Post by: LongTatLaw on April 05, 2010, 11:59:43 AM
I just returned from another fun filled hunt in coastal GA (if ya havent seen the others search PIG DOWN and you will see 2 other trip write ups from the same general area). This was a great way to kick off my 2010 hunting season! Heres the story!
Sat I got up at 5am...ran the Yakima River Marathon (26.2 miles)...then immediately drove to the West Side to grab my bags and head to SeaTac airport. I caught a night flight and arrived in Savannah GA early Sunday morning. We grabbed our gear and kayaks (no sleep for dave) headed to the area where we put in the kayaks to hunt.
[smg id=9337]
we go in super lite so we can come back HEAVY!
The weather was expected to turn and it did quicker than expected
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The kayak (6.3 miles) normally takes us less than 2 hours but 2 hours in we had barely made it 4 miles so we had to hold up at a pull off short of our destination!
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Monday morning we woke up in camp to my buddy saying there had been pigs in camp that morning but he scared em off..i didnt believe him til they came back...took a decent pig but didnt get any decent pics of it. Then we jumped in the boat and moved to our primary location!
Once in the primary location we searched every where and only saw a few small pigs..we passed on a lot of em and just made some videos... we didnt see many of size until we decided they must be off the dry land and out in the marshes...
so thats where went looking!
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We didnt see many that impressed us the first day... killed about 4 small ones! all by bow.. all with my Bowtech Guardian set at 76lbs, 340 Full Metal Jackets... 2009 whisker biscuit rest... and newly tested 125 grain shuttle T-locks from Chris Titan ;)
That nite we caught a few fish to add to our pig dinner...by kayak by moonlight...while drinking beer..best way to fish!
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The next day we were back after it..this time back on dry land but this time at high tide..which pushed the bigger pigs back on the dry stuff!
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ahhh yes..the one on the far right!!
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not big enough to mount but plenty big enough to eat and the skull is already in the maceration pot in Georgia! I gave it 30 mins to die... went into the palmettos after it...perfect shot..perfect pass through..still had to fight it...flip it over...drag it out trying to bite me..shot it a 2nd time!! pigs are tough!!!
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We stayed after it and hunted hard!! I also got a nice red sow!!
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In GA I can use luminocs... ;)
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After it was all said and done... I took 10 pigs with my bow and passed on another dozen small ones inside of 30 yards! I got 6 kill shots on video! if you are my friend on Facebook the video of me shooting the red sow and the black boar are both on my profile... if not Ill try to put a video of all of em strung together on dvd to watch at the next Hunt-Wa gathering!!
Im very pleased with my bow set up!
Im very pleased with my shuttle T locks - 10x's better performance and survival after the shot than i got last year from my thunderhead 125's
Im unhappy with the survivability of the FMJ's - great penetration but several bent by pigs during/post-shot!
I love hunting pigs spot and stalk with a bow!
Cant wait for September!
Post by: NRA4LIFE on April 05, 2010, 12:15:41 PM
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 05, 2010, 01:05:50 PM
Post by: Ray on April 05, 2010, 01:07:39 PM
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 05, 2010, 01:10:40 PM
Theres some great deals on pig hunts in Texas...even if its high fence its awesome (im guessing). Dont go somewhere where ya get one pig...go to like texas where its a 600$ 3 day hunt where ya can kill 2 or more a day!
or spend 100$ on a non-resident license and an access pass to Fort Stewart Georgia and kill 30 a day if ya can! The post gammies will do their best to direct ya to pigs..they have no love for em!
its a blast for sure!
Post by: carpsniperg2 on April 05, 2010, 01:13:04 PM
looks like you had a blast
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 05, 2010, 01:38:58 PM
[smg id=9350]
Post by: winston2789 on April 05, 2010, 02:00:14 PM
Post by: bucklucky on April 05, 2010, 02:55:36 PM
Post by: GoldTip on April 05, 2010, 03:00:22 PM
Post by: tlbradford on April 05, 2010, 04:09:15 PM
Post by: jackelope on April 05, 2010, 04:16:41 PM
Post by: cohoho on April 05, 2010, 04:43:30 PM
Post by: bowhunterforever on April 05, 2010, 04:44:31 PM
Post by: Psycotic on April 05, 2010, 05:51:09 PM
Post by: mulehunter on April 05, 2010, 06:13:48 PM
Congt!!
