A friend and I are considering a trip to a nearby state to hunt wild pigs, on our own.

We live in MD and are thinking of someplace within driving distance, maybe southeast US, like GA, TN, KY or Al for example. My buddy and I both have demanding jobs and cannot be gone too long. "Out west" is just too far to drive and it's really too much aggravation to fly at this time for something so "trivial".

We are also thinking of trying to hunt on our own on public land, both to make it an interesting challenge, and to make it a cheap diversion in the spring.

We both have hunted various types of medium game for a long time, and do well at the local whitetail deer, having taken over a hundred between us. We have fair-to-good woodsman's skills and have hunted eastern mountains, farmland and swamps. We can come up with any sort of legal firearm to hunt with, depending on what is suggested/needed for local conditions. We have 4-WD vehicles and may have access to an ATV.

I guess I don't expect we'll have a lot of trouble with making the shots or handling the carcass/meat. We've seen all of the "use enough gun" discussions and have seen the Saturday morning TV shows. Matter of fact, I had bacon just this morning.

Otherwise, we just plain have no idea what we're doing.

I am wondering if this seems a reasonable quest, in terms of actually finding pigs, even getting a pig or two, and, expecially, surviving the trip intact. I'd appreciate the advice of you guys that shoot a bunch of pigs on your own, especially as to "dropping in cold", into public land, with no dogs and no prior bait stations, etc., with about four or five days to work with. Scout a day or so, locate, stalk/ambush, whack one or two, gone - about like that.

I can't rule out the possibility of having to get an outfitter, but would like to keep this simple and inexpensive.

Thanks in advance for your comments and advice.

Honestly, I'm on the wrong coast to be of much help to you but out here on the Left our experience is that pigs prefer farmland to the "woods". Though there are a couple of designated places, like military bases, where you can just jump in and try to have at them, most hog live on private land where the livin' is easy. Pigs are as lazy as people. So here, you just figure on paying for pigs. That's just life. Back your way? I've got a quarter that says the same applies.

Thanks, Sarge, I appreciate your response.

I see what you mean about the pigs being on private land, and this is why I'm asking about it like this. I just don't know much about finding them.

Goose hunting is like that here, the birds are everywhere, but without some stake into private land, it's only a handful of places one might even get a shot at a goose, on purpose, that is.

I was thinking that we could chase the pigs sort of the same way we look for deer, though I guess you're right that the public lands will be mostly woods, since that's the way it is here and most other places I've been, barring the occasional overgrown farms absorbed into a state forest, etc..

Hate to drive all that way and not see anything because we scrimped on getting an outfitter, and it's not that we mind paying a guide, we just wanted to keep it informal and loose and make it as much a "hunt" as a "shoot".

Maybe I should start looking for pig outfitters.

In general you would be far better to get some kind of guided hunt. It's not too expensive usually. The odds of driving to unfamilliar property and seeing hogs are pretty bad. Unlike California Texas hogs like riverbottoms and super thick brush and are nocturnal. Hunting at night works best but I have seen a few early in the morning too.

I think you could put this together. I'd check a lot of outfitter's websites to get an idea of how and where they hunt. Also, check texasboars.com for information on hog hunting and general hog habits. And finally, call the wildlife biologists in the states where you might hunt. It might take a while to hook up with the right one, but nobody likes hogs and those guys have a vested interest in getting them killed off. They know where hogs are a problem and might be able to direct you to a productive area or maybe even a helpful landowner. It might even be worth stopping in to talk with them face to face when you're in state. Hope this helps, Okie John.

Thanks Rickt300, I AM kind of getting the impression we should get help, at least the first few times out.

Howdy, okie john.
I appreciate your suggestions and confidence, although I am beginning to wonder if does make sense to try this on our own. I'll take some time over at texasboars.com and see what they have over there.

I really would like to kill one or two on our own, but hate to be "too" stupid and waste what little time I do have to get out looking at uninhabited woods.

Anyone know any decent pig outfitters in the Southeast states?

We're coming from central Maryland, and so NC/KY would be the easiest to reach, then SC/TN, then GA/AL, then FL/MS. I think that any further will be too far. I just got a ferocious speeding ticket on the interstate, so, the closer the better.

I realize that there are a few penned-in hogs in WV and in PA (Ticonderoga?) they pay to hunt, but I'd like to find some "loose" ones.

Thanks again everyone, for your help and suggestions.

Well, it's a long drive and the licenses are expensive, but if you want to come to NE TX just off of I-30 there is the 26,000 acres of White Oak Creek Wildlife refuge which has quite a few hogs on it. The PROBLEM and why there are quite a few hogs is access. You can only enter the refuge on foot, horseback, or travel up the creek via boat, the latter probably being the best option unless you like to pack out hog meat a long ways. Nearby is the Sulfur River Corps of Engineers area which is also ate up with hogs, but they are more heavily hunted. If you have any real interest in coming this far, let me know and I'll try to put you in touch with some of the Parks and Wildlife people who know the area.

