Trad Gang
Main Boards => Dangerous Game => Topic started by: BillyBobHowdieVern on February 27, 2006, 03:03:00 PM
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any georgia people hunt ft. stewart for hogs
john
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I don't know about hunting them because I didn't get to when I was stationed there but there was certainly no shortage of them and several that we saw were big!!! We were coming back from partying in Savanah one night and the car in front of us was a VW bug. We saw a huge hog run out into the road, the bug hit it and came to a dead stop! When we got up there the bug was totaled and the pig was laying in the ditch but not for long. He started squealing and thrashing around and before you know it he was on his feet and into the swamp! Joseph
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I was there for a bit as well. About a month and was going to hunt it but things fell through. I scouted down by a river or large creek and it was torn up in there. Good luck, you'll do well on them.
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i read you can hunt them purdy much year round there is only a short time they dont let you. i am going to try this spring
john
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Plenty of hogs, BUT, very tough hunting. Mostly nocturnal .
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I`ve hunted Stewart for years . There are a lot of hogs in every area I`ve been in and if you go deep enough you can get on`em any time of the day. Ive seen as many as thirty in a group.
you can`t hunt hogs in the spring during Turkey season but they are fair game the rest of the year. I suggest snake boots because you will encounter cotten mouths and rattlesnakes if you hunt much. Gators are in every hole that has five gallens of water and they ain`t pets.But its worth it when you run an arrow through a fort stewart porker.Fishing is really good also.RC
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sounds good to me
john
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I went down a couple of years ago, for the first time since I got out of the army. When I was there I saw quite a few hogs, but didnt get a shot. Also, with units coming and going from Iraq, it seems that they dont open as many areas, and the best areas didnt seem to be open.
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John,
I hunted there twice last year lots of hogs, and even killed few here and there.
Right now I am in Fort Benning and we are covered up with hogs.
There is not many areas and too many times that I do not get on to hogs. During the last week I have been going out in the evenings after work. Have been seeing between 15 to 60 in a three hour hunt. I have averaged about two to five shots and about double that in stalks.
A week ago I killed a sow that bottomed out a 200lb scale. Most range int the 75 to 100lbs range with quite a few 200+ boars running around.
If you get over this way to hunt hogs you will not be disappointed. Just stick near the creeks and swamps and you will find them. They really like the thick stuff around these areas.
Chris
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I was stationed at Fort Benning for 3 years, from 98 to 2001. Man, what I'de give to hunt that place again!
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Stewart is loaded with pigs, as RC says...and if you will walk more than 100 feet off the roads you can locate pigs during the day....not a problem.
40 bucks a year gets you a pass....I think. At least thats what it was the last time I went a couple years ago.
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Yeah we have pretty good on Benning. Year round hunting, and plenty of bow only areas.
Matter of fact we just proposed a new regulation that will allow year round bowhunting in all areas, similar to Braggs bowhunting policy, that are not affected by live munitions.
Chris
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Chris,
Have you hunted along the Chattahoochie on Sunshine road? I think its area AA1? It was probably 3 or more miles west of where Sightseeing Road meets Sunshine road. I hunted a near 300lbs boar in there all summer, and never got him. I missed him at 25 yards once, and saw him several times but could never get a shot. This was in 2000. Like you said in your earlier post, I had stalks and shot opportunities almost every time out.
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guys your making me drool im gonna have to hunt stewart now thanks alot
john
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John, sent you an e-mail but my computer is about dead. Give me a call at 912-367-1347 if you did not get it. RC
Ray Hammond, It would be an honor to run the swamp with you one day.RC
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RC,I live in Baxley maybe we can get together sometime and go over there. I finally got a pass.It'll be fun,I'll miss a few and you will hit a few.But no hard feelings I'll even clean them for ya.GOD BLESS
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RC i didnt get your e-mail i will try to call sat guys i would be honored if we could plan a hunt (even though i now reside in ala.) i am from athens ga.. i would love to hunt with some of ya'll
john
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John
I was at Stewart from 98-99 and was on the hunting and fishing advisory council. Great hunting during that time. I have gone back at least once a year since. In 2000 the base opened to year around rifle, combined with shoot to kill by the wardens and the fire crews. Hunting is now much tougher, and the hogs have been mostly nocturnal. Population is much lower now. I have heard Benning was on the upswing. Hogs will really populate when they are not hunted with high powered rifles 24/7 - 365.
