Getting one particular boar...patterning hogs

catorres1

New Member
We have access to a small ranch in central Texas. Its 1600 acres of mixed open fields and thick brush. There is a couple creeks that run through it, as well as a couple tanks.

We are hunting hogs there spot an stalk, no feeders, no baiting. We have lights, but no thermal or nightvision, and have been hunting them mainly during the day, though we now have some lights, but they have not proven helpful so far.

We have been able to find their sign and have killed a few in the past couple weeks once we figured out where they are feeding this time of year on the ranch, but there is one particular boar we saw at a distance, but could not get on due to the winds. We really want this boar, and the landowner would like us to take him off the property as well.

Turns out, the ranch manager tells us a bunch of people in the area have been trying to get him, with traps, guns and dogs, and have not been successful. So being inexperienced pig hunters, our chances are probably small, but he is our goal.

I keep reading that you cannot pattern hogs. If that's the case, maybe we missed our only chance and we'll never see him again.

Considering our criteria, how would you hunt this boar?

Thanks!
 

FrankT

Destin FL
LSB TURKEY BUZZARD PRESERVATION SOCIETY
LoneStarBoars Supporter
Going to be tough w/o thermal or night vision...too much pressure will have him moving on.
 

nathan koepp

Cibolo,TX
I agree with frank on this matter. Around a year ago I had one particular boar that I thought for sure would reserve me a place in the sus club. Well the more I hunted him the less frequent he became, the only thing frequent about him was that he would walk down a certain path once a week. One day after a hard rain I decided to follow his tracks, this led to walking down said path for over three miles. I caught up to him in some thick brush he busted me and I never saw him again until the neighbor hit him with his truck almost seven miles away.

So taking into account that you are not hunting feeders and you don't have any form of night vision device, I myself wouldn't push my luck too much and try to hunt him specifically, as these big boars didn't get big from being ignorant of their surroundings if he busts you too many times he most likely leave the area, realizing that you are probably after him specifically.

Treat him like a mature old buck that refuses to come to the feeder. Meaning hunt around areas that you know sows frequent heavily, hoping to catch him looking for a sow in heat, or find out which trails he follows the most and try to find out which one he prefers the most then hunt that one and pray heavily.

Hope this helps.
 

catorres1

New Member
Thanks for the advice, guys. I wish I could draw you a map of where we saw him. I actually wish I had been able to take advantage of the one time I did see him! Anyway, it's an open field that is heavily feeded and wallowed in. Brush on three sides (N, S, W), and two sides in that brush have creeks running through them (N, W). They intersect where a third creek hits them (adjoining property). Behind the west creek, there is a heavy trail that leads to a tank where he has been seen quite a few times by the rancher, unfortunately, its another rancher where we cannot hunt. On the south side, is a very large brush area where there is another tank with alots of tracks running through it.

This particular field has alot of feeding activity, wallows etc. lots of heavily used game trails. I am torn between shooting whatever pigs come in, or not shooting anything and hope he comes back. I only get there maybe once a month, though we went last week and will go again this week. We plan to hunt as much as we can while it is relatively cool, as I know we won't see anything once it becomes hot.

At that point, we'll probably try and hunt the tanks, which will stay wet. But it sounds like maybe we missed our chance at him, but we'll definitely keep trying at it!
 

nathan koepp

Cibolo,TX
If your are able to the tanks sound like a very reasonable place to find him, if at all possible try to find secluded wallows that are not easily found, this will take some scouting as the wallows I speak of tend to be made by pigs where pigs want them which is in the thick stuff. Go watch one of Glenn guess's videos named michelle kills mud monster should be on page 20 of hunting videos.

The way they hunt in that video is by far how I kill a good majority of my lone boars, the boar in my profile pick was following a group of sows out of one of the pig made wallows that I had scouted nearly a month prior the wallow was located between a dried out creek bed and a commercial milo field. If the wind is good and you are quiet enough there is a good chance that you'll find your big boy laying in or around one of these wallows.
 

scrmblr1982cj8

LSB Active Member
LSB TURKEY BUZZARD PRESERVATION SOCIETY
LoneStarBoars Supporter
Hogs are extremely intelligent. Some studies put them amongst the 5 smartest mammals. It does not take long for them to realize that they are being hunted, thus changing their behavior and routine.

Since you don't have access to the expensive toys yet, I would bait an area, put out a camera, and wait for a while before checking the area. They have an incredible sense of smell and you don't want to alert them of your presence. You want this big boy to feel completely comfortable so he doesn't suspect anything. I've noticed that the hogs are more tolerant of my intrusions in areas frequented by people - farming fields, cow pens, etc. as opposed to non-farming areas.

Hogs don't get big by being stupid, so you have to be careful in how you go about planning your hunt. A little luck never hurts either.
 

catorres1

New Member
Thanks for the advice. Come to think of it, the first time we saw him, we drove up in a truck about 800 yards out. I don't think they noticed us, but now that I think of it, the field that we see them in is frequented by the ranch manager. His two track runs all along the creek where they were coming out of, as that's his route to bringing in hay for the cattle etc. I wonder if it's smarter to just run the truck to a part of the field we want to be in rather than walk across to it, as they are probably used to seeing a truck drive through periodically, but no so much people walking around.
 

jglass

LSB Member
I'm not a hog hunting expert but I spent 3 months hog hunting in Florida. I hunted almost every day sometimes both evenings and mornings. I have concluded hogs are unpredictable but eventually they make a fatal mistake. I took pictures of a pair of black and white boars for 3 months.
The pictures were always time stamped between 11:00 PM and 3:00 AM and both hogs were always together. Well,,, one night I was in the blind and saw these two bad boys at 7:40 PM. I watched them for a few seconds with night vision and they acted nervous, like they knew I was up there in the blind. I shot the larger of the two about the time they were making an exit. The lone black & white hog was back in the bait pile by 10:00 PM according to My Moultrie camera.

What I'm trying to say is this. I don't think you can make this particular hog come into your bait at a certain time. You will need to be at the right place at the right time. However, apply hog psychology whenever you can to improve your odds.
 

Bakester

LSB Active Member
SUS VENATOR CLUB
LoneStarBoars Supporter
You might consider checking out Ultimate Night Vision.com. They rent thermals and will ship to you or you can pick it up in Dallas. If you and your buds go in on it, it's pretty reasonable. Be warned that once you try thermal night hunting you'll be ruined.
 
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