new ranch

[dkhuntr25]

im going to b huning a private ranch for hogs the next 8 days all evening hunts cuz ill b working in the morning what ways would u recomend to scout a ranch u have never been on? ill b hunting with a bow just curious what how everyone would start out.

 

[STICK&STRING]

Follow the sign. What has worked very well for me during evening hunts is finding those thick patches of manzanita or whatever may be on your ranch, sit high and glass. They well eventually come out and show themselves.

Another tactic I really enjoy during the evenings, is hiking slow and quite, stopping every 10-20 yards to glass. That is a GREAT way to get on hogs. Just remember, just because you cant see them doesn't mean they are not there.

 

[DirtyDave]

Find the water, food, and thickest cover

 

[dkhuntr25]

basically i think this ranch has trees on either side or a meadow going from the top of the hill down to the dairy so i guess ill just walk to the treeline or ride the quad up to the top and glass thanks for the info

 

[easymoney]

Walk the fence line and note all sign. It will give you a positive location to start. Food, water and cover are the needs of all game animals. Pressure scews those...

 

[Fugaloo]

Follow your nose!

 

[dkhuntr25]

i have this ranch to myself nobody else hunts it so pressure wont b bad

 

[STICK&STRING]

where is this ranch located?

 

[dkhuntr25]

petaluma

 

[dthome]

Bring your turkey gun, too!

 

[dkhuntr25]

turkey gun lol no way stick and string only!!!

 

[Game-Stopper]

If there is a high hill or ridge that will let you glass, i'd start there and pick apart a hillside with your binoculars. If not, the food/ cover/ water route is a good place to start. Good luck!

 

[k_rad]

Deepest cover on a North facing hillside, halfway up. They like to bed there. Then look for the nearest oaks dropping acorns. Not every tree will do it at the same time, and only every other year. The pigs know which ones are dropping. look for the most recent torn up ground under the oak trees. Good luck.

 

[STICK&STRING]

petaluma

Very cool. Ive heard the pigs were starting to move through petaluma. I live in cotati. Haven't seen one yet but hopefully one day. My buddy hunts a ranch just south of petaluma and busted a pig out of some brush last deer season. I told him he either had too much to drink the night before or it was a domestic hog. Apparently I was wrong. Either way, good luck and share pics.

Keep an eye on the little clearing surrounding the thick stuff. If they are there you should see sign. I like to keep moving if I dont find any good sign. Even getting into the thick stuff a little bit and look for tracks or scat. Anything that can verify they are infact there.
Fresh sign = Pigs in the neighborhood

 

[dkhuntr25]

well walked from the dairy 2 miles straight up the mountain to the top and sure enough didnt see much sign till i was at the very top lol but it was there some fresh pig crap saw lots of deer a fat yote and some turkeys but didnt see any pigs. o well theres always next time

 

[STICK&STRING]

You saw pig sign at the top of the hill? Was there a trail at the top of the hill? If possible, I would set up a trail camera where you saw the sign. Try to find a good trail as close to the sign as possible. One thing to remember, if the trail zig zags up the hill, most likely a deer trail (although I have seen hogs fallow those trails too), If the trail goes straight up the hill or straight down the trail, its a good chance its a pig trail. I know pigs like to travel ridge tops. If you set up a cam, you may be able to figure out wether in fact they are pigs leaving the sign and if so when are they there, and what direction they are moving. That should be able to give you an idea of where they are coming from and heading to. If you can pinpoint their bedding area (most likely the thickest part of the property) you can really use that to your advantage. ESPECIALLY as a bow hunter. If the property has no pressure like you stated you should be able to pattern them.
I have killed pigs at all times during the morning, day, and evening. Although I hunt my hardest first thing in the morning and the last 30 min of light. I find the pigs move most during those hours.
Find their bedding area, get there before sunrise and glass, you may catch them heading to bed. Also sit on it at last light and you should definitely catch them working their way out at night. I usually find hogs moving out of their bedding areas and staying close for a while before moving out as a herd.
A few months back, I sat 150 yards from a known bedding area, I had about 30-45 min of light left. No more then 30 minutes before DARK I had one good boar exit the patch of manzanita and just chilled in a small opening where he felt safe. I took the shot and watched hogs break out of the manzanita like crazy!
Pattern the pigs and you will be putting pork on the ground!

 

[bigboarstopper]

Talk to the owner/farmer. Nobody knows best than the people who are there.

Wouldnt be suprised if the hogs are comming strait to the dairy late at night to get at the cattle feed. Id possibly glass the neighboring properties to see where the hogs may be bedding down if they arent residents of the land you have permission on. For me walking fence lines give me good information. I rake the ground where the hogs are obviously crossing the fences to see where the traffic is comming from If thats the case. Set up your ambush for when they cross.

 

[weekender21]

Sit high and glass.

 

[red3fidy]

I'm glad someone else thought this too. I've seen this hog feeding patern while hunting properties near a dairy or farm lands before. Seems to be an easy meal for them.

Wouldnt be suprised if the hogs are comming strait to the dairy late at night to get at the cattle feed.

 

[dkhuntr25]

ya im gonna have to wait till the ground dries up a bit its a rough walk to the top of that mountain it took me like 2 hrs lol and i didnt really have enough time to check the fence lines at the very top but the next time i go and have a quad to take me to the top im gonna try and stay till dark. i had to walk out early since it took me almost 2 hrs to get up there figured it would take a lil less on the way down but o well i saw a lot of deer and a buck im guessing a stag with at least 15+ inch tall horns couldnt tell anything more than that