# General > General Guns & Ammo >  Wild Hog Hunting Report

## jim Glass

Placed out bait on 11/11,   After ten days no hog signs and no trailcam pictures.   The locals say the summer was so wet food supplies are abundant deep in the jungle.   Spent Thanksgiving in Palm Coast 
Learned Palm Coast has a wild hog problem.    Experts here say the swamps have elevated 
Water levels driving hogs out of swamps to higher ground like Palm Coast.    Got me thinking Crystal River m
had a storm surge from hurricane Michael.      The hogs may have left because they were flooded out
They will be back

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## Bishop

The hogs are feeding on acorn's right now they don't get any thing from corn other than a full belly if you go out to some of these parking lots with oak tree and sweep up the acorns and put them out.

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## jim Glass

Heard the acorn theory before.    Considered collecting some.   My problem right now 
Is the hogs just arent out there.    Normally people report seeing them almost every day

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## Bishop

Where you hunt at is there a lot of scrub oaks?

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## jim Glass

I brewed up some mash and also placed out apples. I have had a trail camera on my bait pile for almost 4 weeks and not even a picture of a hog. Lots of deer, raccoons, possum on the camera, no hogs. The coyotes seem to have left the area. The deer or some animal enjoyed the apples though. I setup another bait pile and camera a half mile away and no activity at all on that camera not even a raccoon. 

 I rode my 10-speed bike through the Homosassa WMA and saw no wildlife at all even though the habitat looked ideal for hogs. Drove through the Gulf Hammock WMA, ideal habitat for hog but saw no evidences of hog activity. Met some hunters and they suggested
 Goethe state forest. Drove up hwy 121 and found rutting along the highway but not very much. In the past 4 weeks only 3 hogs were reported seen in the area, one in woods by a fellow hunter, 2 hogs seen crossing a highway into my lease. This is such a disappoint after last year when I saw hogs almost every day and night. Going back to Illinois for Christmas then return after Christmas. 

 If the hogs don't return after Chrstimas I'm taking up fishing.

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## Rick

Fishing for hogs is apt to be as disappointing as hunting for them. On the upside. If you do hook one they will probably put up one heck of a fight.

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

I roped one once.  My idea was that as the hog tried to run away I could guide it with the tension on the rope.  It all worked according to plan .... until the hog found the end of the rope.  I found out that day that you can't "push" with a rope... I found out that I could run pretty fast too!

Alan

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

Everything here is eating acorns.  We have a bumper acorn crop this year.  Doesn't do any good to gather them and put them out for bait.  There's just too many.

Alan

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## jim Glass

Last year hog hunting was amazing.    Wife and I on our way out to dinner would drive past the bait pile, if you knew just where to look through the jungle could see hogs in the bait pile an hour before sundown.  My wife was not the least bit impressed.  With my thermo imaging scope I could see hogs in the bait pile walking out to the tree stand.   I saw hogs during the day out of the corner of my eye while working on my blind.   Reminds me I need to post a picture of the blind.

This month I can't even get a picture of a hog.   I'll be back after Christmas, I hope the hogs have the acorn ate up by then.    What I don't understand is deer like acorns so why do I have deer in my bait pile
of corn but no hogs??

I built this blind single handedly.    The roof was a new addition this year.   The roof already kept me dry during a brief rain.   The main idea of a roof was to keep  the blind materials dry as possible.

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The roof lowers to help shed water and resist winds.

Last is my AR-15 mounting for the blind.   Those small brass thumb screws are for elevation adjustments.   It also swivels for looking left and right.    The Pulsar XQ38 thermo imaging scope has a WIFI connection so I can look through the scope with my cell phone while sitting in a padded lawn chair.  That may sound good but it works best holding the rifle and viewing through the scope.    All I need is some wild hogs


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## Rick

There's your problem. The dang hogs have probably hacked your thermal imaging scope and are sitting at home looking at the bait pile too.

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## jim Glass

> There's your problem. The dang hogs have probably hacked your thermal imaging scope and are sitting at home looking at the bait pile too.


Ya, probably eating a bowl of acorns at the same time.    On the brighter side I heard hogs on a diet of
acorns have the best tasting meat. 

I'm thinking of conjuring up a way to collect acorns to use as bait for later in the spring or next year.
I have seen round wire baskets with a handle made for collecting nuts.    A couple of trees in the RV resort have dropped a few million acorns waiting to be collected.   A friend suggested using a vacuum  cleaner to pick them up or I could tough it out and simply rake them up

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## crashdive123

Find somebody in the RV park with little kids and give them a dollar for every basket they fill.