Mulehunter :yike:
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 05, 2010, 06:58:38 PM
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 05, 2010, 07:05:53 PM
Post by: Kain on April 05, 2010, 07:21:48 PM
Post by: PacificNWhunter on April 05, 2010, 08:05:38 PM
Post by: sisu on April 05, 2010, 08:09:56 PM
Post by: boonerboy on April 05, 2010, 08:48:11 PM
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 05, 2010, 11:18:54 PM
No bag limit is the best way to hunt!
Post by: ribka on April 05, 2010, 11:24:01 PM
Looks like some good red fish water too. I might be in that part of the US this Summer for training. Will pm you
Post by: bearpaw on April 05, 2010, 11:46:35 PM
Post by: Blsum on April 05, 2010, 11:47:00 PM
Post by: Psycotic on April 06, 2010, 05:02:40 AM
It's no preserve psych but might as well be! It took me many years to get access to this area which is all but unhuntable otherwise! Pm me and ill test ur knowledge of coastal GA! U will prob sh*t Urself when u realize where I'm actually at and who owns it...if ur really in tune with the big families of Savannah!
Hmmmm knowledge like this:
The Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex administers seven wildlife refuges between Georgia and South Carolina. Over 56,000 acres (230 km²) of refuge land along a 100 mile coast line are administered by the complex.
The complex includes seven refuges:
Savannah National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1927
Wolf Island National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1930
Tybee National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1938
Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1940
Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1962
Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1969
Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1975
I don't believe there are any huntable Islands, privately owned or not.
Post by: rasbo on April 06, 2010, 05:09:43 AM
Post by: jackelope on April 06, 2010, 09:17:14 AM
It's no preserve psych but might as well be! It took me many years to get access to this area which is all but unhuntable otherwise! Pm me and ill test ur knowledge of coastal GA! U will prob sh*t Urself when u realize where I'm actually at and who owns it...if ur really in tune with the big families of Savannah!
Hmmmm knowledge like this:
The Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex administers seven wildlife refuges between Georgia and South Carolina. Over 56,000 acres (230 km²) of refuge land along a 100 mile coast line are administered by the complex.
The complex includes seven refuges:
Savannah National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1927
Wolf Island National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1930
Tybee National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1938
Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1940
Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1962
Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1969
Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1975
I don't believe there are any huntable Islands, privately owned or not.
anybody can use google.
:dunno:
Post by: saylean on April 06, 2010, 09:45:26 AM
Post by: Kain on April 06, 2010, 10:18:35 AM
It's no preserve psych but might as well be! It took me many years to get access to this area which is all but unhuntable otherwise! Pm me and ill test ur knowledge of coastal GA! U will prob sh*t Urself when u realize where I'm actually at and who owns it...if ur really in tune with the big families of Savannah!
Hmmmm knowledge like this:
The Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex administers seven wildlife refuges between Georgia and South Carolina. Over 56,000 acres (230 km²) of refuge land along a 100 mile coast line are administered by the complex.
The complex includes seven refuges:
Savannah National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1927
Wolf Island National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1930
Tybee National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1938
Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1940
Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1962
Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1969
Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge - Established 1975
I don't believe there are any huntable Islands, privately owned or not.
anybody can use google.
:dunno:
Im not saying that this is where LTL was hunting but hunting IS allowed on the reserves.
http://www.fws.gov/savannah/hunting.html (http://www.fws.gov/savannah/hunting.html)
Post by: KillBilly on April 06, 2010, 11:44:18 AM
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 06, 2010, 11:51:02 AM
But ill warn ya... ur preserve list is very accurate just extremely short of a comprehensive list of coastal land in ga...
