what am i doing wrong?

[rooster300wsm]

OK first off thanks for taking the time to read, and thanks again for ne info you have. I am new to hunting hogs and am looking for a place to go. i would rather put in 10x the effort and take one on public land then pay for a guide. That leads me to this question are thier ne pigs on public land? I have read post after post and only came acrose afew true public land hogs taken. I have started to hunt-look around Hollister. IE Leguna mt. ( sorry i have the worst spelling.) I have hiked all over that place and found good h2o and lots of old and i mean old sign. like 3-5 days old. Am i looking in the wrong place? And realy what the heck am i doing wrong? I have been up thier over 15 times and have only seen a 20+deer some rather nice 2 bear and 1 Cugar. But no freaking pigs. Ne advise would be wonderful. Do ne of you know of land i could lease I do not what a guide. more of a diy hunt. just gitting frustrated and nead advise. thanks. ps i live in merced so loction in nessessary.

 

[ltdann]

First, Hogs are the Hand Maidens of Satan!

If your seeing 3-5 day old sign, your in the right spot, just not the right time. Pressured hogs are mostly nocturnal. If your gonna see 'em it'll be at the last two hours before dark, normally quite abit less than that. Someone once told me, "if your not walking back to the truck in the dark, you didn't stay long enough". They were right. Keep looking and don't get upset, Pig is tough hunting.

 

[JNDEER]

people don't talk about finding public land hogs. if you find sign, you have found pigs. keep hunting there and you could get lucky.

 

[sancho]

Hogs are the Hand Maidens of Satan!

.

this is awesome...

 

[myfriendis410]

First, Hogs are the Hand Maidens of Satan!

If your seeing 3-5 day old sign, your in the right spot, just not the right time. Pressured hogs are mostly nocturnal. If your gonna see 'em it'll be at the last two hours before dark, normally quite abit less than that. Someone once told me, "if your not walking back to the truck in the dark, you didn't stay long enough". They were right. Keep looking and don't get upset, Pig is tough hunting.

That was me.

 

[jb229]

First, Hogs are the Hand Maidens of Satan!

that should be a bumper sticker.

 

[hiline345]

Someone once told me, "if your not walking back to the truck in the dark, you didn't stay long enough".

Isn't that the truth.
It's a waiting game and conditins ( weather, food & water ) are either with you or agianst you. And if conditions are agianst you wil be waiting for a long time.

 

[easymoney]

Wild hogs like deer and all big game have become nocturnal, so first and last light is when to be most alert... And the saying, better lucky than good is so true.

 

[ltdann]

That was me.

Was it? I thought it was some other crusty hog hunter!:lol bashing sign:

Hows the wounded warrior hunt shaping up?

 

[weekender21]

Rooster,

Here's the skinny. I've been to that same public ground you've been hunting and run into the same problem. I've seen plenty of sign there but no hogs. If you were out there 24 hours a day for 365 you would eventually run into them. Unfortunately, just like all public land in CA, the hogs are spending the majority of there time on surrounding private land.

It is definitely possible to kill a hog out there but you'll have to earn it. Statistically you could go out there 50 times and never see a hog. Or, you might bump into them next weekend! That's part of the fun.

Well over 90 percent of the hogs killed in CA every year are killed on private land. That is not a typo, OVER 90 PERCENT!

My advice. Hunt a lot and hunt hard. You should walk deep into that public spot in the dark on morning hunts and walk back to your truck well after dark on evening hunts.

If you REALLY want to cut your hog hunting teeth then go hunting on private land. There are hundreds of ranches in CA that are absolutely covered up with hogs. Most of these hunts offer over 100% opportunity, the rest is up to you.

Good luck!

 

[easymoney]

weekender, hit it right on the head...

Public land hunts are marginal at best (says so right in the DFG pig hunting booklet and public land hunting docs)and do take considerable time to even see a pig let alone score on one.
IMHO, with the very high human population in CA out chasing the game around every year, even if they are out there on the public land you go to, they will be nocturnal and you will be just lucky to see any.
That being said, I bow hunt mainly on public land and have for decades, I do score once in a while but have gotten it down to a fine art and rely on getting away from the easy stuff or the roads (where the poachers rule). It is not easy, no one said it would be, but that like using a bow, makes the challenge more sweet when I do get something for the BBQ...
I mean no disrepect to anyone, but those who come on web sites like this and actually expect to get a sure lead to a hot spot no one else knows about, is just dreaming. If you want to be successful, yes do look at sites like this, but look between the lines for hints and tips not the exact honeyholes, as no one will give them up. Much excellent info is here, thanks jesse, but everyone needs to keep a realistic open mind and not expect a sure thing every time they go out. Public land is the land that was left over after all the better land was taken by the landgrabbers form the 1800s and then not bought up over the years for ranching.
Good luck, they are out there and I might even get one this weekend...