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

I coulda sworn I posted something about acorn mast fat on hogs, but I guess not. 

Anyway, When we get good acorn years the hogs will just about eat nothing else and they wax fat like nobody's business!  Our wild (feral) hogs down here won't hardly put on any fat any other way.  

The acorn mast fat is almost pure white and they can put on as much as an inch across their hams,backs and sides.  In years past I would give some good fat hogs to some of the older hispanic women and they would make tamales.  They'd give me tamales for the meat.  Not many women make tamales down here any more and they cost so much ($10/doz) that they just want to use minimal meat and maximum profit.  The last time  did it I provided all the meat and paid $2/doz for the making.  Back in the day it didn't cost anything.  Just half the meat paid for my tamales.  You can make lots of tamales from a 300# hog.  

It's been over five years since I've killed a deer or a hog.  This year will likely be 6... I'm the only one who eats it in this house anyway.  Easier just to buy pork chops.

Alan

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## Bishop

Was out on the shore line and there are a lot of hogs there.

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## jim Glass

> Was out on the shore line and there are a lot of hogs there.


Can you tell me what shore line?   Do you mean the Gulf shore line in general?    I'm only 2 miles from the backwaters of the Gulf and 6 miles from the Gulf itself.

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## Bishop

Yes the gulf shores line in between Yankee town and cedar key also devil's hammock they have been rooting up the ditch out side of it on State road 24

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## jim Glass

Ok, I have heard Cedar Key is Florida's "hog heaven".   Was there last year and ran into  a fellow hog hunter on the street.  He bought 
30 acres just for a place to hog hunt.    I would love to have a place at Cedar Key for hog hunting but that would be 60 miles away.

Heading back to Illinois Sunday where I'll plan my next wild hog attack for after Christmas.    Plan to order some acorn hog  bait.   Several kinds out there for sale.   Also some "sow urine".    Thinking about some kind of bait delivery system.

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## Rick

Have a safe trip and a joyous holiday.

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## jim Glass

Now I have a trespasser caught on camera.   This gives me  a warm fuzzy feeling knowing someone is wondering around on my lease while I'm hunting at night.

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Second picture, person must have been walking at a brisk pace.    Can someone identify the card on the persons neck.   It seems to have a distinct stripe on it.    Guy may have been on public hunting ground then decided to check out my lease after dark so the card could be a hunting license or something.

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

Does your camera flash or make a sound?

Alan

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## jim Glass

Has a infrared flash, easy to not see and the reaspasser was in a hurry

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

I guess if he had seen your camera he's have taken it or destroyed it.

Alan

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## jim Glass

Never know in Florida.    Doubtful he knew I was in there.    Not sure what ill Do if I catch him but it will be interesting.    Last guy I met in the woods didnt go well.    The only reason there was no violence is because I kept my cool, I was conceal carrying at the time.

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## Rick

No reason for violence. He may have not known he was on a lease unless you have signs up. Of course that blind would be a good indication I guess. And the bait piles might be a clue. On second thought what the @#$# was he doing out there!

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## crashdive123

Report it to the owner of the property and let him deal with it.

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## jim Glass

> No reason for violence. He may have not known he was on a lease unless you have signs up. Of course that blind would be a good indication I guess. And the bait piles might be a clue. On second thought what the @#$# was he doing out there!


My lease is a 1/2  mile from end to end.   The lease has no trespassing signs every 200 yards or so.   That guys knows darn well he was trespassing.   My blind is at the other end of the lease.    Both areas normally hold wild hogs.   My plan is to drive around at night with my thermo imaging scope and try to see the guy.    A human should be easy to see through the scope.   No rifle though.  If I see the guy, I'll call the police and catch him in the act at that time.    I know from experience the cops have a quick response time there.   There is probably a pickup truck parked somewhere to look for.   I know most of the cars and trucks in the area, a knew one will be easy to spot.    I can hear guns shots in the area from where my camper is parked in the RV resort.

Unfortunately I'm shivering again in Northern Illinois.

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## JohnLeePettimore

Are hunters to trespassing what smokers are to littering?

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## Rick

They sure are. Wait...what?

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## jim Glass

> Are hunters to trespassing what smokers are to littering?


