Looking to learn

[FoCoHugh]

I am a HS teacher who is trying to support a wife, kids and ex-wife, so don't have a lot of money. But I really want to learn to pig hunt. Anyone up for public land hunts with a guy who is easy to get along with, pm me.

Thanks for reading.

 

[EvBouret]

There may be someone in here that'll take you. But most people in california are pretty secretive about public land spots. My recomendation is to do tons of searches on this site for possible areas and start taking the family out scouting and camping. I only hunted there for about a year but saw a small amount of sign in the La Panza range near black mountain, Carrizo plains? Big Sur area? Pozo? Get out there and look! good luck

 

[map]

It's slow to load:

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/pig/docs/pigguide.pdf

 

[FoCoHugh]

Thanks Gents. This is what I am getting everywhere. Kind of goes opposite what you hear about the heritage of hunting, blah, blah, blah.

Looking forward to leaving the golden state.

 

[map]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SoCalHugh @ Aug 25 2008, 05:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Thanks Gents. This is what I am getting everywhere. Kind of goes opposite what you hear about the heritage of hunting, blah, blah, blah.

Looking forward to leaving the golden state.[/b]

Well, someone has to pay for it all. This Section of the Forum is sponsored by Bryson Hesperia Resort, RNJ Wild Hog Hunts, and Border Bandit’s Texas Outfitting & Hunting Service. All you have to do is click low on the way into this Section, and the sponsors will pop-up. It’s asking a lot for someone who you don’t know to stand next to you and teach you to hunt. (for free) That is what a hunting guide does for a living. That is our "heritage of hunting" when we don't have a close relative or friend to hunt with.

Richard

 

[spectr17]

SocalHugh, many newbies come to our annual hog hunt at Tejon Ranch each year, also known as the Pig O Rama (POR). About April speckmisser will post the details and the hunt is in May. I'll personally get you on hogs for a shot. All you have to do is make sure you can hit a 2" target at 100 yards consistently and be able to walk a couple hundred yards without passing out.

We'll teach you how to find hogs, how to kill hogs, skin them and gut them if you want.

$400 I think the last hunt was for 2 1/2 days.

Yes, we do pass on the hunting heritage here.

 

[Rancho Loco]

Second that... The JHO POR at Tejon is a great way to get started. Lot's of veteranos will get you on pigs there, and you'll prolly learn quick about hunting them if you listen.

Public land is tough for pigs. There's more food and water on private ranches and farms where cows and crops are, and pressure will drive them off public and into nocturnal habits. if you want to get out there now, get an A tag and a pig tag, and start burning leather in Los Padres. Beginner's luck is pretty strong stuff, take advantage of it.

 

[FoCoHugh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (spectr17 @ Aug 25 2008, 06:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

SocalHugh, many newbies come to our annual hog hunt at Tejon Ranch each year, also known as the Pig O Rama (POR). About April speckmisser will post the details and the hunt is in May. I'll personally get you on hogs for a shot. All you have to do is make sure you can hit a 2" target at 100 yards consistently and be able to walk a couple hundred yards without passing out.

We'll teach you how to find hogs, how to kill hogs, skin them and gut them if you want.

$400 I think the last hunt was for 2 1/2 days.

Yes, we do pass on the hunting heritage here.[/b]

Thanks. I'll hold onto the info. If my second job resurrects I'm in.

If you ever want to trade a hunt for some very high quality, experienced DJ work look me up. Been doing it since '87. If not, I'll save some money and track you down.

Thanks!

 

[MJB]

JHO at Tejon is a do it yourself hunt with lots of help from people that have hunted the ranch for years. Its 450.00, In Cali you have to pay to hunt pigs. I tried for 2 years on public land everything from Camp Roberts, FHL(which are good choices) to Las Padres. I found some other public land that has pigs in better numbers but it is almost land locked by private land.
I recommend the guide first so you can learn from the best especially if your new to hunting.. Second I would join us at Tejon in May which is a good way to see up to 100 pigs per day.....well we did last year due too some lucky rain.

The last choice would be public but it can be done, if you don't mind long hikes and no pigs even seen. But like RL said now you can hunt deer and pigs at the same time.

If you make it to Tejon next May I will give you a hand in finding some pigs. I have helped many people on this web site hunting everything from deer to dove, so just relax and help will come. The late spring to early summer is best for pigs anyways.

