Over the last couple of months, I’ve received a handful of emails from folks asking for info about getting started hog hunting. Some of them have been from brand new hunters, while some others have been away from the sport for a while and want to get back into it. I’ve been trying to reply as best I can, and hope I’m being helpful.
I just received another one today, and thought that, for a change, I’d share the email with all of you HogBlog readers in hopes that maybe ya’ll can offer some of your own suggestions, on top of my own (mine will follow). So here’s what I got from CMJ.
Greetings from Yuba City,
I have been a hunter all my life except for the 20 years between college and now. I have stayed up on my shooting but havent been able to get out into the woods (and range) due to working and family and such.
Now I have the time, the gear (out of date, I am sure) and the inclination to bag some wildlife. I really want to get into hunting pigs. I am no more that 90 minutes from the Red Bluff area; ditto the Clear Lake region. None of my local companions are interested and so I am going to be on my own.
Ron Gayer, hunting guide, outdoor writer, wildlife photographer, and all-around great guy (and a good friend), contacted me a while back regarding a new project he’s got going. In general, he’s working on a series of videos he’s calling “The Guide’s Guide to Hunting“.
The idea is to present a group of instructional videos, targeted at new hunters. More and more hunters are coming to the sport later in life, without the benefit of a family tradition and the mentors that many of us may take for granted. With no one teaching them, how do they learn?
That’s the niche that Ron is looking to fill. As a guide, he says his favorite clients were the new hunters, eager to learn and extremely excited about the entire experience (a sentiment I completely share). Teaching them, and enabling new hunters to get a leg up in the sport, has really become something of a mission for him. Hence, this video series.
I had the pleasure of taking a look at the first iteration of Volume 1 of the Guide’s Guide DVD series, The Complete Guide to Wild Hog Field Care. This volume provides a complete, step-by-step introduction to handling your hog after you’ve got it down. Of note is that he shows you both how to field dress and skin a meat hog, and also shows a simple method for caping a trophy boar as well… something many field dressing websites don’t go into.
Now, I’ll be honest and say that if you’re looking at this with the eye of a critic, the video has its little issues. The pacing starts out a little slow. It’s important to remember that this is instructional, and not specifically intended to be entertainment. However, once things loosen up the pacing improves.
The positives far outweigh the little “opportunities for improvement”, though. Of particular note is the clean, but realistic field dressing demonstration. The camera doesn’t shy away from anything, from separating the anus (first step in traditional field dressing procedure) to clearing the chest cavity. While nothing can compare to hands-on learning for something like this, if you pay attention as Ron goes through these pigs, you’ll be well prepared when the time comes to get your own hands bloody.
I spoke to Ron on the phone after watching the video, and we discussed some of my critique, as well as some ideas he has for improvement. I expect that future iterations of this video will show some significant upgrades.
Of course, the truest test of these videos will be in the testimonials of the intended audience, new hunters. Several copies of the video have been sold at Ron’s seminar appearances, but he is just now getting his website up and running to expand the market a bit. He has not enabled eCommerce, but on the site you’ll find the information needed to order a copy directly.
As I mentioned, this is only the first of a series of four initial DVD offerings. The other three are:
The Total Turkey Tutorial
Hunting Strategies for Hogs
From Bench to Field: Guns and Optics
These should come out throughout the coming year. Ron hopes to have the entire series complete by January, 2010. I’ll keep this site updated as each release is ready, and hopefully will have the opportunity to review them as they’re available.
This question was brought up not too long ago by a Hog Blog reader. We were talking about pig guides and hunts, and someone was wondering how much it costs to do a guided pig hunt. It’s a good question, but there is no single answer. I will say that an average cost for a single pig hunter, fully guided on private land can run anywhere from $500 to over $1000.
It’s important to understand that the price does not always reflect the quality of the habitat or hunting. Many of the less expensive hunts offer great hunting on prime land, and generally have 100% success rates, just like the more expensive places. The differentiating factors generally include the availability and quality of lodging, amenities, and services. How comfortable to you want to be?
