A primer on Texas hog hunting

Just learned that a friend of my dad has 300 acres in Bonham and I can go there and shoot all the hogs I want. Supposedly the neighbor has trapped over 200 this year alone.

I wonder if some of you experienced hunters can give me some tips. I gather they move mostly at night and a lot of you use lights. Not sure how that works – wouldn’t the light scare the hogs? How do you do it? Should I hunt early or late? Set up in a stand or stalk them?

Years ago in the daytime we filled a 5 gallon bucket half full with corn feed added water to 3/4 full and dumped in a can of drain-O- (lye) stirred it up.

That evening we put the bucket under a tree in a thick place , climbed tree and waited with 44's.

the corn "cooked" and put off an aroma that pulled them in like flies to a turd. LOL

Good luck however you do it.

Just like any other type of hunting, you need to figure out what you're dealing with. Go out there, drive around, get out and walk and look for hog sign, follow some game trails and see where everything is at. Try to figure out what time they're out so you're not just wasting your time sitting around waiting with no clue on their patterns. We use game cameras extensively to help us pattern them and figure out when to go hunt and when not to bother. It still doesn't mean they'll be there every time you go, but at least you'll have a better idea.

If you've got a feeder then set it up and they'll be sure to show up and you'll know exactly where to find them, at that point it's only figuring out when they'll be there.

Alternatively, you can always just go driving around at night with a spotlight and try to find them that way. We used to do this a lot back in college when we just had field after field to go check. Somebody would yell out, "Let's go play check the field!" and we'd all pile up in a truck and head out.

As far as lights, sometimes they'll run and sometimes they won't. It's a pretty good bet that once you start educating them that the shooting is about to start when they see a spotlight that they'll take off as soon as they see the lights. Lots of people use colored filters which help versus white light since it's dimmer and less startling to the hogs.

Good luck and have fun and if you need any help getting setup or any questions we're not far from there, over in Sherman, and we'd be happy to help you figure it all out and get you killin some hogs.

get out and look for signs. Have a ground blind to set up in where you decide to hunt.

trying ta get a new product on the market, used it a time or two meself... grab's me an ol bucket with a spoon, ease out in them thar woods, an bang away, while medokerly saying, Sewwwwe sewwwwe, not too load now, not too soft, just right, ya don't wanna make too much noise, an scare em away... the main thing have fun.....

I'd just go there at dark and start down wind and zig zag thru slowly. the alpha hog is the 1st target, the lead hog or just the biggest one.

When you come across sign its time to stop and hunt..rooting-early evening.....rubs & wallows-early morning.....scat-day hunts.

Take out the lead hog and the rest will follow..otherwise the alha will avoid you...there no use letting it know its going to be hunted, If you don't watch out you will make phantom hogs..then good luck.

After a few 'just hunt' s then start all the fancy crap.

Or just call me and we get on them with thermal & night vision. I'd rather guide folks on there land then have them out on my spots ! ! !

Thanks for the replies and IMs.

I finally met up with the owner and got a key to the gate. 240 acres mostly open land bordered by trees. Two stock ponds half dry. Didn't see any hog prints in the mud. There is a deer stand in about the center of the southern third.

Only was able to spend about an hour walking the area but I intend to go back this weekend and recon.

There was an old trap, large/strong enough for small hogs, apparently abandoned and in need of repair. I brought it home to fix it.

has u had any luck? my corn feeder went kapowee, it got knocked over three night's in a row, so hung cable from tree to tree an put feeder on it, spinner tis not spinnen though, so don't have no corn in it.... got a 25# block an few of them smaller 5# blocks walmart specials, one tis corn, one apple, the other accorn... they hit corn more than any thing, have tried the hog wild, but no luck, tis a small stream were have all this set up, put some of that throw an grow also, work up ground first... just checked it got some hog sign,but they move threw, me thinks.... can see on several tree's were they rub... the mud tis about up ta me knee..

