Hog Hunting Rant

So I'm fairly new to Texas and am used to having my own land to hunt, family land, and plenty of state land. Texas isn't like that and it can cost a bit to set up a lease to harvest white tail. I get it. Everything costs money. I'm a student and money is tight but I still want to hunt and I'm willing to save up, just not spend a fortune.

I work at an outdoors store in the DFW area, and I love meeting other avid outdoors men. All I hear at work all day is how much hogs are destroying and overrunning anything and they are a pain in everyone's' [censored]. So I try to seize the day and offer to come over and shoot some, assuring that I'll clean up after myself. As soon as I offer, all of a sudden here come the excuses. They backtrack and suddenly their land isn't huntable, the hogs aren't that bad, or they want to make a few hundred bucks off of me per day. Ughhh... If they're that bad, shouldn't you be paying me to kill them?

I'll get off my butt and do some searching for leases after the summer heat passes and fork out the cash to do some hunting, but I'm tired of all this hog talk.

ta THF.. what kinda hunten u do ? Rifle. archery ? their is some WMA public land... check lower in form Public Hunting Form ... know the feeling of tight budget hunting.. best Wishes

The problem isn't with the landowners. Everybody and their dogs want to come hunt hogs for free. If you want to hunt hogs so bad, shouldn't you be paying to hunt them?

Yes, hogs are a problem. Hogs are also a commodity. Lots of people have come before you making the same unverified claims about how they will clean up after themselves. Usually the claims also include being safe and secure. Then landowners find gates left open, garbage left behind, and things with bullet holes in them that should not have bullet holes. Letting you hunt on their land as their agent for the purpose of getting rid of hogs does present some potential liability concerns. You did explain to these people to whom you volunteered your services that you were fully bonded, yes?

Just because folks have a problem does not mean that they trust you or believe you.

If you want to hunt for free, you need to understand your position relative to landowners and the fact that you are just another person making the same offer. You aren't special. Heck, we ALL want to hunt for free. We have all volunteered to help others and have been turned down. Second, take the time to earn a landowner's trust. Third, you need to understand that until you earn trust, you may not be considered any less of a nuisance than the hogs.

Those people who made the excuses to you...they were being polite.

Just remember, they don't know you from Adam...I gather you are young (you being a student)....Where are you going to school? Are these people locals? ...if so, go hang out at the local café early when they all gather to drink coffee....get to know them and let them get to know you....you would be surprised what doors (and gates) this might open for you....

...end of rant!

So, I'll go to the hog section of a world wide internet site and complain about hog talk.

There is plenty of Corps of Engineer land within a hour. Try calling the corps offices and get leads. They get calls from time to time of homeowners with hog problems. Head out to small farming communities and hang out in the local cafeand try to build a repore with the local farmers. HUNTING FREE IS ONE OF THREE THINGS- Public Land, A good buddy that owns land and gives you a invite, Or a homeowner or farmer With a problem. IF YOU HAPPEN TO FIND A FARMER YOU CAN EXPECT TO BE THERE WHEN HE NEEDS YOU, SUCH AS PLANTING SEED CORN IT CAN BE MORE OF A JOB INSTEAD OF HOBBY FOR THE FARMERS. quit ranting and start barking up the right trees. Good Luck.

I think that you missed my point. I don't mind paying, at all and I plan to throw down dome cash this winter. I'm just not convinced individuals have hog problems that bad when they won't take offered help. I hear farmers say all day that they'd pay people to shoot 'em. I just never actually see it.

That's actually not a bad idea. I don't get out of the city much, but I was thinking about getting into the small towns and meeting some people. I'm not much of a city slicker. Like I said, I'm very new to Texas and the culture has taken a getting used to as far as the hunting but I'm adjusting. Clam down with the caps. I plan on paying for land this winter, but my point was that I think that the locals are sometimes misleading with the issue, and it irritates me.

Did you not see my post? I said that I would pay. I'm pointing out that land owner behavior is not consistent with someone who has a huge hog problem. Just because folks have a problem does not mean that they trust you or believe you. I understand trust. Many of these guys are usually buying a gun or something from me every few weeks or so and I see them sometimes as often as weekly.

Here is the thing unless you have a 5k-10k thermal able to take 15-20 hogs a night your not going to be able to help the farmer much going up to a farmer with a day scope and a dream does not set you apart from the other thousands of yahoos wanting to do the farmer a favor. Heck the farmer can go out himself and kill one or two hogs with a day scope. But to fix his issue you need to take 15-20 hogs a night minimum for weeks. I have seen single group of pigs in the thirties at my blind while my buddy is getting the same thing half a mile away.

Bingo. Whenever you can show a land owner that you have gone out and killed 15-20 hogs a night consistently, it is my experience that they start to listen. Referrals from neighbors are also a great way to get in the door on new land and increase the amount of land you can hunt in one spot.

