want to go hog hunting

[sjlwa]

Hi everyone I am fairly new to the bakersfield area and heard some good things about hog hunting around in the kern county area but from what I can find unless you go and pay for a guide, which is really pricey there isn't to much information on where to go hog hunting. If anyone has any help or direction on what i should do it would be apriciated. thank

 

[mallarditis]

I'll give you my opinion. Pay a good guide in the area you are looking at and he WILL get you on hogs. Pretty much 100% you're going to get an opportunity IF you're with a good guide. Go on your own on public ground and I'd say the odds drop to less that 10% (considering your experience and just the lack of accessibility out there of quality hog ground). You may spend $600 but when it's all said and done, you'll spend that much or more before getting a hog on your own. But then again. there is satisfaction in the do it yourself route and the glory of success that comes from doing things the hard way.

 

[Common Sense]

If you search the DFG website they have a list of public lands on which you can find pigs. But mallarditis was being very generous when he said the odds of success was less than 10%. I'm guessing it is less than 1%. It is possible though.

 

[Farmerdoug]

:welcome sign:Welcome to the forum sjlwa:welcome sign:

 

[sjlwa]

Hey thanks for the info guys. I grew up in Wyoming and would go hunting with my father all the time so moving to california has been a new experience trying to figure out where to go and what to do

 

[RoosterKiller]

In California the most hunting you will do is hunting for a place to hunt.
Good luck.

 

[TonyS]

+6 Roosterkiller!

 

[Shmave23]

In Jan send in for your yearly pass to Fort Hunter Liggett. That right there will give you a better oppertunity to harvest a hog on public land. Just have to follow by their rules because your on a military training facility.

JHO Tejon Hog Hunt will be around May 2011 that will give you a good chace at a nice hog. And BEAUTIFUL country.

Also Bryson Hesperia Ranch has a trespassing fee to hunt for hogs.

Everything else is gonna require ALLOT of boot leather for public land, and ALLOT of money for a guide but better %.

-Dave

 

[easymoney]

Welcome, and yeah I want to go pig hunting too but have to work instead...
As CS says look on the DFG website for info on wild pig on public land. It shows where, how and the realistic expectations you can have for these places.
IMHO, save your money and hire a guide, especially if you are new to this game. Their reputation and future clients is based on your success rate. Plus you get schooled in the process...

 

[Bubblehide]

Lots of great advice here, as usual. Combine some of it with BLM maps and you'll have a few public land places to go. You might also try Hog hunter magazine, they have given out some golden tid bits here and there. But like everyone else has said, it takes tons of boot leather. Best of luck!

 

[sjlwa]

thanks again guys I got on the DFG website and found the list of public lands to go hog hunting on and found some realitivly close. the santa lucia ranger district, has any one ever been over there hog hunting?

 

[sjlwa]

I guess i have commented on my own post still getting used to the forum any way i have been doing some research today and got on the DFG website and found some public land, Santa lucia ranger district, has anyone ever hunted that area before?
rooster killer- I came from wyoming where i could go hunt it seemed like any where I wanted but not here in Cali
thanks again for all the advise maybe i will just pay the guide and then i can get a better idea of where to go and what to do?:hog chewing:

 

[Jagermeister]

First time you check out the BLM lands, don't plan a big hunting trip. Sure, bring your rifle and gear, but be prepared to scout and if there is no sign of hogs try the next spot in the same day. I'd spend a weekend just scouting every spot that's within a 1 hour radius. The DFG guide has some hog hunting lands that are not exactly hog country and you have to knock them off your list quickly without planning a whole Saturday in it!

Jagermeister

 

[rddrappo]

Los Padres is a good place to hunt hogs, there's lots of public land there. I have a spot that I found while deer hunting this year, plenty of fresh sign but a heck of a hike, about seven miles over rough back country to get there. I've seen some hogs around Coalinga, not too far from Bakersfield, but only on private land. My experience so far is that public land hunting is more of a backpacking trip with a possibility of a kill. So if you enjoy hiking and just being outdoors, it's great. If you want to shoot a hog and be home for supper, go with a guide on a ranch.

 

[Caviel]

Welcome to forum sj!! +2 to Roosterkiller's comment about finding a place to hunt. It's tough here in Cali to find places to hunt... I always wanted to hunt in Wyoming since pass through it almost every summer on my driving trip to NY. Looked like a great place to hunt. Listen to the guys here, they have the knowledge, FHL & Camp Roberts are good places. If you have some relatives in the Central Valley, check with them see if they know people. If you get tired of Cali you can go to Tx and hunt all the hogs you want!

 

[BackCountryHNTR]

yeah I want to go pig hunting too but have to work instead...

Ditto!

:lol bashing sign:

If you want to make the trip, Lake Sonoma is a good place as well...

 

[lxtrail]

welcome, i am from bakersfield as well grew up here, so down the road if you wanna meet up and do some scouting im down, as always ive heard of spots around here but its real hard hunting due to the amount of pressure as well as terrain. I am going to be putting in for my yearly pass the Fort hunter ligget, and if you do the same we can split gas and ride togather. Im figureing you work in the oilfields just assuming thats what most guys ive met from wyo do here in baks. but hit me up or message me and ill get you my number
LX

PS. another option is tejon, they have special deals and events some through JESSES, its about 400-500 but its suppose to be a good time, speckmisser puts one on called ham o rama i think is the name, i do plan to attend this year, there are usually 25 spots and there is a application process but all the guys camp out there and its suppose to be a real good time from what i hear.
do you archery hunt ??

good luck

 

[MikenSoCo]

Welcome

Sjlaw, Send me a pm with your name and number... Welcome to hell, oops, I mean Californiaig-laughingig-laughing: