How Do I Get Started?

[B.L. Justice]

I'm one of them new folk who have been lurking about and picking up tips from all of you good folk. Well, I have myself a Marlin 1895 in 45-70 and would like to shoot me some meat. Only problem is, I have no idea how to get started. I have never hunt anything before.

I do a heap of shoot'n and can hit what I aim at out to 200 but don't know how I will do when the fever hits me.

Where do I start? I am in the OC so everything is a drive. I am planning on going down to Sotherland for the Turkey tune up, is there something like that for Porky? I know I need a hunting licence and should have that in pocket soon. I have aloso been on the Cal DFG web site looking at the Pig and Turkey info.

I was thinking about running over to Big Horn Ranch but I want to avoid rushing and missing the good stuff.

What next????? Any of you have some advice for this new guy?

 

[Shot]

If you want a true hunting experience do not go to Big Horn Ranch, its more like target practice there. That said, now lets talk about hunting. Your best bet is hunting a private ranch with free roaming pigs, it will be like a crash course in hunting pigs. Hunt with a guide and you will learn a lot (ask questions). Try to find a hunting buddy that knows a few things or two. If not you can also do one of the JHO pig-o-ramas at Tejon and the JHO gang will definitly help you out and teach you a few things. Thats just my two cents.

 

[Jean]

I went to a game farm and did some bird hunting first to make sure I could pull the trigger on a live critter. That's probably not an issue for you but it was a big deal to me.
I booked a guided pig hunt because I wanted to make sure my first kill went well.
Take some time to figure out what you think you are looking to learn from the experience. I wanted some one to talk me through the gutting and skinning with a minimum of laughing and pointing at my expense. Not that I have anything against laughing and pointing at my expense.
I am a slow learner. It took me five years after that to get a pig on my own. Maybe that's more- even a blind acorn gets a pig-- or something like that.

Good Luck,

Jean

 

[Speckmisser]

Welcome to the madness, B.L.!

Starting out reading on sites like this is definitely a good call. There's a lot of good info on here if you're willing to read through and look for it.

As far as getting that first hunt, my recommendation depends on a couple of things.

First, if you're new to big game hunting, then I'd definitely recommend trying to hook up with an experienced hunter for your first hunts. You can really shorten the learning curve by spending time in the field with someone who knows their stuff.

Short of that, the next best thing would be to book a guided hunt. It's not cheap, but it is a great way to get a feel for the game. Ask questions, and a good guide will usually be more than happy to answer them.

And, as Shot mentioned, the JHO Pig-O-Rama is a great way to get out and hunt, meet some good folks, and have a good opportunity at your first hog. I've seen a lot of folks take their first pigs at Tejon, and as far as I can tell, they've all been pretty happy with the experience. We're hutning on Labor Day weekend this year. Details and info about getting in on the fun are at the top of this forum.

My feelings about places like BigHorn ranch are a little ambivalent. I could never hunt a place like that (at least not while I'm healthy and mobile), but for new hunters it does offer an opportunity at easy success as well as an introduction to what it's like to actually shoot something besides paper.

The downside is that it can build a false expectation. Public land, or even unguided private land hunts are seldom as easy, and frustrated expectations tend to make newbies leave the sport.

 

[larrysogla]

