The Hog Blog

Coming soon, to a theater near you… or, maybe not so soon.  Maybe not ever.  But hey, it’s a movie called, “Pig Hunt”, so it can’t be all bad, can it?  I know the HogBlog movie reviewer (me) is waiting eagerly to screen this flick!

Here’s a short synopsis from the Internet Movie Database (IMDB):

When John takes his San Francisco friends to his deceased uncle’s remote ranch to hunt wild pigs, it seems like a typical guys weekend with guns - despite the presence of John’s sexy girlfriend Brooks. But as John and his crew trek deeper into the forest, they begin tracking the awful truth about his uncle’s demise and the legend of The Ripper — a murderous three-thousand-pound black boar! Their pursuit leads them through fields of marijuana and into the muddy landscape of Big Wallow, involving high-powered weaponry, the violent and unpredictable Tibbs Brothers, massacred emus, a machete-toting Hippie Stranger, vengeful rednecks, and throat-slitting Cult Girls who grow dope by day and worship a Giant Killer Pig by night. By the time the pig hunt is done, no one is innocent - or unscathed. Not for the faint of heart, PIG HUNT is a darkly comic horror film that combines the best of DELIVERANCE, JAWS, and DINER, but remains uniquely Nor-Cal in its tone and scope. It is cinematic punkabilly - fresh, shocking, unforgettable!

Oh yeah, this one definitely seems ready for Sunday afternoon runs on the SciFi Channel!  And no, while it definitely sounds like something cooked up by my friend, Rex over at the Deer Camp blog, it’s a for-real movie!  Hopefully, it’s as bad as it sounds… sure to be a classic on the lines of Halloween and Friday the 13th! 

If anybody’s beat me to it and already seen this one, I’d love to hear what you thought. 

Twas the night before father’s day
or really the morning
when I sat at the computer
Composing and yawning

I need some coffee
was the first thing I thought
A nice steaming cup
All black, strong and hot

But what about gifts
for the upcoming day
Presents for a dad
For work or for play?

Something to show him
how much we care
how much we appreciate
the fact that he’s there

“Boy this is stupid.”
I thought to myself
But now that I’ve started
It’s off of the shelf

So on with my doggerel
my ridiculous rhyme
my brief flight of fancy
my complete waste of time Read the rest of this entry »

Just thought I’d have a quick look around and mention that, here at the HogBlog we definitely don’t have a corner on the porcine pursuits.  Some of my blogroll friends are out there filling the freezer too.

For example Jeff at Lowcountry Hunting is whacking and stacking them down in South Carolina.  Here’s a little instructional bit he just wrote about hunting near water as the weather warms up.  Check it out here.

Not sure what this one is all about, but that’s often the case when I drop in to visit Rex’s Deer Camp Blog.  I know he’s got some hogs running around that place, though, and one day I’m gonna have to catch a plane out there and see about helping to remove one or two from the habitat.

Of course you already know the NorCal Cazadora has put her toe in the pig hunting pool, and I think she’s about ready to dive on in too.  She’s written, not only a lead-in and a two-part story about the hunt, she just posted up a really good post-mortem as well.

Rich Fletcher, a near-neighbor and hunting landowner often writes about hunting hogs on his blog, however this post is about a different kind of hog… the warthog.  These suckers sure are ugly, but they’re ugly in a kinda cool way.  I can see why the trophy hunters like them, but I guess I’ve never really heard anyone talk about eating one.   I bet they’re good, though.  Anything that ugly has gotta taste good. 

That’s about it for now, although if you’re out there chasing wild hogs, send me your story and pictures.  I don’t have any cool giveaway stuff right now, but if it’s appropriate, I’ll certainly put you on the HogBlog! 

In Part 1 of this tale, our intrepid blogger/hunters made bacon down in Cholame, when Jim, of Hunting with Jim, made a nice 155 yard shot on a real good boar.  Holly, the NorCal Cazadora, and I were still empty-handed.  Our tale ended as we were wrapping up the day, and heading north, to hunt a private ranch near King City.  We now bring you Part 2, the Conclusion.

“Wow, this place reminds me of Jurassic Park!”

“Welcome to Native Hunt, Holly.”

As we waited for my friend, Michael Riddle, CEO of Native Hunt, to roll back the big gate, I could see where the comparison seemed apt.  Michael was an easy second to John Hammond, complete with khaki bush hat on his head, as he stepped aside to welcome us onto the property, and pulling in past the warning signs and security cameras, I could almost imagine the squeals, roars, and bellows of genetically recreated dinosaurs.   (As a somewhat interesting sidebar that provides an additional degree of connection, Michael does have American Bison on the ranch.  The “huff-snort” of a bison was used as the sound effect of the T-Rex inspecting the overturned tour car in the first movie.)

It was nearly midnight, following the drive down from Cholame, and we were all a little punchy.  Still, I let Holly’s little revelation drive my imagination as we followed Michael up the mountain to the Native Hunt lodge.  Michael’s operation is headquartered way out in the boondocks, and the isolation made the night that much darker.  The road dove into a tight canyon, overhung by arching oaks that blacked out the starry sky, and the only light came from the headlights of our trucks.  Suddenly, dark shapes darted out onto the road, bringing our little convoy to a lurching halt.  A small herd of fallow deer, the bucks still in velvet, bounded across the road and disappeared into the brush on the other side.

I’m not sure what Holly and JJ (JIm and John from Hunting with Jim) expected the lodge to be, but I’m guessing they were a bit surprised at the luxurious, outdoor bar and kitchen where Michael formally welcomed us with cold beer on tap, and a fresh bottle of 18-year old scotch.  The bunkhouse itself is also pretty comfy, with several bunk beds, a full kitchen, and best of all (at least to me), a full bathroom and shower.  We would not be roughing it for this stage of the hunt.

Since we’d all been up since 0400 that morning, and the hour was now passing 0100 of a new day, Holly and John headed off to sleep, as did Michael’s young guide staff.  Michael, Jim, and I stayed out under the stars a bit longer, Michael and myself catching up on things, and Jim getting to know both of us a lot better.  Good scotch has a way of making the time fly by, and bringing new friends together. 

Amidst the chatter and jokes, we decided on a plan for the morning hunt.  I’d go with Michael to see if we could find that big, European boar he wanted me to kill.  Jim already had a hog, and just wanted to tag along with us and John to video the proceedings.  Holly would go out with two of the new guides to a different part of the property outside of the main fence, where feral hogs were slipping through and getting into the barley fields. 

Since we’d be heading out before daylight, we decided to set a wake-up for 0430 and at 0340 we stumbled quietly into our bunks.  Read the rest of this entry »

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…

Well, that’s a stunner and no mistake.  It looks like I’ve been recognized not once, but twice, as an “Excellent” blog! 

Many thanks to both Jeff at Lowcountry Hunting, and to Othmar at Outdoors with Othmar for the very kind words and appreciation.  I hope the Hog Blog can continue to provide quality content that will both entertain and educate.  But, of course, that would be tough to accomplish without the support of the community.

I don’t usually participate in “memes”.  To me they’re the blogosphere equivalent of a chain letter.  I generally see them as pointless frivolity that has no value to the other readers of my site.  At worst, they become a social virus, bogging down the community as they spread and grow exponentially until you can hardly click on a site without seeing the same thing.  When I am “tagged”, I try to decline politely and respectfully, and most of the folks out there accept that and move on. 

Such was my initial impulse when I saw this one.  But after a little thought, I decided to play along, at least in part.  I see it as an opportunity to be more than just another meme, and actually use it to recognize quality blogs.  There are several of them out there who deserve the recognition. 

The E for Excellent award comes with the admonition to assign the recognition to 10 other blogs.  As I cruise through my blogroll, I see that many of my favorites already display the big, E graphic.  It makes sense, of course, because if they’re on my blog roll I enjoy reading them… so other folks must enjoy them too.  So I won’t be passing this along to 10 blogs.  Instead, I’ll only name a couple. 

 At least one of them feels the same as I do about blog memes, but I’m gonna name her anyway… that’s Holly at NorCal Cazadora.  Holly is a new hunter to the fold and an excellent writer.  As both a woman and a neophyte hunter, she’s got a unique perspective on our sport.  Her blog is all about that, and it’s a great read.  She’s also taking the time and energy to introduce more women to hunting, a much needed shot in the arm for our sport. 

Another blogger that’s hard at it all the time probably doesn’t really need any extra promotion, but here it is anyway.  Tom Remington at the Black Bear Blog keeps his keyboard hot tackling everything from hunting and outdoors issues to Second Amendment rights to the unique humor of a “Mainer”.  I don’t know how he feels about these social viruses, and he may choose not to pass this along… but his site does define the essence of excellence. 

One more individual who, honestly, I’m surprised hasn’t already received this thing… Bryan at DeerPhD turns out a steady stream of thought-provoking posts.  He manages to keep his readers involved, and of all the “small” blogs (compared to the pro blogs like Dave Hurteau and Dave Petzal at Field and Stream), he seems to generate more regular comments than any I’ve seen.  Getting a dialogue started is a big part of the blog experience, and Bryan is all over it.

