Wild Pig Hunting Inc. VII

[FourGoats]

Pig Hunt VII

As much as I look forward to this hunt, I'm on the fence this year. Not really wanting to pay $600 if I shoot a sow.

 

[juantg]

if all this is a go my brother will join us this time for sure

 

[Kentuck]

J personally would prefer to shoot a sow over a boar. Can't imagine the property hurting for pigs on 22,000 acres. Unless he is over hunting it.

 

[db 183]

George was at the show, his normal rates are $300 for 1 day and $500 for 2 day.

I have a group of 5 guys that have done this hunt a few times with us in the past. He just told me they are in, even with the new rules. So really to make this hunt work we need 4 more guys.

I missed the part where this is a multi-day hunt. My apologies - I thought we were talking about a one day hunt. So you have Oct 11-13 which is 3 days of hunting for $450? That sounds like a deal. Even if you only hunt 2 or 2.5 days, that is a deal. I pay $650 for the guide I go with and that is only a one day shot. Don't like the $100 dollar penalty on sows but hey, like I said, I normally pay $650 for one day SOW or Boar so mulitple days at $450 is a steal to me.

 

[Mel Carter]

The hunt is for 2 days, we hunt Friday evening, all day Saturday and until noon Sunday.

 

[jerryt]

I can understand why he switched it to boars only. With the crappy winter and no water around the sows will not be having multiple litters this year thus bringing the population at a standstill until we get some good rain going. He is protecting his assessts by forcing the fine which I like. The price seems resonable and from what I have seen and heard he has plenty of pigs around.

 

[Live2hunt]

A 22,000 acres with 10 hunters and 50% or even 100% success, if it can't afford the harvest of 10 sows per year, the hunt need to be halted until the hog population bounce back up. The sow only restriction can be better applied toward his hunts with dogs.

 

[Mel Carter]

George has a solid hog population, he just wants it better.

 

[ruger_mac]

Hey Mel sign me up for now and I'll make my final decision before to long.

I'll know for sure after next week

Adam

 

[Mel Carter]

I'm just getting a feel for what people think of the new costs and changes. Ill post this hunt starting July 1st or so, after the California draw.

 

[ruger_mac]

George did this last year with Wet\pregnant sows now it no sows??? I don't have any problem with his policy but you think he would not enforce this during group hunts. The more I think about it the price isn't that bad and will still probably sign up.

 

[Fugaloo]

Here's my take on it.

We can all agree that the hunt is good. Plenty of property, plenty of hogs, beautiful hiking, smooth operation, and so forth. anybody that hasn't hunted there is really missing out. I don't know where you can get to public land like this, but it's nowhere near my house. The big difference there I think is all the natural springs. This place is so loaded with giant bucks it's disgusting. The price compared to ANYWHERE else is good on a bad day and great my many standards.



Secondly, I like getting together with the guys on here. I've been here for years learning and Bullshitting and I like to get an opportunity to meet people who are meat people. In particular I had a great old time with JuanTG and RugerMac. Last year it was kind of off because of the star gazers and the early success. I had a blast hunting the second day with Juan.

I am in it not just for the pig which you can't argue with being a fair deal at least. I like the good times too. If it were me setting this up (and I don't because I've done it before and it's a lot of trouble) I would bill it as more of a get together social deal than just an opportunity to get a deal on a group hunt. If that were deer camp I don't think anybody would have left on the second day, they would stay because it's fun. If that's what I'm signing up for I am all in. But I don't need to spend the money just on the hog, I have ways to kill things on my own.

Part 2; What i see as the problem, and I don't know how to fix it all:

1 George gets a little anxious around that many people. He always seems to be a little on edge and people I think misunderstand him. I think George is a really cool guy but he does kind of seem like he's putting you down but I don't think he means any harm, and half the time I don't think he feels in a position to sound condescending but the character of his speach comes off that way. I think that kind of starts the grumbling in a way. Also we are not a very tight knit group, I imagine it is more of a challenge with us because we are a bunch of individuals and not a group of lifelong friends or family. This plays out the most in how he is really cautious about the property and I think he has a different level of trust for each of us.

I think George's biggest problem is that he charges too little. I personally took my hunt very seriously and always do. But I think when you let somebody on that beautiful piece of property for a few hundred bucks you get a lot of riff raff. and I'm not talking about us but he deals with idiots constantly. It lowers the lowest common denominator.

