Unguided Wild Pig Hunting

Low Cost Alternatives To Expensive Guided Hunts.

Regular readers of my articles know that I am quick to complain about limited access to private land and high, if not excessive, guide fees for boar hunts in California. The good news is that there are still a few opportunities to gain access to private land for a relatively small access fee. A found three in California – and promptly lost the address of one of them.

Here are the remaining two:

Bryson Resort offers semi-guided hunts for an access fee of $ 200.00 per day.

The fee includes an introduction to the ranch with references to wild pig locations, habitat and food information and the like. After they have familiarized you with the lay of the land, the game and its locations you are on your own. The hunt is called a semi-guided hunt because a guide familiar with ranch and game is giving you information that could make the difference between success and bust.

However, there is no guarantee that wild pigs will there when you are and even if they run around all over the place that you will get one. It is all up to you and your hunting skills.

For details go to http://brysonresort.com/ or e-mail reservations@brysonresort.com (Deedy; she will also point you in the right direction) or call (805) 472-2922.

A friend scheduled a semi-guided hunt for early May. I will share his experiences with you when he returns – unless I can tag along and report first hand.

Cedar Canyon

A mere 90 minutes north of Los Angeles off HWY 58 in the Tehachapi Mountains (Kern County) you find the Cedar Canyon Ranch. During spring 2010 they offer an unguided wild pig hunt for the special price of $ 225.00. But hurry, the special may not be available for much longer.

By the way, Cedar Canyon Ranch claims to have true 'Russian' boar on their ranch. Check it out for me, please, when you hunt there. Cedar Canyon is a high fence ranch.

Contact Cedar Canyon Ranch at http://www.huntcedarcanyon.com/. The website is not sufficiently interactive to gather enough detailed information without calling the ranch at 714- 968-6623.

Multiple Use Managers is the “lost” lead, I believe. They hunt the Dye Creek Preserve and other ranches. Check on it by calling (800) 557-7087 for information.

Hogs Wild near Coalinga, earth quake capital of California, is another low cost wild pig hunting outfit. For rifle hunting you ought to contact Jeremy Fairbanks (559) 935-3533 or (559) 707-9159. Bow hunters call Hogs Wild - Larry Greve ,Phone: (559) 935-5788.

Their hunts are generally 2 day semi-guided hunts at very reasonable price of $ 450.00 for the bow hunt, no trophy fees and $ 595.00 for two-day guided rifle hunts. No trophy fee here either. That compares well to other economy semi-guided or unguided hunts.

All prices and special offers above are subject to change at any time. It behooves you therefore to call ahead for details and availability.

If you are the traveling kind, consider hunting wild hogs in Texas. They have plenty of them running all over the place creating a nuisance and much damage to the environment and agricultural crops. Consequently, more and more ranch owners in Texas are offering unguided boar hunts. Most ranches are not high fence operations to keep the wild pigs in. However, many maintain feeder station to attract the wild pigs to specific locations. That works in favor of unguided hunters. Find the feeder, place yourself strategically near the feeder and you should have a (almost) guaranteed shot at a boar.

Here are three Texas ranches with unguided boar hunts at low cost.

Texas Outlaw Outfitters offers a limited number of unguided hunts (2 days minimum) for $ 125.00 a day. They are also willing to custom tailor a hog hunt to fit your needs and budget. You can reach them at info@texasoutlawoutfitters.com or by phone at (940) 655-4914. This price is for the bare hunt and for a limited time and number of hunts only, other services are available at additional charges.

Hunting-in-texas.com, aka 1A Hunting in Texas Guide Service, based in San Antonio, hunts 20 ranches in Texas and cooperates with 3 outfitters. They offer not only wild hog hunting but also a variety of other game, big and small. You have to check their website to dig up their wild pig hunting specials. Prices start at $ 125.00 per hunter per day.

Contact them at http://www.hunting-in-texas.com/ or e-mail Robohunter@hunting-in-texas.com; phone: 210-872-2771.

