New to the Game

[long450]

For hogs, the wind is your friend, they do not hear like deer do, and their eyesight is marginal.
They have exceptional smell detection capability and will disappear quickly if they smell you. I have found no cover sent that works. In a sounder of 10 pigs, all 10 are smelling all the time. One whiff and the alarm will go out and all will disappear. You will have to be an exceptional stalker to be successful in the thick east Texas woods.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[DoneNOut]

For hogs, the wind is your friend, they do not hear like deer do, and their eyesight is marginal.
They have exceptional smell detection capability and will disappear quickly if they smell you. I have found no cover sent that works. In a sounder of 10 pigs, all 10 are smelling all the time. One whiff and the alarm will go out and all will disappear. You will have to be an exceptional stalker to be successful in the thick east Texas woods.

Good luck and have fun!

Dang, them East TX hogs must be on superior point compared to West TX hogs! I can walk a canyon creek and pop them at 20yds. Last time, I was blood trailing a hog and walked into a pack! Just my dang pistol too. Shot two 30lb piglets and got charged by a 250lb sow. She had the whale eyes charging at me, but one of the piglets flopped, and squealed, and she diverted to it, no more than 5yds in front of me! My F'N Glock 45 ACP slide locked back on me while that sow charged. Clear chamber, round on top of mag, slide would not budge! I thought I was just gonna have to just pistol whip that dang sow! I worked my Glock back into action and popped her as she ran back across in front of me. Exciting times. Heres the vid:

 

[davidu]

IMHO, the poster's question is impossible to answer. I've been hunting feral hogs in Montague County for 20 years and maybe I'm not smart enough to "understand" hogs, but I've found little rhyme or reason to what they do and where they go on any given day.
It could be different in 200-300 acre west Texas wheat fields.
There is lots of creeks and lots of brush in the Cross Timbers. The pigs in my area are almost 100% nocturnal. My only some what effective means of knowing I'm going to kill one or two is when boars come around the feeders several nights in a row. I have cameras that alert my cellphone and I get up out my easy chair and make my way to an area where I can shoot them. That's only if the wind is right. This doesn't work on sounds. They come and go willy nilly. Hope someone here has a better recipe for the poster.

 

[captain_nemo]

IMHO, the poster's question is impossible to answer. I've been hunting feral hogs in Montague County for 20 years and maybe I'm not smart enough to "understand" hogs, but I've found little rhyme or reason to what they do and where they go on any given day.
It could be different in 200-300 acre west Texas wheat fields.
There is lots of creeks and lots of brush in the Cross Timbers. The pigs in my area are almost 100% nocturnal. My only some what effective means of knowing I'm going to kill one or two is when boars come around the feeders several nights in a row. I have cameras that alert my cellphone and I get up out my easy chair and make my way to an area where I can shoot them. That's only if the wind is right. This doesn't work on sounds. They come and go willy nilly. Hope someone here has a better recipe for the poster.

My question was simply for general advice, sir, not a recipe.

I'm glad you've found a system that works for you!

 

[shooter53]

Thanks! This is exactly the kind of stuff I'm after.

Do you have to pay to shoot wma land

 

[captain_nemo]

Do you have to pay to shoot wma land

Yep. You need an annual public hunting permit in addition to your hunting license if I recall correctly.

 

[jessej]

If Sam Houston is as populated as I suspect it is, just get the wind in your face and start walking. Thicker areas in the day, more open bottoms at dawn n dusk.

And yes, southeastern swine act differently than swine in other areas.

Radio edit

 

[John Klingenberg]

Where do I start looking for hogs (terrain, geographical features, etc)? Other than rooting, what tell-tale signs of hog presence should I look for? When stalking, how easily spooked are they? In your experience, what details do beginners often overlook?

