How Do U Hunt Daytime Nocturnal Wild Pigs? Strategies, Methods,Tips & Trick’s....

[Wild1]

Tech -

I use google earth and a tried and true old-school method: look for green vegetation.

 

[Stevehazard]

Question about water and hogs. Do they need enough to drink or do they also need enough to get muddy to cool off, is that only critical in the summer?

 

[Planetcat]

:hog chewing::shootin-rifle:.......So Opah just did his first wild pig hunt this past month and got skunked because the pigs were being nocturnal and I thought it would be great if we could all share info to help noobies and inexperienced pig hunters try to be more successful scoring a wild nocturnal pig during legal shooting hrs with a gun or bow.
As hunters we all put a lot of time, effort, physical energy, practice and money and miles to do a weekend hunt for wild pigs and to come home empty handed sucks, I know because I have done many unsuccessful wild pig hunts on private and pubic lands, I am a very good pig hunter just not a successful one, I can find a pig but not get the job done due to overthinking so hard I have f,d up every great opportunity to put bacon in the freezer and some real trophy hogs too. But over the years and many hunts myself and with other great pig hunter friends and jho members I have gathered a lot of expieriance and great advice but me being stubborn in my mind and trying to figure out how to hunt wild pigs my way caused me alot of missed opportunities that will always kick myself in the azz for. :hog chewing::archer green:

1) I will start out with hunting nocturnal pigs on full moon weekends. One reason I believe pigs get nocturnal u always hear that when there is a full moon pigs will feed hard though the whole night which in turn causes them not to come out and feed during the day hrs. Out of all the hunts I did when it was full moon time they were the worst weekend hunts and I am convinced the full moon effects wild pig behavior and I never hunted full moon weekends again if I could help it.
2) Another reason why pigs will be more nocturnal or out of sight is definitely extreme hot weather they will feed all night and avoid the high heat during the day.
3) over hunted privet properties and public land, to much foot traffic and hunting activity will keep the hogs nocturnal or very low key and they will move around more stealthy and hold up in deep cover or thick tree groves and ravines. Let me tell u something about outfitter group hunts as soon as hunters get up early and out the door before sunrise to get to there spots with there trucks and ATVs as soon as the pigs hear that they have learned and know the hunters on their way to look for them and they disappear into thick cover and stay more nocturnal.

One important thing I have learned about hunting leagal daylight hrs for hardcore nocturnal pigs is the first and last few minutes of legal shooting hrs will be your best opportunity because that’s when they will make their move after being low key through the day. It’s a gusseing game but u want to be in place the last hr posted up over A heavy travel route coming out of their bedding area if possible and be ready, as soon as last leagal light starts fading they will make their move and head out to feed for the night on those trails and hopefully cross your path, it all happens so quick sometimes u will get caught of gaurd and miss the opportunity believe me.
The same for the morning hunt u have to find a heavy traveled trail they use back into their bedding area after feeding all night and be in place before sunrise and try and catch them going back to their bedding area on that travel route before sunrise.
These are a couple of my expieriances and strategies to hunting hard core nocturnal wild pigs I have more to share but time to do my daily chores I will post up more info in between my busy schedule this week........tra

This is what I would chime in with myself. I would add that the time of year (ie. winter vs. summer) has a lot to do with it, even in drought conditions, as well as geography and food source. As many have said, regardless of almost anything except the dreaded full moon, they will be easy to pattern in early morning and at dusk in the summer heat, even if there's water sources all over. Winter is harder, because they tend to not move much, even if pressured. My buddies and I have walked within 10 ft. of hogs hiding in bushes. If they're highly pressured, they won't move until you step on them. This makes for difficult hunting. You really need to beat the brush to flush them out.

I've also found that pigs that go nocturnal, don't necessarily sleep all day. They just sleep in and get moving in the late morning. Those of us who hunt all day long get some good opportunities around lunch time.

