The Hog Blog

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.

Here’s another hog hunting tip for you. 

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. 

As I’ve said before, I’m hardly a hog hunting expert.  But I’ve spent a lot of time chasing hogs, reading about hogs, talking about hogs, and occasionally, shooting hogs.  So I think I have learned a little bit, and I’d like to share a little of that learning.

This is part of an undetermined series of short hog hunting tips.  If I get it wrong, or if you have a better idea, please sing out!  There’s more than one way to skin a cat, and the same can be said for skinning a hog. 

But before you can skin it, you have to kill it.  And before you can kill it, you have to find it.

Most big game hunters are aware that scent control is a critical success factor.  Deer and elk won’t usually tolerate a lot of human stink in their habitat before they boil out.  They’ve got pretty good olfactory systems to make sure they smell you way before you ever get close, too. 

Well, a hog’s sniffer can put deer and elk to shame.  I am terrible at numbers and such, so I don’t remember the numbers around a hog’s ability to separate scents, but I can tell you that they can pick your smell up at levels that make a bloodhound turn green with envy.   The other big difference between hogs and some other big game animals is that hogs rely extensively on that sense of smell.

I’ve had deer pick up my scent.  They get nervous, and look around, but if I stand still and stay hidden, they’ll often stay right there… especially when I’m hunting in places with a fair amount of human activity.  I’ve seen elk do the same thing, when they get used to having people around.  But hogs… I have never seen a hog stay put after getting a whiff of human. 

Hogs trust their noses more than their eyes or their ears.

This has led to the common misconception that hogs are practically blind and deaf.  Neither of these is true.  I’ve been spotted by hogs from over 200 yards away, and seen them scatter at the sight of me.  I’ve cracked a tiny twig on a stalk, and watched their little heads pop right up like a deer.  No sir, they’ve got all the senses.  They just don’t seem to trust those other two like they trust their noses.

So, with this in mind, how do you beat those super-sniffers? 

I’m not going to sit here on this keyboard and try to sell you the latest, greatest scent-lock clothing, or some kind of scent-eliminating spray.  If you use them, and believe they work, then keep using them.  Confidence is the biggest part of success in the hunting game. 

But in my opinion, unless you’re encased in some kind of impermeable bubble, your stink is gonna be in the air in concentrations that are plenty strong enough for hogs to pick it out.  I’ve tried several different kinds of scent controlling clothes and sprays.  I’ve showered with the various “hunters’” soaps and shampoos, and all the other tricks.  And I can guarantee that every time, if that wind tickles the back of my neck on the stalk, the hogs will be gone. 

It’s that wind.  That’s the killer… and it really can be too.  Keep the wind in your face, or quartering across you AWAY from the animals.   If you’re hunting where there are swirling winds, which are so common in the California canyons, use the thermals to your advantage. 

Remember the thermals drop as the sun rises, then turn uphill as the day winds down.  In the early morning, try to move uphill toward your hogs.  In the evening, get up high and hunt down.  Of course you’ll find some occasional exceptions, especially on really windy days.

Another set of factors that you should take into account is humidity and barometric pressure.  High humidity tends to hold scent closer to the ground, but it doesn’t disperse over as much distance as quickly.  Low humidity is the opposite.  Scent disperses quickly, but covers a lot of ground much more quickly.  Barometric pressure has a similar effect.  Low pressure pushes the scent down, while high pressure allows scent to rise into the air column. 

You can usually determine if pressure is high or low by observing smoke, or the steam from your breath (on a cold day).  If the barometer is low or falling, the smoke will only rise a short way before flattening out.  Rising smoke means rising pressure. 

Low pressure systems with high humidity can make for good stalking, as long as you’ll be moving a lot.  Just keep in mind that the scent you leave behind will linger for a while, so hogs on your backtrail may very well be spooked.  Keep your eyes and ears open, and spot those hogs before they spot you.  Low pressure and high humidity also makes for some great dog hunting, if that’s your game… and for the same basic reasons.  Scent trails will last longer, and stay closer to the ground.

High pressure and low humidity can make for trickier stalks unless you have a consistent wind.  Days like this are best for hunting from a stand, or working from a higher elevation such as ridgetops where your scent will be, hopefully, dispersed before it gets to the hogs down below.  It’s not foolproof, though, so you need to always try to keep that wind in your face. 

How do you do that? 

Judging the wind when you’ve got a ten knot breeze, or better, is pretty simple.  You should be able to feel it on any exposed piece of skin.  The old trick of wetting you finger-tip is really overrated, but it can work if the wind is strong enough.  But you should be able to feel it on your face or neck even easier. 

There are a few great tools for the job though. 

My favorite is the “Smoke in a Bottle” type of products.  This is a little squeeze bottle loaded with a kind of powdered talk.  Just squeeze a puff and see where it drifts.  It will pick up the lightest breeze, even in the rain.  The added benefit is that you can watch the powder for a distance as it drifts.  This will give you a picture of the thermals and any changes in the wind.

You can make your own puff bottle with unscented talcum powder or fine corn starch.  Corn starch works a little better, especially in humid environments (like the Deep South). Talcum powder tends to clot up when it gets muggy, and doesn’t work so well. 

A similar tool puffs out some tiny, floating fibers.  They remind me of little dandelion seeds.  These things are ideal for days with a fairly light breeze, as you can see the fibers for quite a distance and see the variations in the wind direction over the terrain (I’ve actually watched them through binoculars).  Back in September, during my Colorado elk hunt, I was able to watch as the fibers went off probably fifty yards, then slowly circled on the changing wind until they came around and went right back behind me!  It was a great reminder that sometimes the wind can be blowing one direction where you’re standing, and be totally different 200 yards away. 

There are plenty of natural aids you can use as well.  A pinch of dust can give you an immediate wind direction.  If the ground is too coarse, or made of plant duff, simply grind the material between your fingertips until it’s fine and light.  Bust open a cattail and sprinkle the fibers on the wind, or if dandelions are in season you couldn’t ask for a better indicator.  I think you get the idea.

Other good wind indication tricks include tying a piece of light fiber, thread, or yarn to the end of your bow or gun.  Personally, I haven’t had much luck with this method.  First of all, hunting in the thick stuff where pigs like to hang out, I usually end up catching the material on brush and pulling it off pretty early in the hunt.  Secondly, a little moisture renders most of these materials useless.  They also only show the wind movement relative to the end of the bow or gun, and don’t give you any idea of what’s happening further down the trail. 

Keep your scent to yourself or behind you, and keep the hogs in front of you, and you’ll do fine.  It’s just that simple.