SEVERAL Hog hunting Q's......

[GMMAT]

Baseline - SC Spot-n-stalk hunting in mid-May

1.  Permanone?  Cotton shirts/pants?  I've searched and found threads saying cotton is NOT the right choice.  What is?  And, will permanone do the trick on the flying insects (utilizing cotton garb)?

2.  Pack contents?  I'm guess (sans calls), the same things I'd take elk hunting is what I want to take, there?  First aid kit; knives; lights; hydration .....the normal stuff?  I just bought my elk pack (Badlands Diablo), and I also have a nice, big fanny-pack system.  I'm sure the heat will make me want to take the fanny pack.  Good call?  Am I close enough to civilization to not NEED the larger pack (with heat being "a" factor)?

3.  Thermacell......I own one.  I like it.  I don't own a means of carrying it on my person.  How well does this work?  Any suggestions on a "holster" and where to attach it?

4.  Gotta anchor, somewhere.  I can shoot with a facemask, and do for deer hunting.  If the bigs are as I hear, though, I'm not going to be able to bear them with a bare face.  I've got 6 weeks to prepare for however I may need to shoot, there.  If that's a mesh headcover....so be it.  If there's another route (sprays/etc...), I'd like to know that (my preference).

5.  Anyone who's ever been to Ray's.....what's the typical protocol for hunting?  Alone?  with a partner?  Not really a "concern", here.  But, it brings things into the picture like communication.

6.  What do you guys pack for food in warmer temps?  I hunt high temps a lot (I live in NC...and our early deer season is sweltering).  I don't ever pack food for my hunts, as I'm typically out there for 3-4hrs. at a time.

I can live with going there and not taking an animal (OK, fully, with that prospect).  NOT my main goal in going there.  What I WILL be pissed about, is going there ill-prepared.

Thanks for fielding my barrage of Q's.  I thank you, in advance, for your replies/suggestions.

Sincerely,

jeff

[rastaman]

Permanone for chiggers and ticks...spray on clothes, etc. before you go.  i hang my stuff up, spray it good, let it dry, then pack it.
Buy a holster for your thermacell.  i strap mine to where it hangs down on the side of my pack.
i use sitka gear or something that dries quickly when wet.  Cotton will cool you down when you sweat, but takes longer to dry. You can get by with a fanny pack or definitely something smaller than an elk pack.
i don't use a face mask when hog hunting.
i take pb crackers, dried fruit, and nuts and lots of water.  i would recommend calling Ray (he is a great guy to talk to) and get some input from him also.
Good luck and post lots of pictures!    

[Ragnarok Forge]

Treat the clothes ahead of time and don't let them contact your skin when you sweat.  The stuff is toxic to humans too.  I only treat the bottom of my pants legs with it.  I always carry along a pad roll to sit on and don't lean up against anything that is woody or brusy.

I always carry my Diablo with all the survival gear I might need, plus two water bottles and a full water bladder.  A broken or badly twisted ankle can make a 300 yard uphill climb impossible in the dark.  Have enough gear to overnight and survive at all times.  Plus the Diablo can carry out a boned out quarter easily.  This can be really important if hunting when it is hot.  

But a factory thermacell holster the are cheap.  I hang mine on my belt.  They work awesome on the bugs.  Particularly the flying bugs.

I find that a good coating of paste camo keeps the biting bugs at bay.  They don't like the taste.  

My personal rule for hunting and travel in the mountains / woods is alway carry enough gear to overnight in the rain for two days.  If your really in trouble that much food and gear can be extended to four days and the water can stretch out to 3 or 4.  I don't care how uncomfortable or hot I get.  If I need the gear, I live.

[Icandraw]

I hunted with Ray the first part of Nov. I carried my fanny pack with me. I carried two bottles of water with me and all the snacks I thought I might need. I also carried a flashlight, knife, and strapped my thermacell to my fannypack in a holster. We didn't have any trouble with ticks and chiggers that time of the year, but the permanone would probably be a good idea in may. I used the paste type of camo..but use what ever your comfortable with. Also binoculars will come in handy looking for pigs and a gps and or compass could come in handy. Ray will keep you well fed while you are there. I'm going back in Oct. and I'm already looking forward to it. I wear the same clothes that I use for deer hunting. I hope this answered some of your questions. The most important thing to remember is watch the wind direction, one whiff of your scent and they are making tracks away from you....fast.