I used to hunt with a guide East of Paso Robles, who would shoot his .22LR into the deep canyons to get pigs moving. It was effective where we hunted, since the .22 was not terribly loud, but loud enough to spook pigs in the direction of the shot. We could stand there looking down and glassing, and not see anything. Many times, the pigs would just appear out of nowhere a few seconds after the shot.

 

[flytrue]

This is what I would chime in with myself. I would add that the time of year (ie. winter vs. summer) has a lot to do with it, even in drought conditions, as well as geography and food source. As many have said, regardless of almost anything except the dreaded full moon, they will be easy to pattern in early morning and at dusk in the summer heat, even if there's water sources all over. Winter is harder, because they tend to not move much, even if pressured. My buddies and I have walked within 10 ft. of hogs hiding in bushes. If they're highly pressured, they won't move until you step on them. This makes for difficult hunting. You really need to beat the brush to flush them out.

I've also found that pigs that go nocturnal, don't necessarily sleep all day. They just sleep in and get moving in the late morning. Those of us who hunt all day long get some good opportunities around lunch time.

I used to hunt with a guide East of Paso Robles, who would shoot his .22LR into the deep canyons to get pigs moving. It was effective where we hunted, since the .22 was not terribly loud, but loud enough to spook pigs in the direction of the shot. We could stand there looking down and glassing, and not see anything. Many times, the pigs would just appear out of nowhere a few seconds after the shot.

I've flushed out pigs with a predator call. They don't seem to like it.

 

[Stevehazard]

Wild1,
I know google is the first place to start. Another is boot on the trailer.
Is there a better way to find/locate water ?

Finding and mapping out confirmed and potential sources of water can be an art form.

Different layers of different topographical maps can mark some springs, creeks, ponds, lakes, wildlife guzzlers, livestock guzzlers, windmills, etc. Keep in mind that any and all of these things can be dry. The location of something like a spring can not be perfect. And the absence of these marked on a topo map also does not mean there is something there. These I find are helpful maps. Make sure to switch between the different layers. What is shown on one layer may not be on another and vice versa.

https://mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php
https://caltopo.com/map.html#ll=36.263,-121.50392&z=11&b=t&a=sma

On google maps I would definitely create a custom map of possible water sources. Make a custom map and drop pins on things you may think are springs, creeks with water, guzzlers, etc. Give the pins different colors for springs, guzzlers, etc and for confirmed water or not. I'm not sure how prevalent wildlife guzzlers are going to be up where your looking but on sat images they are a sort of concrete apron or a square piece of sheet metal. Every sheet metal roof style guzzler I have been up to has a large game drinker set up on it where the concrete ones I've only ever seen one that had a large game drinker set up on it and all the rest are for birds only that they walk into. Look for green vegetation on the sat images and when you find the green look what is around it. Just cause there is a tree growing there doesn't mean there is water an animal can drink too. Are there a bunch of game trails that converge on that spot of green? If so there is probably water. Definitely make a custom map though. Once you start getting markers down you'll be able to visually see where things are located and thus where animals can access multiple different sources, etc. Try looking at sat images from different times of the year if possible. A pond with water in it in April can be seen easy. The same one that is dry in September just looks like dirt and can be over looked.

 

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

Great stuff guys thanks for sharing!
Very important also is being keen and using all your senses wisely, see, hear and smell.
1) SEE-u have to look where u won’t think they will be sometimes and u would be surprised if u find some. Pigs just don’t like bedding down in thick ravines alone u will find bedding areas in high elevation locations also like oak tree peaks and sounders like the side hills too were there’s thick brush like nasty poison oak patches the little B! So it’s good to do some billy goat sidehilling, drop down then go back up checking potential spots and like planetcat said u can do some brush busting once in a while when u see a big high thick brush patch u toss a rock in there and flush them out it works for sure because I hunted with a couple freinds at the lake that did that busted out a big sounder and scored a nice sow, when all else fails u have to think outside the box a little bit.
2) SMELL- u definitely should know what wild pigs and there piggy poo smell like so when u are hunting them down wind And there’s a group around u can track them by smell too especially in hillsides canyons and ravines except with swirling winds it can be tuff. heavy used bedding area will have a lot of piggy poo in the area u might catch a wiff of that can lead u too them.
3) LISTEN- stop and stand still once in a while and listen for pigs squealing and biting and fighting or popping their jaws in the back brush or hidden areas.
just a little more food for thought when pigs are being stubborn and lowkey with very little daytime movement scenarios.
and always be ready u never know when one or a few will pop out and cross right in front of u out of the blue, it's happend to alot of hunters and u have to react quick or it will be a missed opportunity. And like I said before don’t overthink when pig hunting it’s not that complicated but it’s not that easy either....lol....tra

