Super Duper Hog info thread

[Littlefeather]

When to hunt pigs: The best time to hunt pigs is when you have the time. There is such a wide array of methods available that you literally can hunt hogs 24 hours a day in most states in the US. They also are not considered a game animal in any state that I know of. The fact that they are not considered a game animal means that you may legally employ just about any method to take a hog. I personally have never found the need to restrict what methods I use. Ethics is not something that enters my mind when in pursuit of hogs, I hope that doesn't offend anyone but I've seen the millions of dollars a year in distruction these vermin create while perpetuating their own species.

The absolute best time to find a hog is in the late evening and into the night. Hogs are mostly nocturnal by nature but are also opportunists and will feed, water, or breed just about any time the desire hits them. I actually have developed such a fondness for the pigs lifestyle that I find myself envious of them. My personal favorite time to hunt hogs is between dusk and around 11:00pm. The pigs around me tend to move best on moonlit nights with a slight breeze, between the hours of 7-10:00pm best. This may vary by region. I have used lights on feeders with great results but the results are generally short lived and the hogs get wise. I've hunted more and more by moonlight the last two years. Most every night hunt I've done in the last six month has been done without the aid of artifical light. Beware, your shooting will change when shooting at night. Practice a lot in the dark before going afield. I tend to shoot much tighter groups in the dark but the shots tend to be a bit high. Practice, practice, practice. There is a very unique, spititual connection with the bow when shooting in the dark. One of those "feel the force" type shots. Of course for about 8 or so nights a month the moon produces very shootable light. The use of pop-up blinds creates a brighter shooting environment as well. You are sitting in the dark looking out into the light. Your eyes adjust much better if using an enclosure. Although your eyes may adjust just fine, your heart never will. Nothing, absolutely nothing sends a jolt of adrenaline surging harder or faster than to be sitting in the dark with all around you silent when all of a sudden a boar hog breaks the silence in close proximity with a shrill squeel. BAM! The adrenaline almost knocks me down for a couple minutes! This is the entire reason I continue to push as I do on these rooters! The night time rush is unrivaled. Unless they make night hunting bears legal, I'll continue to hunt pigs in the moonlight.

Morning hunting: Mosty unproductive for hogs unless you catch some late runners on a return trip to the bedding ridges. The fact of the matter is that you and I have been taught since we were young boys to get up very early and sneek quietly through the wood in route to slay a mythological monster. This is a rich tradition that is truly ingrained within us since we were young. No need to dis traditions, you are supposed to hunt in the morning so get out there and enjoy the time afield and dream about shooting a hog of a lifetime later tonight in the moonlight! CK

[The Ursus]

I don't thinks this has been talked about yet.  I think most of this group is ok with "any method or any means" so I think it's safe to discuss this option here.  I havn't done this myself but know some guys who have had really good luck shooting pigs in complete darkness with a lazer pointer.  They hunted by pairs in elevated stands over feeders with wheelie bows.  One guy would shine the dot on in the zone and the other would shoot.  I don't know how well this would work for traditional shooters but I'd try it if I had another chance at pigs at night.  Apparently, it was the only thing that worked for them during their trip cuz they'd only come to the feeder in the dark.

[The Ursus]

Of course, I wouldn't expect any type of "spiritual moment" when trying this method.  

[Cinghiale]

Yeah..European Boars are nocturnal too..( Cinghiale means Wild Boar n.d.r ) and it's impossible to hunt them during the day.
Here the wild boars have a very steep territory where live..normally the bedding zone is in the middle of a very steep scarp with a lot of brambles. You can shoot inside with a gun and they don't move from there.
The only one chance is night hunting.
Full moon nights are better for me but somone use a torch mounted on his bow with a remote control or a head lamp.
I don't like it....natural light is better.
The preferred time is about between 9 pm and 11 pm...If you like to know wich is the right time instead to use a expensive cam you can use a very cheap battery alarm clock. I buy it from street vendors for about 1 Euro ( about 1 US$ ).Than I remove the plastic cover of battery and tie some yards of fishing line to the battery..I fix with adhesive tape the clock to a tree ..I stretch the line and I tie it to another tree. When the boars came,pull away the line and the battery....the clock stop at the exact time....after some nights you know the habit of that animal....Just go up on the stand one hour before without long long waiting.
Ciao Army

[Littlefeather]

HaaaHaaa! I was just about to cover "trail timers". You just posted a similar idea that I was going to tell about. I'll get to that in a bit. Good post! CK

[NorthShoreLB]

In the areas where I hunt them, they prefer to bed on the higher elevations, usualy on the lee side of the ridges, where the vegetation is greener and thicker.

