Normally I take out the lead sow to cause confusion in the group resulting in more kills. I have wiped out many sounders using that tactic. This was a special exception to the rule since I'm having guest over and I wanted them to have something to shoot at! These hogs were leaving 40,000 un-cultivated acres and going into about 1000 cultivated acres (corn, milo, and soybeans).
Sorry, if I was not clear enough.
Your strategy of shooting the lead sow first makes absolutely sense since you want to decimate an invasive species that has grown out of proportion with respect to the natural habitat. As one video puts it: "In Texas, with over 2 Million hogs, we are not barbecuing ourselves out of the problem." Also, with the use of night vision on open fields, it gives you the chance to wipe the whole sounder out - as you demonstrated.
In contrast, when you hunt a native, stable boar population in or around its natural habitat, shooting the lead sow leaves you with a group of "hooligans" that are going to cause more damage and grief. I am talking about central Europe where you have plenty of forests and cold winters; where boar hunting is as old as the ethnic tribes and where use of night vision and artificial light is still a no-no.
In large parts of Europe you can "teach" alpha sows that showing up in the crops is way too costly for their sounder and they will (mostly) stay where they belong. But, you need the natural habitat and reasonable population numbers to pull this off. I think a snowy winter is the best ally of farmers and hunters over there. It prevents population explosion and you can crack down hard if necessary when the snow tells you were the sounders hide during the day. A couple of guys, dogs, and guns make quick work of a trailer full of tasty meat plus a few piglets rotating over a bonfire in the crisp winter air. That, and a bottle of good Schnaps circulating among friends is also a great recipe for a memorable weekend.
While these differences in hunting strategy appear as manifests of local culture, they stem from using natural wildlife behavior and the learning ability of hogs/boar to our advantage depending on what situation we are facing (invasive pest vs. native game).
If you go hog hunting in the USA in the spirit of pest control, pick 'em from the top, shoot the alpha sow first and use the resulting disarray to your advantage. If OTOH you get the chance to hunt wild boar in some European forest, you will make more friends by not shooting an alpha sow- unless explicitly instructed otherwise.
If I would (even accidentally) shoot a leading sow on a logging road in Germany, I would have to spend weeks if not months picking off the stragglers and explaining to the local farmers why all hell is loose in the fields. Therefore, my first reaction as a seasoned boar hunter to your video was "WTF?" until I understood that you are facing a completely different situation in Texas that requires a completely different approach.
The intent of my post was to possibly save someone who gets invited for boar hunting in Europe the WTF? look from a group of hunters over there. And I promise to avoid getting the WTF? look here by taking a bit more than just one piglet or yearling from a sounder of hogs.
