Low-cost Wild Pig Hunting On Private Land In Santa Barbara County?

Regular readers of my articles know that I have been fond of hunting in Santa Barbara County for many years. However, my hunting venture were mostly confined to the occasional visit to Vandenberg Air Force Base in the company of active military personnel. Rarely have I seen signs of boar outside of the base proper. The few I found were concentrated at the border between the base and an adjacent private ranch. During my first visit of that area I found the most promising sign of them all: The skin and head of a wild pig draped over a fence post.

That is about as close as I came in years to the elusive wild pigs of Santa Barbara County.

Though I talked to several hunters about the boar in the Los Padres Forest close to Lake Cachuma I never saw any signs of the 'lake boar' with my own eyes.

A few weeks ago one of our readers and a budding hunter tipped me off to a secret boar hunting location mostly locals know about. And they do their best to keep the secret among themselves.

This hunter was looking for someone to teach him the fine art of spot and stalk hunting. During one of his business trips to Santa Barbara he came to know of a large private cattle ranch near Santa Barbara. This ranch has a thriving population of wild pigs. Because of favorable habitat conditions during the past two years and much improved food resources, boar on the ranch reproduced so successfully that they became more and more of a nuisance factor. Pastures reserved for cattle grazing were torn up, horses harassed for the feed left out for them. The wild pigs eventually became so emboldened that even the presence of ranch workers did not deter them from their activities. Horse wranglers had to fend off the boar with sticks and chase them away forcefully.

“They know our trucks and just ignore us”, explained Marco, guide at the ranch.

“They also recognize us when we are on foot”, he added during our conversation. “There were so many boar in close proximity to ranch buildings and corrals that I could leave the house to look for pigs and harvest one in less than ten minutes. Guaranteed.”

To remedy a rapidly deteriorating situation, ranch managers decided to step up wild pig hunting in order to thin out the boar population a little. It was a great success. Many more wild pigs were taken. Then the boar withdrew from the vicinity of human habitations and ranch operations and simply moved one canyon over. As expected they relocated to a much steeper, less accessible canyon with heavy brush and lots of cover.

“We know where they are and still can hunt them successfully”, remarks Marco the guide. “But now we can no longer go out shortly before dinner to get the pork chops in a few minutes. Now it is hard work, real hunting. Real spot and stalk work that requires much attention to terrain, wind and cover in order to be successful”, he states.

“We are out there every day and therefore know where they like to hang out. But the boar do not ignore us any longer. They learned to eye us with caution instead of trusting us as 'friendly' beings that share the habitat with them. But we still get our wild pig 100 percent of the time, Marco proudly pronounces.”

The conclusion of this article will show you just where he works and what he does to be so successful. I will also show you what it takes to bag your very own wild pig at this 'secret' ranch.
To be continued.

PJJ

The Boar Are Coming, The Boar Are Coming!

Record numbers of piglets poised to start a flood of wild pigs later this and early next year.

Record growth rates of boar population likely.

Wild pigs enjoy the company of other wild pigs. Healthy boar love to make more healthy boar.

The past wet winters resulted in replenished water resources, excellent plant growth, a very good harvest of mast nuts, and much improved health of female wild pigs. As much as farmers and ranchers welcome the ample rainfall many of them loathe the presence of happy and healthy boar on their property. They consider the presence of wild pigs a curse because of the damage they can afflict on the land. For others landowners boar are a welcome asset. The Tejon Ranch for example proudly announces that every year hunters harvest about 800 to 1,000 wild pigs on the ranch. The least expensive hunt at the ranch, a semi-guided hunt, costs a hunter at least 400.00 dollars. You do the math. Their income from wild pig hunting is in fact higher because most hunts are guided and thus much more expensive.

The wet winter of 2009/2010 resulted in increased numbers of boar. Consequently we anticipated accelerated growth of wild pig populations in late 2010 and early 2011. I made a few phone calls and e-mails in order to determine whether more piglets are indeed evidenced. This survey is by no means representative or even complete. But it covers major centers of wild pig populations in the Central Valley of California and beyond.

More piglets than usual are reported from many locations in Monterey County. This includes the area around Fort Hunter Liggett and adjacent private lands. For example, Bryson Resort managers state:

“It seems like we have about a 25% increase in piglets this year, as opposed to 2 years ago. We had a good rainfall last year which resulted in more acorn crop this last fall.”