The price of a guided hunt has jumped several hundred bucks in only a couple of years, but it isn’t any cheaper to run guided hunts these days either. Overhead for a guided hunting operation can be pretty significant. First of all, consider that a guide must be licensed and bonded. That’s a couple-hundred bucks a year right there. Small potatoes overall, for a successful operation. But then there’s insurance, which can run a couple thousand for a small outfitter, and a lot more for someone who’s running a big place with lodging, employees, quads, and dogs or stock. Add in the cost of leasing property, maintaining equipment, and fuel, and a guide or outfitter will have to really start watching the bottom line or they’ll end up on the red side of the ledger in a hurry.
The events of this past weekend got me thinking about the shot I took on that sow as she was trotting fast up the hill. What did I do right and what did I do wrong? But I want to preface this entire post with a couple of caveats.
First of all, running shots present one of the most difficult scenarios that might ever face a hunter… especially a hunter with a scoped rifle. It’s what is usually referred to as a low-percentage shot, which means your odds of placing a clean hit are pretty low. As hunters with the ethical responsibility to maximize our odds of making a clean, humane kill, that makes this kind of shot somewhat controversial. With this in mind, running shots are not the best shot option and should probably be avoided when it’s possible.
The second caveat is that I want to be clear that I do not condone or recommend running shots for everyone. If you have never practiced shots at moving targets, a living animal is not the right place to start. For bowhunters, I absolutely believe the only time you should take a shot at running or trotting game is when the animal is already wounded and you need to do whatever you can to stop it. This basically transfers over to gun hunters as well, although I think that a gun hunter can become proficient enough to make ethical shots on running game. And that’s the point… it takes practice and skill, but running shots can be done well.
With this conversation, I recognize there’s room for a huge ethical discussion. Many people believe that you should never take a running shot, period. Others (like me) think that, much like long-range shooting, it’s OK under certain conditions (a practiced marksman and a reasonable target presentation). For now, this is about all I will dedicate to the ethical debate. We’ll save that for the comments.
I am not an expert marksman, by any stretch of the imagination. At the same time, I feel that I’m pretty proficient, in large part because I practically grew up with a gun in my hand. I’ve done a lot of shooting, and a good part of that was on moving targets such as running rabbits and driven deer. I don’t think I took a standing-still shot on a deer until I was in my mid-twenties. For hunters with this kind of background, the moving shot is simply another opportunity. It may not be the optimal choice, but it’s a valid one.
“OK,” you say. “That’s fine for you lifelong hunters. What about the rest of us, or those who grew up in places where we couldn’t shoot whenever we felt like it? ” Read the rest of this entry »
Each year, the CA Department of Fish and Game (DFG) offers a series of wild pig hunting clinics around the state. These clinics are a great idea for both the new California pig hunters, as well as the experienced hunters, to learn more about these excellent game animals. Learn tactics, techniques, and get some ideas on where to hunt from the experts and biologists.
Here’s the press release:
California Department of Fish and Game
News Release
March 24, 2009
Contact: Lieutenant Dan Lehman, DFG Advanced Hunter Education Program Coordinator, (916) 358-4356 DFG Office of Communications, (916) 322-8911
DFG Offers How-to Clinic on Hunting Wild Pigs
The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) will hold a wild pig hunting clinic April 25 at Monterey County’s Fort Hunter Liggett. The clinic is offered through DFG’s Advanced Hunter Education Program in partnership with the Pacific Coast Hunter Education Association and runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The clinic will cover the considerations and requirements for a successful wild pig hunt, techniques of locating the animals and different methods of take. Additionally, participants will learn about the biology of wild pigs and how to handle and care properly for the game. A barbecue lunch will be available for a $10 donation and attendees will also receive recipes for wild pig dishes.
