Dilema? Hog Hunitng in Socal

[cam188]

I really want to get a meat pig but the idea of spending $600-1000 for a pig does not sit well with me.

I am not a trophy hunter I just want the meat. The hunt aspect is fun but not for the price. It seems that pigs in CA are not a nussence for the ranches/farms anymore but a comodity......

The amount of boar meat I can buy for $600 is a hell of alot at my local butcher.

Are there any reasonable prices pig hunts in CA 300-500 tops no hidden fees etc? The other thing is I am going to take what I can get if I only get to shoot at a boar with 2inch tusks then that is what I have to take because to pay someone 300 for a day of driving me around in the field is BS. But then when I do take that Trophy pig lol I have to pay an extra 200.00 sounds like a scam in my book but what do I know.

What I really want is what we all want trespass permision on someones land but that is not very common.
Public land is an intersting concept but in the end would cost more in gas and time than anything else.

So please recommend any reasonable prices guides/ranches out there the other thing is I don't want to have to find ten people to go with so some guy can make 5000 grand in a weekend . If I can't find anyone to go with me I don't want to pay more just because I am buy myself.

Thanks in Advance.
Chris.

 

[bigtusker]

If the guys in SoCal are charging $600 to $1000, I had better raise my prices.

 

[Speckmisser]

Chris,

You'll be hard pressed to find a guided hunt under $500. Do a search on hog guides here in this forum, though, and you'll find plenty of reputable guys.

If you want to go un-guided, there are a couple of options. If you hunt archery, BigTusker (Chopper) has a pretty nice setup in Hollister, CA. Good odds if you do your part.

You can look into one of the Tejon Ranch Pig-o-Ramas (or Wild Pig Management Hunts, as they call them now) for $400. Again, that's an awesome property with above-average odds of getting a pig.

There are also some "fenced" operations available that will run you upward of $400 for your hog. Some are better than others, so do your homework. The Search function here is great for that!

 

[Lurediver]

cam188 you're asking alot, here's my last meat pig.

 

[Rancho Loco]

Good luck.

 

[SacFireJT]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (bigtusker @ Nov 9 2006, 03:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

If the guys in SoCal are charging $600 to $1000, I had better raise my prices.[/b]

 

[larrysogla]

If it is a firearm hog hunt, I would try Frank Morasci of Mustang Guide Services. He has one of the most reasonable fully guided, firearm hog hunts. He is operating out of King City. Him and his crew(Keck, etc.) are excellent. However, it was 1999 when I hunted with Frank, but I still read excellent testimonies from hunters who have hunted with Frank and posted it here at this JHO forum. I don't know how much Frank charges per gun hunter NOW. If I had the money and I could do a private land hog hunt, I would do it in Texas. Night hunts-ok, baiting the hogs-ok, spotlighting the hogs-ok, all OK except the use of poison(I am guessing here). There are many ranches in hog infested Texas that will give a gun hunter access for $100. However, as always it is buyer beware as we were skunked on a private ranch hog hunt($150/gun hunter/day/NO night hunts)as the corn bait feeders were empty and has not been operating probably for weeks. Therefore the hogs were not habituated or attracted to the feeder/bait areas where the gunblinds were located. Therefore no hogs showed up from the time we were put into the gunblinds at 6AM to the time we were picked up at 7PM. It was a poorly managed guided gun hunt and it bordered on the unethical practically. Needless to say we will not be back at that ranch in Live Oak County, Texas(in somewhat East/Central Texas). On the other hand we went hunting at that wildhoghunts.com ranch about 25 miles east of San Antonio, Texas. It was a class operation with a 300??? acre high fenced wild hog hunt or if you wanted, you can go thru the unlocked(but closed) gate and hunt the creek bottoms for wild hogs in the surrounding free range 2,500 acre ranch. We hunted this in 2004 and I have not been back yet. As I hear, they have multiple hunting ranches now scattered all over Texas. Whereas before when we hunted it, there was only 1 hunting ranch. One can do a search and find all kinds of hog hunting ranches in Texas. Some are close to $1,000/hunter/2 day minimum hog hunt and others are $100/day/gun hunter and no kill fees and no trophy fees. As always, it is LOOK OUT for yourself and research and ask for references and gather as much information as possible especially satisfied clients, as some are fly by night operators. God Bless, always.