I've spend countless hours following trails and try to figure them out.

I know now where the general bedding areas are, but there's no way I could get anywere near them before they hear me good.

I have to hunt them when they are in transition, because even the most likely feeding areas are super thick, they love to root for snails on the open forest floor under the pine needles, but that's mainly nocturnal, the grounds are all tore up, but rarely I manage to spot them in dayligth in this areas.


On the charging note, when I was hunting them (rifle) in Australia with my Dad 20 years ago, he always made me carry a machete, and stressed, "if you get charged, stand your ground, sidestep them at the last second, and whak hem on the neck !"


Is 8:30 Am cool rainy day, I'm getting ready to go out for a Midday hog hunt, see you guys later    

Manny

[NorthShoreLB]

Huntable transition area, trail coming up from a deep valley towards the bedding area on the other side of the ridge

 

[Littlefeather]

That will be a morning trail Manny if your discription is correct. That also is an absolutely perfect place to use a redirecting log jam. Id personally hang a tree stand close to the downwind side of the trail, lay a log across the trail which would force the hog into a 1/4ing position form me. Id place two or three drops of vanilla or anice on the end of the log so they'd stop and sniff. Crack! Thats the arrow sound against a stout shoulder! Get em Boy!
You need to set a cheap trail timer a few nights consecutive and determine their travel times. We'll cover trail timers in awhile.


After reading what I have posted and what was also mentioned about baiting not working around a wallow, I think I'll expand.

Don't confuse a bedding depression in the dirt with a "hog wallow" along the waters edge. These are entirely different things all together. The bedding area and the depressions are made while the pigs are resting. These generally are on more solid ground that holds moisture as well. The "hog wallows" along waters edges are made for entirely different reasons and simply occur at random. A hog may have been running by and simply decided to cool hisself or to put on a layer of mud as a insect repellent. This is only a sign that a hog has once been here, not that he frequents the area often. It is important to know the difference. Of course if there is only one pond in a five mile radius, you can probably rest assured that a hog will be along soon to hit the pond again. The main thing is to find the bedding areas in close proximity. Pigs sometime have multiple bedding areas and seem to use them a few days and move on, returning a few days later depending on hunting pressure, etc... CK

[Joe D]

Curtis......good stuff!  

[Missouri CK]

They don't call you "Hog Killer Extraordinaire" for nothing! Great thread CK.  

I'm not sure what Curtis is better at....killing hogs himself or helping someone else to get a chance at a one.

I'd say all the generous information provided on this thread illustrates that perfectly

[Islandlongbow]

Great information Curtis.
In my area I've found when hunting herd hogs you dont shoot the dominate sow. With out her leadership there will be confusion in the group. Making it tuff to predicate herd movements until a new leader takes over.

Jerry

[Littlefeather]

Thanks. I appreciate the support....

Jerry, I've found that when hogs have a daily routine and I interrupt it by shooting "any" hog from the group, they immediately change routine. They do sometime return to the old routine but it takes weeks sometime.

Determining when hogs are moving:Like I've already mentioned, the hogs around me are generally on a routine. The only thing that really changes is the times their routines take place. Im not sure what generates the changes in feeding times, etc. but it definitely is something that happens. I've suspected moon phases play an important part of things but have not really spent any time testing my theory. I really have had no need to test moon phases because I can use a $2.00 trail timer.

Trail Timer construction and use
Here is south Texas we have stores called Dollar General. You can buy most things in these stores for a dollar. Go in and pick up a wrist watch or as mentioned already, a battery operated alarm clock. I personally use a wrist watch. You will want to purchase the cheapest wind-up watch you can get. The way to use it is to pull out the set mechanism and tie a piece of dental floss around it. Set the watch to the correct time and strap the watch to a small tree on one side of the trail and string the dental floss across the trail and tie it off. As the hogs run through, the dental floss pulls the set mechanism out on the watch, stopping the time.  The battery operated alarm clock would work the same way but would pull a battery free to stop the clock. You will need to do this several nights consecutive to get a good feel of the time they travel the trail.

