Hog Hunting Frustration

[Johnny_Utah]

I originally posted an invite to travel to Alabama for a hog hunt inside the Blackwarrior WMA. This trip actually happened with 4 guys, all rookies to the allusive feral hog. While prepping for this adventure I must have read 100 different articles on tactics, methods, and recipes. We car camped at a trail head, so we could maximize our time spent in the woods. Needless to say, we were all amp'ed up to get out their.

So after a couple good hikes through the woods, we saw nothing but tracks and signs.

There must have been 10 different people that we ran into, going or coming back, and everyone of them had seen nothing. Though each had their proverbial story of a friend that shot one in the same area. We were on our way out at the end of our trip, everyone sighing of aches and pains from the hilly terrain, when someone spotted a black moving object moving from the road darting into the woods and down a ravine. We all anxiously jumped out and crept into the woods looking for the target.

In total only one of the four hunters saw something, at the very end of the trip while driving fast down a dirt road. I think he saw a chupacabra, not a pig.

I don't foresee the Alabama Fish and Game eradicating this creature that is "so prevalent." For the hunter in me, I hope they multiply this year and get worse. So I can come back next year and actually see something. For the conservationist in me, I hope they wipe them out completely. These roto-tillers on 4 legs are a serious hazard to the stabilization of the ecosystem.

Anyways, I'm going to better my odds next time and bring some dogs Thermal/NV scope to have my way with them. I know they are out there.

Thanks to all for the info. It was a pleasure to get out with a fellow TGO'er, XDShooter, nice guy.

Johnny_Utah

[DaveS]

I'm going down several times and scout with my brother (he lives there and hunts the area a bunch). Going to get ready to hunt them hard this year.

[DaveS]

If you don't mind me asking, what area were ya'll hunting? My brother hunts everything legal there, and does quite well. I too have done well there too. You have to remember that hogs are typically nocturnal in nature, even more so when pressure gets on them. In the heat of the day (especially if the sun is shining) they will be laid up in wallows to stay cool.

I'm geeting ready to leave for the Refuge to attend a meeting. Sometime this evething I'll post some info on here for you.

[Johnny_Utah]

We were in the Sipsey, mainly around the 208 Trailhead, the east side of the wilderness preserve. We tried behind the church and cemetery on that same road.

It was understood about the nocturnal nature. So we tried to stay late and getup early, even at that it seems to be a crap shoot. There are a ton of bluffs, we were told the same thing by some others. They mentioned to look for the holly trees and find the caves that smell like a barn.

The link below is the one for the additional map we used. See the 208 trail.

Edited March 13, 2012 by Johnny_Utah

[Guest ExTexan]

I have been on a couple of hog hunts in Texas and even then it was difficult to get up to them on foot before they took off. Even though it seems like it was a 1 in 20 chance of sucessfully hunting them I would go back in a heartbeat haha

[Guest 270win]

Can you hunt down there at night or with dogs?

[whiskey]

Hog hunting ain't easy. It is possible to kill hog if the state allows feeders. Spot and stalk for hogs is hard. I have done it lots and killed very few. Keep in mind I was hunting in south Florida with a well established population and still had a tough time getting on pigs without the aid of corn feeder. It's not impossible, just tough.

The key is finding the pigs in daylight. IMO, the best approach is to go out in the dark and listen. You can hear hogs rooting and breeding if they are in an area. Public hunted hogs are the toughest to hunt. They are mostly nocturnal and weary as hell.

You might could make up a batch of sour mash corn, dip your clothes in the sweet rotting corn broth then go take up a stand on a hill top. That smell will draw them to you if you can keep from vomiting.

[R_Bert]

The TN rules do allow baiting (by landowners). they also say -

Landowners must keep accurate records of total number of

hogs killed on their property. This information must be provided

to the TWRA on the Wild Hog Methods Exemption

Report form provided by the agency within one month of

exemption expiration.

I wonder how many have been reported in TN ?

Edited April 14, 2012 by R_Bert