Can anyone in CA recommend a good guide for wild pig somewhere in the central coast (SLO/Paso Robles) area? I figure it's about time to stop thinking about it and start doing it.

I'm figuring on a day hunt, or a 2-day weekend - nothing too involved right now.

Without a doubt, you need to hook up with Kyler Hamann of Boaring Experiences. I've hunted public and private land all over the Paso Robles area before hooking up with Kyler. I've made several trips up there, the last one a month ago, and always see lots of animals.

If his name sounds familiar, he is frequently mentioned in Boddington's articles, as well as work but others. Lazeroni and others are with him frequently.

He's also a top notch Sporting Clays instructor and has two courses for some mid-day fun.

Visit his website at www.boaring.com

[This message has been edited by Africa2003 (edited 01-10-2002).]

FB,

A lot of hunters I know in San Diego have hunted pigs withAlfred Luis and Central Coast Outfitters (805 922 7923).

jim dodd

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"if you are to busy to
hunt, you are too busy."

You can not go wrong hunting with Kyler. I have hunted with Kyler multiple times over the past 5 years.

He is honest, fair, reliable, extremely knowledgeable, and on top of that he has access to some of the best pig hunting areas (private land) in Paso Robles.

Definitely check out his website www.boaring.com

If you have any questions and/or concerns, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

Good luck.

Tim

Thanks. I had heard of Kyler Hamann before, on another forum. I didn't know he had a website until now.

Seems awfully pricey, though

I wonder why Hamann thinks he can charge $75/day for the non-hunting observer when there are no meals or lodging provided?

George

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Shoot straight, shoot often, but by all means, use enough gun!

It looks like it's all on private land, and that's the price of admission (you know the landowner is getting a piece of the pie).

Hi folks,
I've been reading the boards (thanks Saeed, neat deal) for a several months and haven't posted. I figured I better now.
GeorgeS,
Good reading of the 'fine print'. After being in the business 14 years I just started charging for non-hunters. I think it's analogous to gunsmiths charging $2500 for claw mounts, they may only cost $1500 to do but they're a real pain and many smiths would rather you pick another system (I've done a couple and know first hand) .
Seriously, I often waive the non-hunter fee for wives, kids, new hunters, cameramen, etc. But the liability/hassle is regularly higher on non-hunters than knowledgeable hunters and they aren't always the sneakiest and most savvy in the field. One of my regular clients just called wanting to bring his 6 and 3 year old daughters to roam around in the brush with us for wild boar! Thank goodness I was able to talk him out of it without offending him.
Some of the ranchers I deal with also charge by the person, which gives me no choice in the matter.
I've found that when non-hunters are free, people take horrible advantage. In past years I've actually had guys book and pay for 1 hunter and show up with 6 (fully armed and outfitted) non-paying, "non-hunters". If nothing else, listing the non-hunting fee will hopefully foil similar plans before they arrive (unannounced).
I really wish it wasn't necessary.

Great hunting with great hunters,
Kyler

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Being ready is good, being safe is great, being both is tough.

Thanks Fat B.,
You beat me in with your post.
Funny thing, all these ranchers with $2-$10 million dollar ranches, in this great Land of Attorneys, seem to think they should get compensated for strangers running around in varying states of sobriety (not under my watch!!!!!!!!!!!!!) with guns on their property. Go Figure .

Kyler

I have a two day pig hunt, everything furnished out of a nice lodge for $399. and you can shoot all the pigs you want..That ussually amounts to about 4 to 10 pigs, but could be more or less..this hunt is in Texas..
How does that price compare to other hog hunts around the country? I book these hunts mostly as a service and for off season hunter needs..

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Kyler, thanks for weighing in here. It takes some guts to chime in when you've been the object of discussion (we certainly gave Art Alphin cold feet).

I hadn't thought about people abusing the non-hunter rates, but somehow I'm not surprised.

Thanks, Ray, but I'm 2 hours from Kyler by car, and since I won't be flying any more until the FAA pulls its head out of its arse, Texas is a little far for a 2-day hunt.

Ray, I'd like to know a little more about the hog hunt. Should I email you?

I hunt hogs with a guide in Oklahoma. He charges $350 for a two and a half day hunt. Lodging,meals,and skinning provided. Two hogs are included for this price on a private 6500 acre ranch.Hunting is done on a baited stand.

