hogs/varmints road trip

[larrysogla]

Will leave on the 25th of October for a round-the-clock hogs/varmints hunt in Texas. For hogs we(5 of us) are using .270 all the way up to 45-'70, no teenie-weenie calibers here. Bought a used mini-14(ranch) in pristine condition & will install an illuminated reticle scope & an under-the-barrel laser sight on it for coyotes. Have never done night coyote hunting. So I will finally get an inkling of Danny's(onecoyote) high adventures in night coyote hunting. The week of the hunt is a full moon & spotting game at 50 yds. is doable without turning on the spotlight. This is a 3,000 mile round trip & so we better connect on the thick river bottoms & on the baits/feeders. Here!!! piggie...piggie!!! Am already burning with excitement. Hopefully, our 3 large coolers will be filled with delicious pork on our return. For a guy like me who cannot afford a guided Alaskan, Canadian or Wyoming hunt, Texas is hunter's paradise!!! WHOOOEEEEE!! Bzzz, Satchmo(aunt Cathy) your lone star Texas is way "muy excellente"!!! Cheers to Texas & its millions of fast breeding hogs. This hunting sport is soooooo....... ADDICTING!!!!!!
God Bless y'all. larrysogla.

 

[Gus]

Good luck, don't forget to pack the camera

Where are you going to be hunting, if you don't mind telling?

 

[larrysogla]

Gus,
Unfortunately, my friend with a ranch 6 miles from the Houston city limits has had the hogs driven away by the intense development going on in his community(roadbuilding, golf courses, huge/gigantic subdivisions,traffic jams on rush hour on his farm road), so we had to find an alternate place. We found a pay-to-hunt 2,000 acre ranch in-between San Antonio & Houston. Supposed to have a good reputation for good service/huntable hog/varmint populations. Very thick vegetation on the creek/river bottoms, with feeders. This is a 48 hr.(although it is advertised as a 3 day/2 night hunt, but is actually 48 hrs.) round-the-clock hog/varmint hunt. There are tons of these pay-to-hunt ranches in Texas. It turned out not as cheap as it was advertised(welcome to the real world), but still reasonable by my standards. After the guide fees/cabin fees(optional) were added to the advertised price, it was not a bargain as it was made to appear in the ad but still reasonable in my opinion. What the heck!!! There is no free lunch. Even my friend in Houston, after he learned we were paying $150/day for a hog hunt in Southern Texas, I had a prick of guilty conscience as we were staying in his ranch house & he was preparing/serving our meals. So out of appreciation/gratitude, we ended up giving him gifts of $400/person for the 5 days we stay in his ranch. Although he refuses cash gifts, we still end up buying him equivalent gift certificates from Wal-mart. I am of the opinion that if you want to save money, DON'T go hunting. It is after all not a free sport, but requires investments in equipment & GOODWILL. LOTS of goodwill. After all this people do not have to be bothered by us, what with all the liability they have to risk whenever we fire a shot(ricochet, mis-identified target, noise complaints from neighbors & as we all know, house guests like fish stink after 3 days). I am not a rich guy but I enjoy hunting too much to give it up & to lose good friends by not appreciating their hospitality

.
'Nuff said. God Bless. larrysogla.

 

[Mike1TX]

My first hog hunting trip is coming up this weekend just south of San Antonio in Devine. 2000 acre area for day and night hunting. I'm taking my camera along and a big cooler...hopefully we bring back some pork!

 

[larrysogla]

Mike1TX,
Are you hunting with Paul(ranch manager) of Wildhoghunt.com pay-to-hunt ranch.
If so, that is the same place we are going for a Wed.(noon) to Fri.(noon) round-the-clock hogs/varmints hunt. This will be on Oct. 27-29(full moon). If this is the same ranch, then you guys are hunting the weekend before we arrive. Well, in any case, kindly post how it was with your weekend hunt. Our ranch is 85 miles east of San Antonio. The manager said there is a bumper crop of acorns, so the hogs are not very active on the feeders. Can't have a perfect everything!!! I remember this is your very first hog hunt??? Watch out, you'll get addicted!! Good luck & God Bless. larrysogla.