Other ranchers in the area made similar observations. The region around Hollister reports a noticeable growth in the number of young wild pigs. Unfortunately, I could not get any information from the Las Viboras Ranch near Hollister and a private ranch near Parkfield because of the short time to respond.

Tejon Ranch in Kern County, normally a reliable source of information, had also not yet weighed in at the time of this writing. Earlier this year they reported increasing numbers of boar. We can safely assume that this trend continued.

Hunters in Santa Barbara County encounter more boar and piglets. This is true for Vandenberg Air Force Base and for a very large private cattle ranch in the region. Their guide told us that indeed the number of wild pigs is increasing. The boar became so numerous and bold that they had to be driven away with sticks because they were bothering the horses.

The trend is quite clear and obvious. Wild boar are becoming more numerous wherever they occur in California. In the winter farrowing season of 2011 more piglets were born than in the previous season. Many females of this crop of piglets will join the adult breeding population for the first time in fall of this year since sows reach sexual maturity between the age of 8 to 10 months. The result? Accelerated population growth rates unless something unusual and dramatic happens that disrupts this natural cycle.

More frequent and aggressive hunting is only one ways of reigning in the greatly accelerated growth rates.

Marc Kenyon, Wild Pig Management Coordinator for the Department of Fish and Game, prognosticates:

“Due to ample rainfall throughout most of California, the 2010 growing season produced lots of forage for wild pigs. This results in an increased reproductive success for sows throughout much of their current range. As such, I've been noticing litter sizes in the 6-7 piglets range, and I expect better-than-average recruitment into the wild pig population. This will most likely result in an overall increased 2011 wild pig population.”

PJJ

East Park Reservoir Special Boar Hunt - Last Chance to apply for permit 2011

Calling all muzzle loading wild pig hunters. Only seven days left to submit your application for a permit to help control the expansion of  a small wild pig population in the East Park Reservoir.

Your application must be received by the end of the business day on February 28, 2011. Hunting will take place on four weekends beginning in early April 2011.
For details check here or go directly to the DFG websitehttp://dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/pig/docs/specialhunts/2011EastParkSpringHuntInstructions.pdf with detailed instructions for the application and changed hunt dates.


For the first time hunters can apply for a two-day permit online. Here is the official announcement and instruction:

"● Online application will be open from February 1st to February 28th 2011. From the Hunting home page click on Special Hunts Online Application, create a DFG web account and follow steps to apply for wild pig hunts, muzzle loader only. NOTE: When prompted to add additional hunters select “No” – hunters may bring a non-hunter companion, but no party applications are accepted.
● To apply by mail, send a standard U.S. Postal Service postcard". . . to this address:

East Park Reservoir Pig Hunt
Department of Fish and Game
1812 9th Street
Sacramento, CA 95811.
Make sure your card has all information required to apply. For details see the links above.
PJJ

Did You Know . . .

that female wild pigs stop their reproductive cycle in July of each year?
Makes  sense. Many of them give birth to piglets in late spring and may still have some 'late bloomers' hanging on to them for food. Furthermore, being pregnant during the hottest months of the year does not sound like much fun even for a female boar.
Look at it that way, it is only a short 8 weeks or so till the next round of pig making.

Did You Know . . .

Did You Know. . .

that a squealing, excited pig is not a quiet pet to have around. At full volume pig squeals have been measured at a hundred and fifteen decibels, which is two decibels higher that the sound made by a jet engine taking off.

From our series On Hunting Boar and Wild Pigs

More Boar Piglets Or Not – That Is The Question

How many you see now predicts how many there will be next year.

The farrowing season for wild pigs and boar last normally from December to February of each year.  A secondary peak for giving birth to piglets occurs in  April to May.
Wild pigs breed year-round. Conception begins to peak sometimes  in September and generally lasts till October.


Of course, just when it begins and for how long merry piglet making continues depends greatly on a number of factors. They are mainly weather conditions and the availability of food resources, any combinations thereof, other environmental factors and last but not least the degree of pressure the wild hogs experience from hunting, trapping, lack of water and other disturbances. Wild pigs, like all types of pigs, like a peaceful largely stress free life.