 

[leftyhunter]

Cal Fish and Game has a pdf on pig hunting that you can download and it gives info on places to pig hunt on public land. From what I gather Ft. Hunter Ligget and Camp Roberts
have the best public land hunting plus Lake Snoma . Keep in mind public land account for approx 5% of all pig kills in Cal but then you are saving money. Texas has the most pigs but in gas at 56 cents a mile( per the AAA) there is some cost . If your going to hunt Ft. Tejon now is the time because it will become a big suburb. You can join a private orginization like Wilderness Unlimited or Golden Ram (we have plenty of posts about it) that lease private land for hunting. I am a WU member and had a good chance to kill a pig but I blew it. Pig huntiing is not easy but a worth chalange and they make great sausage and goulash!

Good Luck;
Leftyhunter

 

[el_vaquero]

Unfortunately, you gotta pay to play. The cheapest pig hunt that I have heard of is $250 for a three day hunt and $100 if you take a pig...for a total of $350. That's a pretty good deal considering the low percentages on public land vs. private.

Good luck and let me know if you find somethin'...

 

[larrysogla]

You can fly to Texas via those Southwest Airlines special deals that they have all the time. Los Angeles to Houston or to San Antonio or to Austin is $99 one way back and forth with sometimes a 21 day or sometimes a 14 day advance purchase. The airlines will allow you to transport an UNLOADED rifle in a locked approved airline hard case. The ammo must be in a separate secure case. You will be asked to open the gun case and they will inspect if the gun is unloaded. Then they will tag it. NO SWEAT. God Bless.

 

[cam188]

Thanks for the info guys. I don't mind paying to play but if you go with a guide and don't get even an oppourtunity to take an animal then thats alot of money spent and I know the saying a bad day of hunting is better then a good day of work but sometimes I don't know about that.

The Tejon Ranch pig management hunt sounds interesting but do they let you roam around and scout or do you just go hunt and be done with it?

Texas sounds interesting but I like to do things in my own backyard if possible. Thats what hunting is really about for me is being able to put meat on the table close to home. There is more thrill in that for me instead of the trophy or hunting the scary animal nonesense. But at this rate my family would starve lol. 5 ducks dosent cut it.

I just don't think something as core as hunting for food should cost so much but I guess it is like everything else in CA.

I may just have to take up archery and try out Choppers. Here comes another hobby...........

Thanks again guys,
Chris.

 

[larrysogla]

Those compound bows are so powerful they will pass an arrow thru and thru broadside on an adult hog. I just don't have the passion and the heart for it. If it comes to archery, the most I could come close to it with a tug of the heart is a crossbow. Unfortunately, Choppers does not permit crossbow hunting. Some hunters are so passionate about it, they only do archery hunting. I am just a smoke, thunder and metal action guy, a gun guy.
'Nuff said.

 

[Arrowslinger]

How'bout public land....it's free!

 

[Val]

Three of us hunted with Frank of Mustang Guide Services in June of this year. We all got our pigs. Still a good operation. He has access to about 12 private ranches and he scouts them regularly to keep track of where the pigs are. I think he basically guarentees a shot at a pig but ask him about that when you talk to him. We each paid $450 for a guided hunt.

 

[SDHNTR]

Welcome to Jesses, glad to have you here, but I seem to sense a bit of a bad taste in your mouth about guided hunts here in CA. I could be way off but did you get burned by some operation? Why the negativity?

There are several guides that do not charge trophy fees. Mustang Guide Service is one of them and is within your price range, as are others. If you are upfront and tell the guides your desires, you will be able to hunt the way you want. But from the sound of your post, you may be too focused on the kill, as if that were the only point of the hunt. Forgive me if I am out of line here, but I would hope that you would simply enjoy being out there and seeing beautiful country and enjoying the pursuit of wild game more than the kill. The experience of the hunt should be what it is about, not the money and/or the kill. And believe me the experience alone is, in fact, well worth the money, kill or not.

Any reputable guide will work his butt off to put you on the animal that you want, but if it doesn't pan out due to circustances beyond anyone's control, you should still happily pay for services rendered, even without a kill. You are paying for a hunt not a kill. The guide's main job is to do all he can to put you on game, and the good ones will do just that. The net effect of this is that any guide worth his salt will get you a reasonable opportunity for a shot. Success rates are in the high 90% range. The hunting is that good on most central coast ranches. If all you want is the meat and you just want to kill something, go to the Big Horn Canyon Ranch. You'll kill a pig for sure and it is cheap. But they ain't wild and it's not much of a challenge.