 

[Mike1TX]

Originally posted by larrysogla@Oct 18 2004, 01:29 PM

Mike1TX,
Are you hunting with Paul(ranch manager) of Wildhoghunt.com pay-to-hunt ranch.
If so, that is the same place we are going for a Wed.(noon) to Fri.(noon) round-the-clock hogs/varmints hunt. This will be on Oct. 27-29(full moon). If this is the same ranch, then you guys are hunting the weekend before we arrive. Well, in any case, kindly post how it was with your weekend hunt. Our ranch is 85 miles east of San Antonio. The manager said there is a bumper crop of acorns, so the hogs are not very active on the feeders. Can't have a perfect everything!!! I remember this is your very first hog hunt??? Watch out, you'll get addicted!! Good luck & God Bless. larrysogla.

No, it's a place down IH35 south near Pearsall and Devine. About 2000 acres....potatoe crops nearby..pretty cheap hunt rates. They close hog hunts from Nov-end of deer season. I may ask if bow hunts are still avail for hogs so that we will not spook deer away from area with guns. If so, I will go there every month, or more....$30 hog hunts is a good price. He is going to show us around propert, then let us hunt on our own. They took 3 hogs, 2 javalina, and a bunch of dove this past weekend. He was charging $50 for whole weekend for hogs...as many as you want...rifle, bow, traps, plastic explosives...haha...I'll let everyone know how it went when i get back. We are going down about 9am Saturday and hunt until 9-10pm. He said hogs were moving around in middle of the day this past weekend.

 

[larrysogla]

Mike1TX,
Good luck & God Bless on your hogventure. They are deliscious & a little tough to bring down with a shoulder shot. Anyways, shoot straight & good B-B-quing.
larrysogla.

 

[larrysogla]

Bumper crops of acorns is all over big parts of Texas. It should give encouragement to hog hunters because the acorns are very nutritious & give the meat a tasty flavor. So, with a bumper crop of acorns, this is the time to go hog hunting on those Texas ranches 'cause the hogs will be bulking up, will be fat, round chested, happy & very tasty. So we are very much encourage by this report knowing that we will harvest bulky, fat, tasty, very good flavored hog meat. We are just inspired by the acorn crop. Looking forward to very excellent tablefare.
God Bless. larrysogla.

 

[Timjackson]

Larry.. Hope you and Mike have a good time down here in TX...

Mike... keep in mind that there is a limit on Javelinas but not hogs in Texas.. If you are going to be hunting in Frio county, there is no closed season, but you can only take 2 javelinas per year.... You might double check these regs just in case...

 

[Mike1TX]

Originally posted by Timjackson@Oct 20 2004, 07:10 AM
Larry.. Hope you and Mike have a good time down here in TX...

Mike... keep in mind that there is a limit on Javelinas but not hogs in Texas.. If you are going to be hunting in Frio county, there is no closed season, but you can only take 2 javelinas per year.... You might double check these regs just in case...

Thanks, I'll have to look at county info for javalina info.......3 days and counting! We'll be down there Saturday morning at 9am.

 

[larrysogla]

Timjackson, Mike1TX, Bzzz, Satchmo(Aunt Cathy),
A big part of the lure of road trips to Texas is the natural and sincere Southern hospitality of Good ol' Texas folks. We have had good interactions with Texas folks, even being invited on the spot to come back & deer hunt on a 500 acre ranch by a guy who owns a gas station/restaurant/ranch in Southern Texas. Wow!!! And they(the whole family) were sincere because I did come back & deer hunted on their beautiful 500 acre ranch, no fees, no strings attached. Just warm, hospitable people. Same thing with this ranch we are booked up for the hog hunt. They have a reputation for good service & the interaction so far has been superb even though it is only by e-mail(as of now). We are expectant of a good hunting experience because at least half of the equation is dealing with good Texas people.
Fat, bulked up, acorn fed, tasty with a sweet nutty flavor porkers, good service & in my opinion a reasonable hunting fee is just the ticket for a good hunting experience. Thanks a lot for Texas & its folks. God Bless. larrysogla.

