More Texas warthogs!

[leslie hetrick]

i just save my money and go to africa to hunt(six hunting trips so far), on privite ranchs with good friends. a good friend went out west for a elk hunt(6000.00 for a week) last year. two years ago, my last trip was 4500.00 for 11 days for seven animals including air fare(960.00 round trip from philly) quatar air.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Bob, agreed on courtesy. That said, one of the reasons I moved to AK from Kansas so many long years ago was because land that I hunted as a kid was getting leased, and no amount of courtesy was going to overcome cold, hard cash. I don't blame the farmers really... they're just trying to make a living. But it sucked for guys like me who grew up saying "please" and "thank you" and promising to keep the gate closed. Up here... there are a lot more wide, open unlocked spaces.

On the subject of courtesy/respect - and not to throw this thread off track - it struck me as I went through the many places on my way to Africa and back that courtesy helped - with airlines employees, TSA, etc. Just having a modicum of patience, and being friendly and polite sure seemed well received and I don't believe it hurt me in my efforts. I'm not saying it solves everything, but I saw some very antagonistic behaviors, and for reasons that were not evident to me.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Bob, agreed on courtesy. That said, one of the reasons I moved to AK from Kansas so many long years ago was because land that I hunted as a kid was getting leased, and no amount of courtesy was going to overcome cold, hard cash. I don't blame the farmers really... they're just trying to make a living. But it sucked for guys like me who grew up saying "please" and "thank you" and promising to keep the gate closed. Up here... there are a lot more wide, open unlocked spaces.

On the subject of courtesy/respect - and not to throw this thread off track - it struck me as I went through the many places on my way to Africa and back that courtesy helped - with airlines employees, TSA, etc. Just having a modicum of patience, and being friendly and polite sure seemed well received and I don't believe it hurt me in my efforts. I'm not saying it solves everything, but I saw some very antagonistic behaviors, and for reasons that were not evident to me.

@Tundra Tiger
When I was younger I never had to pay to hunt in my home area and I had more properties than I could handle. 20 years ago I married my current wife and moved to her area where I knew nobody and things changed but that's life.
Bob

 

[sgt_zim]

Sgt_Zim, I hunted hogs on a "hunting ranch" located near Waelder ,TX. Not too far from Gonzales. I just Googled it, in fact it was the same ranch you referred to. We got there a little early so we drove into Gonzales and had lunch at an authentic Mexican Restaurant. It was larger than most, and packed to the gills. Food was fantastic. BTW so was the hunting. I shot 940 lbs. of hog. Our group of six only managed to get 1800 lbs. The guide mentioned something about me being a shooter, imagine that.

Don't get me wrong, between my 2 hunting buddies and me, we shot about 1200 lbs, and the biggest of the lot was maybe 150. I think we shot 14 pigs that weekend.

But "Ranch Boss"...will never get another penny of my money.

 

[BWH]

All good points, especially about the insignificance of a few hunters taking a few pigs which doesn’t reduce the population. Not worth the time and effort all the way around I guess? Back up to Wyoming for pronghorn!

There’s not the public land in Texas as there is in WY. Where there is.....the pig hunting is cheap. However, the odds are low.

 

[CBH Australia]

There’s not the public land in Texas as there is in WY. Where there is.....the pig hunting is cheap. However, the odds are low.

That's hunting

 

[DWB]

lol, because he is mean or huge & he is even bigger than you think as twice the body size of normal Warty ?

From what I'm told many have threatened his life for both & I must admit I would love to see one like him out & about, I see you are in SA, lucky I cropped the faces out & made no mention of propety names lol !

Just because it's one sexy looking pig! And I have a bit of a pig thing...

 

[ssubwave]

Mmm Warthog , Are they all over texas now ?

 

[CoElkHunter]

Mmm Warthog , Are they all over texas now ?

Yes. Just go into any Wal Mart.

 

[ssubwave]

Yes. Just go into any Wal Mart.

That's crazy, I'll check it out

 

[CoElkHunter]

That's crazy, I'll check it out

Ha! Ha! Ha! We have a bunch here too!

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Some of you are fairly clueless about landowner and the hunter relationships but until you are a landowner, there is really no sense is hashing it over, so I'll leave that for another day. I will say this, NO WAY IS NORMAL HUNTING going to stop the hog infestation in Texas and other areas. Say 5 guys go out for a "free hunt" as some have voiced their desire to "help". If they hunt all weekend, all night, with the proper gear etc, we might kill 20-50 hogs. Big dent you might think? Nay. So now as the ranch manager, I have spent a LONG, labor intense weekend pissing in the wind so that 5 rightminded guys can come help us. If you want to stand hunt and drive the roads, same 5 guys might kill 5-10.