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I was there in late may last year. I missed one and had a 200+er smell me. I only had 3 days or I might have connected. I plan to go back in early June for a week. I'll be at the campgrounds.
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Mike, you are dead on correct. Alot of this "easy hog killin" hype on FT. STEWART is old info.. Yes there are still plenty there but they are darn tough to to get a shot at with trad bows. I hunted 3 days the first week of Feb. with 11 fellows from TBSWV, all VERY experianced bowhunters. We all saw hogs but getting a shot was a whole 'nother matter. I'm no expert at hogs but when they stay holed up in such thick stuff that you can hear them 20 ft away but can't see them that should tell ya' something. Hence my original post on page 1. I did manage to kill 2 deer , 1 a fine 8 point, off the ground earlier in 2005 on Ft Stewart.The hogs are mostly nocturnal no matter how far you go in.Good luck to all.....Chuck Sinclair
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Well if y'all want to come and hunting Benning I would be more than happy to sponser you. I believe I can sponsor up to 5 people.
If any of you are DOD, reitred, or active you can get a post permit.
The hogs are out of control here. 2 years ago I could hunt in about half of my deer stands without seeing even a sign of hogs. Now they are everywhere. It is so bad that our hunting committee opened hogs up year round with muzzleloader except turkey season. Next year it is going to be year around with shotguns/slugs except Turkey season.
Now there is a plan to allow hogs to be run with dogs. This year there is going to be a 3 month trail period. All we are trying to do is figure out which dogs can not be on Benning. Our CG has banned most the so called violent dogs...pits, rots, dobies, and some ours I can not remember.
Chris
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Titanbow_SC,
I do a lot of bowhunting down in that area for deer since post has been closed on that end. Now the proachers and tresspassers can not get in. There are a lot of hogs in that area but they are mostly targets of oppurtunity for me.
I beleive those areas are the A's North and West of Sightseeing and Sunhine. To the Souht is the B's and now DD's.
Benning traded that land with the city. It used to be their own little private hunting club for the city officials. They have been killing some really big deer in there the last couple of years. Of course plenty of hogs to be had by everyone.
Right now the count for my hunting group is up around a 100 hogs since the end of deer season. I have slowed down as I can not find anyone to take then anymore, and my freezer is filled to the rim with meat. I am waiting for people to start asking for them again.
Chris
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Chris
I am a retired army. What areas do you suggest, and how does a couple retirees get on base to hunt? My Fort Stewart hunting buddy is also retired and we are planning a hunt in early june. Stewart has gotten real tough, we have not killed a hog there in 4 years (at one time in early 99 we had 13 straight outings swith kills!)
Mike
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Mike,
You need to goto the Outdoor Rec Center or Uchee Creek lodge to register. Here is the website so you can check out what Benning has to offer.
https://www.infantry.army.mil/EMD/_conservation/
Being with you your Hunting Lic., Hunter safety card, Mil ID, and vehicle registation/insurance.
I beleive it will cost your around $22.00 to hunt/fish for the year.
Most areas hold hogs, but the O's 5-7, any K along a creek, A-9/11, A-15/17, all area's along Hollis Branch Creek, and the Upatoi. To be really I can go on and on with area's we hunt hogs in. If there is blue on the map we hunt it.
This year we have gone as far as going blind into area's and have been about a 75% or better on finding hogs and about 50% on killing one. That is with a bow. My gun hunting buddies are running 100% kills when they find them.
When you plan to come down give me a shout and I can put you into an area based on what is open on post, and what we have been seeing.
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RC, same here. Our schedules sound reversed, though...we ought to try to find a way to do it..I am sure it would be a blast.
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Hey, Im sorry it took me so long to get on this thread...lacrosse practice and turkey scouting...
I got back from Ft. Stewart on Feb. 11th. We hunted B and F units and saw a ton of hogs. The F unit was littered with hog tracks, BIG hog tracks. Drive down the dirt roads and you'll see tons of tracks. The palmettos are where they like it...I guess thats kinda a givin' though.
In F unit, If you can find the food plot (maps on the website) you are set. I'll try to get the link to you...We have a friend down there (Chad) who has killed 30+ hogs(some over 300 pounds) since November, so its still hot
Warning- Ft. Stewart hogs are onery! In four days we got charged twice! Chad has gottten charged a 13 times...so be careful.
