Tips on finding hogs?

[jakev383]

I recently moved to East Texas and have been trying to find some hogs on public (no baiting allowed). I hunted hogs in Florida as a kid with dogs, so I never gave any thought on where they might like to bed/browse. We just let the dog's nose do all the work
I can find deer no problem, but I'm specifically looking for hogs.
I've found some hog tracks and some rooting so I know there are some there, but I have not been able to find a hot-spot of them yet.
Anyone have any tips to share? So far I've just been trying to find some mud and thick stuff and looking around that area. There are acorns everywhere here, so just hanging out near an oak would probably not be too useful.

 

[Weldabeast]

What I have seen here in N Fla is the hogs will have areas kinda like bedding areas with deer. They will have X numbers of these bedding areas and they are constantly traveling between them. I think they are just like the deer as in they are always on the move looking for the best food. Cedar and cabbage palm high ground that butts up to swamp is the terrain I seem to find them the most....look at the poo and see what they are eating. I hunt a bunch of coastal saltwater marsh and if I see poo up in the pines full of shells and crab claws I'll move down into the marsh and if there's pine cone and holly berry out in the marsh I know to head up into the woods. I find them harder to figure out than deer but easier to find since they are always on the move. What type of terrain is in the area of Texas u live and hunt?

 

[Nutterbuster]

They're totally different from deer.

Deer you scout, find consistent areas that they use year-after-year, and can put a fair bit of pressure on. They'll change their patterns and routes but bed and food stay more or less the same. A deer isn't moving to Montana soon...

Hogs are here today gone tomorrow and an area that was pig city last year may never see a pig again in your lifetime. I've killed plenty but without a dog or bait your best bet is to cover ground. If you're sitting still on sign, you're usually sitting where pigs used to live, not where they'll eventually be again.

I walk edges thick stuff or paths within thick stuff (stream running through palmettos). Of you see, hear, or smell pigs, sneak over to them and shoot them. Theyre pretty oblivious compared to deer. If you see sign, keep walking unless the mud on the trees is wet and the turds haven't had time to attract flies. It's gotta be that fresh. If it is that fresh and the cover is good (open woods sign is no-bueno) bump around until you run into them.

You have to cover way more ground and be way more aggressive and picky about where you waste time with public land pigs. I kill 5 walking for every one I kill sitting in a stand.

 

[Fl Canopy Stalker]

I recently moved to East Texas and have been trying to find some hogs on public (no baiting allowed). I hunted hogs in Florida as a kid with dogs, so I never gave any thought on where they might like to bed/browse. We just let the dog's nose do all the work
I can find deer no problem, but I'm specifically looking for hogs.
I've found some hog tracks and some rooting so I know there are some there, but I have not been able to find a hot-spot of them yet.
Anyone have any tips to share? So far I've just been trying to find some mud and thick stuff and looking around that area. There are acorns everywhere here, so just hanging out near an oak would probably not be too useful.

Hey Jake,

I am some what of a hog hunting guru lol I find them even when I don’t want too. You’re in east Texas? Somewhere close to Houston? San Antonio? Or further north like Kilgore? I ask because the terrain and food sources are different in each area… Hogs are a slave to their stomachs and they are less cautious than deer for approaching new smells and food sources. However they are smarter than deer and often circle area area to get up wind when they encounter new smells or food sources. Unlike deer, they don’t need well defined trails because they are tough and no antlers to tangle, and they cannot meet their water needs from eating foliage and rain. So with hogs the starting point for me is always a water source. River banks (even salt water) with lots of thick bushes, trees, thickets or palmettos around It. Ponds, creeks, ditches or swamp areas with thick cover next to them. They love grubs under rotten logs, acorns, hickory nuts and wild berries (even the ones that grow on poison sumac). I use on-x and find satellite imaging of water sources. Then look for thick cover for bedding. Once you get out there to scout for them, start at the water and work your way towards the thickets or trees. Look for snout marks or tracks in the dirt or sand. Their hoove marks are similar to deer but more rounded in the front. If you find an area that is heavily rooted up, then you’re in the money spot lol. If it’s near water, they are probably hitting it to stay cool and keep the bugs down. If it’s on a dry trail, look for acorns dropping or if they are digging up plants for the roots or grub worms. If the sign is somewhat fresh they will probably return to that area again for a few days/ nights but once the food source is gone or they are shot at, they scatter for a while. They do not keep patterns per say. True wild hogs that aren’t drawn to a feeder, will enter from different sides, make new trails and even find new turf every couple days/week. I also find that hog calls work pretty well drawing them in, especially using a squealer if a sow is around with piglets.
Hope these ideas help man!

 

[Fl Canopy Stalker]

They're totally different from deer.

Deer you scout, find consistent areas that they use year-after-year, and can put a fair bit of pressure on. They'll change their patterns and routes but bed and food stay more or less the same. A deer isn't moving to Montana soon...

Hogs are here today gone tomorrow and an area that was pig city last year may never see a pig again in your lifetime. I've killed plenty but without a dog or bait your best bet is to cover ground. If you're sitting still on sign, you're usually sitting where pigs used to live, not where they'll eventually be again.

I walk edges thick stuff or paths within thick stuff (stream running through palmettos). Of you see, hear, or smell pigs, sneak over to them and shoot them. Theyre pretty oblivious compared to deer. If you see sign, keep walking unless the mud on the trees is wet and the turds haven't had time to attract flies. It's gotta be that fresh. If it is that fresh and the cover is good (open woods sign is no-bueno) bump around until you run into them.

You have to cover way more ground and be way more aggressive and picky about where you waste time with public land pigs. I kill 5 walking for every one I kill sitting in a stand.

I’ve killed them both ways with guns but with a bow I 100% would rather sit over fresh sign in a tree because I have seen a sow tree my buddy after he shot her a little high with his compound bow. She literally rushed him, he climbed a small tree and she circled that tree for several hours waiting for him to come down. I climbed a tree about 10 yards away (he had the bow, I was tagging along) and we both had to sit and wait her out. After that I decided to only stalk hunt hog if I had a good rifle with me.

 

[Weldabeast]

I’ve killed them both ways with guns but with a bow I 100% would rather sit over fresh sign in a tree because I have seen a sow tree my buddy after he shot her a little high with his compound bow. She literally rushed him, he climbed a small tree and she circled that tree for several hours waiting for him to come down. I climbed a tree about 10 yards away (he had the bow, I was tagging along) and we both had to sit and wait her out. After that I decided to only stalk hunt hog if I had a good rifle with me.

Sissy

 

[Fl Canopy Stalker]

Sissy

Rather be a sissy than one of those people on the news killed from hog attacks. We’ve ran up on Sounders of 6 to 10 hogs with several of them over 200 lbs. they are dangerous in those situations.

 

[Weldabeast]

Rather be a sissy than one of those people on the news killed from hog attacks. We’ve ran up on Sounders of 6 to 10 hogs with several of them over 200 lbs. they are dangerous in those situations.

Ive been treed before too....I was just on a nature walk and on a sharp dogleg in the trail I ended up between the little 1s and the grown ups...3 decent sized 1s popping jaws and charging at me....I climbed a cedar and waited for a little until I saw a big branch broke off in the tree and tried to whack the most aggressive one and they ran off...

 

[jakev383]

What I have seen here in N Fla is the hogs will have areas kinda like bedding areas with deer. They will have X numbers of these bedding areas and they are constantly traveling between them. I think they are just like the deer as in they are always on the move looking for the best food. Cedar and cabbage palm high ground that butts up to swamp is the terrain I seem to find them the most....look at the poo and see what they are eating. I hunt a bunch of coastal saltwater marsh and if I see poo up in the pines full of shells and crab claws I'll move down into the marsh and if there's pine cone and holly berry out in the marsh I know to head up into the woods. I find them harder to figure out than deer but easier to find since they are always on the move. What type of terrain is in the area of Texas u live and hunt?

I'm in Eastern Texas, so it's piney woods. The area I'm scoping out has a river running through it and some swampy areas.
Thanks!

