Huntin Los padres

[Spot_n_Stalk]

I've seen hogs below the dam and out towards Squaw Valley when I was at Fresno State. A friend of mine who lived on 90 acres adjacent to the Sierra Cat Haven has had them on her property. They live on 90 acres. Her daddy would shoot them and leave them to rot.

The guy who runs rafting on the Kings River for 20+ years has heard them at night and seen their sign but not the actual pigs. I don't think he's seen them for many years though. Just the same they were there and he's not really looking for them. His operation is opposite the Kirch Flat campground. It's a nice campground, right next to the river and all...

There's at least one ranch up that way charging a trespass fee for you to go looking for pigs.

I hope this helps!

 

[bigboarstopper]

I used to hunt with your landlord Central cali fishin. We killed a lot of hogs together. He has moved up north and I havent talked to him in quite some time.

Not to crap on anyones idea of where to hunt but I dont think the chews ridge area would be worth the trip fo anyone who dosent live close to the area. While its fine to check out if your local. It wouldnt be worth a few hour ride to spend a weekend to hog hunt. The odds are just too poor to invest a tank of fuel and a weekend for the guy from out of town.

I know people cruz up there and see some sign and think that there are hogs up there. The thing is that the hogs will go from one mountain range to the other and stop there at the top where the camp and road is and root around a little bit before going over the top of the mountain. They come through there in the middle of the night.

I camped up there once when one of my hounds slipped off the collar and struck a hog at 2am. I got out of my tent and listened to the dog chase the hog practically to the bottom of the west side of the mountain. No tracking collar, no vest, no pants on. I listened until it was too far to hear. I got my dog the next day on carmel valley road at 2pm.

That was the one and only hog ive ever had a race with up there and that was during the 90's when we were in our flood years and the hog population was huge. Now a days the hog population is way down and the moutain has all but burned completely. I dont even bother going there anymore. I havent hunted there in years and its only an hour away.

Krisdude is the authority on the spot. If he disagrees with me on any of this then his opinion should hold presidence.

 

[totalslacker]

It's good to hear that China Camp wasn't burned out. I'm not surprised that it's hard to find them through there, or that they would mostly be passing through. I wonder though if China Camp/Chew's Ridge isn't more densely populated now since it wasn't burned and most of the surrounding area was? Down near White Oaks there certainly wasn't much reason for them to be there.

We live close enough that it's not too bad to get there, mostly the trek down Tassajara Rd that takes a long time - but that's not too bad in the right vehicle

Not sure when we'll get back out central cali, but it would be good to get out for a hunt. In your investigations of Los Padres have you identified other parts of the forest? Down near Hunter Liggett seems interesting as well, just a longer drive.

 

[central cali fishin]

Ive never hunted these areas but the Nacimiento Camp borders HL and i have heard good stuff about it from several different people, thats going to be the next place i go to as soon as i can afford a trip again. Upper and Lower piney, Also Bottchers gap. I have a list of interest places but like i have said done way to much reading and not enough hunting. when i find my list i will pm you that way u will know of all the spots i have ben told of.

 

[easymoney]

Having hunted all over the LPNF especially around FHL and points north, my experience is that the pigs are where you find them. As bigboarstopper says in the gravy days you could see hogs everywhere, even on public land during the daytime. But with the human population explosion and the constant attention they are getting, hogs are becoming nocturnal. Which IMHO, means you have to get out there scout, hike and spend a LOT of time in the field at first and last light hoping to catch some coming or going...
On private land the main reason why hunters see much more game is simply because far fewer people are wandering around disturbing the game and upsetting their routines.
They are out there, it just takes more determination and time in the field to get em...

 

[rbrown77]

Having hunted all over the LPNF especially around FHL and points north, my experience is that the pigs are where you find them. As bigboarstopper says in the gravy days you could see hogs everywhere, even on public land during the daytime. But with the human population explosion and the constant attention they are getting, hogs are becoming nocturnal. Which IMHO, means you have to get out there scout, hike and spend a LOT of time in the field at first and last light hoping to catch some coming or going...
On private land the main reason why hunters see much more game is simply because far fewer people are wandering around disturbing the game and upsetting their routines.
They are out there, it just takes more determination and time in the field to get em...

good advice I just need to get out there and hit the trail over and over. Do u recommend trail cams to help because most of us dont have a lot of time to scout. thx

 

[mauiandcali]

los parders is great - rugged raw - hard to access and it makes u work however we have all but the grizzley bear - and few crowds away from the camps

 

[Caviel]

Any new sightings of hogs there?

 

[1blackchicken]

Any new sightings of hogs there?

I would also like to know since I am planning on going for my first time hunting ever. If anyone is willing to give some general directions or advice it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance from a brand new hunter.

