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.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.
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.
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 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.
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. LOLI 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.
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. LOLMaybe 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.