When ya started talking I thought maybe u had hunted my honey hole... didn't realize it would be a Google based assault?
Feel to pm me for further clarification.:.
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 06, 2010, 11:57:48 AM
Ps- it is grrrreeeeaaaattt red fish water.... and we couldn't. Do a. damn thing but watch em role... weren't set up for em... I luv em. Great fish!
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on April 06, 2010, 12:00:10 PM
No need to pandering guys...he wants to acuse here instead of trading real info on pm... there's public land on skidaway island in savannah that's hard to access... there is a giant wma in Richmond hill that's as island as anything u see in any of my posts... there's a huge chunk of boat only access public land just a free miles south of George town east of hwy 19 ... and a sweet strech of marsh land that looks suspiciously like my hunting area... its due east of midway... that all said... ur post is 6o % right... if u completely head off shore on the. Icww those islands are MOSTLY closed to. Hunting... with the exception of around one dozen islands that are called the osabaw range...which is a 2xs a year draw hunt! That all said... I made not one mention of the countless thousands of privately owned acres.... soo. Enjoy the read... if ya see a crime I suggest ya call a cop...don't blog about it! My GA liscense is registered w my cell so ill wait for their call...
But ill warn ya... ur preserve list is very accurate just extremely short of a comprehensive list of coastal land in ga...
When ya started talking I thought maybe u had hunted my honey hole... didn't realize it would be a Google based assault?
Feel to pm me for further clarification.:.
LTL, you are giving up way to much info, it is obvious just a jealous one that can't connect. Let him figure it out on his own. Probably does not want to do any homework and hoping you will lead him to the promise land.
Joe
Post by: let.it.fly on April 06, 2010, 12:10:41 PM
Post by: colockumelk on April 06, 2010, 12:22:24 PM
Post by: colockumelk on April 06, 2010, 12:22:49 PM
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 06, 2010, 12:30:21 PM
Clock... we need to talk offline bout pigs and ft rucker... it should go well!
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 06, 2010, 12:34:13 PM
Post by: Kain on April 06, 2010, 01:36:58 PM
Let-it-fly... id hate to see u doing what I had to do to get permission.... ever been to prison?
No but for that kind of a hunt it might be worth it. :yike: :yike: :yike: :chuckle:
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 06, 2010, 01:40:56 PM
Post by: let.it.fly on April 06, 2010, 01:44:46 PM
Post by: cohoho on April 06, 2010, 01:51:12 PM
Post by: Ranger91298 on April 06, 2010, 02:11:14 PM
Post by: Austrian Hunter on April 06, 2010, 02:13:40 PM
Post by: sisu on April 06, 2010, 02:28:01 PM
No need to pandering guys...he wants to acuse here instead of trading real info on pm... there's public land on skidaway island in savannah that's hard to access... there is a giant wma in Richmond hill that's as island as anything u see in any of my posts... there's a huge chunk of boat only access public land just a free miles south of George town east of hwy 19 ... and a sweet strech of marsh land that looks suspiciously like my hunting area... its due east of midway... that all said... ur post is 6o % right... if u completely head off shore on the. Icww those islands are MOSTLY closed to. Hunting... with the exception of around one dozen islands that are called the osabaw range...which is a 2xs a year draw hunt! That all said... I made not one mention of the countless thousands of privately owned acres.... soo. Enjoy the read... if ya see a crime I suggest ya call a cop...don't blog about it! My GA liscense is registered w my cell so ill wait for their call...I totally agree on this thread. Here a guy does a nice job of pictures, gives out beta on where to go on a base etc. and someone who is jealous with a less than room temperature IQ comes along and berates him! Come on...leave the guy alone.
But ill warn ya... ur preserve list is very accurate just extremely short of a comprehensive list of coastal land in ga...
When ya started talking I thought maybe u had hunted my honey hole... didn't realize it would be a Google based assault?
Feel to pm me for further clarification.:.
