New to posting on this site, but have been reading it for a while. I figured this would be a good time to ask a question, has anyone hunted for hogs in the Sam Houston National Forest area? I live on the south side of Houston and have been thinking of buying the public hunting permit from TPWD but I'm not sure what the hunting is really like on the public lands. Anyone have any experience here? I know much of the land access under the public permit is dove and duck but I was thinking there should be some pigs somewhere. Thanks in advance.

The hog and coyote hunting there is open year round and no bag limits. I've been through there maybe a half dozen times just scouting around mostly but never ran across any. Saw lots of signs of them but didn't really have the time to stay and hunt them. Get you a permit and go for it. Being that close it would be good hunting I think.

I don't think Sam Houston National Forest is type 2 land and requires a permit. Not all the National Forests are covered under the type 2 permit. Another one is The Big Thicket. You need to look into it if you plan on going. I hunted deer there years ago and didn't see hog signs but did see a few deer.

I live right on the border of the forest and the hogs are hit or miss. I havent seen any in about 5 months. They usually dissapear from my area around deer season but show back up in Jan. This year they just havent showed up. Your best bet is find some swampy areas and wait until just before dark.

Thanks for the tip on the Big Thicket. I noticed SHNF was in the book that you get when you buy the permit so I figured you had to have the permit to hunt there, I'll check into it a little more.

Thanks for the response everyone, I picked up a new gun in December and have been looking for a place to hunt some pigs.

txcruiser-I sent you a PM.

Sam Houston does require the Annual Public Hunting Permit (APH)...what requires the APH permit in the National Forests are the Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) and the entire Sam Houston National Forest is a WMA. The only one that does not have a WMA in it or that requires an APH is the LBJ National Grasslands.

The Big Thicket is National Park Service land and you will need to contact them on their requirements...they have a drawing/permit for deer.

Yep that is right when you get you APH the booklet will tell you where you can hunt, when you and hunt, what you can hunt and what means you can use.

I live about a mile and a half from the SHNF and it is not all permit required!!! The area near me is type1 and the Kickapoo Creek area is mostly type2 which does require a permit. I have seen hogs, but not many and you would pretty much either have to go on a walking/stalk or find out the area that they seem to be frequenting most and wait til dark. The hogs in the SHNF are very nocturnal and you are lucky to see one.