Being a Hill Country landowner myself, I generally agree with a lot of what some of the others have said about getting offers from tons of individuals to come take care of my hog problem. Only those few I know and trust are allowed to hunt on my place. I don't know you and you might be a great guy, but I suggest you follow the advice of several folks who have suggested you work to get to know landowners and maybe they'll let you take some hogs (or other game). I can tell you this, waiting until the end of the summer to look for a lease for this fall is going to make it very tough for you to do so. In fact, unless you get real lucky, you might already be too late.

As others here have stated, hunting for free is a somewhat rare privilege. I'm fortunate to have a long-time friend whom I've known for over 30 years who bought several hundred acres of mostly wooded land. Before either of us even thought about hunting hogs, I helped him with plumbing, land clearing, and mowing, and I still operate his tractor more hours each year than he does. Over several years I got to know some of the neighbors, and eventually they gave me permission to shoot hogs on their land on a limited basis. I say "shoot" instead of "hunt" because even thought we've gotten to know each other, I really only have the okay to shoot hogs that I see from my friend's property. I don't wander their land searching for hogs.

Getting permission is tough. You can try posting on Craigslist, but I'd suggest simply mentioning to your friends and acquaintances that you've hunted before, and sure wish you could find a place to hunt hogs here in Texas. Your friends may just hear of or know someone who wants some hogs gone, and a reference from a friend whom the rancher already knows is worth quite a bit. It may never turn out, and if it does it probably won't have fast results, but on occasion I've been offered a place to hunt simply because someone who knows me mentioned to one of their friends that they knew someone trustworthy who shoots hogs.

Good Luck,
--

just go door ta door, ask permission ta try take a hog for en & chillen ... worst they can do is say no... After all the hogs are not your problem... cost's you gas & time & remember they probly have family & friends that are wiling ta help... i've had great success on public land...

Just remember there are hundreds if not thousands of guys out there saying the same thing. You have to set yourself apart and stand out in a good not bad way. Lots of good advise above.

If a land owner has a true hog problem he'll pay you to eradicate them.

If you're paying to hunt hogs the land owner does not have a hog problem.

X2

I don't know if I am onboard with that. Problem or not, hog hunting has become very popular. It is a huge driving force in the night vision market. For landowners it has become a commodity. Something to earn income off of. Many have figured that out. No reason to let someone hunt for free when they are lining up to pay. Your hogs are dead or pressured off the property for a while either way. There are arguments against this for sure...and some have been stated here, but cash is still king...and often wins the day. Just because you have a problem doesn't mean you let folks hunt free. It can be an opportunity, depending on a number of factors.

LeadKisses

I've heard of landowners complain about hogs but very few will allow strangers on to their
properties to hunt for free.

If you're willing to pay to hunt hogs I can hook you up for $250 a weekend. PM me your info , we'll chat

Are you leasing your lease San?

wish i had hog problems ... i could use the extra bucks...

Hehe!

I did some trading with a landowner many years ago where I would work for a chance to hunt. I was an electrician and I wired up a barn and added lights and outlets here and there. I almost became better than family when he saw gates had been fixed, trash was picked up, and blinds had been repaired when I would go out hunting. And he got a report every day on what I saw or shot. I can still call and go hunting there any time I want.
So, if you have a trade that can get your foot in the door, it might be worth a try.

No , I m not leasing out my lease or land

Just a weekend thing for folks that want to kill some hogs

You bought some land?

Yes

Good on ya...

Yes sir! That's what I'm talking about. I have hunted several properties including the property that I mainly hunt deer on now because I was given an opportunity to prove myself as someone who cared about the land and did things that needed to be done when it was hot, or cold, or raining, whatever, and everyone else had excuses as to why they didn't help with anything in the off season. If given the chance step up, bust your butt, and do things without being told to within reason. That sort of thing goes a long way especially when a land owner is really in need. Need to re-wire the barn and put in lights & receptacles/panel....done. Need to mow, need to paint, need to fix the septic, fix the fence, fix the tractor, fix the AC, trim trees clear brush, help with the cows, pick up trash that's not yours...etc. If you meet someone who is needing help be straight up with them that you are looking for a place to hunt, you are on a low budget, but are willing to work to earn your keep. There are actually LO's out there who are looking for just that, just have to meet them.

You know, I tried that once, letting people come out and shoot hogs cause they were a problem. For Free.
Here's what happens.
I had feeders out, but being deer season was long past, they were all empty.
First thing I would hear was, "Your feeders are empty"!!!
Or, Once Someone committed to come out and hunt and we were talking, they would ask if there were any feeders on the place and if they had corn in them. I would then tell them no. Then they would say would you mind putting corn in them and we will pay for the corn when we get there or they wanted me to dump corn out a week before they came and pay for the corn when they get there. Being the guy I am, I did, and end up short of money that I spent for them.
Another thing that would happen, have somebody talk me into putting corn out, plan a weekend, I make the 3 hour drive out there to meet them and wait. About an hour or so after the arrival time has past, I call the guy only for him to tell me he can't make it that weekend. Doesn't bother calling me to let me know. Then, the ones that did come, I would have to pick up dang ole piss bottles left at the stands that we had set up for deer hunting. After a few of these "free hunts", I had enough.
So what did me and my brother start doing? We started selling hog hunts. Worked out better this way. Knowing I got paid, picking up trash didn't seem all that bad then. And if they didn't show up, I still had the deposit, which paid for my gas up there and back.