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 06, 2010, 05:11:20 PM
Lif... I've laid out a great hog hunt on here b4.. but u could do what I do... but not exact same place... I was stationed at ft stewart for years...then went to college n dt savanah...over the years I gained lots of private access.. the trip costs me air + 50$... cost of non-res. Small game license.. I use my buddies kayak...buddy drives me... so its like 500$ for me... u would b + rental car + kayak rental... still under $1k. But good spots tough to find and easy to get on private... pm me and ill see what we can get ya into for say 500 w air :-)
I took 8 arrows.. 3 left... no misses...
As for old room temp... he's ok.. if he believes a crime has been commited in this state or a. Another.... he must do something bout it... but call DNR... rather than writing pithy blogs... tell the people that helped me carry my cat out of the woods that we were all confused bout the date so we all carried rifles deer hunting in september...nice of them to aid my poaching rather than collect 10 pts.... then tell the GA DNR there's no private land on the coast of GA... ill hold my breath for the phone to ring... :P
Post by: Ranger91298 on April 06, 2010, 05:33:37 PM
Here's a hint I shoudnt say... ranger has prob seen my spot...? Ever do any wet duckin outta Has? I have...
Ok LTL so now I am trying to figure it ou will be trying to the rest of the night...riddle me this....hahaha...
rather than writing pithy blogs... tell the people that helped me carry my cat out of the woods that we were all confused bout the date so we all carried rifles deer hunting in september...nice of them to aid my poaching rather than collect 10 pts.... then tell the GA DNR there's no private land on the coast of GA... ill hold my breath for the phone to ring... :PLTL Rocks!!! :rockin:
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 06, 2010, 06:42:01 PM
fly into Savannah GA... 400$
small game hunt license 50$
Fort Stewart 365 day pass 60$
map of the base 5$
more land than you can hunt in 5 years...
millions of pigs
game wardens will talk ya onto em as they are not liked
unlimited bag limit/unlimited daily bag limit/open year round but maybe closed during turkey season...
open to the general public
go in June & july...hunt the swamps in shorts and tee shirt!
anyone decides to try it..let me know and I can get ya way way more details..
wanna extra motivation? check out these Fort Stewart hunting websites!
http://www.stewart.army.mil/dpw/wildlife/default.htm (http://www.stewart.army.mil/dpw/wildlife/default.htm)
http://www.stewart.army.mil/dpw/wildlife/default.htm (http://www.stewart.army.mil/dpw/wildlife/default.htm)
Post by: sisu on April 06, 2010, 06:53:40 PM
Of Georgia's 40 different species of snakes, only six are venomous.
Not this Finnlander...I'd be trussed up like a old world whore in snake proof pants and probably gaiters to boot!
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 06, 2010, 07:02:36 PM
dragging a deer in chest deep water with only a bow and gators following the blood scent stream behind you...thats scary... snakes?? not as much!
Post by: billythekidrock on April 07, 2010, 07:20:19 PM
dragging a deer in chest deep water with only a bow and gators following the blood scent stream behind you...thats scary... snakes?? not as much!
That does not sound like fun. :yike:
Post by: Ranger91298 on April 07, 2010, 08:37:38 PM
dragging a deer in chest deep water with only a bow and gators following the blood scent stream behind you...thats scary... snakes?? not as much!LTL...Ok so this might be a silly question...I never really went through too many swamps in Georgia as I opted to use the "Box" method to get around the big swampy areas...(I know I'm a sissy)... So my question is are the swamps in Georgia like they are in the Florida phase of Ranger School where you walk from tree root to tree root to keep your head above water?
