Tips for hunting the South

[559hog]

I'll be flying to my friends house this coming wednesday to get some blood on my hands before the year ends. Just wanted to know if anyone had any pointers about hunting in the south. I know it's completely different than hunting california, it's a lot flatter in the south. I was there last year and managed to get a button buck, but this time around I would like to bring home a hog instead of a buck, however I will be able to slay 6 deers and as many hogs as I can. I will be hunting on my friends 2000 acre private land. Do hogs in california and in the south act differently or is it all the same? I will be using a Remington 700 .300 Winchester Magnum for this hunt.

 

[Speckmisser]

The "South" covers an awful lot of ground. Where are you going to be?

Hog behavior is pretty much the same wherever you go, but how you hunt the areas varies a lot from tree stands and corn piles, to feeders, to hounds.

 

[559hog]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Speckmisser @ Dec 22 2008, 02:07 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

The "South" covers an awful lot of ground. Where are you going to be?

Hog behavior is pretty much the same wherever you go, but how you hunt the areas varies a lot from tree stands and corn piles, to feeders, to hounds.[/b]

I'm going to be in Bossier/Shereveport area. Its in northwestern Louisiana. I'm not much of a tree stand guy, so I'm going to be stalking the entire time.

 

[Speckmisser]

I don't know the terrain there real well, but if it's as flat as much of that area, be careful spot-n-stalk with that .300. Those bullets go a long ways.

From what I've seen, a lot of that country is better suited to shotguns and muzzleloaders for the stalker.

 

[559hog]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Speckmisser @ Dec 22 2008, 02:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I don't know the terrain there real well, but if it's as flat as much of that area, be careful spot-n-stalk with that .300. Those bullets go a long ways.

From what I've seen, a lot of that country is better suited to shotguns and muzzleloaders for the stalker.[/b]

Yah I know the distance of the 300 winchester, it's a heavily wooded area so I might be ok.. My shot will be within 100 yards for sure, beyond 100 yards you really can't see anything. If I bring my rifle, I'm taking the 300 winchester, but my friend has an armory of rifles/shotguns/pistols/dogs, so if I decide not to use mine, there's always another option. Im thinking use the 300 winchester only from a stand right now.

 

[Zbearclaw]

I have spent most of my life "stalking" through swampy areas, and usually in those areas stalking means making more noise than a bulldozer.

Unless you are hunting an oak flat, you won't be able to see 100 paces, let alone 100yds for 99% of it. A rifle is great from a stand for threading the needle when you have minimal shooting lanes, otherwise a shotgun with slugs is the best hog medicine for the ranges you are most likely to see, plus target acquisition is much faster with open sights than a scoped rifle when you will most likely be close when all hell breaks loose.

Good luck, but most of the hogs I have seen while truly stalking is when I see their backside boogying out of there. If you were to hike slowly until you found hot sign and then sit the ground your much more likely to see what you are looking for. Enjoy God's country, it's a unique place.

 

[559hog]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (bearclaw @ Dec 23 2008, 01:02 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I have spent most of my life "stalking" through swampy areas, and usually in those areas stalking means making more noise than a bulldozer.

Unless you are hunting an oak flat, you won't be able to see 100 paces, let alone 100yds for 99% of it. A rifle is great from a stand for threading the needle when you have minimal shooting lanes, otherwise a shotgun with slugs is the best hog medicine for the ranges you are most likely to see, plus target acquisition is much faster with open sights than a scoped rifle when you will most likely be close when all hell breaks loose.

Good luck, but most of the hogs I have seen while truly stalking is when I see their backside boogying out of there. If you were to hike slowly until you found hot sign and then sit the ground your much more likely to see what you are looking for. Enjoy God's country, it's a unique place.[/b]

Thanks for the pointers. I am hunting an oak flat, last year when I hunted the area, the furthest I could shoot was 50-75 yards, and it was from a stand. I will be hunting white tail and hogs.