We have a new lease for this fall, and this will my first time hunting a property with hogs on it. I've never dealt with them and have very little knowledge other than the stories I've heard about how they can have a bad attitude, how they will on occasion charge at you, and how they are capable of doing quite a bit of damage if they do charge you.

Honestly, it's got me a little freaked out. My biggest fear is sneaking into a stand and walking up on one unknowingly, and getting charged, particularly if I have one of my kids with me (will be 6 and 4 yrs old).

So, those of you who have a good number of hogs, how big of a concern is this, truly? What can a hunter do to prevent any unwanted interaction with them? I assume if they see/hear you coming, they'll run off if they can, but when you're deer hunting you're trying to be as stealthy as possible. And, what do you do if you are charged? I carry a .40 glock on my hip when I'm in the woods, but having to shoot (and hit) a charging hog would be a last resort.