Frustrated... What to try next

[digglerP]

So me and my hunting buddy are new to hunting. This last weekend was our 3rd trip to FHL in the last 8 weeks. We have yet to see a pig. Neither of us grew up hunting so were not sure were doing things right, but I was hoping to at least see a pig.

We have been in good areas each time. We go to where there is water and find good sign. We also know there are pigs in the TA because we check back at the shack and this weekend there 4 pigs that came out of the place we were hunting.

This is what we have tried doing so far:
Get to the TA a little before sunrise. Find a hill near some sort of water and get couple hundred feet of elevation. Glass everything you can see from that spot. Try to find somewhere that has some moist soil where we have found signs of rooting, tracks, or scat. Once the morning is over and we haven't seen anything, then we follow a hill line and go draw by draw. We also tried to drop one person off at the top of a draw, and have that person hike straight through the bush making noise and have the other person at the bottom of the draw in case anything gets flushed out. Then we go back to watering areas when evening comes and glass and hike from a few hundred feet of elevation.

Are we doing something wrong? We hike slowly and quietly, but is that even too loud? Talking about it, it might be right place, right time... but there are some guys who can get on pigs every time out. That can't be luck.

We signed up for that class that the DFG is having next month and hope that gives us some more direction. Also, if we get to 10 times without seeing any pigs, we talked about if there was a possibility of getting a guide to come to FHL. Would guides even come to FHL? I'm sure a guide can put you on pigs at a private ranch, but I really want to learn to hunt on my own, not just be pointed at pig and told to shoot. Where are we going wrong? Argh.

 

[baco]

I like to plan my hunts when there is no moon out. A full moon and the pigs tend to feed all night and be bedded by day light. Play the wind, make sure it is blowing in your face and not toward the area you want to hunt. Once you find where they are feeding try and find the bedding area. I like to catch them coming or going from their bedding area as it has worked best for me. There is a large learning curve in hunting dont get discurraged as it is not a easy as some would think. Good luck to you

 

[solus]

Also if it is a warm day they won't be out of the brush much and if its very cold and wet they will be out and about but probably not around watering holes if its wet but its always good to check anyways. Which area where you hunting in?

 

[k_rad]

I am fairly new to pig hunting also but have now hunted them a half a dozen times and been successful 2x now. In my (limited) experience I had to" learn" to spot them with the binocs and spotting scope. It's a lot like spotting deer. You have to learn what the "anomaly" looks like before you can start spotting them with some consistency. Look at lots of videos where guys are looking at them from far away and learn what that shape looks like. To me they look like little black fleas. Until you see them closer then they resemble R.O.U.S.S.'s (see the movie Princess Bride) You may be scanning too fast when you are glassing. Train yourself to look in a grid pattern and look at every square foot of area before you move on. Also as it gets hotter pigs like the north facing heavy brush and timbered dark stuff. Their little piggy eyes are light sensitive. When it's cold out in So. cal. they may feed on and off all day. scan the edges of the deep dark stuff. Lastly some of it is just plain right-place right-time. The more time you spend out in the field the better chances you have of spotting the wild things. Good luck...

 

[ltdann]

I am fairly new to pig hunting also but have now hunted them a half a dozen times and been successful 2x now. In my (limited) experience I had to" learn" to spot them with the binocs and spotting scope. It's a lot like spotting deer. You have to learn what the "anomaly" looks like before you can start spotting them with some consistency. Look at lots of videos where guys are looking at them from far away and learn what that shape looks like. To me they look like little black fleas. Until you see them closer then they resemble R.O.U.S.S.'s (see the movie Princess Bride) You may be scanning too fast when you are glassing. Train yourself to look in a grid pattern and look at every square foot of area before you move on. Also as it gets hotter pigs like the north facing heavy brush and timbered dark stuff. Their little piggy eyes are light sensitive. When it's cold out in So. cal. they may feed on and off all day. scan the edges of the deep dark stuff. Lastly some of it is just plain right-place right-time. The more time you spend out in the field the better chances you have of spotting the wild things. Good luck...

+1. Learning to spot them was the hardest thing. After I got my eyes calibrated, I could spot them with the naked eye at 1/2 mile.

 

[Live2hunt]

DigglerP, were you the guy in the dark blue 4door tacoma with a campershell?