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 07, 2010, 08:51:11 PM
ya know, as a tabber...all ya gotta do is call up the school house and have them pull my green card...its a fairly short story... Darby recycle with an offer to skip HW on the recycle but a refusal to fund the recycle ended with a rare post-darby admin drop! :'( class 0506??
that said, yes... the swamps Id hunt were mostly in Bravo 6 and the Alpha 3-6 areas of Stewart... covered in gators..and snakes but wading the 200 yards to the next lil islands would be rewarded with nearly a 100% deer sighting if not shot opportunity... so, for land nav I box...for deer I wade ;) but yes, the swamps in Florida Phase arent as good for deer for some reason (ive hunted E.A.B. too.. I went to law school on the panhandle - Florida State Univ) but they are very similar..not sure what those trees are but my only hope for head outta water is hoping root base to root base..good thing they flare way out like they do before hitting the ground. Scary stuff in either swamp alone during bow season coming in or out in pitch black!! by flashlight...which I swear attracts bugs, bats, gators, snakes, and swamp yetti ;)
Post by: Ranger91298 on April 07, 2010, 08:57:58 PM
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 07, 2010, 09:03:51 PM
maybe we need to join forces and see if my good luck is stronger than ur bad luck.. i have no skill as a hunter so I rely on luck :P
ps- Ive seen the same from tabbers and nons...but never wanna claim something I dont have so wanted to be clear!
and for the record...I cant dunk a basketball either ;) but ive done ok without either...lol
Post by: Ranger91298 on April 07, 2010, 09:16:20 PM
ahhhh ur so sweet ;)Now you know you can't say that in an open forum, people might start to talk!!!
maybe we need to join forces and see if my good luck is stronger than ur bad luck..Funny story...My dad has shot a deer every year since he was like 12...he now is 58...he always sees animals... we will hunt together and neither of us will see a dang thing but then the first time we decide to hunt in different locations he shoots his animal...so you sure you want to try your luck??? hahaha
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 07, 2010, 09:20:04 PM
Post by: robb92 on April 08, 2010, 07:44:34 AM
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 08, 2010, 07:54:12 AM
and Ranger, Psychotic is retired and not Army...so he isnt worried about UCMJ...
and he is a MOD so he isnt worried about BTKR...
sooo, the big mystery is over..that was hard! ;)
Post by: Ranger91298 on April 08, 2010, 08:01:30 AM
no prob Robb...It's just funny how someone that is retired, doesn't know you and is on the other side of the states knows so much about you... but let me just leave it at that so I don't rock the boat anymore... great lion; great pigs and by all means thank you for sharing your stories and pictures... you call it luck but you sure do have alot of it :brew:
and Ranger, Psychotic is retired and not Army...so he isnt worried about UCMJ...
and he is a MOD so he isnt worried about BTKR...
sooo, the big mystery is over..that was hard! ;)
Post by: Woodchuck on April 08, 2010, 08:27:35 AM
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 08, 2010, 08:37:07 AM
The hunt is amazing and I suggest any bow hunter grab a flight to the south and get after em on foot!
What ya hunting on the east side?
I dont really have a great Turkey spot..ya gonna hunt birds?
Id love to pair up with a gun hunter and take my bow..that way its a easy decision who gets the bird...
let me know
and if ya ever wanna carry a bow to GA to pig hunt Ill talk ya on best I can!!
Post by: Woodchuck on April 08, 2010, 08:45:11 AM
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 08, 2010, 08:53:18 AM
if ya need such assistance lets take such discussions to PM!
Post by: Wea300mag on April 08, 2010, 05:00:38 PM
Post by: bow4elk on April 08, 2010, 05:11:12 PM
Great hunt, great pics!!
Cameron Hanes would be proud!
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 08, 2010, 08:06:29 PM
pigs are a great hunt..everyone should try it.... and Ill talk anyone onto em thats interested in pigs in Georgia!!
let me know!
dave
Post by: sisu on April 08, 2010, 09:44:35 PM
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 08, 2010, 09:53:39 PM
Ive got 10 skulls gooing up as we speak...
several more ready to be mailed to me...
michelle sold me on it...but pigs are way tougher skulls than deer!!
