximum weight.
Quiet Motor
Any hog hunter worth his or her salt knows that the key to a successful hunt is staying quiet. Alerting the dog to your presence almost guarantees failure. Hogs can also sometimes be aggressive, meaning that being too loud can put you and your hunting squad in actual danger of being harmed.
Most electric skateboard motors aren’t crazy loud, but every decibel can make a difference when dealing with the sophisticated senses of the average hog. We tend to think that hub motors are quieter than belt motors, and they don’t generally result in a reduction in performance. It’s also worth mentioning that you won’t need a particularly powerful motor, especially when it comes to top speeds, for hog hunting. It’s tough to imagine a scenario where a hog hunting skateboarder needs to hit speeds of 25+ mph in order to kill a hog!
Wide Deck
Unless you’ve got some incredible skills, standing and shooting a hog while riding your board is likely to prove impossible. Most of the very few people who have documented their experience hunting hogs on a skateboard have done so by sitting or laying on top of the board. First, this gives you the stability needed to take the shot when the time comes. But sitting or laying on your board might help to better regulate your speed as you slowly and quietly crawl toward the target hog.
If you’re going to be sitting or laying down on the board, it’s always necessary to have a relatively wide deck. This shouldn’t be difficult to find. Many boards offer wide decks, and the width of a board is a pretty common spec listed on a skateboard’s product page.
All-Terrain Wheels
This might be the easiest component of our shopping specifications to satisfy. All-terrain wheels are almost an industry standard at this point. For our purposes, you’ll want to get a board capable of retaining traction, even in the muddiest of conditions. Large rubber wheels should be able to do this. You definitely don’t want to be creeping towards a hog in a muddy forest and have your wheels slip!
Large Max Weight
Whether or not you need a board with a large max weight really depends on your method of hunting hogs. For most riders, however, a hunting trip implies a certain amount of necessary gear. For one thing, you’ll need to have your gun, bow, or alternative weapon with you while you hunt. But some hunters might also bring snacks, water, first-aid, and more along with them as they search for the perfect hog to get.
Most electric skateboards with a satisfactory deck width should be able to accommodate most of your supplies with ease. But be sure to consider the maximum weight of your board before hopping on to hunt some hogs.
How to Ride the Board
From what we’ve been able to gather, riding an electric skateboard for hog hunting is a game of speed regulation and control. It isn’t anything like riding a skateboard down a hill or on a busy street, that’s for sure!
The most common way that hunters will ride a device like an electric skateboard is by either laying flat on their stomach or sitting cross-legged on the deck. Either way should work, although you might have a tad bit more control by sitting, provided that your device is wide enough. Either way you choose to ride, make sure that you’re able to control both the speed and the direction of your device.
Camouflage the electric skateboard
Hogs might not be the smartest creatures on Earth, but they can certainly notice that an electric skateboard with a human on top is not a part of their natural habitat. Luckily, an entire industry within the hunting sports sector has sprung up to help hunters keep hidden while searching for the perfect catch.
You’ll want to thoroughly camouflage your electric skateboard. The camo you use depends on the biome or ecosystem you plan to hunt in. Additionally, we recommend that you camouflage yourself with similar colors. To the unsuspecting hog, you should appear to be a large (moving) bundle of grass and debris.
Go Hunting!
To the average hunter, this part of our guide should be pretty simple. Once you’ve picked the right board, learned how to ride it appropriately, and camouflaged it, it’s time to go hunting. When you’re looking for hogs, try to keep your speed as consistent as possible. Sudden movements, like increases in speed or changes in direction, could spook any animals near you.
Though it probably goes without saying, be sure to follow all safety recommendations while you hunt for hogs on your board. Shooting from a moving device could pose additional risks. Always practice your riding skills before taking your device out for the next hunting trip.