Public Land Hogs

Jcour4 · Jul 21, 2016

I know a lot of people across the country want to try hog hunting, but don't know where to go or don't want to spend the money for private land access. There tons of hogs on most public lands throughout the Southern US and if you do your homework you can do a hog hunt pretty cheap on public land.

I hunt hogs pretty much strictly on public land and have spots that I can see hogs every day I go out and usually have shot opportunities. Make sure to read up on the rules for each piece of public land before going because the rules for hog hunting can be a little odd.

I usually hunt with a bow because it opens up more areas and longer seasons. I have killed hogs out of a tree stand, but I prefer spot and stalking. Just start hiking and looking for hog sign and eventually you'll run into a group of pigs. Hogs can't see very well and you don't have to be super quiet walking through the woods. They can smell better than any animal I've ever hunted. Their noses put a whitetail's to shame in my opinion. Below are some photos of public land hogs and if anybody is wanting to try a public land hog hunt I can point you in the right direction.

hank4elk · Jul 21, 2016

Nice ones!!
I do miss Cen. Coast CA pig hunting.
Open season here in NM,but not many wild pigs.

1_pointer · Jul 22, 2016

Very nice!! Be prepared to have your inbox inundated...

LCH · Jul 22, 2016

I've taken around a dozen here in Indiana over the years, but they're entirely on private land and tough to get permission.

I've also been on some public land in Alabama a couple times, and seen tons of sign, but only killed 1 small one there for my troubles. Sounds like you've got the Mississippi hogs figured out.

SFC B · Jul 26, 2016

LCH said:
I've taken around a dozen here in Indiana over the years, but they're entirely on private land and tough to get permission.

I've also been on some public land in Alabama a couple times, and seen tons of sign, but only killed 1 small one there for my troubles. Sounds like you've got the Mississippi hogs figured out.

^^^^I find that hard to believe LCH...don't you know there are NO wild pigs in IN....or cougars....or bears now I guess (smirk intended )

LCH · Jul 26, 2016

SFC B said:
^^^^I find that hard to believe LCH...don't you know there are NO wild pigs in IN....or cougars....or bears now I guess (smirk intended )

I've heard that a lot.. I usually don't bother to argue, for the selfish reason that I don't want people crowding my pig spots

They (hogs) have been in my area for 30 years now though. Enough get shot to keep them somewhat in check, but they're range is slowly expanding all the time.

JDH · Jul 26, 2016

LCH said:
I've heard that a lot.. I usually don't bother to argue, for the selfish reason that I don't want people crowding my pig spots

They (hogs) have been in my area for 30 years now though. Enough get shot to keep them somewhat in check, but they're range is slowly expanding all the time.

I tried to get my buddy to float the river SE of Bedford to try and catch some hogs getting a drink but he said he heard banjos as we were looking for access/checking out the train tunnel.

publichunter1 · Jul 26, 2016

Jcour4,

I know I'm moving to Colorado for a year but when I get back next year we need to get together. It appears we are like minded. I stalk hunt for deer and hogs on public land here in MS as well.

Ameyer283 · Feb 9, 2017

So I'm still relatively new to the forum and have spent some time trying to find the anwser to my question and it seems impossible.

Why is it that wild hogs are a problem in the southern states, But, when I try to find a place to hunt to help with their problem people want to charge $300-$500 for two days?

I would like to do a spot and stalk type hunt, doesn't matter if it's private or public land. I was just thinking that I would put some meat in the freezer and help out with a problem animals.

And maybe I'm missing everything completely so feel free to let me know either way

DRAFTSTUD · Feb 9, 2017

Liability. John

noharleyyet · Feb 9, 2017

DRAFTSTUD said:
Liability. John

...and demand.

MThuntr · Feb 9, 2017

As long as there are people willing to pay there will be people willing to charge even at the expense of the ecosystem...I have heard that you need to do some door to door asking to find the guys who are fed up with hogs and will give access.

wytex · Feb 9, 2017

Many are trying to recoup some of the economic expense the hogs cause. Crop damage, rooting fields all cost landowners. While many are making good money off of them, for some just trying to balance an income against their loss is the reason. No doubt though that supply and demand are moving the market in hog hunts. You're just not going to find to many landowners who will let you roam around their place with a weapon for free. Patience though, they are expanding their range exponentially, you may have hunting for them in your neck of the woods before too long.

npaden · Feb 9, 2017

wytex said:
You're just not going to find to many landowners who will let some random stranger roam around their place with a weapon for free.