Ryan

 

[easymoney]

For those newbies, pick up or download the DFG wild pig hunting booklet. It spells out most all public huntable land, access spots, whether pigs actually occur there and what to look for if you go. On public land they will be nocturnal transients and as most can attest to, you will be lucky to see one. It is mainly a matter of trips logged learning a place and scouting for sign proving they have been by recently. There is no magic bulllet or unknown secret spot, just hard work.
Go back and do a search on successful and unsuccessful posts and you can learn a lot, that might save a bunch of fuel money and boot leather.
For those beginers who really want to learn the ropes and have a reasonable chance at coming home with some bacon, hire a guide and remember everything they tell you...

 

[1blackchicken]

Great thanks for the advice. Anyone else have anything to add?

 

[Taylor31]

Every once in a while I see guys dragging hogs out of Arroyo Seco when I go back to swim. I hunted hard almost every day last deer season, and saw a group of four hogs once. I am not alergic to poison oak so I get way deep into some nasty areas. There are hogs in there they are just way back in the berrys and poison oak. I live 10 minutes away so it is easy for me to hunt it, I am not sure it would be worth the drive if I lived over an hour away.

 

[1blackchicken]

Thanks. I go backpacking there several times a year but since I am just not wanting to get into hunting I have never scouted for and signs or anything. I will have to pay attention next time.

 

[DirtAddict]

Every once in a while I see guys dragging hogs out of Arroyo Seco when I go back to swim. I hunted hard almost every day last deer season, and saw a group of four hogs once. I am not alergic to poison oak so I get way deep into some nasty areas. There are hogs in there they are just way back in the berrys and poison oak. I live 10 minutes away so it is easy for me to hunt it, I am not sure it would be worth the drive if I lived over an hour away.

Wow, I've scouted Arroyo Seco area last season and didn't see a bit of sign, not even old sign. Just goes to show you how much those pigs move around (or just down right sneaky). Maybe I didn't go far enough down the river there. I focused my search north east toward the boundary.

And there is a ton of poison oak out there. I cover up pretty well, but usually end up getting it off the dog after the fact.

 

[1blackchicken]

Yeah the poison oak out there is very unforgiving!

 

[central cali fishin]

After hunting LPNF i Love the area and If you put the work in You will see sighn, However that may be all you see. One hint id get as far away from the roads and camps a possible, during my last trip there i saw 2 or 3 trucks driving up and down the road all night long rocking out tossin beer bottles out the windows, "road hunting" im not going to say anything ill keep my comments to myself but the odds of tagin a pig will increase as you get away from other people I love LPNF but i wont waste my energy carying the rifle next time. My attitude towards paying for a hog hunt has changed because i have already spent a small fortune chasing hogs

 

[easymoney]

centcal, that about sizes up how things have changed over the last two decades. It doesn't matter where you go, or what season it is YOU WILL SEE lots of roadshooters and poachers. Some places I do not go to any more because they tend to brush shoot at any sounds or movement.
For pigs the LPNF is marginal at best, for deer it can be very good, just because it so brushy and steep. Keeps the roadshooters on the roads. And if you can find a spot unmolested by the hoards tromping all over you just might get a chance at patterning a buck.
IMHO, for pigs stick to camp bob or FHL because they control the numbers of hunters and don't put up with any BS. If you are caught driving off road, hunting in the closed TAs or shooting across roads they will bust you...

 

[Raminshooter]

Lived in Monterey county for most of my life and the one observation I would make is this; Since the huge burn down there (around 235,00 acres) you never saw any stories about all the hogs that moved out of the widerness in search of easy food sources and were running crazy on farmers land. Having lived near several of californias big fires and knowing a ton of fire fighters I can attest that one of the tragedies of these large fires is the amount of game that simply gets burned up. These fires not only move very fast when they get going but they jump terrain features and can very easily cutoff the paths of escape for animals. My opinion has always been that that huge fire simply destroyed whatever hogs were unlucky to have been in that area and the population simply has not come back. Add to that that Los Padres is home to a fairly healthy population of mountain lions and it is likely to take a while to come back. Have fun.

 

[MontereyBowGuy]

Newbie here to the forum but I thougth I would chime in. I have lived in Monterey county all my life, and years ago I used to hunt LPF with some success. After a 15 year break from hunting cali I am back in the game. I just made my first trip back towArds China Camp today with my kids, we had a blast, but no luck on the game. We sal some sign and got a glimpse of a few Turkeys, but that was about it. I have a spot further down the coast where I can get back to pit creek and it's got a few hogs but to get there you have to go through private property, luckily the owner is a client of mine so I get access. But I can tell you if you hit the central areas of LPF you will have better luck on the hogs as there is a steady supply of food and water.

 

[BigSurArcher]

I live in Carmel Valley and have hunted/ backpacked/ ridden around Chews ridge quite a bit. I've never seen a pig up there, and only seen sign a few times. Between the pressure and terrain, that place just isn't fit for holding pigs. Like others have mentioned they simply travel through. Luckily I have permission on some of the ranches down in the valley so I don't really hunt up in the forest, but if I had no other option, I wouldn't bother if it was more than an hours drive away.