Hog Hunting

[troopcom]

Just got permission to hunt a five hundred acre property to reduce the hog population. In each green field there is at least one area where hogs are rooting up the grass. I have never hunted wild hogs before and was wondering where to start. I have the proper rifle to hunt them with, but I need to know what tactics to use. Should I get in a shooting house? Should I bait them? Should I hunt them at night? Can you call them and how? What kind of bait should I use?

[M.O.A.]

yes to all and sweat corn to the last

as to the calling u can but some say its a waste of time if you want to try it use a piglit in destress hogs are pretective of there young

[LSnSC]

If it legal, hunt at night. Hogs are mostly nocturnal. Set up downwind of their feeding are. If not I would set up downwind on a trail leaving their bedding area heading to the feeding area in the evening. Ive never killed alot of hogs in the mornings. If its legal to bait, shelled corn works as well as anything.

[troopcom]

I have a night hunting permit and thanks for the tips.

[Double Naught Spy]

I would also suggest the use of game cameras. Once activity areas are figured out, cameras can help you narrow down your timing some and give you an idea of what you are up against.

However, without shelling out $ on food and gear just yet, find the water sources on the property. Look for signs of wallowing. The point here is that with 500 acres and multiple fields to cover, your hogs may be going a lot of places, but water and wallow localities will likely comprise a much smaller area and help concentrate your hogs more nicely. Even if you do bait, setting up your bait a short distance from the water/wallow area just makes the area that much more attractive and even better if you can see both from a single blind/stand.

Since your goal is to reduce the hog population, don't get caught up with the bragging rights chest beating big bad hunter syndrome of shooting the biggest baddest looking boars you can find. Go after the sows if you have a choice between the two sexes at any one time. The sows produce the piglets, not the boars, so go after the sows.

[SouthTXCrackshot]

A good 4x4 pickup with a rack of spotlights,if you got some hunting dogs such as pit bulls then bring them along as well they can pin one down for you. I would use a .243 and above. I always used a .270 and 30.06

[troopcom]

With all these tips I'm getting really excited! I was told to shoot whatever wild hogs come out. I think the land managers just want to get rid of them because the "Rich Guys" come in to hunt in the late fall and winter.

[rickyrick]

If you know where they are gonna be....Wait for them they will be back...


if its a large group, shoot the first one, sit back watch the spectacle for a few seconds....go to the next area that you saw them in.

[Doyle]

Learn to hunt the wind. Hogs have better noses than deer and WILL smell you if the wind is not in your favor. If the field allows multiple stand locations, have a different location for each wind direction so that they will always be upwind of you.

[Saltydog235]

Mix that sweet corn with some grape Kool-Aide and let it sour some. Dig a series of post holes and put it in there. Then set up a blind and shoot them when they come out. Don't shoot the first one, let them come in. They'll get smart too if you repeat this too often. Never tried it but some old timers tell me a bit of diesel fuel in the feed helps too but at $4.00+ a gallon I'll keep that stuff in the truck.

[603Country]

I think that adding diesel fuel to the corn just keeps the deer and coons from eating it. I ferment the corn in plastic buckets with screw on lids. I put beer over the corn, add water and let it sit in the hot sun for a few days. Gets really rank, and they can smell it from a great distance if the wind is right. I haven't tried the KoolAid, but I hear that it works pretty good. I use that rank corn in my hog traps, and have pretty good luck normally. It's so hot and dry now though, that I guess the hogs have moved out to the river bottoms. The post hole idea is a really good one, but I'd break wrist bones trying to dig a hole in the rock hard ground around here.

[rickyrick]

Molasses works good, you can find the deer hunting jugs on clearance soon after deer season. but I dont pay full price because my efforts are focused on elimination.

I did get a bag of dried molasses at the local Super Mega garden center for reasonable price, but haven't tried it out yet.

But soured corn works the best

[troopcom]

I believe I have enough imput to get started. Thanks guys!

[PoorRichRichard]

troopcom

TAKE ME WITH YOU!!!

[Saltydog235]

The post hole idea is a really good one, but I'd break wrist bones trying to dig a hole in the rock hard ground around here.

Luckily most of our soil is sandy loam and easy to dig. The hogs will get frustrated with all the food concentrated in that one hole. They'll start to dig it out and fight over it, that's when you can start to mow them down. Lots of times they get intent on getting at that sour mash and don't pay too much attention to the initial shot, letting you get more than one.

You might consider a buddy and renting a two man auger. Make only one hole at each location or a series of them but only fill one up at a time, cover the rest with a scrap of plywood or a concrete block. Let them compete over the food. One of the club members killed six in an evening and could have gotten more had he carried more ammo.

[Major Dave (retired)]

on store bought stuff my Dad bought me at a farm supply "feed store", when I was a kid in the 1940's. My Dad called it "shorts". Do feed stores still sell that stuff, and if so, would it work to bait hogs?

[rickyrick]

If they find it and recognize it as food it should work,I used pear cores successfuly also.

Sometimes you try stuff that you are sure the pigs will love ... and it doesn't get touched.