I can't believe that people have a bad time out there. I think what is missing is a commitment to each other. Such as a food pool. Why should ten guys bring ten different meals cook on ten different burners. then 4 guys kill a hog and the next day it's 6 hunters, and so on. If we want to really have a good time I propose we plan on sticking out the whole weekend. Buy a second tag so you can hike with a gun if you score early, volunteer to cook for the guys still hunting. Who doesn't want a camera man shooting his hunt? Who doesn't want to go shoot a hog Saturday morning, and then keep hunting all weekend with a camera for the bargain price of somewhere around $450? All while getting to know some dudes who you either only know by screen name, or that read your posts but never post themselves so you have no idea who they are but we all have something in common.

 

[eoats]

I would sign up, but scheduling such a Fall event is always out of my control.
Free-Lance or 'Project employee' lifestyle leaves me at the mercy of others.

 

[Mel Carter]

Fugaloo hit the nail on the head! Perfect post.

 

[Fugaloo]

So where are we at with this. Who's in at this point and who is thinking about it? Personally I am in. It's expensive for me but there is plenty of time to save. I enjoy the good times, wish there was a place to shoot or goof around but the camping and hunting is fine. All the So-Cal guys go to their fools camp and for me this is Fool's North, although I don't really care for the fool's part. But I do hope that this turns out better this year. I think it will, I think back to that four way radio call about Juan being lost, me shooting a pig and George talking him in. We had fun, lets fix the problems from the previous years and have a blast.

 

[Mel Carter]

I'm going to repost this hunt around July 1st and we what we have. Ill contact those people who I think will be in then post the hunt.

 

[ruger_mac]

Im in.

 

[BobbyZ]

As someone who has backed out in the past, I realize the last minute scheduling issues. Last time, I got a new job about 2 weeks before the hunt or something like that. I still feel kinda bad. I just wanted to second that there are hogs, plenty of space, George is a cool guy, the guys (Mel, RugerMac, JuanTG, Foogaloo) are all fun, safety concerned, respectful guys to hunt with), and it's a great weekend in beautiful country. The price issues do kind of make it that much more of a pain but since I got a bday present of a hunt coming to me once I find one, I think I'll cash it in with you guys.) Got a new Tikka/Night Force combo to try out as well. Depending on how busy he is, my buddy I brought a couple of years ago may go as well. Keep us posted Mel. As always, thanks for taking the time with this. You rock!

 

[tpuig]

I went on this hunt a few years ago and even though I didn't get a pig, I had a great time.

Most of the comments above can be repeated here, but overall I think it's a good deal and a nice bunch of folks. I was the round guy with glasses and no hair who hunted alone and hiked hard up the super steep fire roads. That unfortunately resulted in my having no skin left on my heels, and I cramped up worse than an all womens' college once a month. When I went, George had just had a kid and was fried. He also concentrated on the groups of guys, and not the individual hunter like myself. Can't blame him for that. I can't commit to this year yet, due to family health issues, but I would love to go if this happens. I could probably convince another buddy to go as well.

The suggestion for pooling the food is great, but maybe just plan on two dinners to keep things easier. Transportation was also an issue, because we all want to get to the good spots first, and those left standing at the camp are pretty much left on their own for a while. In all fairness, it was a semi guided hunt and George was spread pretty thin. But if you're stuck waiting for a ride, it sucked. I think I heard shots even before I went out. Going with a buddy is the way to do this. Heck, I'd even bring a mountain bike to get out of the area at first light. Bringing an ATV would be awesome.

As far as the cost, I shot a pig a few weeks ago on a private ranch NE of George's ranch and it cost me $700. That was for 3 days and included everything, but I got the pig within 1 hour of arriving at camp, even before we unloaded the truck. They were right there, along with about 60 other pigs, and LOTS of piglets of all sizes. In fact, two boars walked in front of my archery target while I was setting up my cross bow. If I had broad heads instead of practice tips, the hunt would have taken 15 minutes. I also got a pig on a depredation hunt last year, which basically cost nothing. In a couple weeks a buddy and I are headed out with Willoughby and that will run $575 plus tip. So even $500 isn't a bad deal for a semi guided for three days.

I don't post here often, but lurk a bit, so I'll keep an eye on this thread. I wish I could commit definitely, but just can't at the moment.

Tony Puig (Mountain View)