Good luck and I try to get one here as much as possible...If I can dig up the topo maps I'll send one your way...
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"30+ hogs since Nov." is that with a tradbow ?
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No, sorry about that. He hunts alot with his .40 S&W pistol (He just got back from Iraq), so his shots are usually very close. The one I killed (Again, not tradbow) was at, literally, 15 feet so hunting with stickbows should be no problem. I carried my longbow most of the time I was down there, I just never got the shot I needed. Again, Im sorry if I misled anyone. My only point is there are a ton of hogs on Ft. Stewart and they are very "huntable"
Sorry about the confusion...
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sounds like a few of us need to hook up and hunt either stewart or benning after turkey season
john
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John,
hogs are mostly nocturnal cause thats what they are..but that doesnt mean they don't move in daytime- they usually move better in the afternoon than the morning, and lay up during the daylight hours in palmettos especially when its hot- in reedy beds off the ends of little humps in the swamps during the winter months..but you can definitely kill pigs during the day.
Get a puffer bottle- keep it filled with corn starch. Use it like you were out west elk hunting- constantly check the wind with that puffer- and move with the wind in your face all day long if you have to change directions 50 times do it. Work cross wind at worst, going through the palmettos in the middle part of the day and you WILL push hogs up if they arent up feeding...in cold months they will usually be moving around during the middle of the day staying warm and getting fed...in the summer...they lay up a lot when its really boiling but you can walk up on them- when they jump out of their beds its usually to go about 10-15 yrds and stop- checking over their shoulder to try to detect movement. Let's face it- if you are 10-20 yards away and can't see them, its pretty likely they don't SEE you either- they're just reacting to your movement- they do the same thing with other pigs- you watch- if a big boar walks in amongst a sounder of pigs they will all move away from that boar pretty quick- respectful don't you know...trying not to get their butts kicked- they'll do the same for you...I always give them a little reassurance grunt or two...low, not deep but out of your throat like a little hog..to make em feel safe. They usually settle right back down.
Use a partner or more than one- spread out about 50-80 feet apart and alternately walk ahead, then stop- then another walks ahead- then stops- if you jump one up there's a 50/50 shot it will move toward you or the other guys...at any rate, we have had excellent luck using this technique and I killed at least 50 hogs at Stewart with that.
If it were me, I would get there at daylight to my area, and ride the roads till I found fresh tracks crossing INTO your area. I'd park right there and get after them! Chances are you will hear them raising a ruckus ahead of you, and move in quick with the wind...its not rocket science...just move slow...watch their bodies, when they move, you move. When they stop- you better be still!
Move in as quickly as is prudent and get your shot off...the longer you mess around the more the wind will give you away..that flat ground has swirling winds all year round..if you dont like the way its blowing now wait five minutes it will switch on you.
I think it boils down to confidence...if you THINK you are going to have good luck, and know WHAT to do, you are obviously going to be more successful than when you are unsure of what to do in a given situation, and that only comes from experience. Hogs, deer, turkeys, bears- it doesnt matter what species- the more time you spend getting after them the more "luck " you will have.
But its all FUNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :bigsmyl:
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Ray, All very good points,thanks for the tips.I want it to be understood that all I've been try ing to do is provide up to date info..As Mike has pointed out things have changed recently that make it more difficult.As I have stated there are still gobs of hogs on Ft. Stewart.MWhitehair post seems rather irrevalant to this forum as he was hunting with firearms,although he carried a bow.He did have the good manners to come clean on it though, and that is to be admired.Taking a hog with a modern pistol is just a whole 'nother ballgame.I would enjoy hunting with any of you guys, Best Regards, Chuck Sinclair
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"I would enjoy hunting with any of you guys"
Same here, Chuck!