Stanfield Hunting is another wild hog hunting outfitter in Texas. Though a full service outfitter, they also offer unguided wild pig hunts. These hunts include 2 afternoon and night hunts, 2 morning hunts, and lodging. Hunting is over feeders and from blinds. Because the hunts are unguided you can expect only a minimum of assistance. After you arrive at the ranch, they will show you the property lines, and the location of feeders and blinds. Thereafter you are on your own. Spotlights are legal at feeders only.

Unguided hog hunting is $ 250.00 for the package and only $ 200.00 on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Information is available at http://www.stanfieldhunting.com/hoghunting.htm or by e-mail at goose@westex.net; phone: (940) 658-3172 . Out of state hunters need to spend another $ 45.00 for a 5 day out of state small game license.

Adding up all the extra cost associated with hunting wild pigs in Texas, unguided hunts in California are actually quite competitively priced. In fact, even some of the more reasonably priced fully guided hunts are looking pretty good.

Whatever your decision will be, make sure the advertised specials are still available and get written confirmation of the terms and conditions for your hunt at least by e-mail. Do not just rely on conversations over the phone.

If you know of other unguided hunts in California and want to share your information, please let us know.

PJJ

Marksmanship Clinic In Kern County - Correct Date June 19, 2010.

Under the sub-title “Brushing up on marksmanship and shot placement” I reported on April 10, 2010 on a class designed to “teach big game hunters how to refine and apply their basic marksmanship skills to become better hunters”. My brief article was part of a larger review of the remaining wild pig hunting clinics for 2010 cosponsored by DFG and the Pacific Coast Hunter Education Association.

However, the correct date is June 19, 2010 and NOT June 12, 2010 as incorrectly stated in my article.

The link on the DFG website now has the correct date. Please make a note of it.

Paul Turpin, former special operations, marksmanship and combat shooting trainer for the military and the police, distinguished expert, will be your instructor. The clinic will cover:

“Cartridge selection

Rifle ballistics basics

Non-lead projectiles

The concept of "point blank range"

Effects of wind & weather

Proper field shooting positions

Use of computer generated firing solutions

Use of field shooting aides

Sticks

Bipods

Tripods

Bags

We will also conduct a zero confirmation & adjust for maximum point blank zero. “

This clinic promises to be challenging, highly instructive and great fun.

PJJ

Hunting Boar And Wild Pigs:

Did You know . . .

that health and fertility of a sow depend to a great deal on the availability of mast in fall. The more acorns and other mast are available to the boar, the stronger and healthier the sows are. Healthy sows have larger litters and breed more often. That's good news for hunters and a nightmare for ranchers and farmers.

Boar Wars In San Diego County?

Wild pigs thrive while hunters bicker anonymously.

San Diego County is one of the last places in California where one would expect to find wild pigs. Yet it is a fact: Wild pigs are there and their numbers are increasing. So is the number of hunters, local and drive-in, trying to locate and hunt them. That's part of the good news.

The bad news is that judging by the comments we received here there is a controversy brewing between the 'locals' and visiting hunters. Mix in native Indians and their reservations and you have a rather explosive situation here.

Look at these comments to our reports on boar hunting in San Diego County. I am quoting the comments in their original version.

“ as of oct 1 2009 any wild pigs seen / spoted on el capitan grande indian reservation were ordered by the tribal counsel to shoot and kill any wild pigs on site by the tribal members only no outside hunters will be permitted at anytime as guests or any other trespasers will be prosecuted by law” (November 23, 2009 7:23 PM)

In response to the above comment another 'anonymous' said:

“ Anonymous fabricated his facts regarding Tribal Orders. Anon is clearly a anti-hunter in every respects. Tribal Counsels work closely and professionally with hunters; in fact, you experience great hunting opportunities and experience on Indian Reservations. Indian Hunting Guides are outstanding educators of the forest and hunting tactics. In addition, the Tribal Counsel would have published the order of prohibition in the local San Diego Tribune or other publication to place people on notice of such orders. I am planning my hunting trip.” (January 20, 2010 9:46 AM)