Fixed it for you.

Another issue is that hunting really doesn't effectively control pig populations. Trapping and aerial gunning are the only things that are actually effective.

So why would a landowner want to allow some random stranger to wander around on their property with a gun doing something that really isn't effective at controlling the pig population anyway?

With that said, most landowners will allow people that they know to hunt hogs for free, they just don't expect it to do much to actually control the population.

My 2 cents as a landowner where there are hogs.

noharleyyet · Feb 9, 2017

npaden said:
Fixed it for you.

Another issue is that hunting really doesn't effectively control pig populations. Trapping and aerial gunning are the only things that are actually effective.

So why would a landowner want to allow some random stranger to wander around on their property with a gun doing something that really isn't effective at controlling the pig population anyway?

With that said, most landowners will allow people that they know to hunt hogs for free, they just don't expect it to do much to actually control the population.

My 2 cents as a landowner where there are hogs.

This^^^^..except aerial gunning and trapping are really only marginally effective. Gestation math is off the chart prolific.

Chad Gus · Feb 9, 2017

I hunt the public land in north Florida and have no problem finding hogs. It's a nice reprieve from the cold weather of Wisconsin and very cheap. I go with four our five buddies and costs me less then 400$ round trip.

2ski · Feb 9, 2017

npaden said:
Fixed it for you.

Another issue is that hunting really doesn't effectively control pig populations. Trapping and aerial gunning are the only things that are actually effective.

So why would a landowner want to allow some random stranger to wander around on their property with a gun doing something that really isn't effective at controlling the pig population anyway?

With that said, most landowners will allow people that they know to hunt hogs for free, they just don't expect it to do much to actually control the population.

My 2 cents as a landowner where there are hogs.

This is just silly. So what's the difference between a guy wandering around your property with a gun looking for deer or elk in MT and a guy doing the same looking for hogs in TX. I'm sorry, but that's a scary mentality to have. I refuse to pay people to hunt their land. If they want to outfit it, so be it. But $200 and up to shoot a hog? And as fas as one person saying that the guy is trying to recoup his cost, so let more people hunt. No limit right? I would think you let enough people hunt hogs, the hogs learn who's property they get shot at on. Just like deer and elk. Buy a guy a box of ammo and tell him to go crazy. That's what I'd do.

npaden · Feb 9, 2017

Last I checked there weren't many landowners in Montana letting random strangers wander around on their property with a gun looking for deer or elk.

I never said that I've charged anyone to hunt my property. I am selective in who I let hunt it though.

LCH · Feb 9, 2017

npaden said:
Fixed it for you.

Another issue is that hunting really doesn't effectively control pig populations. Trapping and aerial gunning are the only things that are actually effective.

So why would a landowner want to allow some random stranger to wander around on their property with a gun doing something that really isn't effective at controlling the pig population anyway?

With that said, most landowners will allow people that they know to hunt hogs for free, they just don't expect it to do much to actually control the population.

My 2 cents as a landowner where there are hogs.

You're probably right about the aerial gunning and trapping being most effective in Texas, where there are very large parcels of land to operate on. Not here in Indiana, where parcels are 20, 30, 40 acres apiece. The USDA has tried aerial gunning here, and by the time they get on the hogs, they've crossed property lines to where the feds don't have permission to shoot. Same with trapping, the hogs figure out the traps and then avoid those properties.

However, since there is a bubba hunting every small parcel here, it's been pretty effective at containing our hogs to a relatively small area since they first appeared some 30 years ago..

wytex · Feb 9, 2017

npaden is right on. Landowners are just comfortable letting strangers hunt for free in most cases. Being from the area we go back to hunt pigs, we can get access all day long, all over, for free because we are known and have a great reputation. If you go out and put in some due diligence, get to know some landowners, do some work for them, build a friendship over time and quit looking for a free ride and you might find out how welcoming they can be. You might have to pay a landowner to hunt a couple of times but make a good relationship with them and you might be surprised how accommodating they can be in the future. Sad fact ,but finding free access is hard to come by anywhere these days. Between liability, taxes , and just the cost of owning land most landowners are just looking for ways to make a living off of their land. Sure some outfitters are raking it in, but the ones I know are not wealthy folks.

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