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guys i was set to go to stewart then last thursday my truck blew an injector in alexander city al. while i was on a run. well after 1 injector and an oil rail they now tell me i have 2 more bad injectors and it wont be done till one day next week so if we can hunt stewart it will have to be after turkey season for me as these repairs and all the down time have taken all my spare cash. but after turkey time i should be good to go. let me hear what ya'll think
john
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John, just give me a little heads-up and I would be glad to hunt with ya'...Good luck with the truck repairs.....Chuck Sinclair
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thanks chuck the dealer seems to fix one thing at a time its really killing me mentally right now but God will provide. i should be good to go after turkey season and we will at least loose some arrows and have a blast
john
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John T. Keep the faith buddy.I know how it is.Last year turkey flew up busted both windows in my truck,no problem.They said I could get it fixed the next morning.Well, I stop at store down the road to get fuel on my way,get my new glass in,pull one load and what do you know injector goes out.Water in the fuel.Getto the shop and the guys busy.So i replace the injector myself.He was nice enough to let me use his shop.Would be glad to shoot a pig with you after turkey season.GOD BLESS Tony
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man it would be nice if a couple of KY boys could get thrown in this mix----- :archer:
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thanks tony i know it will be better and there is a reason for every thing ky-longbow as far as im concerned when this thing goes down everyone is welcome
john
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ok guys finnaly got my truck back so if anyone wants to hunt hogs after turkey season lets get to planning
john
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I'm going in early June.
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i would love to say yes- but ill have to check the dates first-
Kevin what are the days you have planned?
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First full week of June is best for me. I'd like to take my brother and that's the best week for him.
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i will have to check also trucking will probably be going full blast by then but i might squeze in a few days. do we have to have a sponsor at stewart like you do at bening?
john
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Hey Doug,
I might be interested in going down from KY also. Lets get the dates and see if it will work. Be willing to drive or split expenses.
Marvin
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Marvin- sounds great to me------
Doug
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Guy`s you don`t need a sponser to hunt here. You must have a hunters saftey card.Out of state programs will work but you must have proof you completed a course somewhere.
I had planned a full week of camping last week but my pa in law had to be rushed in for surgery so I did not make it.
I hunted one day and saw sign all over and got within fifteen yards on 9 hogs before a knotty little pig walked up and blew the deal when he almost put his nose to my boot.
I would be more than happy to show you guy`s around some when you come down .PS bring a fishing reel cause the fishing is great. RC
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rc,
when are you planning on going again i would like to go if at all possible
john
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John, hog hunting is closed during Turkey season so I won`t be going until late May. You are welcome to go. RC
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sounds good shoot me a pm or e-mail me at [email protected] and we can work out the details
john
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Anybody going to be there June 4-9 or there abouts?
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Kevin-
there are a few of us planning a feb. 07 trip-
let me know how youre hunt goes-
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Sure thing.
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anyone been hunting hogs latley if so how was it
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I went down second week in June. Didn't get any and only saw two. I saw them from the road in B4 (restricted). They were huge. I mostly hunted B8 and once in A16. I stayed there because that was convenient to where I was staying in Holbrook Campground and I had seen sign there and hunted there before. I hope to go back next year around the same time armed with the info I get each time I go. My son (10yo) hindered me this time but the main reason I go is for him. I think we will be on them the next time I go. Here's some pics of our hunt.
This is our humble abode for the week.
(http://home.earthlink.net/~kevin_lawler/hoghunt1.jpg)
It had all the creature comforts including Playstation and Winnie the Pooh sheets (mom wouldn’t let him take his good Mossy Oak sheets.
(http://home.earthlink.net/~kevin_lawler/hoghunt2.jpg)
Here’s a beautiful corn snake that Josh spied beside our site. He walked to the woods to grab a stick to sort the charcoal and pointed and said “da da da da corn snake!” I said “How did you know that was a corn snake?” He replied “the Discovery Channel”
(http://home.earthlink.net/~kevin_lawler/hoghunt3.jpg)
Here’s a wallow that I found 2 years ago. It was hit every night. We could never catch them in it and probably hunted it too much. (I hadn't planned on bowhunting until Josh tagged one, hence the rifle.) (http://home.earthlink.net/~kevin_lawler/hoghunt4.jpg)
A cool pic in the swamp. I don’t know what kind of trees these were (cypress?) but they were big.
(http://home.earthlink.net/~kevin_lawler/hoghunt5.jpg)
How profound. We were rummaging through some ammo dumps that were exposed by some erosion and Josh found this cool spear point in an area near a couple of .50 cal projectiles.
(http://home.earthlink.net/~kevin_lawler/hoghunt6.jpg)
Since Gopher Tortoises are protected in FL I figured we wouldn’t see many. We saw three the whole trip and this one was within 300 yards of another we found.