If you recently hunted boar in California you might have noticed the presence of more piglets – or not. How about sharing the information with other hunters? We will conduct a brief survey of landowners soon and then let you know.
PJJ

Newsfeed challenged - A Word To Our Readers

Recently we implemented our newsfeed again. It was lost during one of the infamous computer crashes.

Though the newsfeed is working and readable by any of the news readers presently in use, I am having a recurring problem with the use of "More" or "Read More" that truncates articles for the newsfeed and prompts the reader to click on the link to read the entire article.

If you come across any post that sort of ends abruptly without completing the story, please check the newsfeed in order t get to the full article. Sorry for the inconvenience.

We will work out the problem.
PJJ

Hunting Boar At Big Horn Ranch - A challenge For Some Hunters

Wild pig hunting at the Big Horn Ranch elicits mixed reactions from hunters. Some classify it as a good choice for hunting boar close to a large urban area in Southern California, other revile it because Big Horn is a 'high fence' ranch and the wild pigs are not native to the ranch. The 'high fence' is in reality a raggedy low barbed wire fence strung along some old fence posts. You can find such fences on almost any ranch- The unusual thing about the fence is an electric wire running close to the ground. That's what keeps the boar in.

Boar hear you long before you ever know they are there.

Wild pigs and their highly developed sense of hearing makes them hard to stalk.

Unless of course they are angry or scared. It is on those occasions that the emit their most blood curdling squeals. Their loudest squeals can make the noise from a jet engine almost sound like a whisper. Screams of excited or scared wild pigs will make noise produced by a careless hunter disappear in the general cacophony of boar communications.

Wild pigs have large, long and erect ears that can move in different directions independently of each other. The shape of the ears, their wide opening that funnels sound into a wide ear canal and concentrates sound waves on the eardrums are a highly efficient directional sound system. They compare to directional horn or parabolic antennas used to intercept microwave transmissions. They also compare to directional microphones with a dish reflector or to the small dish antennas used on satellite receivers.

All this results in an auditory system of boar that does not only cover nearly 360 degrees but is also extraordinarily directional. Wild pigs are superb locator of sound sources. In fact, research has shown that a pig can locate even the faintest sounds to within about 2 degrees of the source of the sound.

That beats dogs, cats and most other critters with the exception of, I believe, bats and elephants.

Spot and stalk hunters who do not rely on the services of a guide to present some wild pig at a feeding station to them, must be aware of the keen defensive senses of wild boar.

Smell, hearing and eyesight. In this order.

The sense of smell of wild pigs is most difficult to defeat. Forget about all the wonder equipment, potions or special outfits. Active charcoal, specially treated garments, the use of local herbs to camouflage the human smell all have either very limited or no effect.

The only way to overcome a boar's olfactory warning system is to work into the wind at all times. That is easier said than done because wind does not only shift during the day and with changing weather conditions and temperatures but also has the nasty habit of swirling around, across and over all kinds of natural features from rock outcroppings to brushy areas. Temperature differences between the top and the bottom of deep canyons create local drafts and fickle changing wind direction in the process. Slow and careful movements and frequent tests of the wind direction are mandatory for a chance to success.

The virtue of slow and deliberate movements also is your best weapon against the keen hearing of wild pigs. It all starts with the clothes a hunter is wearing. Most favor military style camouflage outfits any soldier could be proud of. But they may not be the best solution at all especially when they are new, shiny and still produce that swishing sound that is so hard to get rid of. Well worn, frequently washed, sun faded garb is by far better. Faded, worn and sun bleached "civilian" outfits are just as good as military style camouflage garments.

Did you ever ask yourself why during guided hunts the guide usually shows up in 'every day' working outfits while the wild pig hunters look like fighting men on leave?

Now you know.

Finally, do not underestimate the eyesight of wild pigs during a spot and stalk outing. As I have pointed out in a previous article, pigs fail to distinguish squares from circles when they are less than an inch big. But hunters are without exception much larger than that. They are easily recognized and identified as human by any boar under most light conditions. Nature does not expose wild pigs to upright predators other than man. Boar learn this lesson easily in elementary boar school.