Haven't had much time to go out there lately but three weeks ago I spent an afternoon walking the perimeter.

There is a line of telephone poles just inside the fence line along one side. Clearly at one time hogs rubbed on most of the poles. But I didn't spot any indication of fresh tracks.

Another hunter had a deer stand that I was planning to use, but last time I was out someone had torn it down. I don't think it was the hunter - they left the old wooded shelter and took the steel legs/base. Now it's a pile of debris.

Time before that I found an old trap big enough for smaller hogs. It was in disrepair so I brought it home and fixed it. Taking it back out today to bait it and I'll go tomorrow and check on it.

I spooked a deer once, but to date still haven't seen any hog tracks. Checked the mud by the two stock ponds and all through the wooded areas.

I'll report back with what I find today.

if theirs alot of preasure on surrounding land, i'd check the fence lines, start at wooded area, an see if there is any sign in the barb wire look for hairs on bottom run of wire, look for low spots in fence... theirs some hogs that hit bye feeder, been several years since got one, it came in early morning whin feeder went off, think it got used ta the timer.... sabine is real dry their, tis were do most of my hog hunting, seen some sign, but no hogs yet....years back used ta see 50 or more moving threw, lot of 300+# last year got 4 on hog only hunt's but put the miles on.... years back putten corn on ground, hanging a spot light above me, with extra length wire to a toggle switch in left hand [tis right handed] using thumb, then wire running ta the battery, worked a time or two... one of the ways hunted at night... any ways chat later heard few rounds fired, some one came across some hogs few pastures down...

Went out on Friday to set the trap and was encouraged to see signs of hogs. Looks like they've been back to a few of the telephone poles since the last storm.

I am embarrassed to report that I'm not sure how to differentiate between hog & deer tracks but some were clearly around the poles so I assume they're hog.

Also discovered in another area where it appears hogs were rooting.

Went out yesterday, nothing in the trap, no new tracks, nothing ate any bait corn.

Here you go:

http://www.texasboars.com/trapping/signs.html

I don't like hunting for hogs on property with other hunters that may be hunting deer.

Be careful skulking around in the woods this time of year.

TRG

has used traps few times, 90% of the time the trap door was thrown trap empty ... so have no their... seen some sign around feeders bye the creek... batteries out on me wildlife cam... we got some rain last few nights an some cooler weather.. sabine tis closed for draw hunts... so got's cabin feavor... got me bow out, flung few arrows, bow tis on, but haven troubles with the ol shoulder, rubber bands tis streatched... ya hear a pop pop pop, whin pullen back, but figger hog may think tis just another one snappen it's jaws, kinda like a built in rattler system, for deer hunten... figure only gonna get one shot if any, an can still hit size of silver dollar at 20yrds, as long as it not moving... any ways, nothing exciting here...

I see what may be two deer tracks in the top pic but the rest I can make out all look like hogs.

I didn't understand any of that.

Don't try . Your head will hurt.

tis what hapens whin i drink too much coffee i shift my brain into nutrual an let my fingers do the typing... hope all will except my humble apploagies....

have ya had any luck? we got some rain here went an checked around the feeder, an other stuff that put out, thar was alot of sign sat in stand bout hour after sunset, full moon nothing moving, thought about just going down with me pistal an sitting with no light's on like i used too... agh the good ol days...

haven't seen nothen here eather.. only seen one doe, think something spooked it...

How is the action around late December?

It's one of the best times.

They need more calories and they forage more during the days and sleep more at night.

Easier to hunt and easier to see them (brush is gone).

TRG

Less ticks and diseases on them too, when it's cold?

Don't know about diseases but there's definitely less ticks and lice.

Pretty good. Most of them are home from college for the holidays and looking to have some fun before they go back to their boyfriends and school.

and yes usually less tics and lice since they aren't going to the lakes and rivers that time of year. Crabs on the other hand.......

Copyright © 1996 - 2013 :: AR15.Com LLC :: All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.