Setting the unit: You should easily be able to tell the general size of the hogs using the trail by looking at the hoof tracks on the trails or at fence crossings. This will give you the estimated height to set your timer. If you set it too low a coon or other animal may trip the timer. Also, deer and other animals may walk through the timer so be sure to set it several times to get a good indication of times of travel. Also, keep a keen eye on the tracks left by the animals tripping the timer. If it keeps getting tripped between 8-9:00pm, Id say it's probably hogs(watch the tracks). If the time starts varying really wildly, Id say you better just go sit and watch all night one night. CK

[mo bo hunter]

how far as a general rule is a bedding spot from ahog wallo thereis about 52 rubs and hog wallos every where around this little pond

[Littlefeather]

Sounds like you've found a hot spot! I don't think there is any set distance to a bedding area. Heck, you may have found one. I'd suspect that your area is getting hit in the day time when the weather is warmer. Just my guess. Is there any trails leading into the area? Hogs will travel cattle trails frequently. Also remember, hogs will hit an area occasionally for several days consecutive then move on, only to return again for several days later. It's hard for me to determine what is happening when I've not hunted hogs in your area. Id start by looking at the freshness of the wallers. If the wallers are being made daily, start a trail timer. If it's an occasional, random thing, I'd start the baiting/scents in the area and continue freshening them every few days. This should eventually generate a routine for the hogs. Spread bait evenly. Never pile bait or place thick in any area. It needs to be spread evenly and thinly across an area. If you pile up bait, the hogs in my area will totally avoid it. They know something is wrong with the situation. For about a $6 investment in corn(sour or plain) and a wrist watch for a trail timer you should get it worked out in a couple of weeks. Keep us informed. CK

[beyondmyken]

Howe sensitive are hogs to a pop up ground blind?  Specifically, can you set one up that afternoon and hunt that night?

[Littlefeather]

I've had very mixed results. I do believe the mixed results were more due to a new smell than actual sight of the blind. I'm still doing lots of testing with the pop-up blinds. They are very new to me. One thing I have learned is that an open window on the blind creates a "black hole" that really seems to upset game. Id suggest brushing over the windows a bit it nothing else. Better yet, if you have plenty of room inside to draw your bow, use the shoot through window coverings and set the blind in the brush where it's available. CK

[gregg dudley]

My hog hunting has been limited to this past season.  I managed to kill a gilt that weighed @ 100 pounds with a 3 yard shot in heavy briars.  We had busted a lot of pigs up and were trying to stalk the singles and lucked up.  As many pigs as there were, I assumed that we would be killing pigs all year.  Wrong.

We managed to kill only one more hog (my 8 year old with a rifle) that was also spot and stalk after we had seen a large group from a treestand.  There continued to be hog sign all over the place, but we saw hogs on only five total occassions.

Granted, we did not actively pursue them because we did not want to mess up our deer hunting opportunities and only hunted them on an  incidental basis.

Some facts:  The property is 525 acres and mostly rectangular in shape.  There are two ponds and a creek on the property.  THe creek is literally eat up with hog sign.  There is no sign at all on the ponds.  The cotton fields had a lot of sign (wallows, droppings) on the edges.  We only saw one lone hog (big boar)crossing a field in daylight hours. Baiting is not legal.

I have heard that the farmer will be planting peanuts next year instead of cotton. DO you think there may be more daytime activity in or around the fields with a peanut crop?

[Littlefeather]

From what I've seen, Peanuts are the best food crop available for hogs. When peanuts are planted around here they never make it to harvest. Hogs literally won't leave a peanut in the field. Sorry, I;ve only known them to hity the fields at night.

What's wrong with night hunting. I SHOT TWO IN THE MOONLIGHT LAST NIGHT! LOL!

[beyondmyken]

Well, I went out on my first hog hunt last night.  Had 1 come in near the feeder about 8 pm from the northeast and snuffle around but it was partly cloudy and all I could see was a black shadow moving in the shadows so to speak.  Thus no shot opportunity even though it was only about 15 yards away from my ground blind.  What a rush to be that close in the dark!  Another hog came in from the same direction and they both just ambled away to the west.  I had the wind direction but they may have come in the way I walked in. Why does anyone think they did not go to the feeder?  Of course the clouds parted about 5 minutes after they left and I could see great then.

[Littlefeather]

Fantastic! Now you can understand the rush of night hunting. Got your heart crankin didn't it!! Hogs seem to have an extra sence. Sometime they just know your there. If you are going to be serious about hogs, use all the same "no-scent" tactics as you would with wiley ol whitetails. Try them several nights consecutive and you'll get one. The moon is absolutely perfect right now. They came in at the time I see them all the time around here. between 8-9:00pm seems to be the magic hour. The ones I shot last night were shot at 9:05pm.. Keep after them. You'll get one! CK