Ray, I forgot to ask where in Texas do you send people for this hunt ?

FB and Kyler,
I wasn't vieing for selling you a hog..The airline ticket would make it prohibitive..I was just wondering how good my deals were as I just got into the hog killing part of this business to satisfy a need for summer hunters..commisons on $395 hogs won't pay the phone bill

Scott, you can email me if you wish. The hunts are at Del Rio, Texas and you can add a Javalina for another $100. bill...All the hogs and coyotes you can shoot..bobcats $99. the lodge is nice and you have the ranch to yourself..Bring your own food are they will furnish food for $25. per day per person or food and cook for $45. per day per person. I have sent a couple of folks and they all loved it...Guides are furnished at no charge. Take a child under 18 for $99 and he can shoot hogs and coyotes with you...

Call or email me for more info..its a great deal if you live fairly close I would think..

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Rob,
see the above post for the location, I left your name out, sorry. Thats the trouble with these boards I havn't figured out how of if I can click off and read the board and come back on, oh well..

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Hog hunting in CA is probably consider to be a little expensive by some standards at "first" look.

But when you look at the big game hunting opportunities and the success rate its reasonable for California.

Realize the only other big game hunting is deer. Statewide success rate on deer is about 10-12% and is bucks only. There are maybe a 100 special doe permits handed out.

To be perfectly accurate there are limited elk hunts about a dozen bull tags and may 2 dozen cow tags, handfull of bighorn sheep tags I think 5 or so, probably 50 or so antelope tags maybe more or less.

But in general you have pigs and deer. Lots of public land in CA but the pig success rate I think is 10% on public land maybe 15%.

So the typical pig hunt on private land is $400-450 for 1 pig and $600-700 for two pigs over a 1-2 day period with success rates anywhere from 80-95+%.

Some guys guarantee hunts by allowing you to come back if you are unsuccesful, some guys have a $100-$200 daily hunt fee with take fees of $200-$300. Some charge trophy fees for really large boars.

Private land deer hunting is between $1500-$3500 for anywhere from a 2-4 day with success rates in the 50-90% range.

All in all CA pig hunting is reasonable to Californians.

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MED

The sole purpose of a rifle is to please its owner

Ray,
That is a great price, I couldn't take MYSELF hunting on these ranches I lease for that cheap!
Kyler

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Being ready is good, being safe is great, being both is tough.

The other side of the story is the quality of the whole outfit.

Before I met Kyler, I hunted one Paso Robles ranch where the guide was supposed to meet us at 10pm at a certain spot to lead us to the bunkhouses. At 1 am, in a pouring rain, we were awakened by a few raps on the window of the truck. Seems our guide had had a few beers with the last client and fallen asleep. Good thing he had to get up and pee, or we would have been there till sunup.

No pigs to be found the next day, so he begged us to let him bring out the dogs. One of our party who had come all the way from Illinois agreed, and when he met us back at the camp he had blood all over his pants...from the dog fight they had to break up....not from a pig.

In the bunkhouse, there was a big bag of tortilla chips and corn tortillas hanging from the ceiling. There was two inches our mouse droppings in the bottom of the bag. Guess what the extra $35 for meals included?

I hunted another property ajoining public land and got pulled over on a dirt road by a BLM guy who walked up to the truck wearing a full blown respirator. He advised us to not drive too close to each other as the road we were on was comprised of pulverized asbestos from an old mine, and the dust was, well, not too good for you.

Like anything else in this world. Sometimes you pay a SMALL amount more, but the return on investment is many fold. And that is especially true on the pig ranches of the Central Coast.

I've got more, but you get the idea.

Kyler,
Your post regarding the non-hunter fee makes sense. In cases where the landowner charges a trespass fee for each person, you should not be expected to pick that up.

Of course, if someone showed up with a firearm, they should pay the hunter rate.

Otherwise, it's a penalty charged to the client.

George

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Shoot straight, shoot often, but by all means, use enough gun!

I've hunted with Tom Willoughby out of King City and have always had a terrific time. It's more like grocery shopping than hunting, but it's always a blast. His number is (831) 385-3003.

Regards,
Paul