GG,
the non-resident 5 day is either 25 or 35 bucks... that doesn't have deer tag, but they are hog hunting.

just fyi
jeffe

Do yourself a favor and just fly. It's effortless and will save you a whole lot of time with your demanding jobs, as you stated. YOu could fly to Texas in the moning on Friday to hunt free range pigs on private land. They will likely be shot before Saturday night.
You're each allowed two checked bags and a carry on. Wear your hunting boots on the flight and pack your clothes in the carry on. Check a single gun case with both guns in it. Now you have three remaining checked bags. Use one shared duffle to pack the additional items you may need in that one big duffle. After you have a couple pigs down you can go to a local walmart and buy two 30 qt ice chests and a couple rolls of duct tape. After the meat is boned out and bagged in gallon size zip lock bags then frozen load it in the cooler and go back to the airport( no ice in the cooler). Once TSA has looked inside use the duct tape to seal the chests up, bring a couple extra luggage tags for the handles of the chests or use a sharpy to label them with name and address.

I fly and hunt doing this about 5 times a year or more. It's a bit of a struggle with one guy but when hunting with a buddy the additional piece of luggage with two guns in one case makes it really easy. If you want the cape and skull have the local guy salt it and then ship it Via UPS. It's a struggle the first time with some unknowns. However after you do this once or twice you will be hunting the whole USA flying with no struggle what ever.

There are a lot of places like this near Dallas but here is just one example:
http://www.bigwoods.ws/bwboar.htm

If you talking about Racine WV area. You better get a guide. Those old mine roads can get ya lost in a hurry. And kill percentage would be low. I hunted it for 3 years with no sight.

Jeffe:

Well, to be more accurate a 5 day license which would be good for hogs (and other exotic game, LOL) is $45 plus they would have to have a Public Hunting Permit to hunt on White Oak which is another $48 (annual, no shorter period sold as far as I can tell).

Of course they could hunt on private land for depradating hogs (and which ones aren't ?) with no license required at the landowner's invitation.

GG,
yep!! you are right!
jeffe

Gatogordo, Thanks for the suggestions and offer to assist!!

I do hate to drag my butt all the way to Texas if I can help it. The farther I would have to go, the more likely I should have a guide, too - hate to waste a 'long' trip.

The "access" problem you describe is similar to some deer areas here, big swamps and marsh, no roads, thick cover.

JJHACK, GREAT info on an expedient plane trip - thanks. Good strategy!

The way you handle the meat is almost same as I've done pronghorns, except that we had the meat deep-frozen (hard like glass), packed on dry ice in taped up foam containers and UPS'ed them home ahead of us.

I don't know about the 'effortless' part of flying these days though, especially since the "heightened security". For some sort of a more "glamorous" hunt, I could see the aggravation, but just to shoot a pig . . . I dunno. I live close enough to the airport to hate almost everything about it.

It does make sense from the point of view of trying to get the most out of a little time - fly in to a well-infested place, get a good outfitter, blast a couple hogs and get out. But, then, I'm almost back to a "canned hunt" with that.

As much as I like to think about killing birds (my wife has two large, loud parrots), I still feel kind of guilty when I go on one of those "managed area" pheasant hunts. Sure feels good to cut some feathers, though, damn parrots.

Howdy, bigcountry. Finksburg, huh? I was through there last week, I'm right down near BWI.

Never knew about Racine, WV and pigs. I leased a very nice whitetail property in Preston County, WV for about five years, but gave it up a few years ago - seemed like I could never get out there.

What you say about Racine is about what I would be afraid would happen to us if we go without a guide - not so much getting turned around as to spending a lot of time doing unproductive things. I was thinking that hunting the pigs would be easy enough that we could do it on our own, but I may have to re-think that POV.

Jeffe, I appreciate you and Gatogordo getting the fees ironed out. Seems quite reasonable when I think that most, if not all, of my non-resident licenses have been over a hundred dollars.


Looks more and more like I need to find an outfitter. Hate to go all the way to Texas, I hear the dang things are a nuisance in a lot of eastern areas, seems like I should be able to find them closer.

There's the Harrisburg Outdoor Show coming up in early February - that's not far to go, maybe a good time to look at outfitters and pig info then, too.

I guess it boils down to feeling that, if I spend too much money, time and effort on this, I might just as well try to get a "real" game animal, not just a feral pig.

Time I get on a plane with all my stuff, it doesn't matter whether I have a one-bourbon trip or a three bourbon trip. Pay an outfitter to hunt hogs, might as well have someone show me a nice deer or black bear.