Post by: hogsniper on April 08, 2010, 10:01:20 PM
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 08, 2010, 10:22:34 PM
no shortage...
thye l;il ones make a tasty camp dinner and the big ones fill the freezer....
rumor has it I may have taken one the size of a muskrat but I wouldnt believe it...lol
Post by: Kain on April 08, 2010, 10:35:01 PM
Pig Bomb - Unpicky Pigs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlMR8WHNxaQ#)
What is the process you use for degreasing and whitening after maceration?
Post by: Rudy on April 09, 2010, 07:42:28 AM
Post by: CoryTDF on April 09, 2010, 08:16:34 AM
Seriously though i F-ing hated GA. Ft. Benning, fire ants, roaches, heat, the list goes on. The only positive i can remember is when one of my Drill Sgt's pulled into our assembly area with two hogs in the back of his truck. Since that day I guess a little part of me has always wanted to go hog hunting.
Post by: let.it.fly on April 09, 2010, 08:21:38 AM
Post by: LongTatLaw on April 09, 2010, 10:24:26 AM
sows only take a few months to be sexually mature...then they can churn out like 2-3 cycles of piglets a year (I think) and some bigger healthy sows can produce a number of piglets a year thats hard to even consider...
then ad in that they basically have no natural predators...and you get population overload...
yes, every million years a coyote will kill a piglet...or a gator will snatch one while swimming or off a bank...but these events are too rare to call either a predator of pigs!
people are the only population control on pigs in the south...!
as for the degreasing...no majic there brother..I soak em in dawn dish soapy water for a week or so...
then take em out and have my kids paint em with 40 vol peroxide from the hair salon...
if theres areas that hold their yellow through the whitening it goes back in the soapy water...
some people add a pinch of acentone to the water during degreasing but I cant speak to that!!
Post by: colockumelk on May 28, 2010, 09:31:25 PM
not sure about maceration water but Ill admit that more than once Ive caught myself inches from tasting the broth on a head boiling in a pot...hair on..brains scrambled...and a 1/4 cup of dawn added...still smells kinda good sometimes...not trying to be yar...Im serious!
pigs are a great hunt..everyone should try it.... and Ill talk anyone onto em thats interested in pigs in Georgia!!
let me know!
dave
I am totally down if you go next spring. I'll have about a 3-6 month break between Primary Flight School and My "Go to War" Aircraft Flight School. If its early enough we could even squeeze in some Turkey Hunting. They're all OVER!!!
Post by: TheHunt on May 28, 2010, 10:08:12 PM
I will look at the East coast and make a few calls. If I get the same response then I will call BS on the pig bomb theis.
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on May 29, 2010, 06:32:16 AM
I called a few ranchers in Texas to see if I could fly down and hunt their ranch for pigs. I was told for a fee. From that response... The pig problem is not that big of a problem. Otherwise they would be offering anyone to come down and kill them.
I will look at the East coast and make a few calls. If I get the same response then I will call BS on the pig bomb theis.
Could not agree with you more, I called California, talked to one guy said the pigs were tearing up all his crops told him I could 4-5 guys down there and help him out he wanted a 1000.00 a piece per person. Told him to enjoy his tore crops.
Post by: rasbo on May 29, 2010, 07:25:03 AM
Post by: bearpaw on May 29, 2010, 09:56:09 AM
Post by: colockumelk on June 01, 2010, 09:26:36 PM
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on June 01, 2010, 09:28:24 PM
BLKBRKLLR if you want to hunt hogs for free the closest place I know of to WA is Vandegrift AFB. In CA. Its a missile base so you have free reign of the base no units training. They have a huge Russian boar problem and hunting is all year with no bag limit. They even have a campground and MWR cabins with designated areas you can hang hogs to gut and clean them. I would say that's your best and cheapest bet.
Looks like I am going on a roadtrip as soon as I get relieved of my duties as stay at home dad!!!!!!!!
