Texas public land hogs

[Big_wals]

Howdy! Im new to this this forum and also new to Texas. Anyone have tips for places to find hogs? I have a little private land i can hunt, but I'd like to find some other areas. Using a trad bow btw. Thanks!

 

[wytx]

Go east .
Some lakes allow hog hunting in certain areas. Check with the Corp of Engineers.

 

[Gorp2007]

If you're in the San Antonio area and have a DOD ID card you can hunt Camp Bullis. No stands and no bait, but they've got pigs.

 

[TxxAgg]

There isn't much public land in TX. But hogs are everywhere. Pick the closest public place to you and walk upwind. You'll bump into some.

 

[Newtosavage]

wytx is correct. 4 National Forests in E Texas, and all have hogs and all have riverbottoms and lakes where hogs frequent. There are also the COE lakes as he mentioned.

Honestly, if you can't find feral hogs on public land in Texas, I suggest taking two weeks off from hunting, and then quit.

 

[Big_wals]

Thanks for the info! Im in Western TX and haven't been able to find much public land yet. Guess maybe itll be a good excuse to go camping and hunt on the east side!

 

[Felix40]

It will be fun camping with the snakes and mosquitoes this time of year.

 

[TexEnv700]

Check the TPWD site. Nearly all the WMA's (state owned) you have to be actively engaged in another hunt, deer for example, then if you happen upon a hog you can take it. This used to be the case anyway. The WMA near my house used to have a hog season but it was shotgun only. Most Corps and the little forest service land (less than an hour from me) is pretty much fair game as far as I know, but most of it is extremely thick. We've been slammed with rain here too so that could cause issues with access with flooded roads and a lot of the bottoms being just pure muck.

 

[TexEnv700]

Also, like Felix said, our east Texas river bottoms and areas surrounding lakes are FULL of snakes, cottonmouths especially. Hogs eat snakes interestingly enough. For what it's worth, I've seen more snakes hog hunting in the warmer months that I have pigs. If you don't hunt them at night on crops/pasture, you'll have to stalk them in the brush which can be difficult to sneak up on them and the brush is usually very thick and holds lots of snakes.

 

[Newtosavage]

I have hunted feral pigs in Texas for over 30 years, year-round. I can still count on one hand the number of VENEMOUS snakes I've come across while pig hunting. Snakes? Sure. I expect to see those. But venemous snakes are very rare, even in the bottomlands that pigs frequent.

Of course, for some people, one snake of any kind is too many.

Bigger issue is mosquitoes. They can be brutal in places where there is not much wind, esp. during the hours pigs are most likely to be seen. Thermacells help a lot with those.

As for TPWD WMA's, most of them have opened up pig hunting quite a bit. Some even allow baiting for pigs outside of the deer season. So it pays to look up the regs.

 

[WhiskyTangoFoxtrot]

Not sure what's in West TX for public land but we lived in Southeast TX for 14 years and hunted the Sam often and saw lots of pigs.

 

[Newtosavage]

Not sure what's in West TX for public land but we lived in Southeast TX for 14 years and hunted the Sam often and saw lots of pigs.

There are a few state WMA's in west central TX that may offer pig hunting. If I were closer to San Angelo, I'd hunt the WMA around those reservoirs.

 

[Felix40]

I have hunted feral pigs in Texas for over 30 years, year-round. I can still count on one hand the number of VENEMOUS snakes I've come across while pig hunting. Snakes? Sure. I expect to see those. But venemous snakes are very rare, even in the bottomlands that pigs frequent.

Of course, for some people, one snake of any kind is too many.

Bigger issue is mosquitoes. They can be brutal in places where there is not much wind, esp. during the hours pigs are most likely to be seen. Thermacells help a lot with those.

As for TPWD WMA's, most of them have opened up pig hunting quite a bit. Some even allow baiting for pigs outside of the deer season. So it pays to look up the regs.

I went last weekend at a wma in east texas and saw 8 moccasins in about an hour on the first evening. No telling how many other snakes.