Water water water. They love the river bottoms and wont stray far from them in the heat of the day. They drink multiple times a day too so water holes are popular. Hogs are very hard to pattern because they dont necessarily have a territory, they go wherever the food is. Look for the freshest trails, mud rubbed on the side of trees. That's where they'll be. Sometimes you can find big open areas they've been rooting in, if it's fairly fresh and theres more similar terrain they'll be back. Their spine, heart area isnt where you think it is, study the other forums discussing this. Some posted pics. Otherwise, cover lots of ground with the wind in your face and watch for snakes.

P.S. if you plan on eating it just get it made into breakfast sausage, cooking wild hog to any degree of deliciousness takes years to perfect.

 

[DoneNOut]

Water water water. They love the river bottoms and wont stray far from them in the heat of the day. They drink multiple times a day too so water holes are popular. Hogs are very hard to pattern because they dont necessarily have a territory, they go wherever the food is. Look for the freshest trails, mud rubbed on the side of trees. That's where they'll be. Sometimes you can find big open areas they've been rooting in, if it's fairly fresh and theres more similar terrain they'll be back. Their spine, heart area isnt where you think it is, study the other forums discussing this. Some posted pics. Otherwise, cover lots of ground with the wind in your face and watch for snakes.

P.S. if you plan on eating it just get it made into breakfast sausage, cooking wild hog to any degree of deliciousness takes years to perfect.

Great advice. The backstraps on the bigger ones still tastes good (150lbs +) but you gotta crock pot it or slow smoke/grill because it's tough. Made camp fajitas with an 80lb hog, was like you bought the loin from a store. Tried it with a big hog and we could barely get it chewed enough to swallow. Looked like a couple dogs trying to chew bubble gum.

 

[John Klingenberg]

Great advice. The backstraps on the bigger ones still tastes good (150lbs +) but you gotta crock pot it or slow smoke/grill because it's tough. Made camp fajitas with an 80lb hog, was like you bought the loin from a store. Tried it with a big hog and we could barely get it chewed enough to swallow. Looked like a couple dogs trying to chew bubble gum.

Yep, the older ones (125lb+) are so tough you cant chew the gravy.
Loin I cut into cubes and soak over night in teriyaki and orange juice concentrate. Makes a nice orange pork for Asian style dishes or nice as a cutlet. Wild pork is too lean for the grill IMO, comes out too dry to me.

 

[davidu]

My question was simply for general advice, sir, not a recipe.

I'm glad you've found a system that works for you!

Ok
General advice
Hunt at night if it's allowed
Use dogs if allowed
Pigs have an extraordinary sense of smell
They are much more wary than deer
I hope you have success

 

[crm3006]

General advice: 1. Use a lever, pump, or semi-auto if available.
2. Use enough gun. A .30-30 is enough, a .223 is not. Hogs have tough hides, the bigger, the tougher. (I have killed them with a .22-250, but from a blind, head shots.)
3. Be very careful of a wounded hog. They can hurt you bad, or even kill you.
4. Stalking in the woods is not for the faint of heart. Generally, you can smell hogs, or where they have been, before you see them. Sometimes, that is too late. I have been charged by hogs, and that is scary.
5. If you plan to eat the hog meat, get the guts out and hide off as soon as you can. Hogs skin a lot easier if you "strip" the hide, pulling off narrow sections at a time. Pliers or a commercial puller are usually necessary to skin in this manner.
Good luck, shoot straight, and have fun!

 

[Aussie Hunter Steve]

Have a scope with a wide field of view on its lower powers, one that you can get the sight picture very quickly.

 

[shootski]

Never hunted hogs in that area but from the pictures looks like the LA part of Florida east of Milton. I did a bit of slogging until I got smart and bought a small rotomolded creek kayak. The folks above have said water, water, and more water; they are right. You can paddle/float into places almost impossible to walk into and do the quietest stalking you have ever done. I use a DAQ .58 Shortrifle and a DAQ .58 Pistol. Those are airguns.
Looks like lots of creeks in parts of that WMA.