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on June 01, 2010, 09:31:29 PM
BLKBRKLLR if you want to hunt hogs for free the closest place I know of to WA is Vandegrift AFB. In CA. Its a missile base so you have free reign of the base no units training. They have a huge Russian boar problem and hunting is all year with no bag limit. They even have a campground and MWR cabins with designated areas you can hang hogs to gut and clean them. I would say that's your best and cheapest bet.
Looks like I am going on a roadtrip as soon as I get relieved of my duties as stay at home dad!!!!!!!!
Do you have a link?? Will not even pull up on google?
Thanks
Joe
Post by: colockumelk on June 02, 2010, 05:50:27 AM
http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/actionline/index.asp (http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/actionline/index.asp)
Hunting restrictions
Question: I have hunted your base several times. I am planning a trip for April or May. Are there any restrictions or are all areas open?
Answer: Thank you for your question. Based on the broad timelines that you've outlined, we are unable to provide specific restrictions as we have operational activities that will occur during these months. Contact the 30th Security Forces Squadron Fish and Wildlife section at 606-6804 for more detailed information concerning your hunting plans and any potential constraints. We hope to make your hunting activity a fun, safe and memorable experience.
Retired CDR J.K. Steenwerth
Vandenberg
5/12/2010
http://californiahuntingtoday.com/hogblog/2009/07/28/hunting-on-military-bases-in-ca-vandenberg-afb/ (http://californiahuntingtoday.com/hogblog/2009/07/28/hunting-on-military-bases-in-ca-vandenberg-afb/)
I have had the pleasure of hunting Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) for the last several years and would like to pass on some of what I’ve learned while hunting there. In addition, new regulations regarding hunting came into effect on 1 July of this year.
First the who: any active duty, retired, or active duty guard may hunt on VAFB as well as DoD employees including NAF and AAFES. Law enforcement may hunt as long as a letter has been submitted by their commander and approved by the VAFB installation commander. Guests are only authorized by active or retired military. Of course, all State laws apply when hunting on base. Leave your handguns and rimfires at home. They are not authorized for hunting on VAFB.
What to bring: there are a variety of areas with specific firearm restrictions. “A” zones are for archery tackle only. “B” zones are for shotgun, muzzleloader and archery. “C” zones are rifle, shotgun/muzzleloader and archery. If you have one of those fancy “long range” muzzleloaders you will be confined to a rifle area.
Of course copper ammo is mandatory on Vandenberg. I am prepared to hunt in any of these areas and many others do the same. The base is around 98,000 acres mixed chaparral, some oaks, some dunes, and lots of Manzanita thickets. Good binoculars are a must! A spotting scope is desirable. VAFB has over 700 miles of road; some paved, others not well maintained. Four-wheel-drive is necessary to access some of the more remote locations. Sorry, no quads. All driving must be performed on existing roads and no vegetation may touch the undercarriage of the vehicle.
When you arrive for the first time you must go to the Base Exchange and purchase a “Use Fee” sticker for the type of game you are hunting i.e. pigs, deer, or small game (birds). The cost for military is $15 per sticker and is valid for the season. DoD stickers cost $35. A guest sticker is $10 and is good for 72 hours. Once you have everything you need to hunt, INCLUDING YOUR LICENSE, TAGS, USE FEE STICKERS AND ID, proceed to the base fish and game office to register to hunt. Until you do this, you are NOT legal to hunt on base. The conservation officer will provide you with a copy of the hunting instruction, your authorization (216), a set of maps, a dash placard, and will give you any specifics regarding area closures. This is important to understand: this is an active military base with an ongoing role of providing missile defense as well as a busy missile launch roster. Areas are subject to closure at any time and that’s just the cost of hunting here. Don’t bother complaining because you’ll just annoy the authorities. READ THE REGULATIONS! There are specific rules that must be followed when hunting on VAFB that are unique to the base and are in addition to the California regulations. For example, all animals must be brought in for check-in with the hide on. Do not quarter the animal, do not leave the base without check-in. During the general deer season you MUST wear orange on your torso; it need not be a solid panel. A hat is recommended, not required.
