Hog in Coalinga?

[orchardhills]

I have never been pig hunting before and was looking at heading to Coalinga. Has anybody had good results out there? Any tips or comments are greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Fubar]

orchardhills  Welcome to the Forum. Do you have a place to hunt there? If not hunting may be kinda tough. I have never hunted there because most of it is private. There is some BLM land but usually it is steep and heavy brush. Most of the game is on the private land. Check Jesses hunting page for BLM maps and office phone numbers. You can call DFG biologists in that area and they can help too.            Fubar

 

[Speckmisser]

Unless you have access to private property, or want to hire a guide, Coalinga is tough hog hunting at best.  There is good access to some BLM property, but the hunting is iffy and hard.  While I've heard that there are hogs around the Coalinga Mineral Springs park (surrounded by BLM land), I have yet to see any sign.  I haven't made it to Cow Mountain yet, although the reports say if you can rough the terrain, you could possibly be rewarded with a hog.  Of course, then you have to rough the terrain again, only this time with a hog on your back.  

It's also hotter than blazes there.  The red rock captures and reflects heat all day, which burns up through your feet and down onto your head all at once.  It's a lot like walking in an oven.

Water is scarce, so locating a water source could be the magical key.  There are springs, but finding them and getting to them are no mean feats.  And getting someone to give you directions is even less likely, since these spots are precious and few.  

The guide services have access to the agricultural land, which takes up most of the valley and canyon bottoms.  Those guys have prime property for hogs, and they do well.  That might be a good bet if you really want to get a shot at your first pig.  There's also a Wilderness Unlimited property there, which actually backs up to the Coalinga BLM land in one area.  I've scouted it from the ridges on BLM land, and it looked promising.  

Rather than Coalinga, you may want to head over to the land around Clear Creek and check out the BLM maps of the surrounding areas.  That's a big piece of land, and there are hogs.  But again, most of it is really harsh terrain and HOT, especially at this time of year.  

Again, though, your best bet is access to private property, or hire a guide.

(Edited by Speckmisser at 10:34 am on July 7, 2001)

 

[RA]

Hogs Wild.

Sorry I don't have thier number.

It's a great deal for both Bow and Rifle hunting. Larry Greve owns the ranch, it's a first class operation.

Rob

 

[colby18]

I just got a brochure from hogs wild in coalinga.  They offer hunts in april-july.  The fee is $425 and the number is 559-935-5788.  Their mailing address is P.O. box 355 Coalinga, Ca 93210

 

[spectr17]

I bowhunted at Larry's Hogs Wild in March this year. Good people and hunt.

 

[Richard Webb]

orchardhills - Sweetwater BLM has plenty of water, and I have it all mapped out here on the forum somewhere.  I posted a few computer generated terrain visualizations with GPS coordinates, so that first timers like yourself could have an easy enjoyable hunt. Try to sleep in your vehicle at the Laguna Mountain trail head, and get started up the mountain long before day light. There is a flat spot up there, and some water. Or, sleep at Short Fence Access, and get started up the mountain early to Lake Tanganyika Wet Spot while it's still dark.  Believe it or not, the water is up on top, and so are the hogs.  Later in the day when you are dragging your hog down off the mountain it will be hot, so carry plenty of water. Be optimistic, you will need one of those 150 quart ice chests (or larger) filled will ice in the back of your pick up, or your meat will spoil for sure.

Ammended:  I rounded up some of my maps for you.  You will have to view them full size, or zoom in to see the detail.

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?...1674772&f=0


(Edited by Richard Webb at 1:48 am on July 10, 2001)

 

[QEU]

Richard: Great info and maps. I will give Sweetwater a try sometime before summer ends and relay you the result. Do you have info/experience for Stockdale Mnt and Williams Hill? BLM office in Hollister send me boundry maps but it's not clear.

 

[Josh]

Hunting around Coalinga is very hard. I live about 45 minutes from Coalinga. Mineral Springs is south west of Coalinga. I believe there is a camp site there, but you have to walk in and out.  Clear Creek is on the other side of Coalinga in the back of Los Gatos canyon. There are a lot of trails and roads there.  During the week would be better because on the weekends there are alot of motorcycle riders and jeep runs. 4x4 is a must, an ATV would be better. Whatever you take be prepared to get it scratched up. The hunting is hard. There are a few ponds in the back. There are hogs around Spanish Lake. Whatch out for lions and rattlesnakes. Good Luck.

 

[orchardhills]

Thanks to everybody that put in the time and effort to inform me an others about Coalinga. As it is only about an hour and a half to Coalinga from where I live I went out with my father-in-law and brother. I wish that I had read what you guys said about the hunt. It was HOT! I did get scrathed up but not too bad. We saw no sign of pig. The creek there was very dry and all of the droppings that we saw was either very old or it was coyote. After 3 hours of hiking and seeing only a rabbit we decided to go home. Oh yeah, we did see 4 covies of quail and about 15 dove.

If we decide on going again I will let you all know. Once again, thank you guys very much for the info.

 

[Richard Webb]

QEU - Bob Robb has a Hog Hunting book out that covers those areas.  I don't hunt there, but the camp fire stories at Fort Hunter Liggett tell of Williams Hill being located on a ridge between private property that has plenty of water. As the story goes, all a hunter has to do is sit on a well used trail, and wait for hogs to move back & forth across the ridge to get to water. That story has always sounded to good to be true, so I stay at Hunter Liggett. Also, Clear Creek & other areas over there are part of some endangered species habitat, so tread lightly. Also, the camp stories tell of Stockdale Mountain being good many years back. So of course, that means that the hog population could bounce back fast at any time. All & all, Laguna Mountain is one of the best BLM hunting areas, but it remains to be seen whether our ever increasing hunter population here in California can preserve it? I favor letting the Sweetwater BLM rest for a few months of the year, and no target shooting.