And in March 2010 a purported tribal member issued this warning. It calls into question the previous anonymous statement exhorting the virtues and the cooperation of tribal hunting guides:

“I am from El Capitan Indian Reservation and I am warning that all Trespassers caught will lose all their possessions and will be prosecuted by full extent of the law and fined” (March 30, 2010 9:28 PM)

According to 2000 U.S. Census Data the El Capitan Grande reservation has 33 tribal members, all living off the reservation according to the same source of data. The neighboring Barona reservation has over 500 tribal members. They maintain a tribal council, with an impressive list of council members. They also have major gaming interests. If any tribal council enacted any anti-hunting regulations then it would most likely be Barona. It is odd that such a distinctive, business oriented council would resort to anonymous comments to explain their hunting laws.

Last year I contacted the tribe that is reputed to have held penned boar on their reservation before some of the animals escaped. Wild pigs in the area are descendants of these 'escaped' pigs. In response to my contact I received a stern reply denying that any pigs were introduced to the reservation or wild pigs are hunted on the reservation. That casts doubt on the comment of January 20,2010 regarding the 'outstanding educators”. Someone is bending the facts a little!

Be that as it may, fact is that the presence of wild pigs is confirmed in certain parts of San Diego County. It is hard to deny the existence of a wild pig that was run over by a car and the pictures taken by a sport fisher of boar next to a lake. And it is even more difficult to disprove the findings of local hunting and park authorities. They agree that there are plenty of wild pigs in the area.

The boar population is rapidly increasing in size and in the geographical area affected. Usually well informed and reliable sources have indicated unofficially that groups of wild pigs up to 50 strong have been spotted in the general area covered in the referenced articles and comments. Wild pig populations have increased in numbers to the point of an 'emerging', maybe even of an 'established' population. Park officials and DFG are considering to begin with boar control and/or eradication programs in the near future.

Boar populations are at this time still widely spread out over a large geographical area with concentration in riparian and oak wooded habitat. As indicated in my very first post, wild pigs are concentrated in the San Diego river drainage and its tributaries.

Hunting the boar in the most promising hideouts proves to be exceedingly difficult because of the very steep terrain with thick brush cover. The absence of convenient access points and roads as well as high summer temperatures could make boar hunting in San Diego County more difficult and limited than real or perceived threats by misguided locals.

The pertinent question therefore is no longer whether there are wild pigs in San Diego County or not but how to access boar locations without trespassing on private property and tribal land. San Diego County has 18 Indian Reservations. Most are quite small with few registered tribal members and even fewer living on tribal land.

Though boar occur on public land in the Cleveland National Forest, the challenge consist in gaining access to their hideouts and to avoid trespassing on the many private ranches and Indian Reservations in the Forest. Consequently, hunters determined enough to take on the formidable task of going after the wild pigs in San Diego County must possess and understand the most reliable and precise maps of the area that show exactly where public land, private property and tribal lands are located in relation to each other. Trespassing is the only way that a hunter could risk prosecution and loss of equipment. If I were to hunt San Diego boar, I would use the official Forest maps, Google and GPS to determine the GPS coordinates of public land within the Forest that I intend to search for wild pigs.

Finally, rumor has it that some local hunters together with tribal members hunt under moonlight on reservations. Indian tribes can set their own hunting regulations for activities on tribal land. However, if they crossed into public land in the Cleveland Forest, they would be subject to all hunting laws of the State of California. But who would sneaks around in the Forest in the middle of the night looking for local and tribal hunters out of bounds?

Could it be that the anonymous author(s) of the virulent comments quoted above is one of them? Trying to protect their turf?

I doubt a governing tribal council would hide behind an anonymous comment to keep unwanted hunters off the reservation. Let this be an open invitation to any tribal council member to come forward and explain their specific wild pig hunting prohibitions and regulations to the readers of this publication. And if any one of the tribes has an official wild pig hunting program with accredited hunting guides I am certain our readers would love to hear about such program in detail.