Our weather here is typical central coast: morning fog, afternoon winds and generally mild temperatures. This is not always the case and if you come up here to hunt deer and hogs in the summer you can expect to freeze one day and roast the next! Be prepared. Some years in some areas ticks are a real problem: I have removed over 100 ticks from my pant legs at one time, so treat your clothing and wear repellent.
VAFB has excellent camping facilities that can be booked through the Outdoor Recreation office. The base has lodging as well and there are numerous motel options in the surrounding communities. There is a full-service gun club on base with a pro shop, ranges and best of all a game cleaning and aging facility with room in the walk-in cooler for 25 deer at a time. For members only, see the pro shop for membership details.
The hunting. I heard from the base biologist that 30% of the state’s pig harvest comes from; Fort Hunter Liggett, Camp Roberts, or VAFB. That said, it isn’t easy hunting because the hogs get a lot of pressure. This makes many of them entirely nocturnal. The best option is to get up on a high spot and glass the surrounding countryside. Sure, you can “bust brush” but likely you will only hear the hog go out the other side and see nothing but the brush moving. It’s best to try spot and stalk. Some guys use dogs. I ask that you think twice about using dogs here because of the high amount of hunter pressure. A pack of dogs will push hogs out of their beds and they will leave that area for months, wrecking the opportunity for others coming up later in the season to hunt. Too much pressure and the hogs simply move off base to private land where they aren’t being hunted. Shooting wet sows is discouraged for the same reason: hunting pressure keeps the hog numbers well in check. I’d rather see piglets shot than wet sows because then only one animal dies. It is a complete fallacy that piglets get adopted by other herd sows. They are coyote food. There is always time to make sure of your target!
We have a large population of deer on VAFB and hunter success is far above the state levels at close to 50%. Those hunters willing to get out away from the roads tend to do well, and success is enjoyed in every area on the base. Hunting pressure during the deer season is only moderate, and one can get away from everybody else if you so desire. Good optics and shoes are a must. For the military and some DoD, there is a VAFB specific tag labeled a “G-11”: this is an either sex tag with a season that runs from 26 August to 31 December. It is only available to a limited number first come, first served.
Dove hunting is completely dependent on the weather around the 1st of September. If it’s hot, the doves are in. If it turns cool the birds will head inland. Quail hunting is often good and it looks like 2009 is going to be a good year. Lots of babies and we are seeing the second clutch of young now.
So give some thought to coming to VAFB and participating in a wonderful hunting program. The wildlife management team here excited to have hunters here as the important tool that it is! Hope to see you out here!
Post by: Sumpnneedskillin on June 02, 2010, 06:59:21 AM
One thing to keep in mind is they close some areas due to launches. So if you are planning on going call and make sure there aren't any closures.
Terrain ranges from beach to near vertical. If it's wet things get muddy and slimy. I remember a guy got stuck and the tow truck got stuck and the bigger tow truck got stuck. It finally took a piece of heavy equipment to get them out.
Poison oak, ticks and impenetrable coastal chapperal are other problems you'll face.
If I remember correctly, VAFB is part of the condor protection area so no lead ammo for big game and most small game. Check the CA DFG website (www.dfg.ca.gov (http://www.dfg.ca.gov)) for all the lead restriction info.
This forum is mostly CA guys. Alot of the guys on the pig hunting thread spend time at VAFB, FHL, and Tejon Ranch. There's a lot of good info here if you're thinking of going.
http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/hog-javelina-hunting/ (http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/hog-javelina-hunting/)
If you look at the blacktail thread you can find some pics of the deer they've taken off VAFB.
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on June 02, 2010, 07:57:37 AM
Post by: addicted on June 02, 2010, 08:38:04 AM
Post by: colockumelk on June 09, 2010, 07:58:48 PM
Post by: colockumelk on June 11, 2010, 09:35:40 PM
So come about 10 AM i'll have to decide to either :brew: or :fire.: mmmmm Which one should I chose when it's 99degrees with the heat index at 110. :dunno: