Hunting Pigs - share your knowledge

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Paul · #1 Post by **Paul** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 10:23 am

This thread is inspired by a similar one on an American site called Trad Gang where some very experienced Hog hunters are sharing their knowledge on the subject.

I would like to see a similar thing happen here.

Some of you have a wealth of knowledge on the subject and I know I'd benefit from it, please give us some tips.

Paul · #2 Post by **Paul** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 10:53 am

I don't have a lot of experience but here is one thing I have learned.

Once I have decided to arrow a pig, move in as quickly as the circumstances allow to my shooting distance and take the shot as soon as it presents itself.

I have blown so many opportunities because I took too long and stuffed around with the stalk. I find if I take too long to close the distance, one of a few things can happen.

1. The wind changes on me, bye bye pig. Sometimes the wind can be perfect but pigs have an amazing sense of smell and if I hang around close by for too long they will surely smell me ( my wife reckons sometimes she can smell me a mile away ).

2. I get busted by the pig I'm stalking or another in the mob

3. The pig moves off. This has happened to me heaps of times, just when I am getting ready for the shot the pig decides to find something to eat somewhere else and moves out of range. Very frustrating.

I find I have more success if I am more decisive with my stalking.

Littlefeather · #3 Post by **Littlefeather** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 2:04 pm

Paul, I just recieved your message and dropped by to check the thread. Feel free to cut and paste from the original if you wish. I believe many of the characteristics remain unchained with hogs no matter what Continent they happen to live on. Lets discuss all those things. Carry on. CK

Paul · #4 Post by **Paul** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 3:44 pm

Thanks CK I will do that. There is some really good information you have that I would like to post here.

Paul · #5 Post by **Paul** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 4:23 pm

Here's something that is really interesting.
I am definately going to try this the next time I scatter a mob through the bush......which seems to happen too often.

Quoted from a post on Trad Gang by Curtis Keller "Littlefeather"

Hog vocalizations and calling:

I spend countless days a year watching, listening and shooting pigs in the wild. I do know hogs communicate in a number of ways but I can tell you without a doubt that I've never heard one hog call another from any distance. I personally think the idea is total BS.

Now, having said such a bold statment, I will share my thoughts on this whole issue. Hogs communicate constantly. I don't think I've ever been around hogs when they aren't constantly talking to each other. This talk consists of constant, low pitched, gutteral grunts and squeels. This is the way everyone stays together and knows each others pecking order. Another vocalization you will hear is the
loud, shrill squeal, evolked by pain or a fight over food or a sow. This is generally a one time sound that lasts a total of about 2-3 seconds and stops, not to be repeated unless there is a fight over food. Breeding hogs squeel but are seemingly in constant forward motion.

CALLING: This is an issue that I've totally tried to avoid due to the fact that I think it is the best way to assure yourself that you will never see a hog . Having these thoughts running through my head has led me to test this idea against hogs in a wide variety of situations. During all this testing I have in fact proven my original thoughts incorrect. Calling will in fact work but once again the timing must be perfect or you are going to blow your cover. Here is where I've found calling to work.

When easing through the underbrush in close proximity to areas I know hold hogs, I will occasionally stop, listen, and then give one short, solid grunt. THAT'S IT! One grunt! If there is a hog in close proximity he will instinctively return a mirror grunt to the one I just issued. This is the way hogs communicate their location to one another. Once I have a hog located I will generally circle the area to get a good wind and then and only then will I issue another grunt. This second grunt will be aggressive and will be issued as territorial. Every time he grunts back at me I get more aggressive and will even start breaking sticks along with grunting. This technique works on Boar hogs and large Sows with little piglets. I do not use any commercial calls because I have not heard one that mimics the sounds that need to be made. I just walk around constantly practicing making sounds that I have personally heard while afield. Sounds crazy and I get lots of strange looks but I also sound realistic in the woods. LOL!

The second place where calling works the very best is when you have accidently stumbled upon a bedded group of hogs. When you have busted up the group, they will generally go several different directions and because they mostly operate as a family group, will start looking for where the others have gone. They are looking for each other by issueing gutteral grunts. You will hear hogs in several directions communicating their location to the others. This is when I will ease forward to the location the pigs were before I spooked them. I will get a good assult location and will grunt every time one responds. This will bring hogs in on a string. They will be approaching you from several directions and will know your exact location as they are comming toward you. Get ready, stay calm, and shoot straight. You absolutely do not want to wound one in this situation. A squeeling, hurt pig in this environment will evolk a defensive position from all the dominant hogs in the group and they will rush in to help their injured commrad. This is the situation that will make you or break you in hog hunting.

Feeders and calls. Never ever use a call in a feeder situation. Hogs compete within the family group but will shy away from competition from other groups of hogs. This is generally true unless you find a competative Boar hog. All other hogs will try and avoid confrontation with other family groups of hogs if they can help it.

If there were many hogs at a feed site when you shot one, they generally run ten different directions like we already talked about. Get a second arrow on the string and issue "one" grunt. If they answer you, grunt again. Continue and you will bring the group back together for shot #2.

