Have the Hogs gone noctural every where or just where I'm Hunting ?

[OPAH]

Seems we have had a shortage lately of Hogs harvest stories and Pictures. What Are the hogs where you are hunting doing? where I am Hunting not a ton of Movement and notha during the day, things are just getting back to be green again and now some rooting going on but that is it. What is up on your end of hog hunting ?

 

[bisonic]

There were a ton of hogs on my place in Lake County in the fall, but not nearly as many in the last couple of months. Little fresh rooting, so it's not that they're nocturnal (in fact, usually around this time they're most likely to be out during the day). They're just not around... but that will change as they come and go...

 

[OPAH]

God I hate that Phrase "Just Not Around" it is so true way to many times for me

 

[canamrider07]

When I was hunting quail in LP and Angeles I did it riding my ATV. 99% of the time I was riding and the other 1 % was shooting quail. It got to a point that if I did not see any quail while riding, I would not just stop and walk an area that "looked good". It was fun hiking around, but I would not flush out any coveys. I rarely saw any other game, there were deer up near Frazier Mtn, a bobcat once in a while, but not much else. And I rode probably 10k miles on the OHV trails and others that were not even legal. If I was not such an avid ATV rider I would not have done it. What I am saying is, if you do not know where there is game, specific places, the chance of just finding them is very slim.

 

[OPAH]

I hate to disagree with you, but the sound of you ATV may have a lot to do with not seeing anything. We are in an area before light, walking in the dark, as quiet as we can be. we clear the branches and sticks off of our trails when we are coming out so it will be quiet the next morning. I admit I have road hunted and been successful but then again I'll bet my truck is way quieter than your ATV also.
You may know specific places where the Game is but the Game will move when disturbed or disrupted.

 

[canamrider07]

Watch a few of my ATV hunting videos.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBWledZdKE1_IRJgVhpLfOA?disable_polymer=true

 

[OPAH]

Canam I'll be your Gunner any time, looks like some real fun

 

[Dirtracer27x]

I was up in and around Mendocino a while back and ran into one of the fish and game wardens. We had a great conversation on hunting hogs. Mostly we were talking about the approach as we were in my 6 seater Viking. And him in his chevy pickup. He basically said they hear you and run lol. Which is not rocket science. As we were leaving this comment came to reality as he was driving about 1/2 mile in front of us. As we pulled over a slight hill he slowed down and stopped as we approached he pointed out his window, a massive hog just grazing acouple hundred yards form his truck. Soon as we pulled up the sound of my utv was heard by this hog and he was gone in a heart beat.

 

[canamrider07]

Yes, a slow moving truck and six seat UTV will give hogs plenty of time to figure out where the sound is coming from and what to do, run. On my ATV I move quickly through fields. This gives the hogs no time to know where the noise is coming from and they do not know what to do. I ride with my eye and ear protection on and keep my gun in a soft case. I can get off my quad quickly and have my gun ready in a couple of seconds. Most of the time the hogs will actually look at me for a couple of seconds. That is all I need. I have now figured out to keep the engine running when I grab my gun. I actually have more success on my ATV than I do walking through the woods. In the woods, if I step on a twig, the hogs know to run, and I watch them run, and run, and run. Again, watch my videos and see how close I can get hogs. You can watch the video or listen to the game warden who really does not want you to be successful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w63n6wBwLCg

 

[Farallon]

For me yes, I attribute the change to: spring (hormones), Moon ( was recently full), and weather ( rain during the day for a couple of days, one night of rain).

There was no hunting pressure on the area I was watching.

 

[eddie916]

Has anyone had success at Cache Creek Wildlife Area?

 

[Schnitt]

Pig hunting is strange.... when you find them, it feels too easy, and then they move out of the area and it feels futile. They dont leave a forwarding address and its hard to figure out why they moved. I think its hard to get good advice on how to find pigs since they do different things in different areas. Pigs have really good noses, and I think they smell food off the in the distance and head for it. Pigs can easily travel 10miles/night on their food voyage, and they wont walk father then they have to, If they find good food, and a new place to bed down, then they are unlikely to go back.
I hunt in south Moterey county in CA and here are the trends that I see:
Oct - Nov, I cant find the pigs
Dec-Feb, Pigs are rooting under oak trees at night. Chance to catch them coming to the trees in the last 30min of shooting light. Oak trees have acorns, but also mushrooms growing on rotting fallen limbs and insects like caterpillars falling from the limbs.
Mar-may, I cant find the pigs
June-Sep, pigs will show up near water, mostly at the end of the day unless they can find a place to bed down near the water in which case they will be there all day. Days are longer at this time of the year, so there is a better chance of finding a pig during legal shoot times.
Rain is a wild card. The pigs hold tight in the rain, but right after it stops, their noses pull them all over the place and they may go to a location they have never been, tear it all up and leave lots of sign and then move out.

Because of all this uncertainty, I find it best to travel light and cover lots of territory. A good skill is to be able to determine how fresh the sign is. If its more than a week old, then I consider them gone. A fresh bed will stink of urine and have fresh scat leading up to it. If you dont see that, then they are long gone.

 

[MariotheBarber]

Interesting notes, Schnitt... thats something I’d like to learn about more, is how to tell with sign or tracks are fresh... I have no experiance hunting hogs, there aren’t many pigs around here

 

[canamrider07]

I like to hunt pigs in the rain, rain is loud, ground is wet and quiet when walking over. Here are Pigs not holding tight in the rain................

 

[Schnitt]

Canamrider,
I have seen them in light rain (more like sprinkles) but not in heavy rain. Do you recall how heavy that rain was?
I have gone out a couple times to good pig spots in heavy rain, hoping the rain would "stir them up", but saw nothing. I have seen a number of times though that right after the rain lets off, then the pigs start moving around.