One of the ways to outwit a boar's eyesight would be to approach him directly from behind. Provided the wind is in your face and not on his butt and you can be as quiet as a mouse stealing grain from a larder.

Though you might get rather close to the wild pig, a posterior approach does not make for a good shot. The vital organs are in the front and deep in the chest area. For a good shot you will have to do some maneuvering - which of course exposes you to detection. Guess what happens next. This:

Also be aware of that rifle sticking out conspicuously from your body. If you spend time enough in the field observing all kinds of animals you will soon detect that an man without a rifle is considered a lesser danger. However, as soon as you grab that rifle and carry it visibly away from your body, you will find nature around you strangely devoid of larger animals.

Try it if you do not believe.

Ever wondered why we can see deer everywhere, in open fields, along roads and just about everywhere else during off season for deer hunting. As soon as deer season opens, deer are nowhere to be seen - except in the front yards of suburbs and rural establishments.

There is such a thing as survival school for game animals.

PJJ

On Hunting Boar and Wild Pigs -

Did you know . . .

that the field of vision of a wild pigs covers close to 360 degrees? It is due to the position of the eyes of boar forward and on the side of the head.

Boar have only one narrow blind spot - on the axis right behind their body. If you look straight at the boar's tail, he can not see you.

A pig can smell truffles three feet underground - a wild boar detects the smell of a human a mile away.

Well, almost. The sense of smell is the best of all senses in pigs, domestic (porkus porkus) or wild (sus scrofa Linnaeus). Surprisingly there seems to be little scientific research to support this statement. On the other hand, anecdotal stories and empirical observation regarding the olfactory prowess of pigs abound.

I know only one way to defeat the acute sense of smell of wild pigs. But we will get to that a little later.

Who has not heard of truffle sniffing pigs that find this rare fungus up to three feet underground. The pigs use pheromones given off by the fungus to locate it. The pheromone andostrenol is also found in the saliva of boar. It calms a sow before and during mating. Truffles also emit the smell of dimethyl sulfide, which is detected by the pig – and truffle sniffing dogs. It is still a matter of debate among the experts which of the two olfactory truffle indicators is actually used by pigs and dogs to locate the prized fungus.

Be that as it may, pigs 'out truffle' even the best dogs on a regular basis.

Joice Island Special Wild Pig Hunt 2011

Hurry, still time to apply.

The annual special wild pig hunt to control a small population of boar will be held on 8 weekends between March 12 and April 24, 2001. A total of 24 hunters will be drawn to participate in the hunt.

Applications must be received by the end of the business day on February 10, 2011. Only three hunters per weekend will be allowed per hunt. Shotgun with slugs and archery only.

For details and to mail application (one per hunter and only one hunt date) contact:

Joice Island Pig Hunt
2548 Grizzly Island Road,
Suisun, CA 94585.

Or call Helayna Pera,707) 425-3828 Larry Wyckoff, DFG Bay Delta Region, (707) 944-5542 Kyle Orr, DFG Office of Communications, (916) 322-8958.
Download pdf "Joice Island Wild Pig Hunt Spring 2011" with detailed instructions from the DFG website.

There is still time to apply.
PJJ

On Hunting Boar and Wild Pigs -

Naughty piglet or just another wild pig enjoying life?


Unfortunately  I have fallen ill, which keeps me from following through with some of the projects I am planning to cover in the next weeks and months. I missed out on talking about the Joyce Island special hunt. It will take place on February 10, 2011. The deadline for the drawing has long past. But how knows, maybe it is worth to spend a few minutes on the DFG website to see whether there are still openings. Slim chance . . .

In the meantime and until I am back in business have a look at this picture of some very cute boar piglets. They are frolicking in the yard of an Italian ranch estate.

The burning question: What is the fourth piglet from the right in the group of five piglets exactly doing? Foraging? Grooming? Practicing for life as a boar?

Mother does not care. She is busy enjoying her daily beauty bath.

(Pictures courtesy of Enzo Tiberi)

By the way, you are looking at true wild boar - not feral pigs. The boar live in Tuscany, Italy, in or near a nature preserve that is surrounded by farm houses. The farmers treat them with the respect a truly wild animal deserves. There is the funny story of the old grandma who does occasionally venture out into the yard to feed her chicken - armed with a big stick or broom to keep the boar away.
PJJ