In some areas this could be true.    I always had the understanding trespassing while hunting was a serious offense.   Since I'm not interested in going to court or paying fines I always worked  and played within the parameters of the law.   Plus I conducted boating and hunting safety course for the Illinois DNR for many years and felt I needed to also set a good example.   In Illinois it would be difficult to trespass without being seen or heard firing a gunshot without someone hearing the report, eventually you will be caught.

At the same time I have known people to commit serious offenses (Like credit card fraud) and receive very light sentences from the court.    People on another forum claim trespassing penalties are very light and well worth the risk so who knows for sure.    I did hear for a criminal trespass charge the defendant must appear in court, must have an attorney and most likely miss work.   So even if the defendant wins he losses.  Not the way I want to spend my money.

In Florida:   Trespass while in possession of a firearm is a felony punishable by imprisonment for up to five years and/or a fine up to $5,000.

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## crashdive123

The more serious consequence to his actions is that somebody could get killed.  While we all ensure the target that we are shooting at, does he do the same?  Does he shoot at movement?  If he has a blatant disregard for hunting regulations, my guess is that he is not a disciplined hunter.

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## JohnLeePettimore

> Are hunters to trespassing what smokers are to littering?





> They sure are. Wait...what?


You know the saying: "Smokers: the world is their ashtray."

Based on many YouTube videos, forum posts, and personal conversations, it seems to me that large numbers of hunters think the world is their hunting ground, regardless of ownership.

Not a judgment on hunting.  Just an observation about hunters.  I know hunters that respect property rights.  But there are a lot more hunters that I don't know.

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## chiggersngrits

What Crash said. If they will trespass, hunting out of season, at night, with illegal arms or other safety regulations probably mean nothing to them.

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## jim Glass

It isn't just smokers or hunters.    Dog walkers think the world is their dogs toilet.   Then there are fisherman fishing from shore that leave trash behind when they leave because the outdoors is their trash can.   I have heard countless property owners willing to share their property with others and the guests leave trash behind, cut fences, leave gates open, livestock killed or injured and the list goes on and on and we wonder why land owners want others to stay off their property.

People are idiots about the outdoors because they have never been anywhere or with someone that might teach them something.
I learned about the outdoors when I was in Boy Scouts, made it all the way to Eagle Scout, (1966).    Lived the scout way all my life.   People ask me why I do things like picking up trash, helping people, my answer is an easy one, "Because I'm and Eagle Boy Scout".   If you were never in scouts you probably wouldn't understand.

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## Rick

Congratulations, Jim, on earning your Eagle Scout. No small accomplishment and you have my respect for your achievement. My nephew is an Eagle Scout and when he interviewed at the electrical hall for apprentice lineman he told them his greatest accomplishment was earning his Eagle Scout award. One of the guys at the table doing the interview asked, "What the F is an Eagle Scout?" One of the other guys at the table doing the interview looked at him and said, "I'm an F'in' Eagle Scout." End of discussion. Yeah, some folks just don't understand.

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## JohnLeePettimore

I agree with you 100%, jim.

Congratulations on earning the Eagle. [gives three finger salute]

I made it to Star, but I quit.  I quit a lot of things when I was young.  I don't quit any more, but I learned some hard lessons farther down the road than I should have.

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## jim Glass

Thanks Rick.   People don't realize scouting is about working and learning and having fun as a consequence.   The very thing young people don't connect with and need the most.    Been over 50 years since I was awarded the Eagle badge and I remember earning all 21 of those merit badges.    People see me using a compass, tying knots, using a block and tackle and ask where I learned those things.   The boy scouts are part of what made me who and what I am.    As an adult the Eagle Scout award has often been my
key to opportunities

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## #1WVBonBonQueen

Oh yeah, I agree with this totally.
Our DNR has told the public that "if the trash continues, the stocking will stop." So that has really helped the leftovers from the fishing, but those who go to the lakes and sit and just look, still leave behind their Beer Cans, and there are many trash cans around the lakes too. 
I read a post on Facebook about a Parade, Hot chocolate cups being left on the ground after the parade, and what could be done about it.  I suggested the city put out more trash cans, but only on the night/evening of the parade. If they left them out, people would be saving money by depositing their personal trash in said cans.  
Don't know if the suggestions will be taken, but I did add that people who are not taught anything about personal respect, aren't going to respect anything else either. 
And yes, those dogs who are allowed to go potty anywhere and not cleaned up afterwards, their owners are disrespecting their own world too. So sad!!!!
Merry Christmas Y'all!!!!!!

