Super Duper Hog info thread

[swampbiologist]

I jumped the Boar from the sedge grass by himself. I had stalked pass him by no more than 20 yards down wind and he spooked when I circled upwind to double back through the center of the grass. I also jumped two sows that were layed up in the thick briar areas of the willow ridge. I've tried several times to work th edownwind side of this ridge but the walking gets soft and almost always noisy. This ridge is an area I'm thinking of setting a feeder up on and hunting it in the evenings til dark. The areas where the hogs root up will no longer support your weight. They will turn it into a muddy mess.

[Marvin M.]

Great Info guys!!!  Keep it comeing for us Wannabes!

[Littlefeather]

Nice pics! Couple of questions? Have you seen deer on these trails? Reason I ask is really not important to pigs hunting. I just never see deer on pig trails. The deer generally parallel the trails out to the sides but won't step in the actual trails. It's just something I see around here.
What is the distance from where the defined trail starts to fan out. They generally start fanning out and getting much wider as they get closer to feeding areas. This is where I think I'd place the feeder and not right along the water. The hogs are quite obviously feeding on Sedge tubers. It happens here all the time. I really think you can use the cover of the standing sedge as a natural blind in which to hunt from. The sedge should afford you ability to move around as the wind changes the direction. Just hunker low in the grass and enjoy the day. I love that set-up. I shot two hogs 45 minutes appart in the exact type of location last Febuary. Good luck. CK

[swampbiologist]

If you notice in the pictures, the ridge is pretty narrow. I have seen deer travel the inside edge along the marsh but believe it's easier to travel and windcheck the ridge. I did see both deer and hog tracks. In some parts of the ridge, there are two distinct trails. maybe the hogs don't mind walking where the deer have passed. I do notice that you don't see deer where you see hogs and vice-versa. They don't generally buddy-up. It seems that they will use the ridge as one of the few places to get dry. One other thing that I have noticed, the boar that I jumpped was alone and the sows with "little" pigs tend to segregate themselves from the large group.
There is also a large amount of Cattail grass there and this time of year, they have a maze of trails through it. It can be tough walking through some of these areas which makes locating them tough. When you do find them in this stuff, you can get right on top of them for one of those long 4 yard shots!

[Ted]

Thanks guys.

Swampbio's last post raises a question that has had me thinking for a couple weeks.  A couple weeks ago, I got back from only my second hog hunting trip.  This one was in South Carolina.  I have heard that Deer and Hogs don't enjoy one another's company, but I saw some counter evidence on this trip.

I was hunting a corned road.  I heard something around the bend.  As I eased around, I heard/saw several deer blow and vacate.  I looked further up the trail and about 20 yards beyond where the deer were there was what looked to my inexperienced eyes to be a pretty big pig feeding on the trail.  It was completely dark and I was on my way back to camp.  I could only see by the light of the nearly full moon.  The situation raised a couple questions that I thought the experts could address:

1) One of the take-homes I got out of this situation was that it may not be true that hogs and deer don't mix.  What's the concensus about this?  Certainly possible that the hog just showed up and the deer where leaving anyways, but my sense was that they were both happilly feeding before I came along.

2) The deer blew several times as they left and one stood there stomping for a few seconds before taking off.  I figured that like deer and turkeys, that the hog would pick up on the warning from the deer, but the hog seemed relatively unphased by the spooked deer.  Is this odd to the experts or expected?

3) Also, being new to this game, I have no experience to help me understand a hog's body language (this was only the fourth feral hog I had ever seen), but the thought did cross my mind that I may not be in a very safe situation.  Given that is was dark and I may have been able to see him better than he could see me, I had the wind and I was pretty quite,  I thought maybe he knew something was there and just didn't care.  From what I could see he would feed away from me for about 5-10 yards, then turn and move pretty quickly in my direction for about 10 yards (I thought this perhaps could have been like a warning charge of sorts).  I remember hearing some noise, but I didn't interpret it as threatening. This went on for about 3 minutes or so.  I was able to get an arrow on the string and drop my pack, so I did move a bit.  He was about 40 yards away when this went down and the whole thing lasted probably 3-4 minutes before he decided to take off (the opposite direction as the deer).  What do you guys make of this behavior?