No need to hide behind anonymous threats. Boar hunters in Southern California would be delighted to hire native guides for wild pig hunts close to home instead of driving hundreds of miles to the Central Valley or to Northern California.

PJJ

Did You Know . . .

. . . that boar and wild pigs are excellent swimmers? They do not only wallow in puddles or urinate into creeks – they also swim across rivers and lakes without hesitation. No idea what they do while en route.

PJJ

A Word About Recent Comments To My Wild Pig Hunting Articles

Today I received yet another e-mail from a reader of one of my posts on boar rifles. The message was to promote his own blog and his own articles about boar weapons. His blog is quite entertaining, well written and reflects to a great deal the experiences many novice wild pig hunters have made in the past and will make in the future.

There is only one problem: The author's blog does not have any information on how to contact the owner or the editor. Readers of the blog only can leave a comment. That's it.

We welcome comments in our blog any time. And if your remarks are to the point and factual, we will publish them gladly. But I have one condition for that: If you comment on my work and use it to promote your own site, do not forget to include recent and accurate contact information. I might want to contact you. And I expect you to reciprocate. Please no hiding by not having a return address.

Furthermore, you can use this forum to promote you work or your services as long as my readers benefit from your comment or service. But I will not accept comments of a political nature, electioneering and comments promoting causes that have nothing to do with topics discussed in this forum. We are talking wild pigs and boar and how and where to hunt them in California and elsewhere. Not much else and certainly not about election campaigns.

Sorry for the rant, but this had to be said. I have had to reject too many unqualified, off topic and unrelated comments just recently.

PJJ

Update on Status Of Wild Pig Populations in CA

April 2010: Less than enthusiastic support from Outfitters and Guides.

Two weeks ago we sent e-mail to nine operators of hunting ranches, outfitters and major guide services asking them to comment on the status of wild pigs populations in their respective areas. As of today, we have not received one reply. Wonder why?

These are the very same people that brag about their plentiful monster boar and eagerly attempt to snatch your hard earned hunting dollars from you for guided wild pig hunts and trophy fees. Their boar hunts do not come cheap either. Wouldn't you expect them to be more than willing to say something about the status of wild pigs in the areas they hunt? And to get free publicity in the process? Of course, you would. Outfitters, ranch operators and guides on the other hand seem to be too busy guiding to keep hunters informed. Or maybe they feel that hunters will flock to their hunting grounds anyway.

In my book “Hunting Boar And Wild Pigs” I have written about every single one of them classifying them as reliable hunting services. I owe it to the readers of my book to correct my opinion of these outfitters by adding qualifiers reflecting their lack of cooperation to my brief descriptions of these enterprises.

Here is the list of hunting ranches, outfitters and guides mentioned in my book that do not need free publicity:

Bert Claassen Outfitter/Vineyard Ranch

Burrows Ranch

Camp 5 Outfitters

Cedar Canyon Ranch

Dye Creek Preserve/Multiple Use Managers

Ed Roth Hunting

JCA Big Game Hunting Ranch

Shamrock Ranch Outfitters

Twisselman Outfitters.

But they want your hunting dollar. Think about it, please.

PJJ

Hunting Boar And Wild Pigs:

Did You Know . . .

that human hair may prove to be an excellent wild pig repellent?

At least that is what plantation workers in Malaysia claim to have accidentally discovered. They placed bundles of human hair around their crops and along the edge of fields. The boar stayed away from areas and crops surrounded by of human hair.

Sounds like a great solution to depredation from wild pigs - provided we can find enough human hair clippings.

PJJ

Only Three More Wild Pig Hunting Clinics in 2010

Brush up on your boar hunting skills.

Every year the California Department of Fish & Game conducts a series of advanced hunting clinics that focus on the basics of hunting.

“Topics covered in each clinic include 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.” (DFG announcement)

The clinics are popular and fill up fast. One of the most recent clinics covered land navigation. It was held at the Tejon Ranch in mid-March. And it quickly sold out.