(http://home.earthlink.net/~kevin_lawler/hoghunt7.jpg)
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cool pics man thats a nice corn snake. nice point also i guess with work going wide open right now i will be going in feb. and try to hook up with the other trad gangers
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Kevin-
nice pics-
looks like y'all had a great time-
and youre son will never forget the time you guys had together-
i assume that wasnt a primitve camping area-
im heading that way in Feb. 07
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You guys ain't gettin' it done around Ft. Stewart...coming back from the coast on Tuesday on I-16 I saw 2 shoats about 80 lbs. rootin' along the expressway, about 300 yds east of the Highway 17 exit. Hey Snakewood, get to work baby!
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Kevin,
Nice pics. Those are definitely cypress trees...cool, aren't they? Gotta love those gopher tortoise...I think its neat how they share their winter dens with rattlesnakes.
Listen, I spent a good many years hunting at Ft Stewart- those aren't ammo dumps...those are more likely spent rounds..many of which have dummy heads on them that are not spent yet...meaning you can be digging around on those tank tables, as they call them, and get your foot or hand blown off by a "fake" round that is buried up in the dirt, but not exploded.
You may have been seeing something else but they always warned us around the B areas to be careful, as that was where most of the live fire excercises are being carried out.
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I will be hunting pigs in the surounding WMA near fort stewart in February. Clayhole, Penholoway, Altamaha and Griffon Ridge. I will be camping at Griffon Ridge. How far away is Fort Stewart? Can anyone tell me how the hog hunting in these WMA's compares to Stewart? Thanks..
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bishs-
there will be 5 or 6 of us hunting Ft.Stewart starting the first weekend in Feb.07
it will be our first time there-
planning on learning alot about the place and maybe getting lucky !
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Hi we are coming down feb 2,3, and 4 of february and we are going to griffin ridge wma is that good for hogs also????? I am from michigan and I have never been hunting in georgia. We are coming with a large group of hunters that weekend and I was looking for good info on that area thank you
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Rob, Griffenridge is small game hunted hard at that time of year as is most Ga WMA`s during small game season.BUT there are pigs there but no more than Stewart. I would recommend Turkey season for WMA hogs.They have had a break and are more relaxed then and If you come to South Ga you will have a lot of WMA`s to choose from. I would recommend Ocmulgee,Riverbend,Beaverdam or Tuckaho.I killed four on Horsecreek this past turkey season it`s also good.If I had to hunt during Feb. it would be on Stewart`s archery areas or along the rivers.RC
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Hog hunting on this thread is listed under dangerous game. You guys haven't mentioned any close encounters with these hogs in this region, can you post any close calls, and just how much 'trouble' are you encountering with snakes, sounds like rattlesnakes and moccasins (as I recall they can be pretty aggressive) are more dangerous than the hogs:) sunaj
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rc thanks for responding, so you think it is better if I go right to stewart which is only a half hour away or so??? My brother might go and he is in the air force where it might be easier for him to reserve an area to hunt? or is it on a first come first served basis down there???
thanks for the input
rob
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Rob,
Stewart is not crowded. I think it`s around 150,000 acres. You can`t reserve an area anyway.If I were hunting in Febuary I would not waste time at Griffen ridge. I would go to Stewart and get after`em.
Sunaj, I`ve killed well over a hundred hogs and have never been chased by one. I have never hunted with dogs and I think thats where most of the stories of aggression come from. Any critter in the wild thats cornered up can be bad news.But I got too many snake stories and yes I recomend snake boots on Stewart any time of year because all it takes is one warm day down here and you`ll step on a five foot diamond back if your not careful.RC
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RC,
how far up do you normally wear snake boots (I have not hunted/hiked in heavily populated areas of snakes)? Knee high? Calf? Thanks for the info.
Matt
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HEY RC i SENT YOU A PM Just wanted to know if you wanted to hunt with some cristian brothers that weekend??? It would be fun to have some one that knows a little more than I know about it
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I wear the zip up redheads from bass pro. I think they are 18". I have been struck twice on Stewart by copperheads and had a very very close encounter with a diamondback last year at Bullardcreek wma, And I pay attention where I`m going MOST of the time.RC
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Yeah, I saw those the other day and they are pretty sweet looking.
Matt
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Thanks for the reply Rc:) sunaj