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## jim Glass

Don't know what is wrong with people littering, I would never think of it.   One of the Eagle Boy Scout good deeds I do in Florida is clean up along the highways boardering my hunting lease.   Unbelievable the trash I collect, even found a working cell phone and a new fishing lure last year.   It's good P.R. for the locals see me picking up trash.  1/4 mile of road fills one large trash bag.  Another thing I do is tell people when they have a brake light not working, it's easy if I'm on the motorcycle.   Told my wife I was pulling along side a car with a brake light out and to tell the other driver about it.   Should have heard her whine and grown, "do I have to"?  Told her she married  me, makes her an Eagle Scout to.   After she spoke to the driver I asked her if she now has a warm fuzzy feeling inside?  Her reply, "I guess".

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

About once a month I'll hook the little garden trailer behind the mower and make the block picking up trash.  I'll usually get a trailer load.  I try to do it on Sunday morning when the main culprits will hear the mower running outside their house while I pick up one piece of trash at a time with my grabbers.  I think I'm only pretending they hear it and that they care.  I guess they really think they are doing me a favor though, because there's always more trash...

Alan

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## Rick

I used to work in people's homes...a long time ago. Trust me. Their homes look no better. They throw stuff down in them too and they don't pick up after themselves. Big Foot would have raised them better. For those of you that work in peoples homes, I know you know what I'm talking about.

As for Hunter, I wonder how many times the fire department as been called in Heaven? (chuckle).

St. Peter: Stop with the flint and steel already. 
Hunter: How was I supposed clouds burned? Do you guys have Karaoke?

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

The lady next door is a widow (78).  I cut her grass and help her out inside on stuff that I can do.  She has five little yapper type dogs that live inside with her.  I'll swear I don't know how people live like that.  The air inside the house is so stifling that IF you could breathe you would gag.  Fortunately when I try to inhale my lungs shut down and won't let me breathe.  One day she asked me if I would put a toilet seat on for her.... I told here I didn't have the right tools... I had to draw the line somewhere and I figured the toilet was as good as any a place to start.  

Alan

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## jim Glass

> The lady next door is a widow (78).  I cut her grass and help her out inside on stuff that I can do.  She has five little yapper type dogs that live inside with her.  I'll swear I don't know how people live like that.  The air inside the house is so stifling that IF you could breathe you would gag.  Fortunately when I try to inhale my lungs shut down and won't let me breathe.  One day she asked me if I would put a toilet seat on for her.... I told here I didn't have the right tools... I had to draw the line somewhere and I figured the toilet was as good as any a place to start.  
> Alan


Oh ya, the Eagle Boy Scout thing only goes so far!!!!    The Eagle hunkers down when situations start to smell bad.

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

I will help anyone with nearly anything legal, if I can.  But, if someone won't even provide for themselves basic cleanliness, I don't know what I can do except clean their house for them.  She's perfectly capable of cleaning the house, but she won't.  And she won't keep the dang dogs quiet either, in fact she encourages them to yap.

Alan

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## Rick

I wonder if I stood out in the yard yapping if the neighbors would be as offended as I am when their dog does it? I wonder if I crapped in my neighbor's yard if they would be as offended as I am when their dog does it. I wonder if I walked barefoot over the top of my neighbor's car leaving footprints on top of it if my neighbors would be as offended as I am when their cat does it? I wonder if I pee'd on my neighbor's favorite azalea bush if my neighbor would be as offended as I am when their dog does it to my flowers. Does give one pause to wonder. I am an old man. I could probably get away with some of this stuff a few times anyway. Hmmmm. This could be fun. A little cold at the moment for peeing outdoors, however......Pardon me, I feel a yap coming on.

