help with big elusive hog on game cam

[theblakester]

some of this info might seem irrelevant but i i want to include any possible variables that may be changing this hogs behavior when im there hunting him. This elusive *!@^%$# has been on game cams at my dads place on multiple feeders since like April. he will be on camera every night for a week or 2 and then he'll disappear for a week or switch feeders. My approach has been driving until i get about 300 yards away from whichever feeder (either in my dads driveway, or on the main road of the neighborhood closer to a few other feeders of his and on his neighbors' properties that i have permission to hunt. and then I would get out grab my gun/gear and walk the rest of the way. Im wondering if he is smart enough that he either knows my engine sound, or he can just hear my vehicle approaching and turning off. A few months ago i approached him while he was eating under a feeder but another hog that was hitting a roll barrel between him and I (i was about 75 yards away from the big pig and the roll barrel was between us about 30 yards away) and the smaller hog just randomly left the barrel and started trotting right at me until he got about 25 yards away and noticed something wasnt right.. he froze for a second looking towards me and then took off in my direction (not necessarily charging right at me but in my direction-ish). I shot and killed him on instinct. Plus, the moonlight had cast a shadow from a tree over that feeder and my IR illuminator battery had died and i didnt double check my equipment and replace it so i couldnt see the big pig with my nv, only thermal and didnt have a shot on the big guy.
The next trip out there, about a month later we shot another hog under that feeder (and during this time frame {not at that moment.. we didnt see the big hog that weekend at all, but he was on game came every night for several nights leading up to that weekend hunt} the big hog was also seen eating under that feeder-- different times on cam but same nights sometimes.. when one would leave the other would show)... followed a blood trail till 7 am and never found that other pig.
If i hunt from the blind near this particular feeder, i can hear people talking from my dads driveway, car doors closing, engines starting and shutting off etc... theres also a cattle gate that separates my dads back yard pasture from his front yard and the metal chain that keeps the metal gate shut is also a loud telling sound.
So im wondering if any of these noises a few hundred yards away are alerting this big pig since he was there at least once when i shot his buddy about 40 yards away from him and he prolly heard the truck doors and the gate 5 mins before we walked up on him.
Also, the smaller pig with big cutters i shot last week out there showed up on camera about 10 minutes before i pulled into my dads driveway, grabbed my guns from the truck and opened the back pasture gate to check the feeder.... later on I looked on the game cam and the pics show him under that feeder for about 10-15 minutes until about 5-10 minutes before i shot him... and i shot him in a pasture about 75 yards away from that feeder. I wonder if he also heard the noise and decided to skeedaddle.. that might be coincidental, but the bigger pig may be educated to those noises now bc of the previous stalks out there that involved those noises and led to other hogs that he shares that feeder with getting shot??
Thoughts, feedback, input or similar experiences that may shed some light or help me get into the club would greatly appreciated... cheers
PS he has been estimated at 275.

 

[rgilbert]

Blake, as you know large boars don't get that way by being stupid. Anything out of place and they will sometimes leave for a while. This may be one of those guys that may take you a year or so to kill. You are going to have to be in the right place at the right time when he messes up. We have a hog in Caldwell that we have been after for over a year.

Good luck and I hope you get him.

 

[81police]

I once saw a seminar with Brian Quaca (Pigman) talk about hog activity and human presence. He said his father Dap, when he fills/checks feeders, he is religiously consistent on what vehicle he drives, where he parks, how many doors he opens, what boots he wears, where he walks, etc. I suppose the idea is the consistent routine is less likely to alarm pigs nearby or those coming to the feeder shortly thereafter. But I'm no pig expert. On our trail cameras some pigs are religiously consistent about hitting a feeder at a particular time, others are very random. Persistence my friend, keep putting in your time! Best of luck with putting the slip on big daddy!

 

[TEXASLAWMAN]

I have seen big pigs run from my truck hundreds of yards away on bright nights even when down wind. To catch this big guy you will need to go the extra mile. Don't open the gate walk in and be mindful of the wind. Big boars will go in eat for a very shot period then head for cover. I've watched several big boars go into a field eat then leave after a few minutes only to watch from cover and return again. The first few times I noticed this behavior I thought the hog was gone, now I wait a lite but to see if they come back. You could try hog in heat scent I've only used it once sprayed it on a old tree in a pasture killed three big boars that went directly to the tree that night.

 

[cincoranchhntr]

I don't know if you got this big guy yet? If not, I have two suggestions:

The first one is strange. Soak some corn in Everclear. You heard right..
Put it out where this hog regularly feeds. Put it out the evening before and check the spot in the morning. If he found it, he will still be there, passed out. I ran into a good ol boy from east Texas a few weeks ago and he had the same issue you are having. He swears by this method.... just sayin'

My first thought would be to bait an area with soured corn and dusted very heavy with strawberry jello mix. Then pour about a quart of very strong mixed cherry kool aid liquid out around the immediate area. You can do this for several nights while using a game cam. When you get him coming in, and he will, plan the night and take him.

 

[ZenArchery]

He went to Hogvard University and majored in Tom Foolery.

Ditto what everyone else said I purposely chased one hog for 3 months passing on pig after pig. Got tired if waiting and started killing again.

He'll slip up.

 

[FrankT]

It is difficult at best to target 1 animal, I like getting him drunk then taking advantage...lol

 

[Shooter]

You will be very lonesome once you kill him, as it is now, the two of you have a bond ,,

Do you believe that !!!!!!!!!

 

[cincoranchhntr]

I know the everclear thing sounds strange. I've never tried it, but this guy said it has worked for him on several big hogs. I just thought I would share what has worked for him.
But like I said, the sour corn, jello powder and cherry kool aid has brought them in every long weekend I have hunted in the past 6 months. Sometimes the first night, but usually second or third.

The first time I used it, a single pig found it around 7am in the morning after I put it out. A motion sensor alerted me to him. I watched him lay his shoulder over and rub his side in the corn, strawberry and cherry bait. He then took off and a few minutes later I could hear the hogs grunting in the distance so I thought they would be showing up at any minute. No luck. However, at 1am the next morning the whole sounder showed up ate every bit of that bait. The last pig left at 3:45am, a nice boar. We slept thru the whole thing, but have a few hundred pics from the game cam of the feast. That was definitely a learning experience and made lots of sense. The pigs must have been headed back to their bedding area for the day and they came for it that following night. Does this pattern sound familiar to any of you?