A New Old Hog Hunting Opportunity for CA Bowhunters
In this season of giving thanks, here’s something many of us CA bowhunters can be thankful for… Chopper Snyder is re-opening his Wild Hog Adventures for bowhunters.
Chopper’s place is set in the hills just below Hollister, and for several years he ran semi-guided archery hunts. I was fortunate enough to hunt there several times over the years he was in business. I can honestly say I missed more pigs there in all the times I visited than most public land hunters have ever seen.
OK, it’s not something I’m particularly proud of, but hey… hunting hogs with a recurve on open land is no mean feat. It may have something to do with the phenomenon called “target panic”, but that’s neither here nor there. The point is, the hunting can be pretty danged good there. It’s open land, and pigs can come and go from the property, but they’re generally on the place somewhere for those who are willing to put in the effort.
What started as a once-in-a-while deal evolved into a full-time, day in and day out business. That was a little more than Chopper had bargained for, as he suddenly found himself working with hunters every weekend (and many weekdays). Between the hunts and his regular job, he didn’t have time to spend with his family, so he finally put it to a stop… always with the idea that he might re-open later.
My friends Steve and Kirk with a nice boar from Chopper's place
And now he has. While he’s only planning to run a limited number of hunts, it’s a great opportunity for bowhunters who want to hunt hogs without competition from gun hunters.
The hunts are generally for two days, beginning at 0900 on a Friday and running until noon on Sunday. The hunt cost is $400/hunter, and included in the cost is a stay in the hunting cabin (a comfortable cabin in a beautiful spot, with room to sleep seven, a fireplace, gas stove, grill, and hot-and-cold showers, and a temperamental electric generator that may or may not provide electricity for the evening), access to a covered skinning shed, and a walk-in cooler.
The hunt itself is totally unguided. Chopper will do an orientation tour of the ranch when hunters arrive, and after that, the hunters are pretty much on their own. Pay attention during the orientation, because while there are plenty of roads, they can get confusing. You probably won’t get totally lost, because all roads either hit the fence or loop back to where they started, but it sucks to burn up good hunting time trying to find your way around. This is the voice of experience speaking, by the way.
You’ll also need a decent 4-wheel drive with good clearance, especially during the wet, winter months. I was able to hunt most of the place with my stock, Dodge Ram 2500, although it’s more comfortable in my Samurai as some of the roads get a little tight. Most of the hunting will be on foot, though… if you think you’ll drive around and kill hogs, you’ve got another thing coming.
Anyway, it’s a great hunt opportunity. To set up a hunt, shoot Chopper an email at: chopper1709@yahoo.com or you can call at: 831.682.0468
Remember, there will be a limited number of hunts, so if you’re interested, you’ll want to get in on it quickly.
That sounds amazing. Unfortunately, it’s also a tad steep for me, esp. considering there’s no guiding.
Any discounts for folks without training wheels?
: )
November 25th, 2009 at 10:56 am
LOL, Josh. Actually, I never hunted there with my compound. By the time I switched, he’d closed down the operation. I can’t count the number of hogs I think I could have killed at that place with the compound, but 30-40 yards is just too far with the trad bow.
$400 isn’t cheap, but as private land hunts go, it’s one heck of a deal.
November 25th, 2009 at 11:54 am