I could name a few more who I think really represent quality blogging, but for this last link, I’m gonna go a little different direction.  The Skinny Moose blog network is assembling a pretty awesome group of bloggers under their banner.  The interest groups run the gamut of outdoors pursuits, from hunting and fishing to snowmobiling, hiking, photography and even some pro sports.  There’s even a beer blog.  As members of the network, bloggers receive marketing and promotion of their sites from the Skinny Moose team, leaving us pretty much free to write and enjoy our blogging experience.  It’s a cool idea, and I can see it being a real boon to the blogosphere, as it gets folks (like me) blogging who might not have time to deal with the minutiae of setting up and managing their sites. 

One more reason I decided to reply to this meme?  It gave me some easy content for today. 

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.

One thing I remember far too well about hunting the early seasons in North Carolina was the mosquitos.  Most of my hunting was along the edges of the big swamps, or the thick pocosin, and the skeeters thrived in that wet, still environment.  But so did the deer, which usually meant getting eaten alive on the stand… a true blood sacrifice for the opportunity to put a little venison in the freezer.

Toughing it out is not an option.  I don’t care how “manly” you are, there is no sitting still under a literal black cloud of mosquitos. 

I tried a bunch of different things to protect myself, of course.  Most sprays though, were too smelly, so if I hunted with an unfavorable wind, it was pointless.  When DEET first hit the civilian market, I doused myself in that stuff.  It seemed to work, but it turns out I’m pretty sensitive to chemicals, and that 100% DEET really worked me over.  After an evening in the woods, I’d come out feeling irritable and nauseous.  It took a few hunts to figure out what was causing the problem. 

Years later, on an August deer and hog hunt down in the South Carolina lowcountry, I was introduced to the Thermacell.  This unit works sort of like an incense burner.  You put the wick in the burner, and fire up the butane-powered heater.  As the wick warms, it releases a chemical (Permethrin) into the air for an odorless repellant shield.

I had my doubts, both about its effectiveness and the claims of odorless protection.  I’ve heard that too many times before.  In fact, on that same hunt, I was trying out a highly advertised “odorless” bug dope.  The first morning, a doe stepped into my crosswind and was gone like a shot!  The next day, a hog reacted the same way, just as I was drawing the bow for my shot.  Like most “odorless” claims, this new product was more hype than reality.  So I figured the same about the Thermacell, and decided not to get one. 

I spent the next three days getting chewed to pieces by the skeeters.  Meanwhile, the three other hunters in our group (Maryland Yankees, no less) who had purchased the Thermacell units raved about the performance.  Then, one after the other, they all scored on hogs and deer.  Meanwhile, all I had seen were does and distant pigs…  and skeeters.  LOTS of skeeters.

When I got home from the hunt, I contacted the folks at Thermacell and had them send me a unit for testing.  There aren’t a lot of places in arid California where you’ll find mosquitos, but there are exceptions.  One of those places is on the Sacramento River Delta, and I just happened to have an early-season duck hunt coming up. 

As I walked in and set up, the mosquitos came down on me and my dog in literal swarms.  My yellow lab literally turned black, and began rolling in the mud for relief.  I fired up the Thermacell, and in minutes the air seemed to clear.  I looked up, and I swear this, there was an actual dome of mosquitos, swarming at the outside edges of the Thermacell scent field. 

I was sold.

I’ve since used the unit on both deer and hog hunts, and have had animals walk right into the wind without apparently noticing the smell.  When it’s running, I can detect something like an ozone smell, like right after a lightning strike.  I guess the critters don’t mind that, though. 

Of all the gadgets and gizmos I’ve tried out over the years, this one definitely gets my highest marks.  It works, which is the main thing, but it’s also very reasonably priced and fairly available.  I’ve found refills for the butane and wicks in little country hardware stores, Wal-Marts, and several hunting stores as well. 

With early deer, teal, and dove seasons opening across the country right now, this may be just the tool you need to add to your gear bag.

I guess it’s obvious that this is my favorite time of the year.  Heading out again this weekend, taking the family, the hosses and the camper over across the hills for a couple of days. 

Hope to be back online by Monday, if all goes well and I don’t hit the Lottery. 

In the meantime, I’ve received one reader photo so far.  Sure could use some more, along with a paragraph or two about the hunt.  Don’t be shy.  Be famous!  Appear on the HogBlog! 

OK, so I need more pictures! 

Not MY pictures,  YOUR pictures! 

Send me some photos, or short videos of your successful hog hunts.  Tell me a little about it.  “I’ll make ye famous…” or so says that Baldwin kid on Young Guns.

Really, I’d like to see what ya’ll are doing out there.  Are you killing any pigs?  What’s the story?  Send it to me, and if it’s a good tale (tasteful and such…) I’d like to put you on my blog.

Otherwise, you’ll just have to “listen” to me droning on and on about my own experiences.  We wouldn’t want that now, would we?