 

[XDHUNTER]

DigglerP, were you the guy in the dark blue 4door tacoma with a campershell?

+1 and what area in the camp ground are you using?

Me and my wife hunted only Saturday got one pig each and saw more than 20 pig only on one TA. Dont be shy to ask around specially those guys at the skinning station.
We gave advise (live2hunt) to two group of hunters that morning on what area to hunt.

 

[easymoney]

Sounds like you are doing things right, just need more time...
But as in all things hunting, better to be lucky than good. That being said pigs are usually very scheduled and unless disturbed hit the same trails or places over and over. They do not see well, but hear and smell as well or better than deer. FHL has pigs no doubt about it, but until you learn all the trails and good spots, all depending on food, water, weather, moon and temperatures, you can spend a lot of time wandering aimlessly. IMHO, the very best TAs or spots, have few other hunters, are primitive weapons only, are butted against private land, have a good mix of water, cover and feed. I shoot mainly a bow so I see less people and more game, but also score less than gun shooters do on average because I have to get alot closer.
Spotting pigs at first light is hard but so is seeing other game. You have to get to a spot you know has sign, trails, water and cover in order to be set up before first light to catch them moving to bedding spots from where they feed at night. As soon as the sun shines on the ground they are gone. You might see them out at any time of the day, but 90% of all pigs(or deer) I shoot locally are at first light. I can tell you where to go today, right now and see pigs out in the open, but they are on unhuntable private property. I see them almost every day.
FHL is a great place because it gets rested and has lots of cover, water and areas for the game to hide. It is a huge place and takes awhile to learn, some people hunt for years without seeing or scoring on pigs. Be patient, have fun and enjoy your self...

 

[XDHUNTER]

Digglerp, when i left FHL there are six pig taken on that TA. two from two new hunters and four from two JHO regular. if you are the one hunting next to the creek last Saturday, you are in the right place.....

 

[k_rad]

Or you could just follow L2H and XD around, haha! http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums...here-are-no-pigs-on-public-land.-Part-IV-2012

 

[myfriendis410]

If you are paying attention to wind direction you are doing everything right and it's just a matter of time. Learning what to look for is a huge plus; LtDann got that little lesson from me and one of my hunting buddies, and LtDann is a great deer hunter. He'd never killed a hog in nineteen years of hunting at VAFB. He and his partner were with us maybe ten minutes before we were on hogs. Once he knew what to look for it was all she wrote.

They tend to be in places that you don't find deer (usually). They are lower to the ground. We glass up lots of "bush pigs" too. Find the highest point possible with the most country to look at and stay there 'til dark. If you aren't using your flashlight to get back to the truck you didn't stay out late enough. The best time is the first and last fifteen minutes of the day. If you can't get on 'em, go back in the next day and set up; they usually hang out in the same place unless pushed. Watch the wind. If you pay attention to 'em you can get amazingly close. My hunting partner and I have been just feet away without spooking 'em and got out without them ever knowing we were there.

 

[digglerP]

So you're saying they're in the Fire Swamp ;-)

thanks for the tips. You guys are probably right about once we spot one it will train our eyes to spot more. We've joked about it a few times that we've probably seen some hogs and did even realize it! That would suck but probably true. We camped the last couple times in site 19, but it was taken when we got there on Friday night so we went a little further back across from the bathroom.

We were in a dark blue tundra, 4 door but no camper shell (maybe not the same truck you were thinking about?). We were over in 15 and actually we were hunting a creek Saturday evening. We had scoped it out around noon that day and saw a lot of sign so decided to go back that night. Question... the actual creek is about 5-8 feet lower than the banks on each side. We sat on a hill about 200 yards from the creek, but could not see into the creek. Just before the sun went down, we decided we would get closer and walk the bank of the creek. Was that the wrong move? Should we have stayed back 100-200 yards? Do we spook the pigs by walking their game trails along the creek? And do we spook them by walking their trails during the day? Do they smell that we were there when they come back then book it out of there?

Not sure we were in the same area as all of you (L2H, nice pics and awesome account btw). I heard 4 shots on Saturday morning but don't remember other shots day.

