I'm just starting to locate some good hog hunting area to hunt but need some help on knowing what to look for as hunting stategy.
The area is a mixture of marsh, mainland points with mixed oak varity like White, Swamp Chestnuts, Pin, and Red that taper down to the marsh, and sloughs that run thoughout. the edge of the marsh are just plowed over with tracks and rootings and areas where there are a type of bulrushes and water lilly that they seem to feeding on.
My question is how would you set up to hunt this type of area? Spot and Stalk, stand ground or tree? What is the hog normal day to day routine? where do they normally bed and at what time of the day? I know a lot of question but i'm clueless to what I need to know to hunt sucessfully, thanks.
Hogs can move at any time of the day but mostly at night in my area. During really hot weather they will move to water during the day if not pressured. It is really hard to pattern them here. Spot and stalk and listen, they make lots of noise fighting and grunting.
I often hunt hogs from the ground as it makes it easier in my opinion to get both lungs on a hog. I usually just set up a quick natural blind and hunt from it.
The hogs will have runns( trails) that are in and out from bedding to feeding. Also there are mid day trails. I place a stand on the out trail within a 100 yards of bedding. ( dont go in the bedding they will leave) Look for everyday trees that are being rubbed. The bigger boars will rub these everyday in my area. Ground hunting i set up on the rubs or there go to wallow. Its hard to hunt rooting because its not an everday thing for them(in the same area). As they start to hit the trails to go feed they will fan out. Hog in heat will also work if it is placed low on rub or hanging limb that you see that they are rubbing there back on. Spot and stalk my best luck is in the early mornings watching from a high point, mine are usally faned out till bout the last 100yards of bedding. Most have taken hours to get back. they feed, rub, and some just ge straight to there safe spot. This is just what I have had luck doing.
Good luck
If you find a tree dropping oaks they will find it too so I would put a stand there and hunt the mornings and evenings. I would bet during the warm days those hogs are lying in the marsh grass to keep cool. I would get close by and listen in the early evening. You should hear them grunt, squeal and move around and then i would go after them quietly. Use your binoculars and go very slow looking through the grass with every step.
I always spot and stalk through areas with good sign. Their eyesight stinks, but remember so do you. ALWAYS HOG HUNT INTO THE WIND. if the sign is a few days old , they are gone.
dogs are great to hunt with hogs are smart they will let you walk by if they are laid up tight in the brush all you need is one cow dogs i have a kelpie they wont go in on them and get cut up usually females are better bear dogs like walkers get killed becuse they will go in on themi know they have catch dogs and kevlar vestsetc anyway thats my experiece here in no ca.
Super duper hog info thread (http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=029625;p=1)
Here is one of the all time best hog info threads posted on here. Good luck!
Thanks guys good info, especialy the one old thread by Curtis "Littlefeather" still reading all the ere is...Thanks Randy!
Walk the edges of swamps heading into or crosswind. You will know it when you see (or smell) it.
This thread is the granddaddy of all hogs threads
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=029625;p=2