Wild Pigs On Public Land in Southern California - Are There More?

Years ago when I first wrote my book on Wild Boar in California I mentioned briefly and in somewhat vague terms a small population of wild pigs in the Santa Ana River wash near Riverside. The problem then was, and today still is, that if the location of the boar were described well enough to enable hunters to pin down the actual location and to start hunting there, the entire area would be flooded with hunters. As a consequence, the wild pig population would become nearly extinct in that area very, very quickly. Since many of these semi-secret boar locations are actually close to human population centers, any hunting activities would without doubt also create a flurry of complaints from equestrians, hikers, bicyclists, citizens and landowners, to name a few. Let us also not forget the radical wing of the environmental movement that is determined to eradicate hunting.

Well, the wild pigs are still in the general area. Boar are reported between the 10 and the 60 Freeways in the badlands of Riverside County. San Timoteo Canyon, the Prado basin and the Norton Younglove Reserve are good places to look for them.

Unfortunately, these areas are now closed to hunting; even with bow and arrow because of complaints from homeowners and equestrians.

But wild pigs transit there. I met the man who is in charge of protecting the lawn of a local golf course by shooting the piggy raiders.

Every hunter in southern California knows the Tejon Ranch. It has a healthy population of wild pigs. It also derives a significant part of its annual income from guided wild pig hunts and from access fees.

There is another ranch, now leased to a private hunting club, that used to have wild pigs. Boar are expanding outward from those private sanctuaries. They can be found near a small town west of the Interstate 5 close to the Los Padres National Forest. The boar like the manicured lawn of a golf course. It is moist from regular irrigation and harbors a lot of worms and tasty insects for their consumption.

Gold course operators do not appreciate the help of their four footed rototillers. Instead they employ help getting rid of them.

Another wild pig location that has been whispered about for years is located in Santa Barbara County near Lake Cachuma. The boar are in a very inaccessible section of the Los Padres National Forest. I heard from informed sources very recently that the wild pigs now have moved closer to the organic farms in the area. The wild pigs raided some of the small farms so often that their owners armed themselves to dispose of the night raiders.

Wherever you go looking for wild pigs on public land in Southern California, they animals are few and far between. You can harvest some, but it is hard work. In fact, it might even cost you more money and frustration to pursue wild pigs on public land than to break down and pay a guide.

PJJ