Thanks for the help

[Dirk J]

Heh thanks everyboy for the advise and for the warm welcome.
Im going hunting with my Dad and father in law. I bought the new pig packets with maps of BLM, and all they say about williams hill is that it is bushy. Anybody know about curry montain or Coalinga springs or that area around it

Thanks again
Dirk J

 

[DILPRXO]

Hi Dirk and Welcome

Coalinga is a good hunt if your in shape enough to survive the hike in..its a real beater...try running a search on this forum...both areas have been covered in depth in past posts.
Take care.

 

[MrMullen]

We have a review and "watch out" on Stockdale Mountain, so make sure to look for that.

What I am hearing is that the BLM land is left as is, and the good land is private property, which you can't hunt on unless you pay the $$.

 

[Speckmisser]

Hey Dirk,

THere are a couple of pigs around Coalinga Mineral Springs, but you'd have to be real lucky to find them. They came down the mountain last year, but there's no sign of them moving back in this season. I was just up there this past Sunday, and there's hardly even a track right now. I was just poking around, though, within a mile of the road. You can hump it way back into the back country and maybe locate some, but there are better places to pig hunt.

Curry Mountain has always looked inviting, but I haven't actually tried it yet. It's pretty thick in there, by all accounts, but there are supposed to be some good spots once you get in there.

Laguna Mountain is a good hunt, but it seems crowded the last couple of years. It's also a super-tough hump to get into the better areas, but of the three I've listed, I'd say it's the best odds of finding a pig, especially if you're willing and able to get way back in there. The parcel extends pretty deep into the canyons, but it's no mean feat getting in there. I can only imagine what it'll be like getting out with a hog.

Good luck, and let us know what you find.

 

[BirdDawg]

I own property at the bottom of Curry mountain.....was up there last weekend doing some work and jumped a big hog comming under the bridge.......the word I've recieved from the locals is that the hog's are slow and not moving around much.....if you try curry I'd suggest you go to the left when you start climbing, across the road from the parking area and try up top in those oak's....with this weather the hog's should be rootin up some acorns......also it's a good area to glass.....and mostly down hill drag......point to the wise: stay on the ridge as you come off.....it may look easier by dropping off in a canyon but you'll soon find out it's a BIG mistake.....good luck and Happy Hunting.

 

[traxman]

I was down in Coalinga myself this last weekend. My Dad and I checked out Laguna Mtn. and tried to find a way to get into Coalinga Mineral Springs, but couldn't find a place to get in there. The County park is off-limits to guns, right, and there seems to be private land right up to the park. What's the secret?

We hiked back a ways into Laguna Mtn. Whew, now that's a climb. Once you get over the top of the first ridge though it gets better. It seems like a good place to find some pigs, but like Speck said, you really need to be a thoroughbred to get them out of that canyon.

We saw two guys with a bow. They said they saw plenty of sign, but no live piggies...

Nate

 

[BirdDawg]

The property on both sides of the mineral springs park is BLM (unless there's been a change that I haven't heard of)......go east up over the hill and there's a lot of BLM.....on the west side I don't think there's much BLM but there is some......Squires has the property in the bottom going through the gate.....he used to let people walk in if they asked.....I don't know his # or anything but if you know someone in Coalinga that may know him you might inquire if he still let's people hunt.

 

[traxman]

Thanks Bird Dawg. I probably should've figured that out for myself, but I think I had been blinded by the 10,000+ "Posted, No Hunting" signs I saw last weekend.

Will have to check it out next time I'm down there.

Nate

 

[Speckmisser]

Hey Nate,

At the Mineral Springs, park beside the bathrooms and head across the creek. You'll pick up a trail there that climbs and then widens out pretty good. It'll take you all the way back to Kreyenhagen (sp?) Peak if you're so inclined. But if you have that much energy, I'd recommend burning it at Curry Mountain or Laguna Mountain. There are definitely more pigs there.

Most of the private property along that Mineral Springs road only covers a few acres of frontage. The ridges behind those plots are mostly BLM on both sides. You can also access the BLM land on the west from a parking area before you get to the county park. Just after you pass the Kathy Ranch (the big ranch just before you get to the county park), look on your left for a fairly big clearing. At the back edge of the clearing you'll see a BLM "Pack it in, Pack it out" sign. It's not real big, but you'll probably recognize the brown sign.

If you park beside the sign, you can hit the little grove of oaks there and bear kinda to the left (southerly). You should pick up a fairly well-used trail, that'll soon turn into an old logging road. The road goes up onto the ridges, and you can move along the ridgetops using that road.

If you follow the road around to the north, it will climb significantly, and you'll eventually pass the county park way down below to the east. Off to the west you'll see lots of finger ridges, and down in that pretty country below you'll recognize the yellow signs of a Wilderness Unlimited property. That's where the pigs are. But without one of those stickers on your car, you're pretty well out of luck unless one happens to get lost and end up there with you.

If you follow to the left (south), you'll end up on a point overlooking some pastures. There was some barley growing down there last year, but I'm not sure if they've planted this season.

Last year a herd of pigs apparently took up residence along those ridges, but I haven't seen any good indication that they're back this year... at least not as of Sunday.


Good luck.

 

[Live2hunt]

Originally posted by Speckmisser@Jan 16 2003, 05:35 PM
Off to the west you'll see lots of finger ridges, and down in that pretty country below you'll recognize the yellow signs of a Wilderness Unlimited property.  That's where the pigs are.  But without one of those stickers on your car, you're pretty well out of luck unless one happens to get lost and end up there with you.

Speckmisser,

The yellow signs of Wilderness Unlimited you referred to was the WU TD Ranch property. I hunted that property and the WU property on the other side of hwy 198 (Palm Ranch) two weeks ago and there were very little signs of pigs to be found. The only signs I found was a wallow in a spring in the BLM just five feet from the fence.