who has won a free hog hunt? www.wildhoghunt.com

[majkowskid]

well, first off, my name is daniel, and i'm new here.

back in december, i won a free hunt from www.wildhoghunttexas.com (has many website links... same place for all). anyways, i immediately payed my 50$ deposit (which goes towards gratuity) and booked it for march 21 2007.

i've been excited as heck, until i've been reading online about this place. i havn't found a single good review. second, i've found that i didn't win anything. well, either that, or a BUNCH of people won the same thing as i did. i found a forum where over 50 people posted that they had won the same thing i did, at the same time. they advertised that they only give 1 hunt away a month.... now i'm getting worried.

does anyone know anything about this place? it's 70 miles east of san antonio. i've heard they pack WAY too many people on the ranch in one day (being 300 acres, and having 15 people on it at once!)
kinda seems dangerous. second, i've heard the accomodations SUCK to be frank. not that i'm picky...hell, i'll camp out in my truck if i have to.

i'm just worried i'm going to be hit with all kinds of hidden costs. they said i have to pay 35$ per hog to have them quartered...said it's state law, and i can't clean them myself. this true? this is my first time hog hunting, and i don't want it to be a bad experience!

 

[spectr17]

Beware of Greeks baring free gifts.

I'd check the references BEFORE I sent any money.

 

[Rancho Loco]

Welcome Daniel...

As a rule..Anything that you win, but have to pay money for - is a scam.

 

[hatchet1]

that part about being state law to clean and quarter your hog is bull#$%^ , IT APPEARS THAT THE BONE TONE IS ABOUT TO RING, sorry my friend ,try to make the best out of it.

 

[Lan-Lord]

Hi daniel, first off, welcome to JHO!

QUOTE (majkowskid @ Feb 14 2007, 07:27 PM)

they said i have to pay 35$ per hog to have them quartered...said it's state law, and i can't clean them myself. this true? this is my first time hog hunting, and i don't want it to be a bad experience!

This is total

There is no state law that says you have to pay someone to quarter your pig.

[recalling from sketchy memory]
I think Larrysogla claimed that he won a free hog hunt with this outfit also. It would be interesting to hear what he thinks. I think he has hunted with them before, and he had a good impression.
[/recalling from sketchy memory]

 

[larrysogla]

Myself and 4 of my friends hunted this San Antonio ranch(actually about 25-40 miles east of San Antonio on Fwy.10 as I remember) back in October 2004. It was a 2 hog per hunter Friday afternoon to Sunday morning hog hunt. We paid the hunt and accomodation fees in advance(it was $300 for the hog hunt back then as I remember again plus $50 per hunter for 2 nights accomodation in the 2 bedroom air conditioned mobile home. Back then the mobile home was optional. We could have tented on the ranch if we chose to but we wisely chose to pay the $50 and sleep in airconditioned comfort plus the hot showers and the comfort of being inside a building.

We brought our own food and we cooked our own food and we had an option to skin and butcher our own pig but we were feeling lazy so we paid at the time $25 per pig for the guide to skin and quarter it. We arrived on Friday noon as appointed and we hunted Friday afternoon and night, all day Saturday, Saturday night and early Sunday morning. We shot a total of 9 pigs. We could have shot a limit of 10 pigs but 1 guy in our group could not hit a barn door at 100 yds. with a scoped BAR .338 WM with a muzzle brake. The braked recoil was very, very soft but this recoil shy guy still was scared of the gun, hence the miss.

Paul the owner DID NOT charge us anything extra that was NOT previously agreed upon in our e-mails and phone calls while arranging for the hunt. All that was charged were the previously agreed upon fees and accomodations. At that time we had access to the 2,500 acre creek bottomed ranch surrounding the 300 acre high fence ranch via an unlocked gate. We tried hunting the 2,500 acre ranch at the creek bottom but the acorns were falling thick at the time and the well fed hogs were not interested in the corn at the feeders. So we ended up shooting all of our hogs inside the 300 acre high fence. At the time, the grass was hip high at the 300 acre high fence and even when the hogs were only 50 yds. away you could not see them. All you saw was the swaying and parting grass as the hog ran away. We could hear the big boars fighting and chasing in the grass but we could not see them well enough to shoot.

