How hot is too hot??

[Hunter29]

Here is a question that I would be interested in some feedback on: How hot is too hot for hunting pigs? And if you do hunt in the summer months, when do you go out and what steps do you take to keep yourself and your take cool?

 

[Bill in SD]

I am not an expert, however I would say right now it is too hot for me sitting in front of my computer in San Diego!!!!!!

Actually, pigs are a lot like deer as far as they come out in the early morning and late evening or just at night if they are pressured. Pigs seem to be smarter than deer to me.

The hotter it is the less time you would see them out during the early morning or evening.

On the other hand if you have a water hole or wallow they can come in most anytime of the day, however if they are pressured they will come in at night.

I would wear a cotton pair of camo pants and shirt and a baseball hat. And I would bring lots and lots of water. Those plastic bladder pouches like Plattapus are great for carrying water. Also, in the am I would only hunt until the sun comes up and it starts to feel hot. Because the pigs will go to bed and will be virtually impossible to hunt, unless you have a lot of hunters, have the right terrain and you could make some drives.

I would wait in the evening until about an hour or so before the sun goes down and stay out until you cannot see or rather the end of legal hunting time.

And if you score on a pig, then comes the hard part. You would need to get the thing skinned and butchered real fast. If you are hunting on your own on public land somewhere I would not be terribly worried, because you odds of success are very slim, but you should always be prepared. Having a big ice chest (filled with ice) back at the truck would be great if you scored on a pig.


Take care and good luck.
Bill

 

[Boar Tracks CA]

I would agree, tonight by Milpitas res at FHL there was six hogs at the water, around 6:00pm. Early mourn comming from the juice and eve going to it, and maybe a few in the afternoon that just need a drink. I have found that good thick cover within a few hundred yards of water will hold some young pigs and mothers.
But thats just my

Lowell

 

[Arrowslinger]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

wear a cotton pair of camo pants and shirt and a baseball hat[/b]

Cotton traps/holds your perspiration and prevents evaporation. A poly/blended/or nylon material will allow for better evaporation, more air flow, less bulk, and more comfort. But when it's 100 degrees, ain't a damn thing that'll help except

.

 

[PIGIG]

Originally posted by Arrowslinger@May 3 2004, 08:36 PM
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE

wear a cotton pair of camo pants and shirt and a baseball hat

Cotton traps/holds your perspiration and prevents evaporation. A poly/blended/or nylon material will allow for better evaporation, more air flow, less bulk, and more comfort. But when it's 100 degrees, ain't a damn thing that'll help except

. [/b][/quote]
here here

 

[mccormac98]

I'm seeing pigs near Calaveras Reservoir (just east of Fremont) around 6:45 - 7:00 PM. It seems like they wait until the direct sunlight disappears behind the hills.

Bill

 

[RIFLEMAN]

In some ways, the hotter weather is an advantage in that it hastens the evaporation of seasonal sources of water and forces the hogs to the traditional localized water sources; if you find the water you will find the hogs. When looking for waterholes, keep your eyes open for mud caked on trees as this is evidence of not only a nearby waterhole, but hog activity.

From my own experience, I have great success walking my dogs around stock ponds in the early morning light during summer days; so much so that it is nearly guaranteed that my dogs will get after a hog.

Hogs will spend a great deal of time in or near the water; they are more dependent upon water than other game species. If there is cover available in or near the waterhole, the hogs may linger in the water long into the day. While scouting a ranch during a hot summer afternoon, I parked my truck near the edge of a pond to look for tracks and wallows. Much to my suprise, nearly 40 sows and pigs came trotting out of the tules that lined the pond.

However, as others have said, hot weather will commonly limit the period of time where hogs are actively feeding and diminshes the opportunity for productive still hunting. You may find it beneficial to glass the shaded hillsides for hogs that are bedded down during the day. Look for well worn paths-a telling indicator of the propensity for hogs to follow routine patterns of behavior-leading you to their watering, bedding or feeding areas.

Once the afternoon begins to wane, hunt the shaded hillsides first. Pay special attention to ridgetops, as hogs will take advantage of the breeze and updrafts of air to help keep them cool.

Take plenty of water, conserve your movement and keep yourself hydrated by consuming water at regular intervals; do not wait until you are thirsty before you take a drink.

When you do bag a hog, get him gutted and skinned as quickly as possible. Have bags of ice already in your ice chest (I recommend a size suitable for a whole or quartered carcass) in order to speed cooling; don't wait until you return to civilization or it may spoil before you get there.

 

[FForF]

Hunt Texas where you can hunt them all night. In the summer is usually cools down to about 90 around 4 AM.

 

[F350]

Actually, Cotton absorbs moisture and poly traps it in. Cooling occurs during evaporation below the surface and as much as 15 deg. Stay with the cotton.
Start with a camel back or other hydration setup. Don't load up on gatorade as it is Hypertonic and wont absorb fast enough unless you dilute it 3:1 with water.

There is some stuff called Gookinade or Hydralite that is Isotonic and absorbs faster than water in the body while it also replenishes your electrolytes and prevents cramps etc... (This is by no means Medical advice) I've learned this through training and some hard experience. "Hydrate or Die".

As far as the Hogs are concerned, If there's no local water, you probably won't see hogs. And the guys are absolutely correct, you will have a smaller window of opportunity due to the hogs escaping the sun but it can be done.

Good Luck

 

[Shot]

Originally posted by F350@May 7 2004, 12:26 PM
Don't load up on gatorade as it is Hypertonic and wont absorb fast enough unless you dilute it 3:1 with water.

Gatorade is isotonic to your blood. Water follows sodium, and the amount of sodium in Gatorade is enough to allow diffusion to occur without any excess filteration by your kidneys (urine production).

 

[fpscabs]

DRINK WATER. Last summer (July) @ CR, it was just about

weather. I got back from my morning hunt, tired and dehydrated, water bottles just shy of boiling and I just polished off my melted icetea (not too smart). Well, I made the big mistake of not drinkin the water, even hot. I know I was at the door step to heat stroke type effects. I did the next best thing I could think of, got in the truck and drove up the highway almost to King City until I found a gas station/minimart, bought some water and ice. The temperature gauge in the truck read 105. I should have froze a bottle or two to have with me.

First Rule: Drink Water
Second Rule: Follow rule one on hot hunts

p.s. Bring some icechests filled with ice and water bottles on ice.