Help finding pigs

[pigdream]

Ok guys I need anyone thoughts on this orchard thing. I don't know if you guys remember the post I put up earlier, but basically the pigs are coming into a buddy of mine orchard and tearing it up. The orchard is at the base of the foothills on basically flat land so it's not like them (pigs) to be in there, but they are. I have been there twice with no luck. Lot's of signs, but no luck. The pigs were spotted this morning around 7am about 14 of them and they still haven't been shot at. I know where they are coming and going from I just don't know if they come every day or not.

Any suggestions will be much appreciated.

 

[Speckmisser]

Pigdream,

How much time have you spent out there watching these orchards? That could be a key. Odds are that they are coming in pretty regularly. Hogs tend to keep working an area until the food is gone or the pressure pushes them out. They may be hard to pattern, but once you figure out what they're doing, you should be able to set the ambush. This takes time, scouting and hunting.

Second, and this is actually a serious question, how much help do you have? If you're trying to cover a huge area all by yourself, you may be missing out. If they wind you at one entrance trail, they could very well be using other entrances.

Also, having more than one or two people available means you could get some coverage at different times, upping the odds that someone will be there when they roll out at 0700 instead of 0630.

You say you know where they're coming from. Is this huntable property? You may want to shift your focus from the orchard to their bedding and staging areas. Get away from the open ground and hit them where they live.

Good luck and stay with it. Once you uncover the key, the rest is just target practice.

 

[BirdDawg]

Speckmisser makes a good point.....you may need more people if your trying to cover alot of ground.....if you can, glass the hogs out and work down wind towards them.......if you can't get alot of people in there you may want to post a dummy at one end of the field and hunt the other....ummmm....Speckmisser makes a pretty good dummy.......whahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!! good luck and happy hunting.

 

[Speckmisser]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

Speckmisser makes a pretty good dummy.......[/b]

I think I resemble that remark there, BirdHawg. I'm a little short on snappy comebacks right now, too, dangit.

 

[pigdream]

Well guys I am not sure how many people I can take, but I will ask my buddy the next time we go out and maybe I will send out some invites if I can. If it was my property you would allready be invited. I have spent very little time on this property and the area where they are coming from is another friends of mine property that we can only hunt on rear occasion because of farming. Now they are picking the fruit so we can only hunt when it's raining or on the weekend which I always work.

When it's raining we cannot drive on the roads because it ruins them so it's all walking.

Another problem with using to many people on this land it is basically flat which would be bad if there was any cross fire?

By the way do pigs eat oranges or is that the deer? Also I saw jackrabbits as bigs as small coyotes in there and was wondering if bobcats would target those or if it's just the coyotes?

Thanks again for all the help.

pigdream

 

[Speckmisser]

Pigdream,

While an invite would surely be appreciated, and I wouldn't turn it down... I was actually thinking maybe get a couple of your nearby friends together.

Of course the JHO Hog Operations Team (J-HOT) is willing and ready whenever the call comes in!

It sounds like the issue is more that you just can't be out there when the hogs are. If your opportunities for access are limited, you'll need to see if there's somehow you can be more flexible. Otherwise, it'll probably continue to be hit or miss. If you keep at it, sooner or later, you'll most likely cross paths with the herd... especially if no one else is hunting them.

I wouldn't worry too much about crossfire. You may want to make sure everyone is aware of where other hunters are posted, and then stay on stand until a pre-arranged time. The problems in that kind of set up come when somebody decides to start wandering around and end up in the kill zone of one of the other standers.

If there's a real concern, rely on short-range weapons... slug guns, pistols, muzzleloaders, and bows are pretty safe in situations like that.

I'd never heard of deer eating oranges. I'm sure hogs and coyotes would eat them on the ground. I know that nothing else touches my oranges, including coons and possums. Something about that citrus oil in the skin keeps the critters away.

Bobcats and coyotes would love those jackrabbits. Have you seen any cat tracks?

 

[Cda55]

Yea, good point speck made. Get some locals to help you out. I only live about 30 miles from you. I'd gladly give you a hand.

 

[Cda55]

And I hunt with 4 other members of JHO from Corcoran too.

 

[pigdream]

i saw a cat last time we were out. Cda stand by for the call and I will let you know. Cda are you a farmer cause I don't know anything else to do for a living out in corcoran

 

[Cda55]

Electrician

 

[theseacow]

Cda,

I love your avatar man! Best one ive ever seen.

 

[sportyg]

Not knowing your location. Those rabbits could be snowshoes rabbits. They get really huge and we do have them in Ca. I've seen some up around the 8ooo ft level.

 

[Cda55]

No snowshoes here. We're in Central California. In the lake bottom. I don't know where his property is but it would have to be quite a drive to reach 8,000 ft. I beleive they're just good ol jackrabbits.

 

[pigdream]

Good old jacks. The area is about 400-600 ft elevation. I haven't been out there again yet, but I will let you guys know with pictures.

 

[Snorkel Bob]

pigdream,
man Im in visalia too. Ill be that property is up there by Kaweah?
Ive seen a bunch up dry creek road also. problem is its all private.
From what Ive seen is the hogs like to get in the irrigation lines to get water and wallow in the mud.
Man if you want soemone close to you to help out hunt Id be more that happy.

 

[cincoflatspirate]

If you call cda 55 tell him I will help you guy's scout the area to figure out what's going on. I don't need to hunt, I just like going. If it's by lemon cove I know a guy that live's right there. I also know a few people in the lindsay -strathmore area. I have seen hogs in both of those area's. Find out who own's all the surrounding property and if you have access to it . the trespassing laws were changed jan. 1st
so you don't want to get caught now.

 

[Cda55]

If it'll make it any better(or safer) Cinco and I will use bows for the critters.

 

[Sgohuntn]

Pigdream, I talked to a guy out of Exeter about pigs entering his
orange orchard. The evening before he hooks his dirt tiller onto the PTO
of the tractor tills the dirt between the orchard and the field the hogs are
entering. He also tillers a few rows in the orchard. Later when the hogs are on the move, he walks the perimeter where the tilled soil is and looks for tracks. I t makes
it easy to tell if they entered. If they have entered, he then tracks them into the orchard and finds them usually under a tree. Hope that helps.

 

[pigdream]

Thankyou guys for the offers, but I am having a tough time getting on there right now because of the harvest.

Snorkel bob,
The property is to the north in Fresno county. And it's all private up there also even the land right next to it we can't get access too.

cinco,

No it's north of Lemon cove but I have heard there are lot's of pigs in that area also? I don't know of any public land near there though? Hey I was looking at your Utah pictures those are nice. Also does the new trespassing law state if you shoot the animal on your land and it goes across the fence you can follow?

Sqohunt,

Thank you for the advice. The problem with this land is it's a big area.

 

[Cda55]

You have to contact the land owner. I believe you need to contact DFG before you enter if you can't reach the landowner. I think that's how it works. I would read the regs before hand to make sure.