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## #1WVBonBonQueen

I absolutely Hate to hear dogs yapping. And it seems that those who own them, don't hear it? Go figure, don't know how they can miss it.  My MIL used to have a bunch of little ankle biters and they yapped all the time, if someone came to the house, if someone left the house, you get the idea. 
My closest neighbor has had a bunch of big yappers, and we refer to them as "the dog people" as they too encourage the dogs to yap.  I don't mind during the day, but when they used to leave for their annual vacation the dogs would yap for either one or two weeks, for however they were gone. They even have some in the house, that you can hear, so I don't know how they stand it inside either.  
I think Rick has the best idea, go over and do unto others as others have done unto us, except they usually keep them yappers in the yard, they are not here in body, but now voice, that is a different thing.  I want to shoot the owners, not the dogs, the dogs have not been trained, it is the owners fault they are a nuisance to the area. imho

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## jim Glass

Received a text today from one of the guys hunting on my lease saying he killed a 60 lb hog.   Hopefully hog hunting is turning around finally.   Ordered a bunch of hog bait and sow urine on amazon.com.   Went to Cabela's today and bought more attractants that smell like acorns.   Looking into a unique bait delivery system, you guys are going to love it.     We go back to Florida in 12 days.

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## Rick

I'll bet the UPS guy is gonna love you. Every dog in the neighborhood will be chasing after his truck.

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

I've had dogs for nearly every day of my adult life.  ALL of them barked at something at one time or another.  They either learned as puppies or during the first week of residence, that barking HAD to be AT something, and that something HAD to be placing the entire ranch in eminent danger.  Because, for absolute sure, Eminent Danger was going to come out of the door with a gun, and something was going to have a hard time of it.  So, as the dog population "evolved" I came up with a group of dogs that would rather be locked in mortal combat with "Something" or "Anything" as opposed to being accused, tried and convicted of barking at Nothing!

The dog we have now only barks once when he hears the food tub open up in the evenings. He barks at nothing else unless he is absolutely sure eminent danger is at the gate.  If eminent danger does appear, he goes right through the roof and doesn't stop until eminent danger has hit third gear and accelerating.  The eminent danger thinks he's saying "Ima tear you limb from limb, Ima chew your butt out, Ima, Ima, Ima..... keel ya!"

Actually he is saying, "Food Man, Food Man, Food Man, Food Man, Save me from eminent danger!  They're trying to get the dog food!"

Alan

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

Now #1 son, hunts hogs with dogs and a knife.  He has strike dogs that catch the hog's scent and sound the alarm (they only bark when there is a hog to chase and don't really bark after that), then there's the mill run pack dogs (they bark all the time unless you threaten them with death, then they only bark once every minute or so.  Then there's the catch dogs (They don't bark at all unless it looks like you're going to leave them tied up when you go hunting). They are brought into play when the hog is bayed and sighted and they are too stupid to be afraid.  They go straight in and start looking for a hog ear or leg to pull on. They are predominantly pit bulls or the like.  He does have one Dogo (Badass dog breed from Argentina that is deaf, but loves to kill hogs).

Once the hog is wearing a couple of pit bull or Dogo ear rings then the hunter comes in from the rear and slips a sharp knife between the hogs ribs and into the heart.  The result is usually instantaneous.  The hog goes down and then the pack swarms him.  The hunter spends the next minutes screaming and yelling and beating dogs off the hog with  5 cell maglite.  The the strike dog says, "yip" and the whole thing starts again.  The pits still have the ears so you put their chains on and drag them until the let go of the hog.  

This is a young man's game and since it is done at night... well I won't make that kind of judgement.. There's no need for guns, in fact they would just be a liability.  The hunter is running nearly the whole time so he doesn't need the weight and you couldn't shoot the hog anyway, there's just too much going on.  you're lucky if you get back without cutting yourself or getting dog bit.  #1 son carries one of those staple suture guns.  It is used far more than a real gun would be.  

Alan

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## jim Glass

That hog/dog hunting would be a riot.   I saw guys hauling dogs in the back of pickup trucks all month in Florida.    I also heard of hog hunting from pickup trucks where they chase down a hog, the hunter jumps out of the truck with a knife and kills the hog with a knife.   Always  thought  I would like to try that type of hunting, thought about it 40 years to late.

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## Rick

I tend to think of night time activities a bit differently. Perhaps it's age or just good sense. I had better never need a suture gun. If I do, things have gone terribly wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong. An ambulance will probably be involved and a very embarrassing story.

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## Bishop

I used to do a lot of hog hunting with dogs and it is fun it gets your blood pumping going into a bayed hog.

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

It's a blast if you can keep up.  If you can't keep up it's like being lost in the brush in the dark for hours and hours.