If there isn't much here for others to learn from feel free to ignore these questions, but if possible I would like to learn as much as possible from this experience so I am that much better on my next trip down.

Thanks for anything you can share,

Ted

[JasonV]

I have seen game-camera video of hogs and deer feeding together - don't know if thats the norm, but they seemed pretty comfortable with each other's presence....

(this was nocturnal feeding from a timed feeder)

[swampbiologist]

I would think that it depends on the scarcity of the food supply. Animals become very tolerant when times are tough even towards humans. Even to come into peoples yards and eat their shrubs with the people standing near by. The rigors of winter take their toll.
Some hogs are more aggressive than others. Some run off and others stand their ground. Hogs out produce and out compete deer for such important foods as acorns.
Just the fact that the deer blew at the hog says that the deer did not approve of the hogs presence and then the deer left. I would say that under normal circumstances, they don't associate much. As most hunters know, deer are courious animals. Who knows how they interact under unusual situatuions.

[aussiebowhunter]

ck really enjoying reading ur info on hogs,first spotted on ozbow..i am up in weipa,cape york australia,some say one of the best places for big tusked aggressive hogs..we run open range,500,000 acre boar hunts each year during the dry...we hav large lagoons,swamps and as the dry sets in the waters drys up in the creeks and ull find boars anywhere there is water..we always hunt for the solo boars as he will be the old fella with the good ivory..

im up here in  the wet on my own and im trying to think of ways to track him down when food and water is so plentiful..u can just see  them anytime or not at all..

once again really enjoy ur posts all the best pat...

[Lee in S.C.]

The deer and hogs were togther because of the food. On my lease the deer leave when the hogs move in.

[Littlefeather]

Ted, beware of hogs that don't seem to show fear. Some will false charge and hackle up when they don't want to part from a food source or share the food. Most will leave as soon as warnings are not heeded but once in awhile they will stand their ground and even run at you.

Hello Aussie! I got notified by one of your Countrymen that they were cutting and pasting this thread to OZBOW to share over there. That's a nice honor! Hope we can help one another atlhough half a world appart. It would be nice to see some of the techniques prove to be the same on two different continents. Lets chat! I do believe you are looking at a very difficult situation in finding hogs when the water has dispersed them into the unknown. I think I'd start on the highest ground on the East facing sides as we've already talked about. Even hogs get sick and tired of rain after awhile and will seek a dry spot. Can you describe things a little better on the lay of the land and the general feeding habitats and bedding areas? Thanks, CK

[Mark Normand]

Emile, I like that river running boat, warm and dry!

Yesterday I shot a small pig out of a bunch, and the squealing brought in moma and the calvary of backup adults, about 4-5 in all. They didn't give me another shot, just a bit too far +/-40 in the woods, a-woofing and blowing, but I wonder if I could have showed myself and bullied them into coming closer. Before anyone freaks out, I'm not talking deathwish like Emile's marsh pics above,  this was woods with trees and tops everywhere to get clear if necessary.  Man I wanted another shot badly.

Any realistic suggestions from the experts here?

[Littlefeather]

Mark, that is one of the "specifics" I was talking about when I say calls work but only in specific situations. If you'd have had a varmit call in your pocket at the instance that the hogs got upset, you could have dropped to one knee, blew like a squeeling piglet, and held on for the ride. They'll come for that! I promise! I've seen it with my own eyes and will try it again the next time I shoot a pig and the rest get upset. Congrats on getting the pig you did get. Good on ya! CK

[Littlefeather]

BTW, Advocating blowing a varmit in distress call while in close proximity to upset pigs holds the possibility of personal injury. Please keep in mind that this technique hold the very realistic possibility of injury. If you are not in physical shape to defend yourself or climb a tree, please do not attempt this technique. I probably shouldn't even be talking about it but I am assuming we all know the very realistic possibilities that lie within these tight boundaries. Please excercize your best judgment when attempting this. If you have no escape route, leave em alone! CK

[Mark Normand]

Thx CK, thats exactly what I meant, I was in control of this situation and already had contingencies worked out. Its not for everyone for sure.