Again, thanks for the tips. I'll post on here before we go next time, probably in a few weeks and maybe run into a few of you. What area do you guys camp in? We've always got a fire and some drinks and maybe we can stop by and shoot breeze with you. Since finding FHL, I love the place, so every time mine and my buddy's schedule for the weekends match up, we'll be heading down.

 

[easymoney]

diggler,
Sounds like you are doing the right things.
But when you find fresh tracks, trails and sign leading down into the creek, go right on in, I have had good luck doing that very thing. Most folks won't go down into the creek channel because of the water and brush, instead walking along up in the open, and they miss lots of game. Pigs are smart and like deer will often let you walk right by them.
The campsites at FHL are pretty spartan and can get crowded especially during holidays, sometimes with loud partiers. There are some campgrounds at the back of the base on the forest land that only get busy during holidays or deer season. I'm a local who sleeps at home and makes a short drive to the base.

 

[k_rad]

Yes, on the wind, yes on the scent on trail and yes on the Fireswamp!. I don't know why I didn't mention it but pigs are all nose. Like mentioned above play the wind, play the wind, play the wind. That's why one of the most successful strategies is to spot then stalk. Because once you know where they are and what the terrain looks like around them you can find a good path to get close coming in from down wind. If they smell you and bust out of an area you could be within 20 yards and not hear them...If they hear you they may only run into a bush and wait you out. Good luck
So to recap: first light, last light, north facing slope, to and from bedding areas, always play the wind, they will never be very far from water and keep at it...

 

[steve45]

Lots of good advice. I would like too add that glassing is the most important thing to do if you are not finding hogs. First find them by glassing. Find high ground overlooking potential hog areas. Check every stump, boulder, or bush that has a hog like shape. If any of them move you are on hogs. Even when I sit on water I try to get a good view of the area to see where they are coming from. Once you have found them then you can hunt them. Wind and strategy then comes into play. During the middle of the day you can still hunt brush areas for potential bedding areas. You greatly increase odds by staying out all day and learning your area.Yes hogs do move during the day just not as much as early and late. You will not find hogs back at camp. Stay out and hunt you will find hogs.

 

[Live2hunt]

DigglerP, I saw your Tundra parked near the creek on Sat morning. You guys were in the right spot, apparently you guys may have been there a little too late. All the shootings happened just a couple hundred yards from the direction where your truck was facing. The dark blue tacoma was parked about 300-400 yards over a couple hills to the right of your truck. A father/daughter in a chevy cavalier was hunting about 200 yards to the left of your truck. They had a big sow ran into them at 30 yards and it wouldn't fit in the trunk of the cavalier. It was about an hour after all the shootings when I saw your truck. By that time all the pigs (about 15 of them) were already out of that area. We found them again an hour later about 1.5 miles from where your truck parked.

The pig signs in the creek were not fresh. They were all about 3-4 days old except the tracks of one lone pig that walked along the creek. Distinguishing fresh signs from old signs is something alot of people couldn't tell. All the fresh signs were in the open valley along San Miguelito Loop.

 

[johndoe]

Live2hunt, since ill be going on my first pig hunt, and going to FHL on the 23-25 this month, could you give me some tips on how to distinguishing fresh signs from old?

 

[Live2hunt]

Live2hunt, since ill be going on my first pig hunt, and going to FHL on the 23-25 this month, could you give me some tips on how to distinguishing fresh signs from old?

Kick up or dig the dirt next to the sign. Compare, if they look the same then it is fresh. To be able to tell how many days old they are will take some time. When I was learning, I would watch a group of pig do some rootings. Go back to look at the same rootings the next day, and the next day, and the next day. I've done it enough that when I look at pig signs now, I could pretty much tell how many days old they are. If it's more than 3-4 days old then I don't pay much attention to it so anything older than that, I will just call it old and not be specific about it.

 

[Moskinyca]

So if a person was to go out and kick the dirt around a little and then check it out the following couple of days they could learn about the same thing?

What if it’s just rained? Does it make it harder to judge old verses new? How do you know the older track in wet weather?

Maybe I should go out side and kick around some mud. Ah but I knwo that is something has just walked in mud they sling it al over the place. So if the tracks do not have mud chucks then thery are old. Is this correct.

 

[solus]

If it just rained and there is fresh tracks the tracks are really fresh rain usually washes away old tracks....If it rains hard enough