Budding wild pig hunters and novices should seriously consider participating in one of the remaining three seminars on wild pig hunting. Each of the clinics “will cover pig biology, hunting considerations and requirements, methods of take, methods for locating wild pigs, hunting techniques, locations to hunt, care of game and, the final reward...wild pig recipes. We will be field dressing and skinning a pig.” (DFG).

Here are the remaining dates:

April 17
Wild Pig Clinic - Monterey Co

June 12
Wild Pig Clinic - Sonoma Co

July 31
Wild Pig Clinic - Tejon Ranch

The clinics cost $ 45.00 and a wild pig BBQ lunch is available for 10.00 dollars. I can tell you from personal experience that the pig BBQ served is delicious. Hunters can expect to learn about wild pig hunting and to share experiences with 40 to 60 attendees. Most impressive is the hands on demonstration of field dressing, cleaning and skinning a wild pig.

Detailed information is available from Lieutenant Dan Lehman at 916-358-4356. A detailed schedule of clinics is at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/advanced/.

Brushing up on marksmanship and shot placement

One of the questions most frequently asked by readers of my wild pig hunting blog is about the best boar rifle and ammunition as well as shot placement. Now boar hunters have an excellent opportunity to discuss this issue with experts and practice a little target shooting at the same time.

On June 12, 2010 DFG will conduct a marksmanship clinic in Shafter, Kern County.

“The purpose of the class is to teach big game hunters how to refine and apply their basic marksmanship skills to become better hunters. Topics include proper zeroing and marksmanship techniques, range estimation, shot placement and equipment. This class will include a shooting session.”

Bring your own rifle and at least 40 rounds of factory ammunition, get your questions answered and have a blast practicing advanced shooting skills. I expect this clinic to sell out as well. Therefore early reservation might be a good move.

PJJ

Tejon Ranch Internet Access Update

Readers of my book “Hunting Boar And Wild Pigs” know that Internet access to the hunting web pages of the Tejon Ranch can be tricky or frustrating. At least it was so in the past. But no more. They fixed the broken link and updated some of the e-mail addresses.

Tejon Ranch websites can be found under tejonranch.com. This URL leads you to general information on the ranch and associated programs and developments. It is not a good entry point for detailed information on game, game management and hunting on the ranch. In fact, it can be outright frustrating the find hunting information or the hunting link on the Tejon Ranch home page.

To get from there to hunting details you must got to “Conservation”, then “Wildlife Management” on the left side of the new page. Scroll to the end of the text about wildlife to find the link to the hunting website at the very end. The link is also under the pictures of the slide show on the right.

Which leads us conveniently to the better and much shorter way of accessing hunting related information. Use 'hunttejon.com' instead of the more obvious tejonranch.com. By the way, both URLs work equally well with or without the “www”.

You will be taken directly to the main hunting page that allows you to access more specific and detailed data.

Seeking information about a specific hunting program at the ranch? You can e-mail Maddi Ryan at mryan@tejonranch.com with all questions regarding wildlife management.

Barbara Boeck recently retired. One of my e-mails to her was returned by the server. Another one with questions regarding the Wild Pig Management Hunts was answered by Maddi Ryan.

Wild Pig Management Hunts actually offer good opportunities for the independent hunter who prefers to locate, track and harvest his game without guidance from a guide. Unguided Management Hunts are $ 450.00 for an archery hunt during a 2.5 day hunt. Approximately 40 percent of participants in these hunts get their wild pig. Wild pigs on the Tejon Ranch are quite healthy and not much affected by boar specific diseases because of the good environment and careful herd management. By the way, hunters can camp on the ranch during the hunt.

Go to hunttejon.com, Events & Calendar, for a schedule of management hunts and other details.