 

[larrysogla]

Fort Hunter Liggett and Camp Roberts are your best bet for public land hog hunting.
I have been to Laguna Mountain about 10 years ago and those hogs are transient and nocturnal. It would be like hitting the lotto(almost) to see a hog in the daytime in Laguna Mountain. However, it is very possible to see hogs in the daytime in Fort Hunter Liggett and in Camp Roberts............they are there and they move around in the very early morning hours and in the very late afternoon. Just pay the year round fee and you are set-up for unlimited(weekend) re-entry at FHL and whenever CR is open for hog hunting or even deer hunting at both military installations. Hope this helps.
'Nuff said
larrysogla

 

[rooster300wsm]

thanks all while i don;t think i am ready to give up on the public land side i think i will look in to fhl or CR. thanks for the info. i have hunted in wy on blm for years and well frankly California sucks in comparison. going to tx this december on what i hope to be good land lease type dill. are there ne honest hunting clubs or private ranchers that allow hunting for a trespass fee? i hve done a few in new mex that way with ridicules elk numbers, and scored a 196 wt deer( no elk tag )

 

[ighunt]

Most of my "pig hunting" trips end back at the truck happy to have even seen any sign.

If you're seeing 3-5 day old sign, you really need to hunt that spot a few long days. I'd be there at 4am waiting for the sun to come up, and be leaving there when it was pitch black. The days are getting longer and longer, and to me its the perfect time.

 

[Farmerdoug]

I don't think you should concern yourself so much about what you're doing wrong. I think you need to step back and consider everything you're doing right and expand upon it.

First off, you're getting your ass off the couch and hunting. That's the hardest part.

Second, you're hiking and covering a lot of ground.

Third, you have found a water source which is always a great place to find hogs; especially when the weather warms up.

Last, and most important, you have found fresh sign.

The only thing you have left to do now is pull the trigger. The most important advice already mentioned is the time of day. Early morning and late evenings are absolutely the best time for success. In my own backyard, I have a few domestic hogs that I keep. I can tell you for a fact that those pigs will find shade by 9:00am and won't move a muscle until about 4:30pm feeding time. When the sun is shining, their sleeping. No different for wild hogs. There is always a few exceptions to the rules, but for the most part, this is the case. As far as I'm concerned, you have already had great success. You were able to scout out more than 20+ deer and 2 bears. Can't beat that!

 

[mike_cook82]

the only advice i can give you is try out camp roberts or fort hunter liggett. i have seen good pigs there. depends on where youre located. unless youre military. then Vandenburgh air base is the best choice. Or if you want to pay, then tejon or cedar canyon is by far the best place to go if you want to pay. or even big horn canyon ranch.

 

[RoosterKiller]

I was out probably 5 times since the first of the year scouting for pigs without even seeing any sign.Then I was out turkey hunting and had one come up out of the brush behind me about 30 yards.
go figure.

 

[mike_cook82]

I was out probably 5 times since the first of the year scouting for pigs without even seeing any sign.Then I was out turkey hunting and had one come up out of the brush behind me about 30 yards.
go figure.

Really??? thats pretty damn exciting!!!

 

[rooster300wsm]

ok so a looked at a hog this morrning. on public ground in full run around 10am. He was leaving a farm and running up the side of the hill i was glassing from. would have had a nice chance at him if the f-ing hiker that came up the ridge south of me did not sound like a heard of cattel. that pig did not even stop to look or i would have taken a shot at him. still 450 yards off. he just turned and crest the rigde and gone. getting closser. unfortionatly i have to work to night so no night hunt.

 

[ltdann]

ok so a looked at a hog this morrning. on public ground in full run around 10am. He was leaving a farm and running up the side of the hill i was glassing from. would have had a nice chance at him if the f-ing hiker that came up the ridge south of me did not sound like a heard of cattel. that pig did not even stop to look or i would have taken a shot at him. still 450 yards off. he just turned and crest the rigde and gone. getting closser. unfortionatly i have to work to night so no night hunt.

Your closing in!