The cost is $40 and space is limited. Participants 16 years and younger can attend free if accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Registration forms are available at www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/advanced/index.aspx . After registering each participant will receive an e-mail with a map to the facility, a list of items to bring and a workshop agenda.
Here’s another little tip and tidbit from my list:
Move less, glass more.
This is really directed at still hunters, as well as the western spot and stalk hunter.
It’s really easy to get caught up in covering ground on a hunt. I think it’s human nature to wonder what’s just over the rise, or what you can see around that next bend in the ridge. Out here in the west, you can literally walk all day without ever doubling your trail. There is a LOT to see.
But the thing is, you’re looking for an animal that only takes up a few cubic feet of space. He could be right under your feet, or he could be a mile and a half away. The only way to find him is to stop and look for him. Sure, you might spot him while you are walking along if you’re really vigilant and alert. But odds are much better that he’s going to see you first.
In the wild, the advantage almost always goes to the one who is not moving. Think about it. The last time you picked a big boar out on a brushy hillside, what gave him away? Most likely it was the flick of an ear or tail, or the movement of a leg. And the last time you got busted by a fat hog, if it wasn’t the wind, what tipped him off? More often than not, you turned your head, raised your gun, or took a step to get a better position.
Predator or prey, it’s a game of stealth and patience. Being still is the key, and the one that moves first is the one that loses. Most animals’ vision tends to key on movement. Shapes and colors can be important in some cases, but the first thing we notice is motion… even hogs who rely so little on their eyes for defense can spot the slightest movement at shocking distances. With this in mind, why would you give up your advantage just to cover more ground?
I’m fortunate in a way, because I came to the west from a place where we’d sit long hours in a tree stand to hunt. This makes it a little bit easier for me to find a rock or a stump, get comfy, and sit and glass. The longer I live and hunt out here, though, the more difficult it is to fight that temptation to try to hike the entire countryside. But time and again I’ve found that I will always spot more game and have more shot opportunities if I can be still and look around carefully before moving to another place.
There’s no need to walk the entire mountain range if you can find a few good places to sit and examine the area with your binos or spotting scope. Put your optics to work for you… it’s not lazy, it’s smart. Save that energy for the stalk and recovery when you find and kill that trophy porker (or deer, elk, moose, or ground squirrel). You’d be surprised what you’ll see if you move less, and glass more.
I don’t know if this will become a regular feature, but while I was up in the hills the past few weeks, I had a lot of time to think of stuff I’d like to include in the HogBlog. Passing along a few hunting tips seemed like a good idea, and I took the opportunity to jot a few down.
So here’s the first one…
Look close first, then look far.
More than once I’ve lowered the binoculars just in time to see a critter boogie out of the brush right in front of me. If I’d started out by looking there, I’d have seen that animal every time. And it’s not just me. A lot of folks tend to bring up their binos and scan the distance without ever taking a close look right in front of them… especially when they’re hunting the big, open spaces here in the west. But this applies everywhere, from the western plateaus and prairies to the eastern treestands.
Check the area closest to you when you glass or scan for game, and then slowly work out into the distance. That critter way off on the horizon may see you coming, or he may not, but the one right there at your feet is definitely going to get up and get gone if you don’t see him first.
Note to self – I really need to get out and stock up on photos.
I was browsing around my blogroll and stopped off at Mike Hanback’s blog. Yeah, that Mike Hanback, the one from Outdoor Life and Field and Stream and just about any other publication that carries articles about big deer.
Anyway, one of the posts spurred a thought. Someone wrote to Mike, asking if cattle will spook deer and how to deal with them. Mike, in turn, referred the question to a guide and cattle rancher whose experience seemed to match my own… sometimes cattle and deer seem to commingle, and sometimes they don’t. Deer are usually real picky about being around noisy animals, and there’s not much noisier in the field than a danged old cow… but I’ve also seen them out there together, using the same trails and occasionally even feeding in the same pasture.
But this isn’t the deer blog, it’s the Hog Blog! So how’s it relate?
