The hog quest

[Machias]

So I have been on a hog quest for the past 6 weeks or so.  Been trying to bait some of the rare pigs here in VA.  VA has a small but growing population of feral hogs.  They want them eradicated at any means or cost.  You are allowed to kill as many as you can, open all year and baiting and night hunting are legal.  Nothing has hit my bait for several weeks.  Last Aug I booked a trip to South Carolina for a hog hunt on wild free ranging hogs.  Went down 2 weeks ago.  First night in stand was pretty miserable, windy very cold and pouring.  9 guys in camp, 3 guys saw 4 pigs and 2 were harvested.  The other 6 of us saw nothing.  We could each kill 2 hogs per night.







Next night, much nicer weather, no one saw a thing. 



Last night there we ask the guide if we can stay in the stands until midnight.  They had been picking us up at 2200.  No problem, but we have to stop hunting as our license is valid only until midnight.  Sit there until 2340, hear a grunt behind me, then hear corn being crunched down past the feeder.  Flip on my light and can barely make out two 50 pound shoats.  No shot opportunity.  2358, more corn crunching, flick on the light and same 2 shoats.  It's literally 2 minutes to go,  what the heck at least give it a try.  Clean miss. 



So long drive back up to VA, but on the way home the guy I have been trying to bait some hogs in VA in with sends me a text, hogs on the bait.  Ok that figures, I'm in SC and the pigs are on the bait in VA.    

So for the past 10 days we have 5 nice sized hogs hitting the bait 8 out of 10 night.  Not many pigs in VA yet so pretty happy and lucky to have them on my bait.



Well here's what happened last few days. Re-baited on Weds and hung stands. Nothing came in Weds and Thursday night. We have a wireless trail camera. So we thought maybe the batteries were dead. Decided to hunt Friday night. I drove down a bit early because I was hoping all the bait was gone and would need to re-bait. It's an hour drive one way.  Nope, camera was working fine and nothing had come in. Decided not to hunt until they returned. Saturday they returned. They have been coming in earlier and earlier every night that they do come in. Originally they were hitting it between 0300 and 0500. Saturday they hit the bait at 2130. Went down last night. The other guy I'm baiting with asked if he could bring a friend. I had a bad feeling, but sure go ahead. We get into the stand and all situated by 2030. We go over shooting scenarios. I'm told I'm lowering my light a little too fast to slow down. Ok,  at 2058 holy crap here comes a huge sounder in to the bait, 20+ pigs, several really nice sized hogs and several piglets. Once they get on the bait, lights on and we start to lower them and the pigs bolt. Everyone remains quiet and within 15-20 seconds they all come back in. Lights on and lower and we are going to shoot on 3.   Here we go 1...2...BOOM. The guy with the shotgun shoots just as I get 2 nice hogs in my scope. Never even get the crosshairs settled. His friend also shoots a second after the first guy. 2 piglets killed and nothing else. Guy says oops I may have shot a tad early. You think! I wanted to butt stroke him right there. I knew better than have three guys sitting in stands 10 feet apart trying to time a shot in the dark. I knew before hand it was not going to work and I was right. Then the icing on the cake. I figure ok, I put my trail camera out on Weds, so I should have some great shots, it's 10 feet from all the action. I get home this morning at 0030 and find that the idiot who put the camera up on Weds did not slide the on switch past the IR Aim. ZERO photos. I'm starting to think there is 2 different sounders, because the group last night was a LOT bigger then what we have been getting on camera before last night.



Going to make a new bait 400 to 500 yards away and hunt by myself.

[gramps]

Good Luck on your hunt.  I have wanted to do a hog hunt for a long time, but it is a long way from here to where there are any hogs...LOL

[JimmyHoffa]

Nice.  The top one looks still pretty close to the original wild boars.

[Machias]

I started a new bait about a half a mile from the original bait, which they have not been back to.  So far they have not found the new bait yet.  I have some sour corn brewing that is just about there.  Probably take it out tomorrow or the next day.  That should get the bait fired up.

[Machias]

  Look what finally found my bait.  He's been in twice, both times by himself.  It's on!! 

[Elkrunner]

Good luck.  It looks like a lot of fun.  You will have to let us know how they taste.

[Machias]

I hope I get a chance to tell you 

[h20hunter]

Hope they taste better than the texas hogs we killed.....

[Machias]

  They do, haven't you heard of Virginia hams??  LOL

[Machias]

The rest of the sounder found the bait this morning

[MLBowhunting]

Get them. 

[Todd_ID]

Good luck buddy!  I'm living proof that pictures don't fill freezers, so you gotta get out after them. Have fun with them!

[Machias]

LOL  Oh yea I'm right there with you.  Was planning on hunting Friday and Saturday night but the one wind direction that I cannot hunt is out of the North and of course Friday evening it swung around and has not stopped blowing out of the North,  I got one shot tomorrow night and then 5 days of North wind so I'm going to sit in the stand all night tomorrow night.

[WAcoyotehunter]

Does anyone there run dogs for them??  You need some curs back in your life!!!

[Machias]

No one in Virginia that I'm aware of.  There are actually still very few hogs in VA.  Only 2 or 3 counties have them.  They have been trying to eradicate them for about 12 years and I think they are loosing the battle and they are set to take off.  When that happens I fully expect the houndsmen to be all in.  As soon as I move out of this rental and back to the NW I'll have a few Leopard Curs.