We had to stalk carefully in the creek bottom to be able to sneak up on the hogs and take a shot. That is what we did and we finally shot our 9 pigs by Sunday morning. The pigs are wild and are stocked up by a one way gate with bait inside the high fence. The wild pigs can get in but they cannot get out. Also, Paul buys trapped wild hogs from the surrounding ranches as caught by the neighboring trappers. That Saturday, Paul took delivery of 10 big wild hogs from a trapper and we tried hard to track these big wild boars inside the 300 acre high fence but we could not close in on them. They were really wild and wily. Well my friends liked it so much that the next year in 2005 five of them went back for another hog hunt. After shooting the limit at the high fence, Paul asked them if they wanted a hog hunt with dogs and knife.

My friends were eager to do so, and Paul brought a dog and knife guy with a huge ranch nearby. His name is Brian. He is a college student at the time and was doing the dog and knife guiding part time. In short order, my friends had to ride the ATV's to keep up with the dogs which cornered 2 big hogs. One really big black boar(400 lbs.) was discovered by the dogs in it's nest dug up like a tunnel by the cliff of a shallow bank. After the dogs held the big black boar my friend was given a knife by Brian and was told to stick it in the armpit. The hog was finished in short order and it was an adrenaline rush that my friends will never forget.

That is our experienc in hunting with Paul and his www.wildhoghunt.com hog hunting ranch. It was a good and satisfying hog hunting experience for us. As far as I am concerned I have no negative experience with Paul. I scheduled my free hog hunt for Feb. 28, Mar.1 and Mar.2 but I called him and had to re-schedule due to unforeseen matters that turned up that I have to attend to. So I am tentatively planning to do my free hog hunt in Oct.2007 or close to that. Well that is my experience with that San Antonio ranch. God Bless.

 

[majkowskid]

wow! thanks for that reply! that's what i'm looking for!

as for those who said about the hidden costs comments... i totally agree... i should've researched it a bit more before i paid, but i won it on the day after x-mas, and i had to pay the 50$ deposit (which, again, is to hold your place, but also goes directly towards gratuity to the guides) before the 1st of jan.

i'm willing ot pay the 35$ to skin and quarter my pigs. that's no big deal. the room and board is totally free (which is usuall 300$,) and the hunt itself is free, so i'm not complaining.

i appreciate your step by step encounter!

 

[SDHNTR]

I've read reports on a few different sites about several guys winning this hunt at the same place. They must have been giving out free passes left and right. My gut feeling is something is fishy about it, but who knows?

 

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

i am not into this type of places to hunt but has anyone ever hunted this place in texas (B-HUNTING.COM) my friend was braggin about it....................tra

 

[180pilot]

Is this the same place?

http://www.deertexas.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ul...ic;f=2;t=000077

 

[sdbowyer]

Buyer beware, some of his marketing states "Not available to Texas residents" LOL. Be sure to read the Comments:

Review

 

[oneshothunter]

my buddys and I won hunts also .. and we got told only one free hunter can use the hunt the others you bring have to play .. or book 4 hunts and come alone lol so .. free is nice but if you cant go with friends and have fun .. why drive to texas by myself i will pass

 

[bighog]

I've never met Paul C. but I suspect he's got kin folk here in Ca, a guy by the name of Larry Hamilton.

 

[Live2hunt]

Well I guess I won one of those hunt too. The condition of the hunt in writing sounds too good to be true and I failed to claim my hunt before the deadline. Not sure if it's still any good.



<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

Hello from the Ranch,

Thank you for entering our "free hog hunt" give-a-way. Since it is Christmas, we are giving a totally free hunt to a few randomly selected individuals that registered for this drawing. This means, you are the winner of a free hog hunt!!
Here is what you have won: A 3 day and 2 night hunt which will allow you to harvest 2 hogs, 2 bobcat, 2 coyotes, and unlimited varmints. This will also include your meals, lodging, and guide fees. The value of this hunt is $524. All you will be responsible to pay for is your state hunting license of $45, $35 per hog to the skinners to gut, skin, and quarter, and $50 gratuity to your staff. ( We will collect a $50 booking fee upon scheduling your hunt, and this will be reapplied to your gratuity, once at the ranch.)