Do a search here, find the reputable hog guides, make a reservation, put a smile on your face, and go hunt. You'll have a great time and find that it is well worth the money. And, odds are, if you do your part you'll get to take home a cooler full of that meat you want.

 

[bayedsolid]

If you are just looking to put food on the table the cheapest way possible, then I'd suggest going to the grocery store. Even at $500, if you shoot a 150# hog you'll get 50# of meat at the low low price of $10 per lb. No....I forgot to add in the fuel you use getting there and back, and the time and money spent sighting in or checking the sights on your rifle, food and drinks for the trip, time off work, guide tips, tags, license, clothing etc... So I better make that $20 per lb., and that is saying you score for sure.

If you are looking to get a guaranteed kill then I suggest finding a guide that has hog dogs which will up your chances greatly. Or, try Riverbend or whatever that pig in box place is called down there. I think there are a couple of places in Southern Cali like that. Sounds like they are a slam dunk and you'll have your meat. Good luck.

Edited....Big Horn Canyon is the place. SDhntr beat me to it.

 

[cam188]

Thanks Val Mustang sound like what I am looking for. Do they have a website? I also may try to do the POR at Tejon.

I only have a negative tone because on some of the websites I have visited a bouple seem reasonable and some don't.

I have thought about Big Horn canyon but it isn't that cheap and for an extra 100.00 bucks to have a more real hunt is fine.

No I am not just about putting food on the table but No single pig hunt is worh a 1000 except maybe a Big Warthog and even then that is a big maybe for me.

As for being out enjoying the hunting experience I do love it but not to pay someone 300.00 to do it if we don't get a chance at anything. I know that the success rate his high with most guide which is what I would expect for the money at least with pigs. I may also try public land but I am new to hunting and not that experienced so paying a guide for the first couple of times is reasonable as long as there is decent opportunity. I also don't need a two day hunt if only a day is required I know most hunts are two day and if you don't have success on the first the secon usually pans out.

I just wanted some opinons and experinces but I am blunt and to the point don't know how to sugar coat it.

Thanks again for the responses.
Chris.

 

[beastslayer]

Have patience with Chris. And Chris, have patience.

Chris is new in hunting and he corresponded with me in e-mail. I can sense his "unmet expectations". Indeed after reading stories of successful hunts and photo's of impressive harvests, one gets the sense that everyone is getting their fill except my lonesome moi.

Chris - Tejon POR is one of the best in the balance of high-percentage success and slam-dunk canned hunt. And the camaraderie is excellent. Just avoid Speck's advice (LOL). No, honestly I owe my success listening to him and to Scott.

Guided hunts in the reasonable $300 to $500 range appears attractive for the first-time experience and very high percentage success. Paying your dues kind of.

Public hunt in FHL is a good alternative. Enjoy the camping and the outdoors since success rate is a lot lower.

My

 

[SDHNTR]

Odds are greatly in your favor that you will have a great experience and will kill a nice pig on a guided hog hunt. But what happens if you hunt hard for all of those two days, the guide busts his azz for you, you see lots of deer, quail, turkeys, beautiful countryside, maybe even elk, but no pigs. Will you be bent out of shape and pissed off because you just spent a few hundred bucks? If the answer is yes, you either need to change your expectations or pick up golf. Sometimes a hunt goes that way. It's unlikely, but I've seen it happen.

Such is hog hunting is in this state. You either open your wallet for good hunting, or you stick to free public land with very low success. That's it. There is no in-between. You need to figure out what you want to do. Spend some coin for a good hunt, or hunt for free with a slim chance at best. But remember spending money doesn't guarantee you a pig, and if you don't get one, you shouldn't be upset just beacuse it cost you some dough. You'll make more. It's all about the experience, never lose sight of that.

We all try our best to come home with a full tag. That's why we do what we do. But there's no point in even leaving the front door if you can't have fun without killing something.

 

[Neil San Diego]

I've gone with Tom Willoughby (out of King City) three times now. I would have no problems recommending him. He and his son work very hard to get you on a pig.

His hunts are $450 (as of July), no trophy fee. 831 385 3003

Neil