 

[Timjackson]

Appreciate the good words Larry... I like it here and do not ever plan on leaving!!! Except for a couple of weeks to Colorado elk hunting!!!

 

[Heathen]

You'll be hunting close to where I am from. You couldn't ask for a better area to hunt hogs and coyotes. They're thick in that part of the world.

Why aren't you going to use a light? While it says in the regs that you can't use a spotlight...........all you have to do is call the game warden and explain what you'll be doing and he give you the green light. It's hard to see a coyote without a light. You got to use a red lens or they'll spook. We turn on the light.....shine around then shut it off...wait 45 secs or so....then shine around some more.

You can also shoot hogs at night............But again I'd call the game warden.........Gun shots at night have them thinking that poachers are working.

Best of luck

 

[larrysogla]

Well the 4 of us drove out of L.A. last week(Monday) at 11pm pulling a brand new U-Haul enclosed trailer. It was nice as the new trailer had perfectly balanced tires & we could not feel any trailer vibration all the way to San Antonio & back. So the 24 hr. non-stop road trip was super smooth(thank goodness). We checked at the ranch at 3pm Wed. & that afternoon started hunting the property, spot & stalk. Saw a whole bunch of hogs but the guys could not connect with their free hand shots at running game. That moonlit night we were all put on game feeders & corn spread out on the ranch road. Unfortunately, the bumper crop of acorns & lush green shoots have the hogs full & not interested in the baits. After a sleepless night at the feeder & bait, I just went at it again at 7am & decided to stalk the swamps. Within a half hour of hitting the swamps, I roused a brown hog from its grass bed & saw its broad brown back moving swiftly away about 30yds. in the waist high grass. Decided to follow slowly & quietly & in another 25yds. saw a pair of brown ears sticking up from the grass & pointing in my direction. Couldn't see its head or body but I knew that if I moved any closer it would instantly sprint away. So I aimed my scoped .338 mag. BAR at the waving grass between the brown ears & squeezed a round. I didn't see what happened to that hog but instantly 3 hogs behind it(which I did not know were there) scrambled out towards my right. Only the 2nd shot was level with the sprinting hogs and the 3rd & 4rth shots were high due to the recoil. I did not see any hog drop or noticeably slow down due to the excitement & the high grass & abundant brush screening their escape. While I was reloading the now empty rifle/magazine I was thinking that no hogs were hit & I blew my shots. I then noticed the grass shaking violently where the pair of brown ears were last seen. I instantly knew that there was a hog shaking the grass with its death throes.
I approached with the now fully loaded rifle & saw the brown hog on its side with the 4 legs still swinging. I finished that hog with a head shot as I did not want it missing when I came back with the guide & the ATV. At the head shot, I noticed another brown hog on its side about 15yds to my left with the legs still swinging in the air also. Well it was another head shot to that 2nd hog & off I was to get the guide & the ATV. Needless to say, all 5 of us(a 5th guy joined us by airline) hit pigs & we harvested 6 hogs, all in the 100 to 150 lbs. range. It was a very enjoyable hunt in a ranch teeming with hogs. Also, it was raining hard when we arrived in San Antonio but the rain stopped & did not return all the time we were at the ranch. It was beautiful clear weather all throughout. Brought back a lot of good pork in our 5 big coolers. We will probably be back before we even know it as it was really thick with hogs & lush green grass, brush & trees. Most probably the same ranch or we might try another ranch as there are tons of them in Texas. This is a 48 hr. non-stop hunt with a 2 hog/hunter limit. Long live Texas!!! Thanks Chapdog_48 for recommending this ranch. Cheers & God Bless. larrysogla.

 

[Timjackson]

Larry... Welcome to Texas.. Sounds like you guys had a great time and even took back some meat.. Congrats!!!!