You can choose any available hunt date from May 1 to December 21, 2007

All you have to do to claim your free hunt, is call the ranch before December 31, 2006, and pay your $50 booking fee. You can schedule your hunt then, or at a later date. You can come alone, or bring a few buddies, each paying the current rates for the time of year you choose to hunt. See our hunt page for details at: http://wildhoghunttexas.com/links.htm

If you are already scheduled at the ranch during this time, or have purchased a hunt to take at this time, this offer is not valid. You can take only 1 free hunt per calendar year, and only 1 person in your group can take a free hunt at the same time.


You can visit our web site at www.WildHogHuntTexas.com as well as call the ranch at 832-419-6151 if you have any questions, or to make arrangements.

We hope you are able to take advantage of your free hog hunt, and we hope to see you soon at the ranch!

Sincerely,
Paul C.

p.s. Yes, you really have won this hunt! No gimmicks or strings attached. Merry Christmas![/b]

 

[Rancho Loco]

QUOTE

Since it is Christmas, we are giving a totally free hunt

QUOTE

All you will be responsible to pay for is ..... $35 per hog to the skinners to gut, skin, and quarter, and $50 gratuity to your staff.

Mebbe I'm a little slow this morning, but that doesn't sound "totally free" to me.

 

[tholihan]

To all,

Beware - This is a ripoff. I bought this hunt for a buddy and I on ebay. We went there in March of 2006. This is the worst ranch and the worst food that I have ever had or seen. The ranch is horrible and there are very, very few hogs. There are no bobcats or varmints to shoot (that is why they say unlimited) My buddy and I were there with 12 other guys for three days. We were the only two in three days to get any hogs. In addition, what they will not tell you unitl you get there is that there are additional costs - like food, lodging, and addtional pig kill costs, and gratuities for lazy, lazy staff. They say there are none, but they change that once your on the ranch. My buddy and I spent over $700 each, excluding airfare, on a hunt that should have been only $299. In additon, they say fully guided - what a crock of Sh_t. The ranch manager drives you to a stand in the morning and pick you up after dark. There is no stalking and all individuals are required to saty in the stand, otherwise they will kick you off the ranch and end your hunt early. There are no guides, they give you no assistance, or recomendations on antyhing. Our dinners consisted of Macaroni and cheese from a box, and chicken pieces in tomato sauce - no spices, no sides, with only plain, white bread and butter. They had over the counter rolls for breakfast and coffee. No Orange juice, milk, or anythin else of substance.

If anyone would like more detailed info, give me an email. I would be glad to give anyone some help because this was the biggest rip-off and I hate to see my buddies get ripped off - as I was.

 

[Gunslinger 6]

There is no such thing as a free lunch...especially pork bbq

I'd be suprised if there is no catch, but best of luck, and if it turns out to be a good time, please share.

 

[larrysogla]

Back then in 2004 and 2005 when I and my friends hunted the ranch, we could still roam freely inside the 300 acre high fence and access the surrounding 2,500 acre ranch via an unlocked gate. Back then we were NOT restricted to stay ONLY in the stands(blinds). Times must have changed drastically in the 2 short years since my friends last hunted there in September 2005. Back then the ranch was well stocked with wild hogs. I guess the business side of hunting is being pushed hard and the hog hunting conditions are not as I would expect it to be like in 2004 and 2005 when we were there. Well, I certainly am glad that we hunted the place when it was still free to roam the high fence and the surrounding 2,500 acre ranch. Times change fast, doesn't it. If the ranch is really going in this direction, then it is sad.
Tholihan,
Thanks for the update.
'Nuff said.

 

[Land Cruiser]

Crap, I "won" a hunt and talked two of my friends into coming along. They have made their deposits, so did I. May be we all should cancel while it's not too late.

 

[majkowskid]

when is your hunt scheduled for?