[Mint]

I went to Rays in September when it was really hot. We walked all over the property trying to find pigs but since food was everywhere with acorns and fruit dropping they were hard to find. I think they might have been laying low inside the pine thickets. There is sign everywhere and there are a lot of pigs on the property for sure. I plan on going back next year to get my revenge. Here are my tips for you

Go over the layout of the property with Ray and ask a bunch of questions on locations. I didn't do this and wasted some time not realizing how the roads ran in the swamp.

Take binoculars!!!!!!! and use them and go slow. I got impatient one day and blew it moving to fast and a couple of pigs that were wallowing spotted me or heard me and booked at 45 yards. If I used my binoculars then i would have seen them and at least got a stalk in.

Bring light but quiet clothing. Go real real slow and listen and look as you are walking through the brush.

Find out where the satndsare for the feeders and get into them early. Talk to Ray about shortcuts through the woods to these stands instead of walking the long way in on the road. I would hunt from these stands until the feeders go off, give the hogs a 1/2 hour at least and then stalk your way back. The hogs are there you just have to find them.

Use your wind indicator often when stalking in the swamp. Ray will tell you to get up on these ridges that run through the swamp which are only acouple of feet higher than surrounding area. At first I didn't know what Ray meant but once you see one you will. These are where the hog trails will run. Get on these and stalk slowly and use binocs. You are not going to get lost if you have a compass or GPS, if you go to far deep you will hit the river. In other directions you will hit aroad or fence so don't worry about getting lost.

Listen to Ray, I've hunted hogs for 7 years and he knows what he is talking about. Take his advice!

Bring a thermacell and bug repellant just in case.

It is a really nice peice of property and even though no shots I had a great time there. Go with the right attitude that it isa free range hunt and the pigs might be elusive and you will have a great time.

[Biggie Hoffman]

1) Have your wife or girlfriend pick 'em off when you get home, it's alot more fun and doesn't make you sick like permanone.

2) You're only hunting a few thousand acres, stick a bottle of water in one pocket and a compass in the other, if you need more stuff, walk back to camp and get it.

3) The pigs will smell your bug machine. Man up and leave it home.

4) If he sees you, he sees you. A facemask won't help. It's too hot anyway and facepaint colgs your pores.

5) The more the merrier.

6) Eat what you kill. That way it's always fresh.

[Guru]

Originally posted by Biggie Hoffman:
1) Have your wife or girlfriend pick 'em off when you get home, it's alot more fun and doesn't make you sick like permanone.

2) You're only hunting a few thousand acres, stick a bottle of water in one pocket and a compass in the other, if you need more stuff, walk back to camp and get it.

3) The pigs will smell your bug machine. Man up and leave it home.

4) If he sees you, he sees you. A facemask won't help. It's too hot anyway and facepaint colgs your pores.

5) The more the merrier.

6) Eat what you kill. That way it's always fresh.

[Rob DiStefano]

jeff, yer not a newbie to killing critters so yer kinda over thinking things.  just get down there and have a ball!  :D

[JC]

1) My wife don't pick ticks so I use permanone. Might make Biggie sick but heck, I hear he'll eat anything. I'm not a big fan of cotton anymore after using my Sitka gear; cooler than cotton and dries out quick.

2)Biggie's not telling you the whole story...he hunts with someone else who carries his pack...I mean lunch. Mostly I want a pack for water, other than that, you aren't too far from camp.

3)I use my thermacell just about from frost off to frost back on. Biggie can call me a little girl but I don't get bit by skeeters like he does. The pigs I hunt will smell ya even without a bug machine and won't smell the bug machine if your hunting the right wind. The thermacell holster they sell at various places (wlmart, basspro, cabela's etc.) works just fine. Take extra refills...I'v never said "I brought too many" after a trip is over.

4)Biggie is just jealous cuz it's harder for him to pretend he's a 6'6" tree than it is for me to pretend I'm a 5'10" bush. I like an underarmor facemask cause I can soak it in water and evap cooling makes it nice and comfy when it's hot. If it's too hot for that, no mask. If your thermacell is working and positioned correctly you probably won't have bug problems.

5)You'll be covering a lot of ground, sometimes alone, sometimes with a partner (if you want). Comfortable rubber boots will make the hunt much more enjoyable. Biggie goes barefoot but he's a lot tougher than I am.