 

[Wild1]

SteveH. -

They need water - period, both to drink and cool off. Pigs don't sweat so they can easily overheat, which can be fatal to them. It's more critical in the summer, but they need it year 'round.

 

[socalkid]

1) I will start out with hunting nocturnal pigs on full moon weekends. One reason I believe pigs get nocturnal u always hear that when there is a full moon pigs will feed hard though the whole night which in turn causes them not to come out and feed during the day hrs. Out of all the hunts I did when it was full moon time they were the worst weekend hunts and I am convinced the full moon effects wild pig behavior and I never hunted full moon weekends again if I could help it.
2) Another reason why pigs will be more nocturnal or out of sight is definitely extreme hot weather they will feed all night and avoid the high heat during the day.

#1. I have found this to be true for many game mammals, especially pigs and deer.

#2. Also agree with this from my experience.

For central/southern California pigs especially, when you're trying to figure out where they'll be during the day consider what the weather is like. Think of a wild pig's ability to deal with weather the same way humans do. When it's super hot, they're gonna be either in the shade or trying to get there and cool down asap. If it's really windy or rainy, they tend to stick to the thick brushy cover to shield them from the elements. A cool, overcast day will make them comfortable enough to stay out in the open longer in the mornings and come out earlier in the afternoons.

 

[dustin ray]

In my experince hunting pigs and spending time just watching them they are either eating drinking ,staying cool and sleeping and can happen any time day or night
Heres my take on finding pigs
Even when it is hot there still there still eating during the day there just doing it in a cool spot
They love thick nasty brushy areas
They love acorns and will get vary competive on finding and eating them if there is a big oak tree next to a brushy area chuck some rocks under the tree if there are pigs there they will come running out first the small ones then if the big ones think there missing out on a meal they be right behind the little ones or just stay one the edge of the brush
They can be in the flat lands where they might be more active at night if there is a food source they like and shelter close by like a tumble weed patch or a heavy brush area
When preasured they will find the nastyest poison oak thorn bush canyon
Early morning or afternoon is the best time to find them but not the only time
If you found a area where you think theres pigs do not go barging into it better to watch it for a wile then bust them out. although we have done this in tumble weed patches just to bust them out using shovels beating on the brush walking in a line with guys on the other end this can be alot of fun
On one hunt i walked into a area sat under a tree that was next to some vary thick brush poison oak all over it after sitting there for a wile i could smell pigs then i keep hearing noises something moving around then 40 yards in the orther direction a nice 60 lb pig walked out i got a good shot i found my arrow with good blood and tracked the blood back into the thicket i crawled threw the first 40' of brush then it cleared out some what i was standing in this huge pig condominium the little pig was dead right there i was still curious about the noise i heard earlier i made my way in that deriction there was tunnels and rotting everywhere as i got closer i had a vary uneasy filling and knocked a arrow just then 10 pigs over 200lbs each started pilling out some went out the back some ran right next to me it was an awesome experience those pigs where bedded just 20' from where i was sitting earlier

 

[Wild1]

FWIW -

I've noticed a small similarity between what hunters think about in regards to pigs and acorns and bears and berries. It's true, both animals enjoy their favorite food source, BUT, they NEED water, neither need berries or acorns. I've killed hogs eating acorns, but I've also killed a dozen wild hogs, on public land, with no acorns within ten miles. Same with bears and berries. This tasty bow-killed pig was no where near acorns.