That's a shame, but that's not what always happens. In addition to all of the work, I also keep 7 feeders going year round out of my pocket but we shoot deer and pigs on this place and I can take my kids that's why I do it. The LO can come and take his kids. It's normally a fun family environment. Been on a number of paid deer leases with outside members that didn't work out in the past. Got my foot in the door with these folks almost 20 yrs ago. We take care of the place, even mowed and trimmed their family cemetery down the road the other day when it was 100 degrees. That's what I was talking about when I said to step up. I don't pay for pig removal on other properties, that's business not pleasure .

No, it isn't always what happens, but it happens with enough frequency to scare off landowners such that most are not apt to just let any new person hunt their place for free to purportedly take care of a problem. The guest hunter is seen as more trouble than the hog problem.

That's so sad. Some people just don't have that sense of community anymore, they want a handout without giving anything back. I wish I had a trade so I could help out someone with land and let me hunt. But, I have a white collar job and have no tools to help out someone with their land. So, most of the time I have to pay for hog hunting but most of the time the outfitter cannot guarantee hogs and I end up wasting time and money and feeding hogs/deer for other people.

If you've found a LO/Hunter and have a great relationship, do not lose it. It is hard to find that anymore.

outfitter cannot guarantee a kill as that's not hunting,,, it's called shooting
There are places that do that, fenced in hogs, no where to go, you pick and choose which grocery hog you want

if anybody out there want to trade hard labor for hog hunt
I'll make them a deal

I've got deep ruts in the road from all the rain back in May
I need cedars cut, trunks limbed, drag and fill in ruts so vehicles can drive over
without bottoming out

need dirt shovel to fill on top of trunks

it's hot out there, I don't expect anybody to work non stop , there will
be water breaks etc ... but come prepare to put in some honest work

hunt starts at 7pm to midnight or when you can't take it anymore
bring your green laser, night vision, thermal

I can be reached through PM

I meant that there are some outfitters offering these hog hunts but when you show up at the place, there are no tracks and feeders look unattended.

I've found the vast majority of places that have "too many hogs" don't have a population you can count on. The hogs may come through every few days or weeks, and do some damage while there, but are rarely around when you are hunting. I have been a couple places that were exceptions to that rule. You will get sick of cleaning them on those type of places.

I have 13 feeders on my place

4 I personally refill every 2 months
drop corn 6x a day

my cams will have 2000 - 8000 pics of them coming out every day/night

I would like to see that. How about running the pics together in Movie Maker or some other video program and posting them to YouTube? That would be cool.

I don't have time

I understand that, and is often the case.

hunting WMA have freedom ta hit the out of the way places thick area's, were the hogs are beded & little pressure..Surrounding private land has 24-7-365 pressure & hogs go ta WMA ta escape. Ya still help the surrounding are,finding hogs is the easy part... Work is getting em out for en & chillen.. Its like some one said bout deer leases, gotta pay ta play ... some hunt for food, others play games...

I always found out at an early age that if you want to hunt something there is usually a trade off to do so. I made lots of friends with farmers offering to help them haul their hay or fix fences. Hunted a lot of land AFTER I paid the price to hunt in free labor. I am not talking one time deal either as several summers of high school I would help out for just a chance to do some hunting. Nothing was guaranteed but if you work hard to help them then they will help you. God Bless!

Hogs have rooted a large area on the north side of my pastures. This was a problem when trying to mow. Very rough ground and I had to go slow on the tractor.
The problem with hunting them is that they come at night and are very unpredictable as to when they will show up. Haven't seen any fresh rooting lately. Another problem is horses and donkeys in the pasture. I would love to be able to go out and kill every one of them or get someone to do it. It's just not that easy. So you see even though I would like to see these hogs eradicated, I would not know when to have a hunter come and check it out. Someone would waste a lot of time trying to hunt my place. So much time that they would probably just give up.

Build a trap on your place......Set it and be sure to have water inside the pen so you do not have to check it everyday. I have a round trap set that is very large and I have at least 50 gallons of water in each of mine so I don't have to check them everyday. you might do the same as just a suggestion.

Yes, my in-laws own 700 acres in southern Al. I go up every spring and hunt the opening week of spring turkey season. I get to hunt the land for free. I go out every morning about 1.5 hours before daylight, take a guess as to whether I'll have better luck on the south side of the highway or the north side of the highway that divides the property and head out. I'm usually back at the ranch house by 9 or 10:00 at the latest. The rest of the day, I help out working the cows, putting out hay, or building fence, till dark or later. I don't ever get to roost the birds most of the times. My father in-law thinks I'm crazy wasting half the day chasing a bird. But they feed me well, and some days I get lunch. Oh by the way I love turkey hunting.