Good suggestion on the varmit call, dang I wish I would have thought of that quickly.
[and held on for the ride]  LOL
What a great suggestion for stand hunting at a feeder!

[Mike Byrge]

The pig that Mark shot had a BIG Momma.

I crossed paths with her and her bunch a couple of times and she was very protective...a smart old pig.

Curtis what's your take on bow-quivers and bright-fletch?   I've been two weekends in a row and I've had pigs see me when I was still and in good cover.  Dark woods, overcast days..everything is black or gray right now and I suspect my yellow and lime fletch is "standing out" even to an animal that isn't supposed to see in color.

Most of my pig hunting has been in South Texas where it is generally bright and much more color.

[Doc Nock]

Yeah, CK..in today's "litiguous society" they couldl whup you for advocating gettign unzipped!      :D  

Been to TX 2x (never saw hair) and once to Shiloh and had the chance to watch many, stick one and after all the doins were done, snuck up on a big hampshire sans bow...what a thrill that was! Po boy's griz!

[the Ferret]

Mark..too cool Bro. Apparently your shot put it down quick. If it had kept squealing you'd probably have had momma in your lap.

Death Wish naaa, a little excitement OH YEA!

[Mark Normand]

No Ferret, I was pizzed cause he ran off squealing with my arrow slapping the trees, then the big party started about 40-50 yards away. The quiet woods just came alive! Ended up losing that nice heavy 750gr ramin and 160 snuffer, dangit! Never could find it, will have to look again when I go back.

It was absolutely awesome and exciting to hear all that grunting, woofing, teeth popping, snorting going on. Man it really got loud at one point when the whole bunch was wired up.

I had a large barrier of blowdowns in front of me, I could see/shoot over it, but couldn't climb over quickly or quietly, otherwise I would have immediately closed the distance for a followup.

[Littlefeather]

Yea Mark, keep a squeeler handy in the event that it happens again.

Mike, I hate to admit but in all I've gathered on pigs over the last few years, I've never known whether they see in color. I really never needed to know I suppose. I've never seen pigs pic off a hunter that is remaining still due to colors. I've not know it if this has happened anyway. One thing I know for certain is that pigs detect movment far greater than deer from my experience. I've done movement experimenting with deer in close proximity. Very slow movments, no matter the distance don't seem to be detected. Pigs on the other hand seem to detect the slightest movments. I know the general eyesight of a hog is not superior to that of a deer but when detecting movment is concerned, the pig seems to have the upper hand. Deer do seem to detect camo patterns that don't mix and color variations. Im not too sure if deer see in color or not either. Maybe I need to study more. One thing I see in lots of hunters who use bow quivers is that when the bow is raised or lowered with bright, matching fletching is what is called flagging. Look at the measurable surface area of all the fletching next to one another. If everything is one color, it looks like one continuous flag of color raising up and down. Of course my side quiver does the same when I am moving through the brush. Keep testing Mike and let us know what you find. CK

[Ray Hammond]

I think they DO see in color, Curtis. I say that because on the place we hunt if you are wearing ORANGE of any kind you cannot get within 300 yards of the pigs around here and they will haul buggy! If you move straight at them and are wearing only dull colored clothing and move slow, you can almost always approach within 75 yards without so much as a nod from the hogs.

I experimented by pulling an orange watch cap out of my coat pocket after getting within 75 yards three different times, three different groups of pigs, and EVERY single time they hauled butt like nobody's business!

One of my favorite times to hunt pigs in SC is during the period from June 20- July 10th. I know, its HOT with a capital H, BUT, the blackberries are ripening in the clear cuts and the hogs are absolutely WILD about blackberries. They will be out there chomping berries till they are all gone...morning, noon, and night feeding on those berries...you can hear their lips smacking way before you ever see the hogs they love them so much.

I highly recommend berry time for pigs in SC and GA!