Alan

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## jim Glass

Update: Been 8 weeks and still no hogs not even a picture of one. Getting desperate I went to a Florida Wildlife management area,
 bought the $27 permit, took my revolver along. Didn't see any hogs but saw rutting and tracks as evidence. This was only a couple miles from my leased property. The problem with Florida WMA we can't use bait and can't hunt and night and issues with theft.
 May have to go with WMA until they return to my lease. I have hunted my lease 25 times in the last 8 weeks. I see deer, possum,
 raccoons, coyote but never any hogs. Particularly unusual is the lack of insects. Mosquitoes are normally vicious until and hour passed sundown but so far they are missing in action, what's up with that. I'll swat mosquitoes if I can see hogs from time to time.
 Local say Florida has had to much rain causing changes in wildlife

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## jim Glass

OK, figured out today why the hogs are not on my lease. I went to a Florida WMA and found plenty of wild hog signs. Walked through my leased property and found it was very wet and many areas flooded. Two weeks ago this area had 14" of rain so my lease is still flooded. Known fact hogs like water but not this much water. Hogs can swim but not sure about the piglets and food sources are also under water. The area is just to wet to attract hogs. Hogs could be afraid the water may rise further like it did two weeks ago.

 I'm retooling to hunt the WMA. The area I plan to hunt is much drier than my lease and there is plenty of rutting and tracks. The area is most likely loaded with wild hog and it is only 2 miles from my lease.

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## kyratshooter

I bet it you had slid into that WMA back in the fall you could have gotten in on the deer season as well as chasing hogs.

Don't get tunnel vision and keep your eyes open for other game to chase both big and small.

And yes, an out of state resident can buy a long gun in another state if they find quail rabbit or squirrel to shoot and need to buy a Maverick or Pardner pump.

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## jim Glass

An update:   The Florida WMA closed hunting season but will reopen 2/3/19.   Over a 5 day period the trail camera took 13 wildhog pictures on the WMA most of them at night and all were single hogs.    I normally see hogs in pairs or groups and singles so I'm wondering if there are that many hogs on the WMA.    Without bait and night hunting I think scoring a wild hog will be somewhat of a miracle compared to my experience hog hunting on private property.   With the season closed I looked into hunting more private property without success.   Land owner gave me a "NO" hunting.    His property was way to wet to hold hogs anyway.

Decided to scout my own leased property and found significant hog rutting  in an area I rarely visit.   The area was quite dry and had mosquitos.   It seems the presents of mosquitos goes with hog presents, don't understand that completely.   Hunted the area with a buddy until 9:00 PM.  Didn't see a thing, not even a mouse.   My thermo imaging scope usually sees mice and other small rodents at night.   Raccoons always make an appearance at my blind at night and deer 50% of the time.  But last night, nothing at all and was unusually quiet for a Florida jungle at night.    Going out to scout today and setup a trail camera in this new area.   Probably hunt the area again tonight.   Not unusual to seeing no hogs.   Usually  takes 5-8 trips before the hogs show up.   Hog hunting is not as easy as one might think.   I don't give up easily!!!
S

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## jim Glass

Beginning to look like I'm not going to get a wild hog this year.   Come to the conclusion The hogs are not on my leased property because there is no food for them.   Because of a wet summer and hurricane Michael resulting in  flooding of the lease.  As a result there is not enough food to attract and hold a wild hog population.   Spent considerable time tromping around the Homosassa WMA.   Hogs are in there but can't use bait or hunt at night.   Success rate on the best WMA on the best year is 4% which means if I hunt 100 times I might get 4 hogs.   I did take 2 tree stands into the WMA about a 1/2 mile in by lashing one at a time to my 10-speed bike and rolling then out then ride the 10-speed back to the parking area.  Worked out surprisingly well.   Hunted one evening, left the tree stand 15 min after sundown, rode the 10-speed out and came onto 2 large animals,  I'm thinking "wild hogs".    Realized it was 2 wild dogs, one a brown Boxer the other black unknown breed.   My AR-15 (neutered to a 22LR) slung around my head and shoulder and not readily accessable.   Not knowing what the dogs were going to do I reached for my conceal carry (Ruger .380).   About the same time the dogs quietly ran off into the jungle without any confrontation.

Not baiting my lease, allowing it to cool off for a couple of weeks.    Then I'll dump 50 lb of corn to see if the hogs finally come  back.    Time is running out for our stay in Florida before heading back to Illinois in March, weather permitting.

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## chiggersngrits

That's a bummer Jim after all the off season preps. Seems like its rained everyday this year here in north Alabama with more on the way. Hope you can get them in there before you have to head home. Looking forward to some of those cool scope pics.