6)You're close to camp but a few snacks never hurt if you find yourself chasing pigs all day. I'd never leave pigs just cause I was starving, and neither would Biggie, that's why he has a packer (see #2 above).

You'll have a trip of a lifetime at Ray's; fantastic host, beautiful country, and when they are hot, awesome hog hunting. I would call/email him to go over your equipment list as he will have a lot of helpful info.

[Biggie Hoffman]

   

[Matt Quick]

I hunt pigs up the river from Ray's several times a year.  It has been a very wet winter and the mosquitoes will be VERY bad this year.  I like to use those off insect repellent wipes and a head net if they are really bad. Clothes should already be pre-treated with permanone.
   If you are doing spot and stalk the thermacell will not help that much since you will be moving.  I like to move pretty quickly till I find fresh pig sign or actually see or hear them.  A lot of times you will hear them before you see them.  I would still bring the thermacell in case you are staionary for a while.
   It's gonna be hot so I would leave the backpack at home and just take the small fanny pack.  You don't really need food but bring at least a couple of bottles of water.
   When you get a pig down go ahead and field dress it and submerge the carcass in water.  This will help cool it down and keep the flies from laying eggs all over the carcass.  Before you do this would be a good time to fire up that thermacell.  Believe me you shoot a pig at about 5pm and when you come back for it at dark it will be covered with fly eggs if its not in water.
   After you get your pig in water keep hunting.  May is my favorite month to hunt pigs.  They are very active and it is not uncommon to shoot more than one during a hunt.  
Good Luck.

[OkKeith]

Jeff,

I have never hunted in the area where you are going but have hunted here in Oklahoma and some in Texas. It can't be much hotter or much more humid there, than here.

I carry one of the smaller size hydration packs with the bladder. It has a couple of small pockets to hold the few items I might want to carry. For me, the key to the feral hog game is mobility. Don't carry anything that hinders a full on sprint! You might never need too, but if you do; quivers, packs, strap-on pockets or even hats can get in the way. That stuff will flop all over or get hung up in the brush. It can even ruin a long and laborious spot-and-stalk.

I have a couple of dark greenish fishing shirts that I hunt in during the summer. I think they are made by Ex-Officio. They are light weight, cool and dry fast. They even have an anti-insect quality impregnated into them. I also have the bandana made by the same folks with the anti-insect stuff. It seems to work well for me.

Bow, arrows, a knife, some snacks and water are all you really need. Everything else will just get in the way.

Good luck on the hunt!

OkKeith

[Rob DiStefano]

i would never Never NEVER pack off for a spring-fall hunt without thermacell and a ton of pads and fuel cells.  Never Ever.  don't care if ya calls me a girlie wimp - sticks 'n' stones, nah nah na nah nah.   :D

[Terry Green]

1. Permanone? Cotton shirts/pants? I've searched and found threads saying cotton is NOT the right choice. What is? And, will permanone do the trick on the flying insects (utilizing cotton garb)?

  Not sure why cotton wouldn't be the right choice...less I misunderstood something.  I wear cotton all the time and the cotton I wear is quiet as well, and if you spray the Permanone on the outside of your cloths and let it dry you wont get ticks or sick.  Wont do much for flying insects but its kept me from getting chiggers so far.  

2. Pack contents? I'm guess (sans calls), the same things I'd take elk hunting is what I want to take, there? First aid kit; knives; lights; hydration .....the normal stuff? I just bought my elk pack (Badlands Diablo), and I also have a nice, big fanny-pack system. I'm sure the heat will make me want to take the fanny pack. Good call? Am I close enough to civilization to not NEED the larger pack (with heat being "a" factor)?

  Pack light.  Knife, broadhead sharpener, flashlight, snake, water, and yes pack your thermacel.  I've killed plenty of hogs while the themacel was running.  If they smell it, they are going to smell you.  They are even more likely to smell you since the thermacel sent rises up and doesn't radiate off like your sent does.  

3. Thermacell......I own one. I like it. I don't own a means of carrying it on my person. How well does this work? Any suggestions on a "holster" and where to attach it?

  See above.  Nice to have if you are set up somewhere, and you can affix it to the top of your fanny pack.  Also hard to pick a spot with cypress swamp swarms trying to suck blood out of your eyes if there's been a hatch.

