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Speckmisser
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Hunt Hard,
Texas and Florida both have higher hog populations than CA.
Florida has some good hunting, but if I understand right (Grunthunter, help me out here), the best areas are fairly limited. In both TX and FL, as in CA, the best hunting opportunities are usually on private land.
The Texas guys probably have the best deal if you mainly want to KILL hogs. They can shoot over feeders 24-7. If you shop around, the prices aren't bad either.
There's also good hunting in the SC and GA swamps along the Savannah River. A lot of this is public land. You really have to know where you're going, though. Local knowledge is a big plus. Not only is it really easy to get lost in some seriously dense swampland, you also have to know where to find the pigs.
Planning a road trip?
Texas and Florida both have higher hog populations than CA.
Florida has some good hunting, but if I understand right (Grunthunter, help me out here), the best areas are fairly limited. In both TX and FL, as in CA, the best hunting opportunities are usually on private land.
The Texas guys probably have the best deal if you mainly want to KILL hogs. They can shoot over feeders 24-7. If you shop around, the prices aren't bad either.
There's also good hunting in the SC and GA swamps along the Savannah River. A lot of this is public land. You really have to know where you're going, though. Local knowledge is a big plus. Not only is it really easy to get lost in some seriously dense swampland, you also have to know where to find the pigs.
Planning a road trip?
You can come to Idaho and hunt pigs in a 40 acre pen for $400 a pop, but then I know you can do that in Cali too, If that's your thing...It's not mine.
If you end up hunting some new place or state, we would love to hear how it goes. Good luck.
If you end up hunting some new place or state, we would love to hear how it goes. Good luck.
the public land hunting in hawaii is much better than california. hardly any of it is gun huntable though. the brush is pretty thick. I know of one area that no one can get to, its still public land but it's over an entire mountain, takes about 4 or 5 hours to get there, 7 or 8 from any other route. There's no trails cut here except the ones we made. Its loaded with hogs and wild goats. It's these big rolling hills covered with about waist high grass, theres a river running through it...pretty nice area. Still havent bagged anything there though, hopefully this summer.
evan
evan
GruntHunter
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The SouthEast is over run with wild hogs and the population is escalating rapidly. The hogs seem to be a little bigger in Ga. mainly because of getting into the agricultural areas. Florida is a major cattle producing state (3rd largest in the USA) and we have more pasture land. The ranchers hate them because of all the damage they do to their pastures. We have some 5 - 6 acrea areas on our lease that you'd swear they had heavy equipment working it over. Solid plowed dirt!
Our public lands have plenty also. Anywhere here in Central Fla, especially next to the St Johns river you'll find them running all over. I heard of some hunters on the lease next to ours that just shoot them and leave them. They had a guy on my lease that left the year I came on (I took his place) that harvested 72 all by himself with the remainder of the club taking their usual 50. All that and they didn't even make a dent in the population. Between myself and the guests I took out hunting this year, I brought in around 15. I'll have them coming into my feeder sometimes 15 - 20 at a time. Unfortunately my leaseholder sent me a note last night that he's not going to allow feeders on the lease next year. I may have to move across the road to another lease ;-)
If you check the Texas Boar Hunters web site you'll see they mostly hunt at night. They even have their feeders set up with lights on them! The ranch I'm on won't allow night hunting. We have NO SIZE OR WEIGHT limit restrictions and we can take as many as we can carry off and clean. Our only restriction is that we can't take a live animal off the property. They don't want anyone trapping and selling them (ie, no profiting off their property). The public lands do have size and quantity restrictions. Wild hogs on private property are considered by the state to be the property of the landowner, and they consider them varmints and pests.
THere are a lot of hunting leases here on ranch property and timber property. There are also quite a few guided hunting operations around. I think there are some popular operations down by Lake Oceechobee. Do a search on Florida Hog Hunting and they'll come up.
The best time seems to be in late Dec , Jan and Feb. The hogs are more out in the rye fields foreging rather than back in the swamps and palmettos. That's why I have a feeder set up, to draw them out of the thick stuff.
Our public lands have plenty also. Anywhere here in Central Fla, especially next to the St Johns river you'll find them running all over. I heard of some hunters on the lease next to ours that just shoot them and leave them. They had a guy on my lease that left the year I came on (I took his place) that harvested 72 all by himself with the remainder of the club taking their usual 50. All that and they didn't even make a dent in the population. Between myself and the guests I took out hunting this year, I brought in around 15. I'll have them coming into my feeder sometimes 15 - 20 at a time. Unfortunately my leaseholder sent me a note last night that he's not going to allow feeders on the lease next year. I may have to move across the road to another lease ;-)
If you check the Texas Boar Hunters web site you'll see they mostly hunt at night. They even have their feeders set up with lights on them! The ranch I'm on won't allow night hunting. We have NO SIZE OR WEIGHT limit restrictions and we can take as many as we can carry off and clean. Our only restriction is that we can't take a live animal off the property. They don't want anyone trapping and selling them (ie, no profiting off their property). The public lands do have size and quantity restrictions. Wild hogs on private property are considered by the state to be the property of the landowner, and they consider them varmints and pests.
THere are a lot of hunting leases here on ranch property and timber property. There are also quite a few guided hunting operations around. I think there are some popular operations down by Lake Oceechobee. Do a search on Florida Hog Hunting and they'll come up.
The best time seems to be in late Dec , Jan and Feb. The hogs are more out in the rye fields foreging rather than back in the swamps and palmettos. That's why I have a feeder set up, to draw them out of the thick stuff.
grunthunter seems like pretty awsome stuff you have going on up in fl. the reason why i was asking about hunting out of state was because i went out of state last year and seen lots of awsome hunting country. it brings chills up to my spine. I drove from california to texas lots of land in texas. I was here thinking maybe win I go back again i could go do some hunting.
