It's not as easy to gain access as you would think...they cry "we have a hog problem" here in Texas...but they treat them like they are made out of gold!
DNS...has the right area and the right tools to do the job...they are a real problem where he is. But most places want premium money to come shoot one or two.
We seen two hogs smashed on the road last weekend on our way back from our deer lease. Both in Bosque Co. DNS you still have a bunch more shooting ahead of you! LOL
You mentioned Bosque County. I hope to be back down there after deer season. The place I hunt there will pull me off hunting 1-2 months before deer season so that their deer lease hunters can get in and settled. The terrible thing is that the deer hunters don't shoot many hogs, because they don't want to scare off the deer. So when I start back again, the place will be overrun by hogs anew.
As I see it, there are 4 types of landowners in Texas...when it comes to hogs.
The first type is the stereotypical type everybody complains about. They charge $$ for access, for hunting, or by the hog. They see hogs as a commodity. They make a lot of people mad, but the same people that get mad at them would likely be doing the exact same thing, which I find funny.
The second type is the type I deal with and they are the ones with hog problems and not trusting of strangers or hunters in general. Many have been burned before by self proclaimed "good hunters" who treat the landowners' properties as their private playgrounds, leaving trash, open gates that should be closed, damaging property, etc. Most of the the hunters that want access aren't actually interested in helping the landowner with a problem. They just want a place to go shooting when it suits them, not necessarily when the landowner needs help. It is a bugger to win over these landowners when somebody before me has soured them.
The third type are those that say they have the issue well in hand. Some do. Knocking on doors, I have come across folks that have their own NV or thermal gear. Some of these, I figure, just don't trust a stranger and tell me this as a polite way to get me moving on down the road.
The fourth type are those that don't care about having hogs or even welcome having hogs on their land and they aren't looking for any help with the hogs because they don't consider the hogs to be a problem.
So I deal a lot with the second type of folks. On virtually every place I hunt, there have been hunters there before me to "help" the landowner. I make it a point to hit my landowners' properties 1-3 times a week. When they report a problem to me, I attempt to address it (squeaky wheel and all that). I am mindful of all of their rules (and every property has a different set of rules, LOL) and if I find problems or have problems, report them to the landowner promptly.
I make my little videos, in part, so that the landowners can see what I see at night and see how I am hunting on their lands. Occasionally, one will contact me and tell me that he wants me to do something different. I change accordingly. Sometimes it is because they think I am too aggressive and sometimes not aggressive enough, LOL.
I get to hunt for "free" but it really isn't free at all. None of my landowners are getting paid, but I have a goodly number of expenses and time investment in doing what I do to take care of the landowners. We all benefit. We all like the relationship, but it is one built on trust and trust is what makes it so hard to get established.
Thanks for sharing