 

[OPAH]

Super info Guys, great stories keep them coming please . thank you TRA for this Post its a good one

 

[canamrider07]

Here is my game cam at a mud pit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GanI0MCeGeU

 

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

That’s great game cam footage montage, very good, I am ready to hunt!....lol thanks for sharing, how could u not luv the little carnitas runnin around ready for the pot...tra

 

[Wild1]

Love the mud pit!! Soon to be BBQ pit.

 

[canamrider07]

If you loved the "mud pit" the "watering hole" on another property is something else......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WOR_hw-hAs&t=107s

 

[OPAH]

you are a blessed man, two fantastic spots to hunt.
Thank you for sharing

 

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

That is super great awesome footage my man! I am on my way to Waco but I wil stop by b.p. To buy a barrel of arrows, so much game to wack with a bow out there......lol....tra

 

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

Oh yeh I almost forgot a very valuable hunting expieriance and lesson I learned on a wild pig hunt years ago that I am still kicking myself in the azz for blown opportunity I will share with u and makes total sense on what I should have done to be successful.

remember when I said u should be at your ambush spot before sunrise to catch the pigs coming back to their bedding area when they r being very nocturnal that’s not a good idea because this is what can happen in that scenario. And I will tell u what I should have done and other pig hunters should take in consideration if they end up in the same situation I was....

So a few years back on a weekend group hunt at Choppers place hunting wild pigs it was one of those tough weekend hunts, it was super hot and the pigs were holding out real hard. It was the second evening of the hunt I was walking through the lush mossy oak valleys and peaks stealthy looking for pigs it was less then an hr of leagal shooting light and I decide to climb a few hundred feet to a oak noll peak and glass the valley around me for that last chance before the sun sets, I get to the top and start glassing it was so tranquil and peaceful sun was slowly dropping I didn’t see any sign at all on the peak top I was on either. There was a huge fallen tree log laying on the top edge of the flat peak top so I decided to take a selfie and went to set the camera on the log to set the self timer and low and behold on the other side of this huge fallen log I see huge fresh piles of pig sht everywhere I climb over and within a few feet I found over a half dozen pig beds all against the oak trees all very good size then there was one bed like I have never seen before by this huge oak tree, it was at least a 6x4 in size it was all dirt with a 8” lip built up around it all nice and smooth and I am thinking that can’t be for just one pig it’s too large had me stumped. So with super excitement I took pic and video to bring back to camp and shared with everyone. So I came up with a game plan, I knew for sure the pigs will be back to bed down in the morning at the site so I was up before everyone and out the door by 4:30 am to quitely drive to get to the bottom of the mountain peak on the 4000 acer ranch and slowly work my way up to the top in the cold am darkness with my headlamp on using the red light so I can be in place at the bedding site just as leagal shooting light time comes and the pigs show up I will ambush them, I had used my range finder the evening before where I found the beds and ranged them from my ambush spot just as I get to the peak top.
The wind was perfect and blowing mountain side downdraft was in my face and favor, i had made it to my ambush spot which was 20 yard. From the large 6x4 bed as I slip my backpack off I hear some noise and movement as leagal light just hits and like ghost in the mist there’s about a have dozen large hogs actually standing in there beds and now they now I am there I am ready to draw on one big Russian and then I see all these black little young pigs about 30 lbs. moving around in that huge bed 20 yard from me to my right so I drawed down from the one pig and I am trying to spot the sow in the bed and I thinking huge black pig my eyes focus in better and it was right there in the in the bed standing up with the piglets scrambleing around her it had to be at least 400+ it look like a cow on stilts and it was all that reddish brown color so I redraw quickly and then they all bust loose and out except one that stared at me for a couple sec took a quick shot but did not connect, all this happens within seconds.
I sat there quitely for a few just in case anymore popped up then went to look for my arrow and was so disappointed at what just happened going back over in my head my game plan what I could of done different, my Hart was ripped out over that great opportunity I had blown. Then it hit me what I should of done!

