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Hog calling, or pig calling, is the art of making a call to encourage pigs to approach the caller. The skill is mainly used by pig farmers, and to a lesser extent by hunters. Competitions in hog calling are held. Mechanical or electronic pig calls are available for hunting.
Contents
Farming
Calls - grunting - may be used to calm pigs while they feed.
Hunting
The calls are based on three strategies, a male call to encourage territorial males to come to fight, a female call to encourage males to come to mate, and a piglet in distress call which works on adults. The calls are sometimes combined with scents.
Competitive calling
Agricultural shows (county fairs and some state fairs) sometimes include hog calling competitions.
Aids to calling
Calls are usually simple woodwind instruments, sometimes adapted from other hunting lures. Electronic devices are also available.
In popular culture
In "Pig-hoo-o-o-o-ey", by P.G. Wodehouse the Empress of Blandings misses her first keeper, Wellbeloved, when he is sent to jail for a spell; her pining is worrisome to her owner (Lord Emsworth), with the big show approaching, until she is pepped up by James Belford's hog calling techniques, returning to her trough with enough gusto to take her first silver medal.
In the Milton Bradley game Pass the Pigs a variant set of rules is called "Hog Call".
The Arkansas Razorbacks chant is Calling the Hogs.
The Charles Mingus album Oh Yeah includes the track "Hog Callin' Blues".