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## Rick

I hate that you've not gotten a hog hunt in. Then again, I'm looking out the window at the remnants of the last snow and all the crappy rain. It's finally 30 degrees and we're past the sub zero temps and wind chills. You are in Florida, right? Enjoy.  :Wavey:

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## jim Glass

> I hate that you've not gotten a hog hunt in. Then again, I'm looking out the window at the remnants of the last snow and all the crappy rain. It's finally 30 degrees and we're past the sub zero temps and wind chills. You are in Florida, right? Enjoy.


Life in Florida has been great.    More and more days in the 80's while the kids text us about record lows, snow and ice.   Never thought I would want to live in Florida.   After making countless trips to the WMA I became rather fond of the area.    Noticed a lot 
for sale across from the WMA and at the end of the road.   No redneck residences in sight.   Its on a canal and across from the WMA.   Dead quiet all of the time and dark at night, no street lights in sight.  I  Visualize a cabin on stilts, screened in deck in front overlooking the canal, deck in rear setup for wild hog shooting.  Thinking of  Tossing all of my clothes and just owning shorts and tank tops,  Flip flops for shoes.  Big lot of an acre or more.    30K.   When I show it to my wife I know she will just hate it!!!

Below could be my only picture of a wild hog for this year.   I placed bait outside the WMA and sat in my car with my thermo imaging scope and watched for any activity.    The hog appeared about 250 yards away.   I also saw 2 deer and 2 other varmints of unknown species.   Picture taken through the thermo scope.

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## jim Glass

After more than 12 weeks of hog hunting I finally had a shot last night and managed to miss.   I had pictures of this hog the last 3 nights, over 200lb.  I had a hunch he would show up early in the evening and he did, 7:15 pm.   He must have winded me because he was about to exit the area before reaching the bait pile where I would of had a clear shot.    Lots of trees and vegetation prevent a clear shot at the beast but I fired anyway and the hog ran off before I could get off another shot.    We head back to Illinois 2 weeks from today (Unless we extend our stay in Florida).   Not sure if i'll get another shot.

It has been an off year for wild hunting, even the locals can't explain why the wild hogs are our of sight.  At first I thought my lease was to wet to attract and hold wild hogs eating acorns elsewhere.   Could be someone has been trapping the hogs.   There were so many last year could be someone was forced into trapping them.

I went scouting for wild hogs nearly everyday.   Walked for miles on foot, rode my 10-speed mountain bike through miles of Wild life Management areas, drove my Ford Focus through places I shouldn't have, talked to lots of people.  I lashed tree stands to my 10-speed  bike and rolled them 1/2 mile out into the WMA.   Worked amazingly well and I had the 10-speed to ride back to the parking lot.    I'm becoming well known in the area for hunting wild hogs.   People come up to me all the  time asking me about my hunting adventures and telling me about theirs.  People I have never met before seem to know me.

Below is the video shot through my thermo Imaging scope.  Hope it is not my last.  It is a YouTube video so it should play:

https://youtu.be/tI2BgtTzYaE

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## jim Glass

Edit 3/14/19:  Even further insult, my leased property has been sold.   The property owner said they would put in a good word for me to the new owners but I doubt  I'll be hunting on that property next year.

Had a death in the family so I returned home 10 days early.    Killed "0" hogs this year, they are not around.   Thinking someone is trapping them.  Tons of hogs last year and nearly not existent this year but plenty of deer.   Boars seemed to wonder onto my lease, stay a day or two then leave.   My trail cameras captured only 2 different hog pictures in 12 weeks and I think I took a shot at one of the two.   The second hog only appeared on camera the one time.   Never saw pairs or groups of hogs which is very unusual.

One of the other guys that hunt my lease managed to kill 2 hogs in 16 weeks.

Looking ahead to next year I plan to retool.   The Wild life Management area seem to offer hunting potential.  The 5000 acre Homosassa WMA had 20 wild hogs killed this year.   I spent lots of time out there and a trail camera captured 13 hogs over a 5 day period.    Not great but better than my leased property.   Can't use bait or hunt at night, or use centerfire rifles on WMA.   Looking at Google maps the area has 2 1/2 mile long areas of wilderness.    Challenge will be finding the wild hogs but they are out there somewhere.   Looking at buying a black powder rifle for hunting the WMA.

I'm pretty disappointed along with friends that wanted to go hunting.   Not the first or last time I have been 
skunked in a sporting venture.

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