 

[TexEnv700]

I went last weekend at a wma in east texas and saw 8 moccasins in about an hour on the first evening. No telling how many other snakes.

I can’t think of a time when I’ve been hunting on the South Sulphur River in warm weather where I didn’t see a moccasin. Never had one act threatening, I just stayed clear and went on my way.

 

[Newtosavage]

I went last weekend at a wma in east texas and saw 8 moccasins in about an hour on the first evening. No telling how many other snakes.

I am not sure how much experience you have correctly identifying snakes, of if your luck is just that bad, but I've worked in the outdoors and grew up in E Texas for most of my life. I've yet to see 8 moccasins in an hour even in the locations I've worked/hunted where they were plentiful. My guess is you were seeing water snakes and maybe a few moccasins. I'm not trying to insult you but honestly, most people don't know the difference between water snakes (of which there are many) and moccasins. Mocassins, despite their common name, are rarely found in the water. But every time the typical person sees a snake in the water, it's automatically a "water moccasin."

I'm not suggesting people be careless, but there are a lot fewer harmful snakes out there than most people realize. And you are more likely to be struck by lightning than to be struck by a venemous snake.

 

[Felix40]

I am not sure how much experience you have correctly identifying snakes, of if your luck is just that bad, but I've worked in the outdoors and grew up in E Texas for most of my life. I've yet to see 8 moccasins in an hour even in the locations I've worked/hunted where they were plentiful. My guess is you were seeing water snakes and maybe a few moccasins. I'm not trying to insult you but honestly, most people don't know the difference between water snakes (of which there are many) and moccasins. Mocassins, despite their common name, are rarely found in the water. But every time the typical person sees a snake in the water, it's automatically a "water moccasin."

I'm not suggesting people be careless, but there are a lot fewer harmful snakes out there than most people realize. And you are more likely to be struck by lightning than to be struck by a venemous snake.

I have a masters in biology and worked for tpwd for 5 years before moving west. Pretty sure I can identify a water moccasin.

Ive had two dogs bit by venomous snakes...so far no lightning strikes.

 

[Newtosavage]

I have a masters in biology and worked for tpwd for 5 years before moving west. Pretty sure I can identify a water moccasin.

Ive had two dogs bit by venomous snakes...so far no lightning strikes.

Well we have some things in common then. You are one unlucky guy if you ask me. I'm not following you around the woods. LOL

Oh, and most people still can't tell the difference between water moccasins and water snakes.

 

[Felix40]

Well we have some things in common then. You are one unlucky guy if you ask me. I'm not following you around the woods. LOL

Oh, and most people still can't tell the difference between water moccasins and water snakes.

Maybe unlucky but I think its pretty standard. I grew up hunting all those bottomland public properties and have always seen snakes. I did kill 5 hogs over the weekend so at least Im not unlucky in that regard.

OP, there are plenty of hogs on all the public land in East Texas. Just hunt the bottoms. If you arent seeing sign move somewhere else.

Hot tip, most of the public requires orange even if you are bowhunting so figure that out in advance.

 

[Newtosavage]

Maybe unlucky but I think its pretty standard. I grew up hunting all those bottomland public properties and have always seen snakes. I did kill 5 hogs over the weekend so at least Im not unlucky in that regard.

OP, there are plenty of hogs on all the public land in East Texas. Just hunt the bottoms. If you arent seeing sign move somewhere else.

Hot tip, most of the public requires orange even if you are bowhunting so figure that out in advance.

I think you must be looking for snakes and I don't. Not sure what else could explain it. 40+ years of tromping around the bottoms of E. Texas and coastal marshes, where we both know there are plenty of venemous snakes, and I can still clearly recall nearly every venemous snake encounter I've had in those 40+ years. Maybe I've just been lucky. LOL

I see plenty of snakes. More than most folks. I'm usually the one in my group that's pointing them out to the other hunters or hikers or employees that are with me. But the ratio of venemous to non-venemous snakes I see is about 1:20 or even 1:30