Hog Travel Through Creek Beds

Soonlobo

LSB Member
The land we hunt is very wooded with a creek that forks into two branches, one that travels northwest the other to the west.

Our feeder and blind are located NE of the branch which travels to the NW. We've had plenty of deer hitting that feeder, the deer nest out to the northeast of the property.

This week the owner of the property found several factors that have stopped the hogs from getting to our feeder site.

The north branch of the creek has an obstruction of logs at least 10 feet tall blocking any hog travel up the creek; the obstruction is at least 200 yards south of our feeder.

The west branch has at least 2 obstructions of logs that can block hog travel from the east to the west down the bed. There are at least 2 hog nests along the west creek branch, so it appears the hogs are moving in from the west. We need to find a feeder/blind spot close but not too close to those nests.

Since the wind is predominately from the south, we are thinking about baiting in the creek (it's dry at least 1/2 of the year) on each side of the creek, and then putting a feeder about 50 feet north of the creek bed and eventually putting an elevated blind about 70 yards north of the feeder.

The disadvantages to this are the inaccessibility of this location, the deep woods, and lack of sunlight to power solar panels for feeders, cameras, and IR lights. Stalking out in those woods poses many problems, it's thick out there!

Another factor which I'd like input on is clearing the creek bed. A bobcat might be able to be used but how long would the racket caused by clearing the obstructions keep the hogs away?

The good news is we've found the hogs! Now comes the tough part getting to them without disturbing their nests.
 

TEXASLAWMAN

Lone Star Boars Owner
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I don't think logs blocking a creek will stop the hogs. Seen them go straight up the side of a 10+ foot creek. Either they have not found the feeder or there is better more plentiful food somewhere else.

For the racket cause by the bobcat I guess it could scare them off but I've seen hogs out in newly created clearings the night after the forestry bobcats shreaded everything!

Have you tried soured corn or something stinky to attract them?
 

Soonlobo

LSB Member
Yeah, we've tried several different scents to get them out, but the feeder is north of both branches of the creek and there is 200 feet or more of heavy woods between the north branch of the creek and our feeder, so they may not be smelling it. The creek bed is pretty deep, at least 10 feet from the bed to the edge of the bank. We've been baiting and scenting since the spring of 2012 and had just 3 or 4 boars come out last fall, none since last October.

The hog sightings and signs have all been at least 200 yards southwest of the feeder near the southern branch of the creek that runs east/west, so the combination of being that far down wind and acres of forest between must be too much. Lots and lots of scat, tracks, and at least 2 nests either in the east/west bed or very close by.

The neighbor on the SW corner has a big tank, a feeder, and an elevated stand within 100 yards from one of the hog nests on the property we hunt and says he's killed many hogs on his property, but rarely sees them in the summer. He shot a 200 pound sow last Thursday right on the property boundary and the sounder ran onto my buddies property, that's how one of the nests were found. The week-old footballs ran right to the nest.

We even ran corn from the north creek branch to our feeder with no results, so that's why we think they are all out west. The neighbor seems to think so too. He also said he didn't think the creek obstructions would stop the hogs.

We can bait the SW corner of the property with a feeder nearby to the north. That seems to be the area furthest from any people or deer, but it's not easy to get to.
 

TEXASLAWMAN

Lone Star Boars Owner
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With the footballs they aren't moving very far then. Sounds like winter will be promising!
 

Soonlobo

LSB Member
If we can get out to the southwestern edge and bring them out north I think we'll be good.

I'm afraid the existing feeder/blind may never work for hogs since the deer hit it so much. But November's only 3 and a half months away so hopefully venison if nothing else!
 

TEXASLAWMAN

Lone Star Boars Owner
LSB TURKEY BUZZARD PRESERVATION SOCIETY
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LoneStarBoars Supporter
If we can get out to the southwestern edge and bring them out north I think we'll be good.

I'm afraid the existing feeder/blind may never work for hogs since the deer hit it so much. But November's only 3 and a half months away so hopefully venison if nothing else!


The hogs will actually drive your deer away from the feeder.
 

pruhdlr

Cantonment,Fla.
SUS VENATOR CLUB
In the last several years I have grown to be friends with a gentleman that(among other things)is a research associate for Auburn University. He tells me that he has to earn a living,however his main passion is hunting hogs. This man is a wealth of knowledge and has hunted hogs in about every state that they exist(approx. 35+). In fact he has written a book that is excellent information taken from real world experiences hunting hogs.(Year of the Pig ---by Mark Hainds)

The following are several things that I have learned re. the baiting and hunting of hogs:
1. Hogs are pretty hard to get "off course". IMO they have two basic modes of travel. A. feeding along thru an area of "interest" to them,and B. traveling from food to bedding or from bedding to food. I have seen other animals wandering around in indiscriminate patterns...bot NOT hogs. They have an agenda. I have observed hogs moving to food and they will pretty much stay on a straight line and will not vary to investigate anything. They might stop,then continue on their path.

However.....if they know a food source is constant they will constantly visit it. This is true with a presence of angle worm or cutworms OR a slinger slinging corn every day. If hogs are in a high fence enclosure you can get them accustomed to come to a "dinner bell". However...completely free ranging hogs you cannot. If you have food at a certain location every afternoon at dusk,they just might decide to go somewhere else besides your "dinner table".