GOOD LUCK

 

[FoCoHugh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MJB @ Aug 25 2008, 09:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

JHO at Tejon is a do it yourself hunt with lots of help from people that have hunted the ranch for years. Its 450.00, In Cali you have to pay to hunt pigs. I tried for 2 years on public land everything from Camp Roberts, FHL(which are good choices) to Las Padres. I found some other public land that has pigs in better numbers but it is almost land locked by private land.
I recommend the guide first so you can learn from the best especially if your new to hunting.. Second I would join us at Tejon in May which is a good way to see up to 100 pigs per day.....well we did last year due too some lucky rain.

The last choice would be public but it can be done, if you don't mind long hikes and no pigs even seen. But like RL said now you can hunt deer and pigs at the same time.

If you make it to Tejon next May I will give you a hand in finding some pigs. I have helped many people on this web site hunting everything from deer to dove, so just relax and help will come. The late spring to early summer is best for pigs anyways.

GOOD LUCK[/b]

I'll do my best for May. Thanks.

 

[map]

hugh,

Okay, I’m back on board now. I was at the television for a while watching Michelle Obama’s speech. She is really a nice lady.

Meanwhile, if takes time to make new friends and get hooked up for hunting. So, another option is the California Fish & Game Hunting Clinics that you can attend by yourself.

Here is the link:
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/advanced/

If you have missed a clinic that you think you need, then they are usually repeated every year. It’s not as good as having a friend, but there is a lot to learn about hunting at those clinics.



Richard

 

[MJB]

Good call Richard, I forgot all about those.

 

[Speckmisser]

Hugh, looks like most of it has been said already.

First, don't get discouraged. It's hard to break into hunting as an adult. The community is what it is, and that's a close-knit group of folks who, once they get comfortable with you, would likely give you the shirt off their back or hand over their last shell... but even then, they won't share much info about hunting spots, and will be real slow to take a new person into a "honey hole". Public land spots with pigs are few and far between, and letting too many people in on them is the recipe for ruining a spot. Hogs don't take well to hunting pressure.

Thanks Jesse and others for mentioning the JHO/Tejon hunts. These really are a great opportunity for a new hog hunter to get in and learn with pretty good opportunity at success. For the price, it's probably the best deal going for a private-land hunt, and with about nine months to save up, even at a teacher's salary you should be able to pull the fee together.

It's unfortunate how pricey hog hunting has become in CA, but that's the economics of it... what the market will bear, and while I think it may be topped out for a while, it sure went up fast. I think if you look around you'll find an average cost of around $600-$700, with hunts on either side of that if you shop around. Even so, when you consider what a new hunter can take away from a guided hog hunt, it's well worth the price. Compare that fee with the cost of fuel and supplies for multiple public land trips, and it becomes much more economical... relatively, of course.

That said, you can sure learn a lot doing it the hard way on public land. You'll have a lot of opportunities to learn to read sign, follow trails, and all that. You probably won't have many chances to actually take a hog... although it looks like public land hunters are doing pretty good this season, based on recent posts. It just takes a lot of time, and if you're in SoCal, it takes a lot of travel too. If budget is a concern, learning the hard way on public land may not be a good choice.

In the meantime...

Hang around, read and post and become part of the community. There are a lot of generous folks on this forum, and I wouldn't be surprised if someone offers to meet up and possibly even take you on a hunt. And in the meantime, seriously, consider that Tejon hunt in May. A lot of first-timers have taken their first pigs with the help of the JHO members at Tejon. Like Jesse said, you'll have a whole camp full of potential mentors for every step from locating to recovery, and then processing as well!

 

[chirohunter]

My first big game hunt was with this group of JHO'ers at the 2007 Tejon Hunt. I learned about everything from how to pick "good" locations, how to hunt these wild pigs, how to use the wind, how to field dress, how to skin, etc. This is a class act group of guys with endless amounts of knowledge. Everyone there was willing and wanting to help eachother, especially the newbies.

My second hunt, the 2008 March Tejon Hunt, I was able to harvest my second big by my self....from picking the spot to hunt...to skinning my pick back at camp.

My third hunt, the May 2008 Tejon Hunt, I was able to get my Nephew on his first pig, and harvest my third pig.

I still have a lot more to learn, but this was a big jumpstart.

Since you already have a few very experienced hunters offering their help(Spect17-"Jesse" himself.... and MJB-who knows Tejon better than most), I wouldn't miss out on the next Tejon hunt....you'll learn a ton.