Hog hunting tips

[ethanbillingsley]

I've been killing and trapping pigs for quite a few years now. Best advice is mirrored towards what has been said. Scent is everything. They can't see great and can spook a bit if they hear an odd noise but if they spook for a second just be patient and they will run back. They are so feed heavy that I have killed pigs and watched the group run off just to come back minutes later and eat around the dead pig laying there. There are lots of videos of how to make pig mash on youtube. Most of the time I do a 5 gallon bucket half filled with corn. Then I add in yeast, jello packets, kool-aid packets. Some guys mix theirs with cheap soda. Either way, vent the bucket and let it sit in the sun for a week. Smell is horrendous but pigs love that crap. Good luck with your hunt! Feel free to message me if you got any other questions!

 

[ethanbillingsley]

I've been killing and trapping pigs for quite a few years now. Best advice is mirrored towards what has been said. Scent is everything. They can't see great and can spook a bit if they hear an odd noise but if they spook for a second just be patient and they will run back. They are so feed heavy that I have killed pigs and watched the group run off just to come back minutes later and eat around the dead pig laying there. There are lots of videos of how to make pig mash on youtube. Most of the time I do a 5 gallon bucket half filled with corn. Then I add in yeast, jello packets, kool-aid packets. Some guys mix theirs with cheap soda. Either way, vent the bucket and let it sit in the sun for a week. Smell is horrendous but pigs love that crap. Good luck with your hunt! Feel free to message me if you got any other questions!

 

[Aces11]

How much meat do you get off one the size of one in the back of Ethan’s truck box? I can get a bug suit ordered up. I have always used thermacells, can a guy get away with them or do you need the suit?

 

[RWT]

How much meat do you get off one the size of one in the back of Ethan’s truck box? I can get a bug suit ordered up. I have always used thermacells, can a guy get away with them or do you need the suit?

Thermacells work in a pop up. Not sure it will work in an open air tripod. I would wear long sleeves for certain. Head net works if you have long sleeves. The part that sucks is when one come in. You can’t move much and a mosquito lands on your ear. Meat is same as a deer. Roughly 35-40% of live weight.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

How much meat do you get off one the size of one in the back of Ethan’s truck box? I can get a bug suit ordered up. I have always used thermacells, can a guy get away with them or do you need the suit?

Hard to gauge it, maybe 30 lbs of meat?

Thermocell work great if there's no wind or like stated you're in a pop-up, if there's wind you won't need it usually especially if you're up in the air. I'd just bring a little pump deet sprayer and use as needed. They'll tend to swarm right at dusk and then go away. Down on the coast we'll get swarmed by the thousands in small windows when they get bad and the 40% deet still works great and keeps them off of us. I still use it sparingly though because I hate having anything on my skin, sunscreen deet whatever.

 

[North of 60]

If you want to use the thermacell, i've used them in tree stands (climbing sticks and lock-ons) for many years and it worked well....will also work in a box stand or a pop-up ground blind.

I hate those damn skeeters.

 

[North of 60]

I get less than others (probably 30%) because of how much i trim to clean all game when de-boning to please the missus.

 

[ethanbillingsley]

I live in SC and in February skeeters are the last of my worries lol. I don't know what its like Texas in feb but normally its so dang cold skeeters aren't a concern of mine. I'd be more worried about weather conditions and correlating clothing choices. I will say I don't think hogs like the scent of the thermacell but then again I guess its all relative to your distance from your feed and the wind direction.

 

[North of 60]

I missed the time frame...if the hunt is in February, I'm with Ethan...you shouldn't have to worry much about a skeeter problem.

 

[cameronroach94]

Just play the wind. Cool aid works. Hogs are not smart animals. Especially if they are being fed.

 

[Aces11]

Hopefully I get a chance to make some hog sausage. I will be hunting Feb 17-21. I have always had luck with thermacells in tree stands bear hunting in Canada.

 

[North of 60]

Aces, that will be a great time of year. Bring the thermacell just in case and i really doubt you will need it.

Smoked wild/domestic pig sausage is great and i'm eating some smoked deer sausage as i type

 

[RWT]

17HMR this morning.

 

[RWT]

Another victim of the 17HMR this one was about 100lbs and ran 30’yards. I didn’t put it in his ear this time. More along the neck.

Shot 2 the night before with the thermal. Couldn’t find one but had a huge amount of blood trail. Found it the next morning after the yotes got it. I didn’t look hard for it as we had light rain with heavy lighting and more hard rain coming per radar. I was skeerrrreeeddd enough of the lighting I headed back to the house. Standing on the highest spot on my place with a large metal wand in my hand had me thinking I should head to the house and find them in the morning

 

[chancey]

Nice work! I’ve never hunted them over bait but kill quite a few hogs every year. We have a depredation permit at the ranch I hunt and will set a trap from time to time if we have a big group and everyone wants to take a hog home. We do spot and stalk, good times for sure.