Several family members and myself recently conducted a hog hunt with Affordable Outfitters in Bryson, TX. We contracted for the 2 1/2 day hunt. All four of us are experienced hunters, both rifle and bow. We are, however, brand new to hog hunting as well as hunting in Texas. We checked in on Monday and settled into the rustic cabin. That evening we paired up to hunt two separate blinds placed about 80-100 yards from feeders. The feeders each had portable (not there every day) motion-activated green lights. We hunted from 6 PM to midnight. One pair saw a few deer and raccoons, but no pigs. The other pair saw nothing. On night number 2 we switched to two other blind-feeder-portable green light setups. We hunted from 6 PM to 1 AM. Same result. One pair saw a few deer and some really fat raccoons, but not one pig. The other pair saw a couple of raccoons but no pigs or deer.

So here's my question: I know that pigs are very smart and cautious. I understand they are very wary of any human presence such as light or scent. The outfitter warned us to not use our cell phones in the blinds (we didn't) because the pigs would see the light and avoid the feeder. Researching hog hunting on the internet indicates that hogs will sense light, colored or white, and react to it. It seems to me that strapping some portable lights onto the feeders guaranteed we wouldn't see any pigs. Does anyone else have that same impression or experience?

There are several factors that play into pigs and feeder lights, especially if the lights haven't been up long enough for the pigs to grow accustomed to them.
It also could just be that there were no pigs traveling through on those nights. If the pigs do come in and get spooked by the lights, you'll often see or hear something as they scamper away after triggering the light. The motion sensors will usually allow the pigs to get within the area illuminated by the lights before turning them on.

I have never seen a hog react to a feeder light. You can shine a red or green light at them and they don't even know it. There were no pigs where you were or they smelled you. They move miles in a day. Could have come in right as you left. They are predictable until they get shot at. Then they are the most unpredictable animal.

I think the portability of the lights was the flaw. When the outfitter drove us out to the blinds, that was when he installed the motion sensor lights. So they would be new to that feeder setup. We saw deer both nights who did scamper to the fringes when the lights came on. The big fat raccoons didn't care and just chowed down, as did one possum on the second night. But no pigs ever showed up.

A lot of postings on the internet would disagree with you. I was reading about the virtues and drawbacks of red or green spotting lights versus night vision scopes versus thermal scopes. Most of the posters said that the pigs would react to any sort of light that came on, suddenly or gradually. Perhaps if the feeder lights were there and on 24/7/365 the pigs would get used to them. But I think the change in the feeder setup from night to night and the sudden lights when the sensors were triggered convinced the pigs to stay away.

As far as smell, we were 80-100 yards downwind of the feeders in permanent blinds. No smokers in the group, and we're all pretty careful about scent control on our hunting clothes.

Trail cams indicated that no pigs came in after we left the first night. I never did hear back from the outfitter as to trail cam activity after we left on the second night. If there had been, I'm sure he would have let us know. He was pretty good about sending us current photos prior to the hunt.

Next time you guys get down this way, give a shout on the forum here. For what you guys paid, you can buy yourselves a guided weekend hunt using thermal scopes.

I have lights on both of my feeders, both are motion sensor. It takes time for them to get used to it as well as deer, the hogs and deer i see stay under the light with no issues. in my opinion where you hunted it wasnt the light that did it unless they saw it go on due to the coons or deer activating it, then they just stayed away. Or they were just not in the area. It happens. i went on saturday, cam showed hogs ever day for a week at 7pm, what happened, nothing, no hogs. You just never know.

skunked. It happens. You cant always be a hero when you are a guide. Some days you are a zero. It just comes with the territory when dealing with wild animals you really have no control over.

I have both dusk to dawn and motion lights set up at my feeders, but they are permanent. Hogs have been shot under all of them. I think the green causes less issues than white light with the smarter old boars. In the future I am going to all green light and dusk to dawn set ups.

Thanks for the tip, Dragonuv. We will surely do that.

I hunt varmint pretty often out of East TX and use a Sniper Hawg Exterminator II light for one of my areas. I've done my fair share of research on the internet and with my experience hunting I would have to disagree. Lighting is very effective. I think the first mistake was having those lights put out right before your hunt. That is bound to scare any hog and deer off in most cases. Usually within a week or two they will get used to it as noted above. When you gradually illuminate a hog i believe this works great as well. I have seen it work countless times with a light mounted on a gun. I advocate for red lighting and what I appreciate most about my light system is that it stays illuminated from dusk to dawn every night rather then being motion activated. That is not to say that motion censored lights don't work though.

http://texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/topic/499462/gonew/1


They seem to be consistent , not sure if it's the lights or the pressure

I have noticed it takes 2-3 days at least for the pigs to get acclimated to a new light setup. But by day 4, their stomach overrides their caution in regard to light. I use the 30% illuminating green light that jumps to 100% when the motion triggers it. But as another poster mentioned, once they have been shot at - dang they get tough to pattern. (Unpredictable is a pattern. LOL)