My belief is that you can clear whatever you want with heavy equipment and the hogs will return if they have been there before. Unless you take away ALL their cover or ALL their food. While your in their with the "Bobcat", turn over as much new dirt as possible. That will release minerals and salts into the turned over earth and will draw the attention of hogs AND deer.

Feeding deer,bobcats,coyotes, and even song birds draws the attention of hogs. ESPECIALLY feeding crows and ravens. Same with turkey vultures/buzzards. When a sounder of hogs gets ready to come into your bait site...nothing will stop them ........except their nose. My friend tells me that he has seen them drive off black bear and even several coyotes. Especially a sounder with several good sized sow,with shoats.

Good Huntin' --- pruhdlr
 

Soonlobo

LSB Member
Thanks for all the information!

It's great to get as much info as possible to hunt these hogs - they are very, very intelligent animals.
 

pruhdlr

Cantonment,Fla.
SUS VENATOR CLUB
I have killed two hogs with my Cold Steel Boar Spear. This,in the thick'ish Fla river swamp. As I gun hunted I watched their behavior to the point sometimes of not taking a shot so I could watch.(I know...pretty sick huh)

As I watched them feed along I could very slowly and quietly move into their path. I could stand there and they would feed up to within 10yds of me before they sensed something was wrong and froze. If I did not move they would try to get the wind on me. Sometimes they would almost walk up and touch the leg of my hip waders.

If I saw a sounder heading through an area,at a fast walk, but some 30yds from me,I could not stop them,or turn them with any sound. And believe me I tried all kinds including a yell. They were heading somewhere...they had an agenda. On the other hand if I could spot them moving through an area before they saw me,and I could use the giant old Cypress trees(some 15ft at the base)to move between,I could position myself in their path. This is how I managed to spear them on two different occasions. However I missed a few attempting this. I quickly learned that they could jump sideways standing flat footed,and they could duck a thrust spear as a deer will sometimes duck a broad head.

In the OP you spoke of "nests". I have come upon these "nests" in the river swamp and not approached them. I have then sat "on" them 'til dark or came back several days in a row to see them abandoned. My theory......hogs go where they want to go. They have no true territory OR it is so large that they end up in different places as it gets toward sun up. They crash where they happen to be. No rhyme or reason. No proof...just my belief. These beds are different than a nest for sows with piglets. I have only found one of these in 8 years and miles of stomping thru the swamps. Here,they are always made of shredded saw palmetto's and/or shredded cane/bamboo. --- pruhdlr
 

EGarza04

El Sauz, TX
SUS VENATOR CLUB
In the last several years I have grown to be friends with a gentleman that(among other things)is a research associate for Auburn University. He tells me that he has to earn a living,however his main passion is hunting hogs. This man is a wealth of knowledge and has hunted hogs in about every state that they exist(approx. 35+). In fact he has written a book that is excellent information taken from real world experiences hunting hogs.(Year of the Pig ---by Mark Hainds)

The following are several things that I have learned re. the baiting and hunting of hogs:
1. Hogs are pretty hard to get "off course". IMO they have two basic modes of travel. A. feeding along thru an area of "interest" to them,and B. traveling from food to bedding or from bedding to food. I have seen other animals wandering around in indiscriminate patterns...bot NOT hogs. They have an agenda. I have observed hogs moving to food and they will pretty much stay on a straight line and will not vary to investigate anything. They might stop,then continue on their path.

However.....if they know a food source is constant they will constantly visit it. This is true with a presence of angle worm or cutworms OR a slinger slinging corn every day. If hogs are in a high fence enclosure you can get them accustomed to come to a "dinner bell". However...completely free ranging hogs you cannot. If you have food at a certain location every afternoon at dusk,they just might decide to go somewhere else besides your "dinner table".

My belief is that you can clear whatever you want with heavy equipment and the hogs will return if they have been there before. Unless you take away ALL their cover or ALL their food. While your in their with the "Bobcat", turn over as much new dirt as possible. That will release minerals and salts into the turned over earth and will draw the attention of hogs AND deer.

Feeding deer,bobcats,coyotes, and even song birds draws the attention of hogs. ESPECIALLY feeding crows and ravens. Same with turkey vultures/buzzards. When a sounder of hogs gets ready to come into your bait site...nothing will stop them ........except their nose. My friend tells me that he has seen them drive off black bear and even several coyotes. Especially a sounder with several good sized sow,with shoats.

Good Huntin' --- pruhdlr

I have seen all of this to be very true, with the exception that younger animals will disperse to create different territories. Most all species do this, it's mother natures way of ensuring minimal inbreeding. Yes they do have territories and the size will vary with terrain, habitat quality, ecological site type, and several other factors, but in free ranging situations they are generally quite large (usually more than 1 sq. mile). In fact, I have some friends that have had to track them with telemetry equipment from fixed wing aircraft because it takes too long to find them using a truck.
 

Soonlobo

LSB Member
We are going to try another sour corn mixture my buddy found. Uses corn, koolaide, yeast, milk, and water. Anything to get a scent to attract!

The heavy forest is the main deterrent for us. Mature hardwoods plus dense secondary growth. The area used to be owned by a logging company. You have to use a machete to get through a lot of it.

Another neighbor is a retired back-hoe operator and is going to clear the creek beds in a couple of months after his back surgery next week.

So for now we're going to work on an area about 150 yards away from the area we found the nests along a clearing by baiting and mounting game cams. I'd like to set up a couple of tree stands to get up off the ground also maybe next week.
 
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