Best California Hog Hunting?

[jdhowe75]

Ok so I read a lot of different experiences with various hog hunting guide services. I would like to go hog hunting for my birthday.

As I have not been able to take a hog on my own yet I am going to splurge for a guide service. Due to my lack of experience I would like this service to help teach me field dressing, skinning, meat cooling etc. Keeping it simple, please give me your vote on your favorite California guide service for archery hogs or rifle hogs. (Traveling 4-5 hours from the IE is no problem and cost should be reasonable.)

Choppers?

Kyler @ Boaring Experience?

The Folks at Cross Country Outfitters?

List your own________________?

Thanks for your help,
-jd

 

[bigtusker]

Give it a while, you'll get a bunch of posts from the folks here with their thoughts. I'll have to excuse myself from the voting for conflict of interest.

 

[spectr17]

There is no "Best" of anything. YOu first have to decide what you want from the hunt and then cross off those guides who don't offer what you want. Bow hunt? rifle hunt? behind dogs? etc. Then you have to look at the ones who are within your budget. That's when you'll find what's "Best" for you.

The search engine on the forum here is your friend. There are hundreds of posts here already about all kinds of hog guides and ranches.

We also have guide reviews at http://www.jesseshunting.com/site/iframe.h...php%3Fcat%3D134

Good luck on your hunt, pig hunting is a blast.

 

[hatchet]

spec hit it on the head my man, every body has there own opinion, give this
topic some time to float and you will see what i mean, good luck bro.

hatchet

 

[Shot]

Ya, what Spec said.

There are a lot of good places for a guided hunt, you just have to find the kind of hunt you want. Good luck

 

[scr83jp]

Read your state hunting stats, pigs have been taken in the San Berdo Nat. Forest ,may have come from the Las Flores ranch.I wish the pigs in the San Timeteo area would relocate to the SB National Forest where water and feed are available.Wooden box traps baited with vegie trimmings from markets enabled a grad student at the Univ of Az to complete his javelina study .

 

[Arrowslinger]

When I head out for another guided trip, I'm going to Chopper's.

I've seen way too many pigs to go any where else. Good luck on your hunt.

 

[Rick]

I would have to go with Chopper, too. For the money, you can't beat his place, and the view from the "cabin" is gorgeous. While he won't gut your pig for you, I'm sure he'll be right there to direct and help you. He's got the game hanger and walk-in cooler you need, too. He'll show you the best spots to try and give advice on how to do it. You'll see lots of other game, too - quail, turkey, bobcat, coyotes and deer.

Some of the other places just want to have you shoot a hog first thing in the morning, dress it out for you quickly, take your money and send you on your way. They don't want to take the time to help a newbie figure things out.

 

[Dr. Blofeld]

I have hunted twice Kyler and am newbie to hoggin. I got my first hog on my second trip with Kyler. I have found him to be very thoughtful and generous with his vast knowledge of hogs. If you want he will show you how a professional skins a hog in twenty minutes. Just my opinion but I am going with Boaring Experiences.

 

[elkron]

WHAT!!!
No one thought to speak the word "TEJON". Less than a three hour drive and if I do say so some excellent guides...and a few hogs here and there. Just another of the many fine places to pursue the toothy porcine prize.

elkron

 

[nofear25]

Hey,
If you want to rifle hunt hogs i would suggest goin to boarin experiences. Me and my dad went for a 1 day hunt and he put us on hogs twice. My dad got a pig and i wounded one. Parkfeild was a really relaxin place and the inn was very relaxing and hunter oriented. Kyler cleans his pigs so well that the butcher i went to gave me a discount because the hog was so clean. Kyler was a great guy and my dad and I are definetly goin back... If you want to sling some arrows at some hogs a lot of guys like choppers, but i have never been there. Gl and let us know what service you pic and post pics and a story when you get back... nofear

 

[bubba]

I've only been on two places for pay.

Tejon - non-guided, but has a good number of pigs. Can't comment on guides, but from what I have heard, they are good people.

As for Choppers, its a great place, keep in mind this is Archery and semi guided, but, Chopper does give a hand when he can. Everytime I helped bring a hog back to the skinning shed, he was not standing around watching, he was in there helping out or giving pointers for first timers. He is a great host and accomadations are excellent. I am ready to go back this fall.

Other than that, I would do a search on the forum because this question has been asked more than once.

Good luck and let us know what you have decided.

I have a few friends that are rifle hunters only and I am startingn to look for somehting myself.

 

[superduty]

I've only gone guided once about 14 or so years ago up in King City California with a outfit called Don Inghals Ranch. I don't know if there still around or not. Outside of that very first pig hunt I have done it non guided and only on Tejon Ranch. That place is a slice of heaven for me and my family. I don't hunt with a bow and therefore have never seen Chopper's other than pictures posted here. It also looks like he has his own personnel slice of heaven to offer. I wish you best of luck with your decision. Ever think about going non guided? Lot's of good information on this site on how to go about it and up your odds for success.

 

[Zippy the Pinhead]

I can't imagine you would be disappointed using Kyler Hamann's service.

He's got great access to ranches with an overabundance of hogs, he's very skilled and knowledgeable, coolerizing of the hog(s) is included in his price, and he is good people, plain and simple.

On top of all that, so long as you arrange for your own lodging and meals, his fee schedule is totally reasonable. You don't pay a kill fee unless you shoot a hog. I've hunted with him twice; look over my old posts and you can read about the last trip, which was back in mid-June of 2004.

If you want to keep occupied in the middle of the day, he can set you up with some clay pigeons to shoot, or he can help you to sharpen your field-shooting skills.

Just my $0.02

 

[oregoncritters]

Hey,
I've hutned Chopper's place several times and have taken some excellent boars and meat pigs. Not only is his place excellent hunting but he is a cool to be around. Let's you hunt and then does what he can to help. I would highly recomment his place.

Oregon Critters

 

[switch]

I may be a little late in the game here, but I have hunted with Boaring Experiences twice and Kyler has put us on pigs both trips. I bagged a nice meat pig at 156-pounds on the first trip and a nice 204-pound sow on the second. A good outfit and very knowledgeable. After the morning run, we were dropped off at town to entertain ourselves for a few hours, but the pigs aren't usually moving mid-day anyway. We were picked up again a few hours before dusk for the evening run. Laid back, profeessionl and well worth the price.

I've hunted public land and have had some sighting success but that is about it. The pressure the pigs receive teach them to conduct all their business at night, away from hunters.

I have also hunted Tejon. A great deal in my opinion. My friends and I love the hardcore stuff and paying $300-$400 for Tejon access and then camping for a weekend is the best. Your only requirement is to check out on Sunday and bring your pig in for weighing. We saw several and I mistakenly passed on a few in hopes for a larger one. No luck.

Switch