Although I'm trying to keep it streamlined and not too much of a "big deal", I suppose there are only a certain number of ways to succeed. I wouldn't mind not getting a shot, but I'd hate to have an experience similar to 'bigcountry's' and just not even see anything.

eshell:

Go to Argentina and you can probably have a real parrot hunt. They're actually pretty sporty targets and real pests to the landowners. They're not fast but have a big wingspread and after the first one, shooting a double becomes a real challenge. Bring you wife a handfull of green feathers.

Go to the website I linked. It's not at all canned it's free range. If you don't do it this way then I would strongly suggest you do choose a canned hunt because it's cheap and easy. The whole reason they exist! The cost for a highfence wild hog is one of the least expensive hunts for a big animal in the USA. I have a bit of a different way to look at these hunts.

I consider that it's much like buying meat only I get to shoot it. I don't confuse it with a hunt, but more of a shooting experience where I get to have 50-60 pounds of meat when I'm finished.

Entertaining You bet, low stress.... Yep, easy on the wallet....Yep, quick....Yep, guaranteed success for your effort....Yep. The down side. It's not really a serious form of hunting but rather a shooting experience where you get meat.

The operation in Texas is 100% free roaming fair chase. However a bow hunt on a high fence property might be harder then a gun hunt on a free range property. Hogs hunted hard on a high fence operation are not always easy to get near and shoot. I worked on a 1600 acre high fence operation in Oregon for about 8 years. There were pigs that nobody was ever gonna get a shot at there and will have died of old age!

An Outfitter on free range with a good setup might have it even easier if he is good. Your doing the right thing by asking and researching this to get what you want from the experience. The up side is you will at least end up with meat and can always do it again somplace else in the future, cause it's cheap.

I fooled with the idea of a DIY myself some years back.Had a guy here I worked with from SC.He'd go back every year and hog hunt with a bow.Killed a few nice ones,on family land.He recommended parts of Francis Marion (Hellhole WMA in particular),but get a copy of the regs-gets complicated,and even though they're non game,need a license,etc,on public land.I wound up taking a cheapie flight to Florida,and hunting with an outfitter,with dogs.Cost of everything,airfare,rental,motel,meals,etc was under $500.Damn thing was,once we were there,we actually ran into TWO different guys who offered to take us.One guy pulled into a "Quickie-Mart" where we were getting sandwiches,etc.He was bloody and had dogs in the truck box.I went over to take a look,and got to talking.Said he had just got a few the night before for the church picnic!We quartered the meat,and rotated it betwwen the fridge and freezer at the motel,to keep it cold.Froze some 2 liter Coke bottles with water for ice.Couple $13 coolers from walmart,duct tape ,and cable ties,and we were set.DO NOT use dry ice-airline will ask.Girl asked us what was in the coolers-I told her meat,with regular ice-she asked to see it (was already taped and tied).Slipped her a $5,she told me to head to the bar-she'd send our boarding passes!Course,this was before 9/11,so I HOPE things might be a little tighter.I have heard pretty good things about bigwoods.As exciting as the dogs were,next time I'm going solo.Dave

Thanks JJHACK & DaveP, I appreciate your ideas.

I guess all of you guys are right to say the best thing would be to get an outfitter, especially as green as we are and as far from the action.

Assuming I'll now be looking at outfitters and hunting styles, I've thought some about techniques.

We would use firearms this time out, my buddy mainly gun hunts and I don't shoot my bow as much as I used - I'm not as confident with it anymore as I should be for a hunt of this type.

Dogs can be fun, we've spent a lot of time running rabbits, and the old folks around here hunted coons almost every weekend during the season when I was a kid. Seems like a lot more action, in general, than sitting a bait station.

I would guess if one was looking for a particular type of pig (small, meat animal or a bigger trophy, for example), it might be better to hunt a stand over bait.

I'll have to spend some time at the sites linked above and look around at what the various services offer.

Thanks again guys, I really appreciate your help and advice.

Hey Gatogordo,
Good suggestion, though I am VERY afraid that, once I shoot even one (#@*^%) parrot, I will be unable to stop myself from booking more and more hunts - perhaps even to the point of fiscal irresponsibility and financial ruin.

Of course, it's only money.

It does seem like it could be a very satisfying sport, how many do you figure are down there? Shot sizes? Seems like #4's and #5's would be about right. Hmmmmm.

Perhaps the pigs should wait . . .

Been to Bigwoods myself twice in the last year and each time everyone in the group got at least one chance at a pig.Great time,the place is very nice to boot.

As far as the parrots in Argentina,we saw none.What we did see was tons of parakeets.7 1/2 shot was plenty and they were quite easy to knock down.They were even kind enough to warn you in advance of their approach by screaming at you.