You know I hear guys on here bash hunting in a stand over a feeder all the time. You have just proved that it is not like shooting fish in a barell.. Still have to go find them...

 

[larrysogla]

Timjackson, Bzzz, Satchmo,
Yessiree, Texas for me just fits the hunting niche in my heart. The hogs are thick, the 5 day out of state hog, varmint & game bird hunting license is only $45, the ranches feature comfortable cabins, thick, lush greenery & abundant water for the game, the 24hr. hunt with spotlights, lasers, feeders, baits, swamps, chaparral, senderos, rivers, creeks & ponds, unlimited varmint shooting are my kind of stuff. Call it laid back, I call it Ten Gallon Hat Hunting. And it is still GUN COUNTRY, yeehaaa!!! Yep, we will be back. Lets put it this way, California guided hog hunts are great, but MAN, 2 hog limits of any size with no kill fee or trophy fee

, varmints galore, 48 hr. duration hunt with round the clock hunting & awesome country with water & lush game food is irresistible for me. I do my share of California public land hog & deer hunts & I have yet to score on public land & I still enjoy it. Texas is just another experience on a different hunt scenario. For me both are OK, very much OK. 'Nuff said. larrysogla.
Thank you Texas!!

 

[bzzboyz]

Come back any time. We got alot more hogs we wanna get rid of.

 

[chap_dog48]

LARRRRRY!!!!!
LARRRRRY!!!!!
Way to score man. I told you, you would have a great time on that ranch. Man I was living every minute of your hunt and thinking exactly were you were as you told the story. Did Paul cook up his Brisket special. How did the night hunting for hogs or varmits go. Did you connect on any yotes. I am glad you had a great time. Great job and lets see some pig pics if possible. Congrats, Chap_dog

 

[larrysogla]

chap_dog48,
Many thanks for your referral. The ranch provided excellent service. My friend had found the ranch advertising on E-bay at a discounted price. When I checked your referral I found out your referral is the same ranch advertising on E-bay. I called Paul the ranch manager/owner & decided to take the hunt based on your good recommendation. As I have e-mailed you before, 3 years ago we were ripped off on a $150/hunter/daytime hog hunt. There were no hogs, the feeders were not turned on & were empty, the guy had gone to a gun show & it was his wife he assigned to take care of us. Turned out she has 3 very small children & she woke up late, took a long time to settle down the kids, get dressed herself & drive us down the highway to the ranch/hunting area. By the time we got there it was nearly 6:30am & the sun was up & then she spread a little corn on the dirt road in front of the blinds & left us for the whole day. Then she picked us up at 7:30pm & that was that. No hogs, no coyotes, no animals, no nothing. It was a rip off. This was in the county of Live Oak. Your recommendation really sealed it for us to get this San Antonio ranch/hog hunt. We did not see any pigs/varmints at night as the pigs were full from the acorns/green shoots & ignored the bait/feeders & the coyotes probably could not cross the swollen creeks/rivers as it rained heavily on the morning of our arrival. Luckily we jumped a whole herd of pigs in the swamps when we swept the swamps with our spot/stalk. I was able to bag two 150 lb. dry sows. One guy was using a 12 ga. semi-auto loaded with OO buckshot & he bagged a pig with that combo. Perfect!! It was close range running shots in the swamps.

My camera is broken & I am waiting for the after X'mas sale to buy a nice digital camera(talk about being a cheap guy!!) so I have no pictures of my hunt(sorry 'bout that). We are definitely planning on a return trip to Texas & we may try another ranch if we can get anymore good, reliable recommendations like you did for us(thanks pardner!!). As Bzzz says, their hogs are a burden to them but a bonanza for us out-of-staters. Always glad to give these good Texas folks a helping hand with their hog pest problem. Yee-haaa!!! God Bless. larrysogla.

 

[41mag]

Hey Larry,

Next time out maybe you will get luck and pick you up a couple like these,

Good Luck and remember, there are a lot of us over here who refer to these critter's as East Tx Grizzly's for good reason. That one I got with the pistol just about did me in.

Later