What "Method" do you use?

[ozstriker22]

What method works the best for you personally, without the use of dogs?

As everyone has a different name for their method of hunting, for the sake of THIS POST ONLY, I'm going to give general definitions of WHAT I CONSIDER to be the usual methods. Please feel free to add to these what works for you and what you usually use. THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING - I'VE NEVER HUNTED HOGS BEFORE!


Spot and stalk:
Do you glass from a tall hill at the butt crack of dawn, and then for a few hours to find some pigs and see where they are feeding or where they bed down? Then, when they've holed up, stalk down to them.

Still hunt:
Go into an area where you think they may be. Walk a few feet, stop, listen and glass. Walk a few more feet, stop, listen and glass. Suprise em or catch em coming out the back of the canyon, etc...

Ambush:
Do some tracking to find recent rubbings, find feeding grounds they're currently using, find their beds, water, etc and set up in a draw leading to one of these areas and just wait. Or glass from a higher area, watch them comming from a certain water hole, bedding, etc and ambush them the next morning/that evening, when they may come back to that water hole, bedding, food, etc.

Straight tracking:
You locate an area pigs have been very recently. You follow their tracks, scat, sign to where they are now. You shoot them.

Drive:
There's a canyon you know likely holds pigs during the day when they bed. One or two people push through the canyon (wearing bright orange, of course). One or two people are waiting on the other end in safe positons to shoot the escaping pigs.

Road Hunt:
You need not answer this post.


Well - It's your turn. What works the best for you? Please be as specific as you are comfortable with, and use illustrations / examples.

Thanks for your time and knowledge,

Jesse

 

[SDHNTR]

Not to be smart, but all of the above. I have done them all several times and they all work. It just depends on the habits of the pigs on that particular property at that particular time. I will say that I like to spot and stalk a barley field early and late, and then drive the brushy canyons midday.

 

[Speckmisser]

I'm in the same boat with SD. I've used them all... including Road Hunting in certain situations. In fact, as I learned, at places like Tejon Ranch you gotta road hunt a little bit just to cover ground and find the hogs.

My most common hunt would look a little like:

• Ambush at first light. Take a stand on a crossing, waterhole, or feeding area.
  
• Spot and stalk - If nothing has moved into the ambush, start glassing.
  
• Still hunt - Still hunt from high point to high point.
  
• Spot and stalk - from each high point before still hunting to the next one
  
• Ambush at last light.

Should I find some interesting tracks, I'll follow them. Usually they run into the thick stuff where all I can do is scare them out... make a mental note to take a stand in that area later.

I don't usually care much for driving, either hogs or deer. It's just as well, since I usually hunt alone anyway. Hard to do a one-man drive.

 

[bigtusker]

What's wrong with road hunting? Think for a long time before you answer this one! Then let's hear it.

 

[Live2hunt]

I've used all methods. The type of terrain, weather, and the number of hunters choose the hunting method for me to hunt.


L2H

 

[bubba]

I usually do what speck does. All of the above. It depends on the situation and location. If I don't know an area and there are good network of roads, I will road hunt. Stopping occassionaly to still hunt areas that look like good spots (trails, bedding, rooting, etc). Spot an dstalk if I glass something a ways away. I apply this to all big game hunts. I definitley road hunt on the way back to camp. I would say that 50 % of the bucks taken on our C1 hunts in NF have been running into bucks driving from spot to spot or on the way back to camp. The private property we hunt in Livermore is all spot and stalk.

 

[manfreddy]

**Edited: ozstriker22 clearly said 'without the use of dogs', however I think that hunting with dogs is a usual method-The point being, my reading comprehension is quite poor

**

You missed a method: Dogs, my man, Dogs:

Catahoula's, Laikas, and other breeds, hot on the trail for pigs. Some people don't like it...but I'm a fan. Darn effecient too. There are some guys that hunt with dogs on this board, so hopefully they can post up with why they love it.

I'd rather spot & stalk, but I also enjoy watching a good dog excel at the very task it was bred to perform. It could be pig hunting, upland hunting or retreiving downed waterfowl...it's great to see.

 

[ozstriker22]

The road hunting comment was meant as a joke... everyone loves to crack one on "Road Hunters" occasionaly. I've read about one fellow who drives slow looking for routes deer use regularly and then parks, and still hunts.

As far as dogs - i don't have access to one, so i didn't consider them. I do love upland game with a good pointer!