What I should of done knowing that the pigs would be bedded down in that spot for sure that next morning I should of waited till around 8-9 am that morning and drove the the spot make my accent slowly and quitely I would have the downdraft in my face then when I get to the top where they were bedded and by that time they would be snoring and dead asleep in there beds hopefully and I could of just whacked one before they awake I am sure that it would of been a better outcome then being there before sunrise like I did and caught as a they were just bedding instead of being bedded already. A tuff lesson for me for sure but now more knowledgeable and experienced if that situation ever happens again.

1) so if u know where there is pig bedding and u can sneak in for a shot opportunity I would ambush after they r bedded instead of before so u don’t make the mistake I made.

2) if u know where the bedding is but u can’t sneak in for a shot opportunity because of the vegetation or thick brush then be there for the ambush before sunrise to be in place for the intercept shot at leagal shooting light.

I hope sharing this experience will help u avoid the same mistakes I made in this scenario and u will have a better outcome, nothing like good food for thought and common sense.......tra

 

[JustGuy]

Sorry i do not think this was your mistake.
In my experience when i was bow hunting it is much, much easier to wait quietly for pigs to come to you than to snick upon them.
They usually can hear you well before you are in shootable distance.

I think, but it is my opinion only, your mistake was you drew too quickly, especially when you saw they made you out. I had many situations like that, i just lower my eyes not to make eye contact if i cannot hide completely and wait and wait for them to settle. sometimes they run, but almost always they come back 20-30 minutes later if no shots were fired or any other sudden movements, noises etc.

It is what i always prefer, but it is my experience and opinion and it does not mean it has to be right, there are 1000s or situations and variables, and experience will tell you what in a given situation would be right or wrong.
And knowing you being an experienced one, i'm sure you did the right thing in this situation, only the cards were laid wrong

 

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

In that situation I was in it was ready to get dark when I found the beds and their trail went straight down the steep backside I had come up the front side which was a gradual slope to climb So I could not follow the trail all the way down to find a good spot to set up and wait for them to come by, if I had about another hr I would of followed it to the bottom and see where it led to see if I had another option to come in from a different location and set up for the intercept but the back side was not a good option in the dark it would be risky with all the thick brush and slippery leaves and pine needles with the steepness, it’s not fun to slip and fall with a bow in hand in the dark on a steep slope, so coming up the front side before sunrise hoping to get there and set up before the showed up was a ge option I chose at the time, the spot I picked the evening before had good shooting lane options to the beds all I had to do is be there before they showed up and wait for leagal light but the timing didn’t work that way, I would have had to be there about another 30 min. Earlier before they showed up to get a chance, already got up and out by 4:30 am to get to the spot just bad timing, that’s why in that situation it would of been better to sneak in later when they are bedded and snoring. It was my last morning of the hunt so I had only till noon to get it done, no time for other options, That’s why I noted in my above post if u the 2 options, one u can set up and wait for the intercept ( waiting to come to u basically ) or if u don’t have that option and no other option u sneak in a plug the while the are asleep in there beds.
To sneak in on a sleeping bedded pig and take it out with a bow and arrow like an Indian has to be exciting and I know it’s exciting because my good friend of mine who I have hunted with and also is our jho member Bigbadboar, he did exactly that on public land at lake Sonoma a few years ago with a bow he captured all on vid with his GoPro and it is really exciting to watch.
Hey Carlton do u still have that vid that u posted here back then when u did that, really good stuff if u haven’t seen it u Would like it, really gets u pumped up, and great sound track too....

remenber this post is about real held up wild pigs that are being very nocturnal when they r hardly moving around at all and your only option is to sneak in on them In their bedding area of just their hang out spots in the thick brush that they won’t come out off.
But it’s all good that’s what I luv about wild pig hunting is the different challenges and different exciting adventures it always turns out to be and all the experience I gain each time I have been out in the field is priceless and much more always to learn.....tra