Aloha Ev, what island you on? Here on Maui I have great public land hunting about 30 minutes up the mountain from my home, the terrain is open, and mountainous so expect to hoof it, and in the thin mountain air not easy. You can staulk them within range of a brush gun, or you can shoot them at 300 yards with a scoped bolt gun. Only thing with these pigs max out at around 150-175 lbs. and they feed on the brush, and ferns so extremely gamey. I usually drive an hour to a friends property to hunt forrest hogs fat from eating mango, and guava, very sweet tasting, and much bigger (up to over 400 lbs.) too due to mixed breed with domestic blood.
hunt hard.. We also have a lot of pigs here in Texas, but not a lot of public land compared to Cali.. I have never heard of anyone here hunting pigs on public land, but, then again, nobody I know has ever hunted public land period.. It is also legal to take the pigs here with just about any means.. gun, knife, bow, trapping, etc... But, like Spec said, you can find some good guided hunts on private land here for a pretty good price if you look around.. Just make sure and check out the guide as much as you can before you make your decision...
Hey coondog I hunt hogs on public land. There are several WMAs here but you have to watch the regs pretty close. Even though they are not a game animal, almost all of the WMA's have a season on them.
I guess they don't want you hunting there all year round.
I guess they don't want you hunting there all year round.
Richland Chambers and Gus Engling down south of Dallas near Corsicana. Takes about an hour and half from Plano. Neither of them have much of a season, but I have been on pigs every time out there.
There are a few more that have summer seasons but I haven't been there yet. I might be working a weekend trip out soon so I will make sure and let you know what is going on.
There are a few more that have summer seasons but I haven't been there yet. I might be working a weekend trip out soon so I will make sure and let you know what is going on.
Be sure to let me know.. My wife is about to domino here pretty quick, so I dont know if I can make or not, but sure would like to give it a try.. How did you find the pigs in the WMA's.. I know on the private land that we hunt there is no way to spot and stalk them like the cali boys do.. did you just find sign and hunt over it or use a stand???
Actually spot and stalk. There are some low areas that hold some water. We head to those and just move very slowly. Last time I went me and one other guy were bowhunting and we took three shots all within 30 yards. After that he went back with a muzzleloader and killed 2 pigs in 2 hunts.
Too bad the season is only a few weeks huh!
The other WMA I want to check out allows baiting and several weapon choices. What I would like to do is bait several areas one weekend and go back the next and hunt the place hard. Hopefully we can get some decent weather and camp out.
Too bad the season is only a few weeks huh!
The other WMA I want to check out allows baiting and several weapon choices. What I would like to do is bait several areas one weekend and go back the next and hunt the place hard. Hopefully we can get some decent weather and camp out.
Hey fellow Texans....Cooper WMA has a good bit of hogs as well. Richland Chambers would be my next spot and Gus England a third. The larger spot on Tawakani has a few, but by far the best is on private land or a hunting ranch. There are several hunting ranches that will do bow only for $100 a day up to $200 a day with a two day min.
Like it was said earlier though...check the books on the hunting dates and weapons allowed for WMA hogs, private and ranchs are wide open most of the time.
Like it was said earlier though...check the books on the hunting dates and weapons allowed for WMA hogs, private and ranchs are wide open most of the time.
We have hogs on our deer lease about one and half hours due west of Dallas.. In fact, I could smell them when I was turkey hunting and found about 6 of them rooting around. I tried to stalk them, but it is just impossible in that terrain.. That is why we always hunt with dogs.. I do not have any lights on my feeders for night hunting and just cannot spot and stalk them.. Wish we could though, it would make it a lot more fun...
Uncle Ji: I lived on Kauai but have been going to school in San Luis Obispo for the last year. I'm going back on tuesday, my friends haven't been getting much action lately. They've been fishing, one of my buddys want a thousand bucks with a 52lb ulua in a fishing tournament two weeks ago. Missed first by like 7 oz or something.
That same friend has done some bowhunting on Maui. Up above kanapali somewhere I believe. Ended up shooting a hog that had already been caught in a snare and he had no idea.
evan
That same friend has done some bowhunting on Maui. Up above kanapali somewhere I believe. Ended up shooting a hog that had already been caught in a snare and he had no idea.
evan
Where is that lease at coondog? I am still looking for a place to hunt this year.
Shadow thanks for the tip on Cooper WMA. I will have to check them out.
$100-200 a hunt? No way, I enjoy it too much to pay for it. I don't even care if I get one or not, just like to get out.
Shadow thanks for the tip on Cooper WMA. I will have to check them out.
$100-200 a hunt? No way, I enjoy it too much to pay for it. I don't even care if I get one or not, just like to get out.
Muddy.. the lease is in Palo Pinto County right down I-20 Westbound.. My uncle runs the ranch and we have been out there for about 4 years.. Great place to get away. We have only taken 1 buck in 4 years but have seen lots of small ones.. Only 1 hog as well... We really do not hunt the hogs much, just hope for one to come around while we are deer hunting..
The hogs I saw opening weekend of turkey season is only the second time we have seen any during daylight hours... Do you hunt deer with a bow or rifle??
Last year was my first year hunting with a bow, but once I got started during bow season, I never picked my gun back up. I ended up taking two does and one buck in Arkansas. I also missed one doe, wrong yardage, but had a great season.
Only missed the gun because I have one stand on the edge of a cut over that you can see for about 400 yards!
Only missed the gun because I have one stand on the edge of a cut over that you can see for about 400 yards!