Littlefeather · #6 Post by **Littlefeather** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 3:52 am

Hello guys, I've been a bit standoffish about posting here at Ozbow. I wasn't sure how well recieved an American pig hunter would be here. I suppose I will introduce myself a bit since I have an upcomming article in Oz's Archery Action Outdoor magazine.

My name is Curtis Kellar. I bowhunt with longbows and selfbows 3-4 days a week, year round. I live in a remote section of South Texas along the Mexico border and most avidly pursuit hogs at night. When I have bad weather here, I also build a few selfbows. My only real competition to pigs is that I also pursuit giant alligator gar on the coastal rivers with archery gear. If you recieve Traditional Bowhunter magazine you can read of my exploits in the June issue comming up. I'd love to chat and share in any knowlege about hogs or any other animals which raise the adrenaline level for you. If things look good, I'll start cutting and pasting the entire thread I've started on Tradgang.com. There is an enormous amount that is not known or is not shared about the lifestyle of hogs and techniques that truly work. I've got some pictures posted here on ozbow if you have any inkling to look through them. Good speaking with yall! CK "Littlefeather".

Mick Smith · #7 Post by **Mick Smith** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 9:55 am

Welcome to Ozbow Littlefeather!!

I've been checking out your personal gallery. You've got some interesting photos there, that's for sure.

There's a couple of photos where you're holding a very big bow. You are holding a rabbit. The bow appears to be most unusual in that it's not symetrical. The top half appears to be a recurve, yet the bottom half doesn't. I've never seen one like that before.

Thanks for sharing them with us. I look forward to seeing more of you on this site.

Mick

aussiehunter · #8 Post by **aussiehunter** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 10:54 am

littlefeather welcome
.im new to this site as well,but not to bowhunting...id be happy reading more,many thanks pat

Paul · #9 Post by **Paul** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 2:29 pm

I look forward to reading your magazine artical CK and will be following your Hog Hunting thread on Trad Gang closely......its really good stuff Mate.

stace · #10 Post by **stace** » Sun Feb 12, 2006 10:35 am

Littlefeather
Welcome to Ozbow mate as Mick said you have a great Gallery of pics
Hope to see more of you here in the future
I as well love hunting Hogs and am always willing to learn please post away and photos if possible, Stickbow and I just love em
cheers
stace

Littlefeather · #11 Post by **Littlefeather** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 7:26 am

Thank you guys for the nice welcome. I've actually been away for a few days and the nice replies upon my return were very welcome. Here are a couple of pics from Saturday nights hunt. I'm a nororious night hunter here is south Texas. It is quite legal here so I employ it as my favorite method. I think we all know how nocturnal hogs can be.

What looks odd is the fact that one pic is in the daylight and the other at night. Both hugs were shot about one minute appart. The black hog got after me after the shot so I left him till morning. When I found him, this is how he looked.]

Here is the actual feed location where the coyotes found my hog.

This is actually my back yard behind where I live. I like to hunt here about 3-4 days a week. Pigs are very populated around here. CK

Littlefeather · #12 Post by **Littlefeather** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 7:55 am

Im not certain the criteria of posting here at Ozbow. I thought a good tool to introduce myself is to just show a few pictures. If this is not permitted, I appologize. Lets see if I can figure out these new buttons.

jindydiver · #13 Post by **jindydiver** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 8:43 am

Shame to loose all that meat to the 'yotes

Looking forward to hearing more from you

Paul · #14 Post by **Paul** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 10:13 am

CK nice pics and in your back yard you say? Cool

Have you had to use that Pick handle much?

It sure doesn't take a pack of coyote's long to clean up an animal

Littlefeather · #15 Post by **Littlefeather** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 12:55 am

Sorry guys, I removed the picture links. I mistakenly placed them here in their edit mode. Need to learn more about computers I suppose. Yes, The pick-ax handle "Sweet spot" has bailed me out of a jam a time or two. I started carrying it after I was viciously attacked by a Boar I wounded. I thought it was my last fight but my dog grabbed the boar and saved me. Since then I don't travel the path of stupidity as often anymore.

Paul · #16 Post by **Paul** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 1:19 pm

Since then I don't travel the path of stupidity as often anymore.

I wish I could say as much

CK do you carry "Sweet spot" with you when you are walking around hunting or do you just have it handy when you are waiting in ambush?

#17 Post by **Stickbow Hunter** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 9:19 pm

Good to have you posting CK and welcome. I enjoyed viewing your photos as well. Your most welcome to share your experiences anytime. It's good to see the country other Bowhunters get to hunt in.

Jeff

Littlefeather · #18 Post by **Littlefeather** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 10:01 pm

Paul, "Sweet Spot" is my tracking stick. Less dangerous than guns being shot. It doesn't jam or run out of bullets either. It's bailed me out of several tight spots so far in the last 6 years or so. Works well in tight brush for pushing em off instead of wackin em. Most mad pigs can be side stepped without any injury. Sometime they get persistant though and need a good wacking. I just feel guns are unsafe in certain adrenaline situations. I don't want to shoot myself in the foot.