 
4. Gotta anchor, somewhere. I can shoot with a facemask, and do for deer hunting. If the bigs are as I hear, though, I'm not going to be able to bear them with a bare face. I've got 6 weeks to prepare for however I may need to shoot, there. If that's a mesh headcover....so be it. If there's another route (sprays/etc...), I'd like to know that (my preference).

  Once again, I may have missunderstood this question. You need to anchor in the same place no matter what if all possible...and what do you mean 'if the pigs are as I hear'?  

5. Anyone who's ever been to Ray's.....what's the typical protocol for hunting? Alone? with a partner? Not really a "concern", here. But, it brings things into the picture like communication.

  Alone...and sometimes paired up with a plan usually at Ray's.  Two can spread out and work a woodlot together no problem....just need to make sure both are on the same page when hogs are spotted by who and who gets the stalk, and how the other one is going to stay clear but downwind from an visual vantage point

 
6. What do you guys pack for food in warmer temps? I hunt high temps a lot (I live in NC...and our early deer season is sweltering). I don't ever pack food for my hunts, as I'm typically out there for 3-4hrs. at a time.

  I usually do take a snack as I can at times burn a lot of calories at times moving fast on a milk run from likely area to another likely area I suspect hogs are. But gear way down once reaching those areas.  Beef Jerky, and Cheese crakers, vienna sausages etc...  


Thanks for fielding my barrage of Q's. I thank you, in advance, for your replies/suggestions.

  No worries.....nice to see another hunting inquiry thread!!!

[Bill Skinner]

Get a pair of the Bean/Lacrosse lace up leather top, rubber bottom boots.  Get at least the 12" tops and stuff your trousers in them.  They will be cooler than rubber boots, lighter, and have a thinner sole which lets you feel stuff whem you stalk.  I wear jeans and a long sleeve shirt and a boonie hat.  I have never tried stalking with a thermacell, I put bug spray on my hat, around my collar, my waist and above my boots.  I put some on my face and hands, I usually sweat that off in a couple of hours.  I carry a back pouch canteen, I stuff that full of ice before I start, I try to refill with ice at lunch.  It has pockets, I don't put anything in them, you can if you want to.  I use a Mantis quiver, it works well for slipping around in dense brush.  I have the 4 arrow model, the six arrow model would be better for hog hunting.  Bill

[GMMAT]

I said "bigs", T....but meant BUGS!

I appreciate the insight(s).  I'll plan, accordingly.  I don't eat much in the field....and definitely not when it's hot.

Boots?  Dang.  I've got uninsulated lacrosse rubbers; Danner pronghorns (that have leaked since season 1 and my new kenetrek's should be here any day.  The kenetrek's are only 8".  I'm guessing the Lacrosse rubbers?

Guys I apologize for the barrage.....and Rob..thanks for the vote of confidence.  Like I said, though...I can easily live with not scoring a hog/pig.  I couldn't stand not being prepared, though.

Thanks, again.

[Squirrel Bait]

Jeff,
1. We use Permanone, usually around the bottom of your pants and at the waist, we don't like chiggers!We always wear a long sleeve t-shirt and then a button up over the top. Them Swamp Hueys can't get through 2 layers.

2.You don't need to pack much, lots of water and more water!Flashlight,toilet paper, knife,snacks

3. Bring the Thermocell, get a holster for it!

4. I can't shoot with one either, so its either paint or nothing I just deal with the bugs.

5. We will hunt with you or let you hunt alone. Some places we do hunt in teams.

6. You just need a snack in your pack, just something to up your energy. We'll feed you pretty good.

Just come have a great time, don't worry about all the other stuff to much. If something happens to you we will make sure your remains get home!

[Mike Gerardi]

Originally posted by Squirrel Bait:
Jeff,
Just come have a great time, don't worry about all the other stuff to much. If something happens to you we will make sure your remains get home!

Ya cant ask for more than that!

[Molson]

Use the Permanone!  First year down the chiggers tore me up.  Used Permanone last year in May and didn't get a bite.  The mosquitos were thick and we used two Thermacells which kept them at bay.  No worries!  Take extra water and stash it in a convenient location that way you can refill your pack without having to go back to camp.  That walk back to camp can be l-o-n-g when you're thirsty!

[GMMAT]

Squirrel....others....LOL!...and THANKS!