Hogs and cattle seem to share a much more symbiotic existence. For one thing, cattle tend to knock stuff over, exposing potential food for hungry pigs. Hogs also like to root under old cowpies for the same reason, there are grubs and sometimes mushrooms growing there. Good protein, little work. And again, cattle tend to tear up the ground, making it easier for hogs to root and wallow. Find a spot where cattle like to water, and there are real good odds you’ll find hog wallows in the muck.
There are also reports of hogs eating calves, especially newborns. While this really wouldn’t surprise me, I don’t think it’s especially prevalent. I have definitely seen them eating dead cattle, though. In fact, a dead cow can make a great hog bait… if you can stand the stench and the thought of eating the hog after seeing it eating that carrion.
But there’s another aspect to this relationship. Cattle are creatures of the open, and like most open-ground animals, their vision is one of their main defenses. Sure, they’re dumber than a sack of hammers, but they can spot you on a hillside as well as a deer. They know you’re there, and while they may not bolt at first sight, they will often lull you in close and then explode for parts unknown (even to themselves).
Now hogs, as we know, don’t tend to rely on their eyesight. I’ve discussed before that they aren’t exactly as blind as some folks would have you believe, but they just don’t use their eyes as a primary defense. Even in the open, a cautious and patient hunter can practically walk right up to within easy bow range of a feeding hog, as long as the wind is favorable.
But when those hogs are feeding amongst or in close proximity to cattle, they use the cattle as an alarm. Spook the cows, the hogs run away as well. And trying to stalk through a herd of cattle is no mean feat! Pretty slick, huh?
Now how would you use this to your advantage as a hog hunter?
Well, I honestly wouldn’t go out seeking herds of cattle unless other methods have come up dry. But should you find cows in your hunting grounds, stop and break out the binoculars. Make sure those little black calves really ARE calves. Hogs will feed right in amongst the herd sometimes. Make sure there are no pigs in the herd before you move through.
Then, move through carefully. Stampeding cattle are almost guaranteed to drive every living thing out of an area. If the herd busts you, slow down or stop. Do not make eye contact, and do not approach the cattle directly. If they seem calm enough, you might try to skirt the herd on the downwind side. Depending on how wild the cattle are, even your scent could be enough to spook them. Stay “small”, and move slowly away. Don’t stalk or creep, because if you look predatory, they will bolt… and they never run in the direction you want them to go. Thank Murphy for that…
DFG Offers 12 Hunting and Wilderness Survival Clinics in 2008 Dec. 26, 2007 Contact:
Susan Herrgesell, Hunter Education Program Coordinator (530) 347-3980
The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has scheduled 12 statewide clinics in 2008 to educate hunters on advanced hunting and wilderness survival skills. The clinics are designed to take the hunter or outdoors person a step beyond basic hunting and wilderness skills.
“These clinics were developed by the DFG Advanced Hunter Education Program to provide the tools for a successful hunt and safe trek in the wilderness,” said Susan Herrgesell, DFG Advanced Hunter Education Coordinator. “The goal of these courses is to develop ethical, conservation-minded, successful hunters through education.”
Clinics include sessions on hunting turkey, upland game, waterfowl, and big game. Topics covered in each of the clinics include the type of firearm, ammunition, importance of sighting in the firearm, gauging distance, scouting, tracking, field dressing, shoot-don’t shoot scenarios, hunter ethics, landowner-hunter relationships, conservation, and safety.
The date, description, location and cost of each clinic are listed as follows:
Jan. 19-20, Land Navigation offered at Tejon Ranch in southern Kern County. The cost is $60.
Feb. 9-10, Wilderness Survival offered at Tejon Ranch in southern Kern County. $60.
March 1, Bear Hunting Clinic offered in the Redding area. $40.
April 26, Wild Pig Hunting Clinic offered at Fort Hunter Liggett in Monterey County. $40.