An average of 600 to 900 hunters use Wild Pig Management Hunts every year. After our wet winter wild pigs will find plenty of food resources at the ranch. Spring litters should therefore be moderately large, but the real population explosion will come later in the year and in the spring of 2011. We can expect an excellent crop of mast in fall. That will get the sows in high reproductive gear for late 2010 and early 2011. Lots of piglets equal good wild pig hunting - till the next drought.

PJJ

Boar Populations in California in 2010 – Quo Vadis?

Good Wild Pig Hunting Coming Soon To A Place Near You.

Boar in California and everywhere else need plenty of food to become and stay healthy and to thrive. Healthy, strong sows have more litters and bigger litter sizes. The survival rate of piglets in litters of healthy sows is also higher. More litters, more surviving piglets means better wild pig hunting!

The overall health of sows depends largely on the availability of mast in fall and winter and on the amount of new growth in spring. The more mast a wild pig can get, the stronger they generally are and the healthier they go from the winter months into spring and early summer.

Dry years result generally in less mast available for the regeneration of oak forests and for animals to feed on. Dry winters are followed by less vigorous and healthy plant growth in spring. Less mast, meager plant growth in spring and scarce numbers of insect and invertebrates make for only marginally nourished wild pigs. Less litters, smaller litter sizes and more raids on agricultural crops are the consequence.

The year 2009 brought only a mediocre mast harvest. It wasn't catastrophic but not quite good enough to trigger a monumental growth rate of boar populations in California. However, fall and winter of 2009 brought much increased rainfall and sufficient snow cover to provide much needed moisture for forests and plants. We also had some albeit short-lived warm spells early in the year that further contributed to a much better food supply for wild pigs than in previous years.

The result are bigger litters. Says Don Geivet, vice-president of operations for the Tejon Ranch, about boar on his ranch in early 2010:

“We are already seeing good reproduction rates and larger litters despite a mediocre mast harvest. Seed conditions are good. Our wild pigs profit from plenty of new plant growth and shoots. Expect a first peak in piglets right around early September.”

The longer the rains last, even if it is only an occasional storm, the stronger the new plant life. Moist soil favors the growth of roots, tubers and other underground things, including worms, insect larvae and other fauna. Wild pigs profit from that as well. We can also expect a much better mast harvest in fall of 2010. That means healthier sows and more boar in early 2011.

The findings of Don Geivet and my own musings are confirmed by Marc Kenyon, the new Statewide Coordinator for Bear, Mountain Lion & Wild Pig Programs, Department of Fish & Game, California. He recently replaced Doug Updike who went on to a new assignment.

Marc Kenyon reminds us that the wild pig populations in California “. . . continue to increase, according to annual harvest records. Approximately 90% of the wild pigs killed in California are shot on private lands. The recent drought has decreased the rate at which the wild pig population has been increasing, however the spring rains this year are anticipated to bring on a bumper crop of acorns and provide wallows and free water for rearing piglets.”

“Bumper crop of acorns” feeds boar and gets sows in top condition to pump out those litters. Friends, we can expect good to excellent wild pig hunting in California in late 2010 and 2011. In the words of Marc Kenyon:

“. . . As such, we anticipate the population to continue to increase statewide. The heart of the wild pig population continues to be in the central coast region, in and around the Salinas Valley. Depredation filings and pig damage complaints remain high in that area.”

Now is the time to start working on reasonably priced access to private land and scout promising public lands. Fort Hunter Liggett, Camp Roberts, special wild pig hunts held by DFG, Vandenberg AFB and some of the wildlife areas come to mind. But keep in mind that the success rates for public land hunts are very low. A few of the special hunts have had up to 50 percent success rate in the past. But that is unusual. The actual success rate is much closer to a measly 8 percent or less, most often much less.

Compare that with guided hunts that promise a steady 95 plus success rate in exchange for at least $ 500.00 to 600.00 dollars. Or the 40 percent success rate of unguided wild pig hunts for $ 450.00 at the Tejon Ranch.

In conclusion, by fall of 2010 we should have plenty of wild pigs to hunt – maybe even in somewhat unusual places.

PJJ