Help with hogs and orange groves

[tak2]

Has anyone hunted hogs in orange  groves? I've almost always deer hunted from tree stands. Last year I got busted two times on the ground. Can't get up a orange tree. Just looking for more ideas, any thoughts or past hunts from someone who's been there. I get one week a year in Florida with the wife and kids, they go to the beach and I go hunting. Thanks for any help. Todd

[**DONOTDELETE**]

ghile suit

[Nala]

Do hogs eat oranges?  I have abandoned and active groves all around me.  I have drove through an abandoned grove before and seen a sow with piglets walking around and the next day there was a BIG trap there so they obviously were in that particular abandoned grove.

If they are known to hang in orange groves I will start asking if I can hunt them.

Nalajr

[tak2]

Nala, last year was the first time I ever hunted hogs. I hunted in a active orange grove, half of it was picked. I hunted two evenings, both times I seen one hog, Iwatched him eat oranges.I had my most trouble with the wind, never from the same direction. I would get within 20 to 30 yards and he would woof/snort and take off.

[rollin]

I cant tell you from first hand experence, But have been told, most people around hear dont like the taste of a hog that hangs around a grove. I believe the pratice is to TRAP, fatten up on corn then kill.

[ChuckC]

dress up like an orange.  or a pig. . .  

or use a tripod stand with some sort of baiting
ChuckC

[hunt it]

Corn is the secret. Find a good spot with some ground cover, get wind right and trickle corn from path where you have seen hog to over where you want to shoot him. Dig a pit blind if needed, natural cover is better though.  After couple of days he should be where you want him. Last hour of daylight and first hour of darkness will be best. Corn him to where you want him, always keep wind in your favour. Don't be afraid to bring him into under 10ft. 15to 20 yrd shots will be hard once it gets dark.

[Robertfishes]

never hunted them in an orange grove, but have marinated wildhog meat in sour orange juice and garlic. I have eaten piney woods rooters that were not the best tasting but still good. The river bottom hogs at my lease seem to have a nice clean taste to them, even the large boars. I would try to set up at a place that they crawl under a fence or trail they use to come out of the swamp or wetlands if possible. make sure you have the wind in your favor. You might be surprised how many hogs are laying under the trees, you might consider a stalk, if you have the wind right you might smell them before you see them?  We have a lot of bears on our place and the guys that try to use corn get covered up with bears instead of hogs.

[tak2]

How much movement can a guy get away with on hogs? I know here in IN. that any movement even in a tree at less than 20 yds. a deer sees it. Will the young hogs/piglets hang around the older boars?

[poison arrow]

I live by groves in Florida. I would use corn to lure hime to a clear wide path within the groves between the trees. Use a lite blind if needed. Or if you find a spot that they rut around in put some smelly rub down and corn and wait. It would be optimal if you could trap him and feed him on corn for a while to sweeten it up but thats not an option. If your after meat for eating hope you run across a mamma with little ones. If your after a tusker hope he is big. I usually see hogs early in the morning in my part of Florida. Good luck

[tak2]

I wno't be able to keep a hog if I'am able to kill one. I have to travel 2 hours one way from a condo. Have it set up with the property mgr. that he will find someone who needs it. They trap pigs on these groves but still have trouble. I'am going to call him tonite and make sure all is still a go. I would really like to kill a hog on the ground with just a stalk hunt.