 

[jakev383]

Hey Jake,

I am some what of a hog hunting guru lol I find them even when I don’t want too. You’re in east Texas? Somewhere close to Houston? San Antonio? Or further north like Kilgore? I ask because the terrain and food sources are different in each area… Hogs are a slave to their stomachs and they are less cautious than deer for approaching new smells and food sources. However they are smarter than deer and often circle area area to get up wind when they encounter new smells or food sources. Unlike deer, they don’t need well defined trails because they are tough and no antlers to tangle, and they cannot meet their water needs from eating foliage and rain. So with hogs the starting point for me is always a water source. River banks (even salt water) with lots of thick bushes, trees, thickets or palmettos around It. Ponds, creeks, ditches or swamp areas with thick cover next to them. They love grubs under rotten logs, acorns, hickory nuts and wild berries (even the ones that grow on poison sumac). I use on-x and find satellite imaging of water sources. Then look for thick cover for bedding. Once you get out there to scout for them, start at the water and work your way towards the thickets or trees. Look for snout marks or tracks in the dirt or sand. Their hoove marks are similar to deer but more rounded in the front. If you find an area that is heavily rooted up, then you’re in the money spot lol. If it’s near water, they are probably hitting it to stay cool and keep the bugs down. If it’s on a dry trail, look for acorns dropping or if they are digging up plants for the roots or grub worms. If the sign is somewhat fresh they will probably return to that area again for a few days/ nights but once the food source is gone or they are shot at, they scatter for a while. They do not keep patterns per say. True wild hogs that aren’t drawn to a feeder, will enter from different sides, make new trails and even find new turf every couple days/week. I also find that hog calls work pretty well drawing them in, especially using a squealer if a sow is around with piglets.
Hope these ideas help man!

Thanks! I'm in Henderson, so closer to Kilgore. I'm scoping out an area which has a river meandering through it, so there are some swampy areas and lots of thick stuff. I've come across some tracks and rooting that was at least a few days old. Found some poop, but it was 8+ hours old. I stuck up some cameras, one of which is a cell cam. I get lots of deer roaming, but no pigs yet. It sounds like I'll just need to keep walking the area until I come across some since it sounds like they roam more than anything.
Appreciate it!

 

[jakev383]

Rather be a sissy than one of those people on the news killed from hog attacks. We’ve ran up on Sounders of 6 to 10 hogs with several of them over 200 lbs. they are dangerous in those situations.

When we used to hunt them with dogs, we'd carry a staple gun in the truck to patch the dogs back up if need be. Those tusks are no joke!
I've had a little 30 pounder rush me - aggressive little cuss. We'd also busted up a pack of 'em once and while I was running over to tie one up that the bay dog had old of, a larger one blasted me from behind and I saw my feet go up over my head! Luckily the pitbull we had with us was right on it's heels and grabbed the hog's ear until my buddy could get it tied up. That one was probably 130 or so pounds - weighted almost as much as I did at the time. I'm older, softer, and more "seasoned" than those days so I'd prefer to not roll around on the ground with one And since I'm solo with no dogs, I'd really like to be up in a tree!

 

[Texar]

@jakev383 are you hunting one of the national forests(Sabine or Davy Crockett)? They may be different but Corps of Engineer land around or near most of the lakes in east TX, you're allowed to bait with corn or whatever. https://www.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/lake/SWF_Hunting_Guide_Final_2021_2022.pdf
Like the others have said above, they won't be far from water and in my experience they are very nomadic and its usually due to their food sources running out and then they move to another area.
I have family all over (Sherman, Paris, Tatum, Longview to Huntsville) and have hunted East and NE TX my whole life and we've always had wild pigs. Right now with the white oaks dropping you could have a good chance hunting those food sources. You need to pay good attention to your wind cause if they smell you they will be GONE! They are easy to spot and stalk up on to bow range as long as you keep mind of your wind.

They are a blast to hunt, great table fair and I hope you find some and kill all of them you can.

 

[jakev383]

@Texar - thanks! I'm looking at the Lake Striker area right now since it's close to my house. From the sheet that TPWD puts out it doesn't look like I can bait there. I will probably look at some other gamelands once it starts to cool off a little
And thanks for the wind tip! I am not going to hunt them for a few more months, but I am trying to figure them out a little so I can find them when I do. I've only been in Texas a couple of months, and according to regulations I would still have to get an out-of-state license if I wanted to hunt right now (6 months residency required).