Hog seasonal behavior?

[bisonic]

Hi - I have a new ranch to hunt in NorCal, 750 acres, rolling hills with oaks and some chemise, two valleys with ponds and a lake. Lots of hog sign, particularly in the valleys. From what my game cameras have picked up the hogs appear to only be active in the middle of the night, apparently heading down to the valleys to feed and then returning to the brushy hills to bed down.

As it cools down will the hogs become less nocturnal? If so what is typical behavior throughout a day, say in the middle of winter vs. summer. There is very little hunting pressure so that won't affect them.

Thanks!

 

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

Lucky u! with little hunting pressure i am sure u can catch some nice lone boars milling around for food 7 water during the day or first or last light. it seem sometimes when u are hunting wild pigs when u least expect it they just pop out of nowhere, murrphys law! my self if i was out there right now hunting i would be keying in on acorns, there starting to drop out of trees now like skittles treats for pigs!

are u doing archery or gun?....tra

 

[myfriendis410]

You know something that people overlook is the relative length of daylight in the summer versus the winter. It seems to us we see more activity in late spring, but the day is longer then. In the winter though, especially early, the available food is down (except for acorns, but that varies from year to year). You just have to pay attention to your area and use the time stamp on your game cameras. Watch what they're hitting and how frequently. That's what we do.

 

[Bubblehide]

Bisonic, what your describing, is typical pig behavior. They simply tend to be nocturnal feeders, for the most part, and generally manage to find thick bedding areas prior to daylight. When hunting pigs, I generally try to place myself close to their bedding areas, but between bedding and feeding areas, in attempt to find them on their way to bedding.

If I can identify any heavily used trails, I'll concentrate on those. I've even crawled though their bedding areas with a pair of nippers, super slow, with limited success (I don't advise this for a variety of reasons).

But since you have game cameras, keep making good use of them, change up the ares you use them at, and try and figure out any patterns, highly used trails... And be patient, you'll score.

 

[DFG_Bear]

Bisonic, what your describing, is typical pig behavior. They simply tend to be nocturnal feeders, for the most part, and generally manage to find thick bedding areas prior to daylight. When hunting pigs, I generally try to place myself close to their bedding areas, but between bedding and feeding areas, in attempt to find them on their way to bedding.

If I can identify any heavily used trails, I'll concentrate on those. I've even crawled though their bedding areas with a pair of nippers, super slow, with limited success (I don't advise this for a variety of reasons).

But since you have game cameras, keep making good use of them, change up the ares you use them at, and try and figure out any patterns, highly used trails... And be patient, you'll score.

Yeah, what he said.

-Marc

 

[jerryt]

I scouted pigs yesterday for some up coming women only hunts that are taking place and the pigs were out early and gone. They were headed out of the feeding areas at first light and making a quick run for their bedding area. They did not appear to use any of the watering holes early in the morning. I think they are probably hitting the water holes in the evening on their way to feed.

 

[bisonic]

Guys - thanks for the comments but what I'm really interested in hearing is how does their behavior change through the seasons? Are they generally more active in the early morning/evening when it's cool or do they stay deeply nocturnal?

I have a general idea of where they bed (thick stuff) and am getting to know their trails but neither does much good when they're only moving in the middle of the night!

Thx

 

[jerryt]

When it is raining you can find them out a lot later in the morning and out earlier in the evening. However as soon as you send the first bullet at them they will go back to there normal nocturnal instincts. Just like one of the other posts says they will appear when you least expect it. If have seen them hit water holes in the middle of the day when it is hot out. If they get hot they will always go to water.

 

[myfriendis410]

Food availability and quantity will drive general hog behavior. If you have, for example, cattails in one of the ponds, the hogs will hit that when the tuber is ready. Acorns as I mentioned before. The big boars are always more interested in love, so if they detect the heavenly aroma of sow-in-heat they will run over the top of you to get there. As I mentioned before; the length of day can play into sighting hogs. When daylight is longer than night, their stomachs can force 'em out while there's still daylight.

 

[Bubblehide]

When it is raining you can find them out a lot later in the morning and out earlier in the evening. However as soon as you send the first bullet at them they will go back to there normal nocturnal instincts. Just like one of the other posts says they will appear when you least expect it. If have seen them hit water holes in the middle of the day when it is hot out. If they get hot they will always go to water.

Yes weather can effect them as has been pointed out. But were talking about nomadic animals. Generally speaking, any consistent hunting pressure, there gone; sometimes any pressure at all, and there gone. Now another group might move in, or might not. So it's a question for a biologist that has some extensive tracking (gps) experience with pigs. But IMHO, I don't think your going to get an answer much better than what is already here.

 

[Bubblehide]

I should add, that of course they will be where food and water is as forage changes/comes into season, or is available and not available within an area, water availability... And that forage will change with the seasons/weather.

So if your hunting ranch has a bunch of acorns, but there's a bean field 5 or so miles away, there likely hitting the bean field at night, and filling up, thus effectively not really touching the acorns. There like any other wild animal, they don't waste energy when there is no need; and they want the most nutrition for the least effort.

 

[Bubblehide]

Bisonic stated: what I'm really interested in hearing is how does their behavior change through the seasons?

Yes weather can effect them as has been pointed out. But were talking about nomadic animals. Generally speaking, any consistent hunting pressure, there gone; sometimes any pressure at all, and there gone. Now another group might move in, or might not. So it's a question for a biologist that has some extensive tracking (gps) experience with pigs. But IMHO, I don't think your going to get an answer much better than what is already here.

I was attempting to edit this, but it's just not working for me.