I second the suggestions regarding going on a guided pig hunt or going with the JHO Pig-o-rama
as an opening page for somebody who wants to get into big game hunting. I had started deer hunting way back in 1978 and after years of coming home empty handed I gave up big game hunting in 1983. I was not aware of hog hunting in California. All I knew was deer hunting. Then in 1998???, the California Hog Hunter was published and my eyes were opened about the existence of wild pigs in California. So I ended up buying two new rifles(a BAR .338WM with Boss/muzzle brake and a Tikka .300WM bolt action) and my co-worker also having bought a copy of the California Hog Hunter also got a Remington 700 in .308 Win. Soon we were out in Carrizo Plains and in Laguna Mountain(both Bureau of Land Management public hunting areas) and NO hogs were seen or sign detected. Zero, zilch, NONE, so to satisfy our mounting eagerness, we paid for a guided hog hunt with Frank Morasci of Mustang Guide Services of King City. At the hunt, within 30 minutes of parking our car at the ranch and walking with our rifles with the guides(there were 2 of them, Frank and his assistant Keck) I saw a huge(estimated to be 300 lbs. by Frank) brown animal standing in the early morning mist(6:30AM) about 100 yds. away which I mistook for a cow. I asked Frank if it was a wild pig and he replied "Yes, shoot it!!!!". I waited too long with my aim and the big brown hog which was looking at us all this time started taking off at a fast trot. I emptied my BAR .338WM with a BOSS/muzzle brake so the recoil and barrel jump was very, very mild(like shooting an SKS semi-auto rifle) and still of course I MISSED. The big pig then disappeared at the crest of the hill and was gone. By this time we heard gunshots from where my buddy and Keck were located. It turned out that Keck's little hunting dog had detected a 120 lb. pig sleeping under a bush at the bottom of a 5 ft. deep gully. My buddy grazed the underside of the pig's belly with his .308 and the enraged pig leaped to the top of that 5 foot deep gully in one jump and bored straight for Keck bent on serious bodily harm. Keck being some distance away started running away but the enraged pig was gaining fast, whereupon Keck stopped and wheeled around in one swift motion and nailed the charging pig right on the top of the head with his Mossberg 12 gauge slug. The slug passed thru the pig's head and the pig was sliding dead on the dirt stopping very close to Keck's feet. Keck dug and recovered from the dirt the spent 12 ga. slug. It was flattened like a pancake. Next we searched and found where the pig herd was bedded in the bulrushes by the big pond on the ranch. The disturbed herd took off in single file like a choo-choo train going up that slight hill after crossing the neighbor's fence. It was too late to catch the herd. Soon Keck was on the radio informing us that a lone big brown pig was running away but if Frank and I ran towards the dirt road, we would be in time to cut it off before it crossed the neighbor's fence. Man!!! we must have run full bore for 2 blocks and when we got to the dirt road, I was gasping for breath. I quickly positioned my rifle to rest on the fence post and waited for the big pig(estimated 200 lbs.) to appear. Soon within seconds it came out of the bulrushes hurrying to cross the dirt road and across the neighbor's fence and on into freedom. I took a shot and MISSED AGAIN and then the BAR jammed(later after a call to Browning Service dept., I was informed to open up the adjustable gas port valve another 1/2 turn and that cured the problem). Of course that big wise pig scooted under the neighbor's fence and ran away to freedom. After the jamming problem with the misadjusted BAR gas valve(which was later corrected with that call to Browning Serv. Dept.), I decided to switch rifles to my Tikka bolt action .300WM. Finally, Keck spotted a sleeping red colored pig under the brush across the small canyon on the opposite hill. Whereupon I sat down on our hillside with Keck's two small hunting dogs sitting down on the hillside beside us and Keck's optical Ranging 1000 indicated close to 275 yds. By then the pig was awakened and was running downhill and on the 9x scope that pig was easy to keep on the crosshairs and I was leading it by a foot in front of it's nose and on the second shot I hit that pig on the bridge of the nose with the bullet coming out and breaking the lower jaw. The two dogs rushed downhill like two small rockets at Keck's command. That pig rolled downhill and got up and was set upon by the two small hunting dogs with the fearless magnificent dogs clamping their jaws on each pig ear and holding on. The pig dragged along the two hanging small dogs lifting the two small dogs sometimes completely off their feet. I fell and rolled twice downhill trying to catch up with the surefooted Keck on our rush downhill to catch up with the hog and the 2 dogs. In short order we caught up and I finished the hog with a 15 yd. shot to the neck after Keck ordered the dogs out of the way and when the coast was clear he ordered me to shoot the hog in the head and of course I MISSED AGAIN(I was gasping for breath again after that footchase of several blocks and my rifle was weaving up and down) and instead I hit the hog in the neck killing it. Dead is dead, right!!!. So a guided hunt paid off in 2 harvested hogs and all the excitement(your excitement mileage may vary depending upon the cooperation of the wild pigs and your physical condition). Remember to carry enough gun. A 45-70 loaded with potent ammo(at least 1,600 FPS with 350 grn. soft point ammo) will flatten any wild pig that gets in the way at 100 yds. or less. God Bless, always.

 

[easymoney]

Great advice by all...
As many will tell you, first time out is best with a guide. The best places to hunt wild pigs nearby So. Cal on your own, for a fair price is Tejon Ranch. If you wish to hunt a guided hunt, there are many very good guides who will get you into pigs(that is how they make their living), but most are 4 hours from LA. The public land adventure is always an option, but most do not have the time to put in or live anywhere near where the pigs are.
Good luck and do a search back into the past posts and you will find loads of great info.

 

[Jean]

you might take a look at this link
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/huntclinics/index.html

 

[ozstriker22]

hunted pigs twice at Tejon on the HamSlam. I would've gotten one the first time but innexperience got in the way.

2nd time i closed the deal.

JHO'ers are the best. Regardless if you hunt between now and then, make sure to go in May when we all do. it'll be worth it!!

 

[dw33]

Larry I enjoyed reading your Dec. 5th post. Good stuff, and you are more honest than most hunters, lol.

 

[B.L. Justice]

I want to thank everyone who added their advice. I am listening. Still a hog hunt'n virgin but looking to fix that in the fullness of time.

B.L.