May 17-18, Big Game Hunting Clinic offered at Wilderness Unlimited Property in Williams. $60.
June 7, Wild Pig Hunting Clinic offered at Valley of the Moon Gun Club in Sonoma. $40.
June 21-22, Land Navigation and Wilderness Survival offered at Shasta-Trinity National Forest Bushytail Campgrounds. The cost is $60 and accommodations are camping.
Aug. 2, Wild Pig Hunting Clinic offered at Tejon Ranch in southern Kern County. $40.
Sept. 13, Upland Game Hunting Clinic offered at Wilderness Unlimited Property in Williams. $40.
Sept. 20, Waterfowl Hunting Clinic offered at Wilderness Unlimited Property in William. $40.
Sept. 20, Upland Game Hunting Clinic offered at High Desert Hunt Club near Gorman. $40.
Sept. 27, Waterfowl Hunting Clinic offered at San Jacinto Wildlife Area in Riverside County. $40.
Registrations are now being accepted for all clinics. To find out more information about the clinics, please refer to the Advanced Hunter Education website at www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/advanced.
There’s a long-running myth that hogs have really bad eyesight. I fell into it for a long while myself. But the truth is, they can see fairly well. Now I don’t put their eyesight on par with the vision of elk or deer, but hogs are NOT blind.
The thing is, from my experience, they just don’t rely all that much on their vision. They can see ok when they’re trying, but they seem to rely mostly on their incredible sense of smell to alert them of danger. Also, when spooked, they seem to run blindly. This is the source of many “charging boar” stories, as a spooked hog will often run right back toward a hunter until it realizes he’s there. If the hog gets too close, it may go onto the offensive, but usually it will swerve away at the last moment when it recognizes the danger.
Despite all this, you can get really close to hogs if you just pay attention to the basics of stalking. We’ve talked about playing the wind already, and that is the most critical aspect of hunting hogs. You have to fool their noses. Now, let’s look at not being seen.
Movement is a trigger for them, just as it is for most prey animals, but if you stand still out in the wide open, they will often ignore your presence. I’ve been spotted by hogs moving across a canyon at well over 200 yards. The wind was quartering across my face, and blowing pretty hard, so I am fairly certain they did not pick up my scent. I was pretty quiet, so I am sure they didn’t hear me. But when I moved across that open hillside, the entire herd of eight hogs froze, looked right at me, then scattered into the chaparral.
With this in mind, it’s pretty easy to figure that camo patterns really aren’t all that critical for hog hunters, but they can help. The key consideration is to break up your outline, as this will help hide slight movements. Honestly, most of us could get by just fine in a pair of jeans and a checked or plaid shirt, and if you’re rifle hunting in big country, that’s really all you need. But I do think that a decent camo pattern provides a little bit of an edge, especially if you’re going to be hunting up close and personal (e.g. bowhunting).
Any pattern that works well in your area for deer will be fine for hogs. I don’t like solid colors, especially white since that’s like a flag to anything with eyes from far away. Also, avoid close, dark patterns, as these usually tend to turn the wearer into a big, dark blob, and they can also make you quite visible to game.
I’ve learned, the hard way, that even a dark-colored hat can be a giveaway on close stalks. Shortly after I got my new, black Stetson, I was on a bowhunt down near Hollister, CA. I’ve hunted this place a lot, and stalked a lot of pigs there. While I’ve had a running jinx on actually sticking an arrow into a hog there, I have been able to stalk pretty close on several occasions.
On this trip, however, even with careful attention to the wind, the pigs kept busting me. Finally, after one stalk to less than 20 yards on a herd of probably 15 or 20 pigs, I realized that they were seeing me. A quick self-inspection to figure out what I was doing wrong turned up the only thing that was different from past hunts… the hat.