Thanks Jeff, I appreciate the welcome. CK

Paul · #19 Post by **Paul** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 11:01 am

Do Pigs see in colour?
I don't know but here's some interesting opinions from Trad Gang

I hate to admit but in all I've gathered on pigs over the last few years, I've never known whether they see in color. I really never needed to know I suppose. I've never seen pigs pic off a hunter that is remaining still due to colors. I've not know it if this has happened anyway. One thing I know for certain is that pigs detect movment far greater than deer from my experience. I've done movement experimenting with deer in close proximity. Very slow movments, no matter the distance don't seem to be detected. Pigs on the other hand seem to detect the slightest movments. I know the general eyesight of a hog is not superior to that of a deer but when detecting movment is concerned, the pig seems to have the upper hand. Deer do seem to detect camo patterns that don't mix and color variations. Im not too sure if deer see in color or not either. Maybe I need to study more. One thing I see in lots of hunters who use bow quivers is that when the bow is raised or lowered with bright, matching fletching is what is called flagging. Look at the measurable surface area of all the fletching next to one another. If everything is one color, it looks like one continuous flag of color raising up and down. Of course my side quiver does the same when I am moving through the brush.

Posted on Trad Gang by Littlefeather

I think they DO see in color, Curtis. I say that because on the place we hunt if you are wearing ORANGE of any kind you cannot get within 300 yards of the pigs around here and they will haul buggy! If you move straight at them and are wearing only dull colored clothing and move slow, you can almost always approach within 75 yards without so much as a nod from the hogs.

I experimented by pulling an orange watch cap out of my coat pocket after getting within 75 yards three different times, three different groups of pigs, and EVERY single time they hauled butt like nobody's business!

Posted on Trad Gang by Ray Hammond.

What do you reckon?

#20 Post by **Stickbow Hunter** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 8:53 pm

I don't think colour matters goin' by this photo.

Seriously, I haven't found that colour was a real concern although I do prefer to wear duller colours. I'm not sure that pigs even see in colour.

However, I agree with the comment above that they sure do pick up movement VERY well. Doesn't seem to matter what you are wearin', if ya move when they are watchin' it is normally stalk over.

Jeff

Paul · #21 Post by **Paul** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 10:56 pm

Do those colours attract the Boars do they Mate?

Littlefeather · #22 Post by **Littlefeather** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 12:44 am

HaaaHaaaa! Mate, that's called baiting here in the states. You are after queer pigs aren't ya. Funny stuff! CK

#23 Post by **Stickbow Hunter** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 4:43 pm

that's called baiting here in the states.

Those TRASH blokes are one of a kind. That specimens name is 'Hot Lips Hovie' but I won't go into how he got that name as it is too long a story.

TRASH by the way stands for "Traditional Roving Arrow Shooting Hunters" although I often change the 'Hunters' to 'Hopefuls'.

They are a good bunch of people but they just have some strange dressing habits.

Back on topic they have been known to shoot a few pigs in their time so maybe they will chime in with some helpful tips.

Jeff

TRASH · #24 Post by **TRASH** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 11:54 am

Eh !!!!
Butcho whats GALAH stand for again i cant remember,
I dont know if they see color or not i tend to hunt in what ever i have on at the time manage to get results most of the time. They are really good at picking up movement at distance even if they dont really know what it is
and there hearing is pretty good also. i believe from what i have experienced is that they will wait for that second trigger to kick in before they bolt a lot of the time. not always but especially for lightly hunted areas , if your noisey they will hear you a long way back and place it in there memory mmmm somethins out there, then if they see movement and its unusual there gone. Same goes for an unusual smell followed by stepping on a stick ,or seeing movement followed by the wind change ect
So walk slow, look a lot ,dont chase the flys from your face with a fast hand movement, more sort of sneak up on em and roll them out from under your eye lids. and be quite.

trash one · #25 Post by **trash one** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 6:57 pm

Hay Strowy
G great A at L letting A amatuers H hide I think that's how it goes.

CATCH YA
BUTCH

#26 Post by **Stickbow Hunter** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:54 pm

G great A at L letting A amatuers H hide I think that's how it goes.

That would fit me Ol' Mate MICC

Jeff

MICC · #27 Post by **MICC** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 9:25 pm

You Guy's are soooo hurtful at times.
Jeffrey, you know I don't use that shade of lip gloss.

Micc

hellier · #28 Post by **hellier** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 12:42 pm

According to my sources ( Farmer Fred ) pigs are very found of the thick red mud we get in occasional patches around here, mostly it's found on the lower ridges and gully's in this area, they will spend many minutes working this mud into their flanks. He reckons that if you find one of these spots it's a good place to hang out after a bit of rain as the pigs will often return to them for a top up of their mud bath....

I new to hunting pigs and I dunno if this is true...but game to sit out a morning and see what turns up.