A couple of hours later, I was on another good group of hogs. This time, I dropped my hat prior to making the stalk. In a matter of minutes I was literally in the midst of them as a group of piglets (10-20 pounders) was nosing around less than 10 feet away. Another generation of 50-6o pounders was feeding oblviously at ten yards, and the bigger pigs, including one good 175-pound boar were mingling around inside of 20 yards. Unfortunately, of course, with the tiny pigs literally underfoot, I couldn’t raise or draw my bow without causing a stampede. I never did get a shot, but without that big, black hat, I had been able to crawl right into that group of hogs. Lesson learned!
I’ve become a fan of the open patterns, like the Predator and ASAT camo. I had my doubts about both patterns when I first saw them, but after seeing both patterns fool turkeys (the toughest test for camo, in my opinion), I decided to rely on what the animals saw rather than on what I saw. Honestly though, it’s really not too important what camo you use. I’ve had success in everything from blue jeans, to military surplus BDUs, as well as any number of funky new patterns. I often mix-n-match camo too, as in the photo at the left.
Just as for deer, I don’t believe color really makes any difference at all, as long as the pattern doesn’t blur together. Remember that most prey animals have very limited color-vision, and most of what they see appears in shades of grey. With this in mind, I’ve found that lighter shades seem to work best, and I’d err on the side of greys and tans over dark greens and browns for most of my California hunting. The greens and browns may work OK in the Southeast where you’ll have more foliage. But again, color isn’t as important as breaking up your outline.
Other important tips for getting close and not being seen include using the terrain to your advantage when stalking. Of course, any time you have a solid object between you and the quarry, you can’t be seen. If you can move behind hills, rocks, or below the edge of a ridgeline, use this advantage. When you come over the hill or ridgetop, stay close to the ground. If you’re wearing a hat, even a camo hat, take it off as the hogs will see that before you can see them.
Start scanning as soon as your eyes clear the obstruction, because you never know if the hogs may have moved closer to your position while you were out of sight. Move slowly, until you’ve located ALL of the animals. Don’t get suckered into focusing only on one or two animals, as there will often be a straggler or outlying feeder that can ruin the whole stalk.
You can (and should) use brush or trees for cover as well, but remember that everytime you move across an opening, you’re creating a flash of movement. This flash will get you busted more often than any other thing you will do. Think about it from your own perspective… when you’re hunting, what is the first thing you usually see when you spot game? A flick of an ear? The movement of a leg? Prey animals are even better at spotting this stuff than we are. Be very conscious of this, whether you’re hunting elk, deer, or hogs!
While you may not think you can, you can stalk feeding hogs across a wide open space also. This is where you use the fact that they don’t often rely on their eyes to your advantage. Hogs are loud and focused feeders. As long as their heads are down, you can move right at them. Go slow, and freeze the second a head comes up, even if it’s not looking directly at you. You’d be amazed how close you can get… as long as the wind doesn’t shift. The video below demonstrates this pretty well… even if I did blow the shot (and yes, I know I’ve posted it before, but it’s a great illustration of what I’m talking about here).
One last consideration… hogs will often use a herd of cattle as “sentries”. Free-ranging cattle can get pretty spooky. While they’re not really hard to stalk, they will totally bust you if you get too close, too fast. Hogs will feed in and around the herd, and if the cows get spooked, the hogs will be gone too. If you spot hogs with cattle, you’ll have to ratchet up your stalking skills a notch or two, and forget about making a stalk in the open. Rely on cover, go slow, and keep an eye on the wind.
It’s not too hard to stay out of a hog’s sight. Just don’t fall into the trap of thinking they’re blind.
Minimize movement. Use cover. And try to blend in a little. They’ll never see you coming.
I had the pleasure of taking a look at the first iteration of Volume 1 of the Guide’s Guide DVD series, The Complete Guide to Wild Hog Field Care. This volume provides a complete, step-by-step introduction to handling your hog after you’ve got it down. Of note is that he shows you both how to field dress and skin a meat hog, and also shows a simple method for caping a trophy boar as well… something many field dressing websites don’t go into.
The 
I’ve become a fan of the open patterns, like the