We have had a helicopter out twice in the last 6 weeks and have confirmed killed over 250 hogs on 6k acres. The ranch has been flying 5-6x per year for the past 5 years. Every time, they kill about the same numbers depending on the season. The landowner and share crop farmer are seriously in discussion about putting up cattle panels around 1,300 acres of farm fields bc the hogs do that much damage to the crops. I'm not even sure what the costs of that what run but obviously the amount of loss they suffer every year has them contemplating it

Having moved all over the country but not growing up in a state with Hogs I couldn't understand why everyone complained about hogs but always wanted money. I ran into landowners who wanted the state or local government to pay for their damages, poisoning, or other ways to control them, but everywhere I went, and everyone I spoke with said no to me hunting them. It was that or they wanted a couple hundred dollars a day to access the property. I understood the liability issue, risk of damages, etc but knew that wasn't me so I wasn't willing to pay. I but offered to help with hay, fix fences for access and was constantly getting no responses. I couldn't comprehend why no one was jumping at the free labor, or a local hunter willing to help out but expected everyone else's tax dollars to pay for their issue. It wasn't until I moved to Texas last year where the time/money factor clicked because a lot of the landowners don't live close. They lease grazing or farming rights. Finally I had someone explain their history with past hunters, damages, gates left open, cattle shot, etc. PLUS the time factor. It was why they went away from leasing and hunting it as a whole.

I lucked out and met someone with family land. They don't lease at all, and only allow family to hunt it for similar reasons as above. They'll bring a friend or two to hog or dove hunt on occasion. After getting to know the family, them seeing me shoot/hunt, and the tools I own; I'm now allowed to hunt hogs on their property. Someone in the family is almost always out there a couple days a week but I still only go when one of them wants to hunt. Once a relationship is built and their trust is earned, it's a lot easier to get access for hogs at least. Now I just need to do the same thing for a few other places and for deer, but not holding my breath.

 

[Tbitty]

Bob, agreed on courtesy. That said, one of the reasons I moved to AK from Kansas so many long years ago was because land that I hunted as a kid was getting leased, and no amount of courtesy was going to overcome cold, hard cash. I don't blame the farmers really... they're just trying to make a living. But it sucked for guys like me who grew up saying "please" and "thank you" and promising to keep the gate closed. Up here... there are a lot more wide, open unlocked spaces.

I absolutely know the feeling @Tundra Tiger. I grew up on a ranch in KS and part of my learning was hunting on neighbors land and treating it like our own. Close gates, offer a helping hand, use please and thank you, and bringing by extra game when I had a successful hunt was a big reason I was welcome back any time. But as time moves on, more and more of the land I used to hunt is being leased out or even purchased as hunting properties and I no longer have access to them.

Down here in TX, I have a harder time finding land as described by @Mtn_Infantry. I attribute it to the landowners not actually knowing me and how many random people may come knocking. They see enough damage done, irresponsible shooting, trash left, gates open, etc. by others and don't want it to happen again. I still maintain all my old habits of help and care, and the places I have got on are happy to let me return. It's just tough to get the in.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

I absolutely know the feeling @Tundra Tiger. I grew up on a ranch in KS and part of my learning was hunting on neighbors land and treating it like our own. Close gates, offer a helping hand, use please and thank you, and bringing by extra game when I had a successful hunt was a big reason I was welcome back any time. But as time moves on, more and more of the land I used to hunt is being leased out or even purchased as hunting properties and I no longer have access to them.

Down here in TX, I have a harder time finding land as described by @Mtn_Infantry. I attribute it to the landowners not actually knowing me and how many random people may come knocking. They see enough damage done, irresponsible shooting, trash left, gates open, etc. by others and don't want it to happen again. I still maintain all my old habits of help and care, and the places I have got on are happy to let me return. It's just tough to get the in.

You hit the nail on the head. I can't tell you the number of days I spent on the back of a hay wagon or in the hay loft tossing bales in my late teens and twenties so I had a place to hunt for free. Helping split wood or loading my truck bed or their tractor bucket and bringing it up to the farmers house sometimes after leaving the woods. Offering them half the deer used to work a lot as well. I also grew-up in a communist state where leasing wasn't really a thing since landowners were protected against liability by a state statute as long as they didn't charge anything.

I've looked at several leases here in Texas and passed because they weren't what I was looking for but almost all of the landowners told me they were looking for a new group to lease because the previous hunters didn't respect their property and their equipment. Just talking to some of their hired help, offering them a beer or some food in addition to what you mentioned goes a long way. I saw it in other states when I lived there, and have seen it hunting in a variety of other states. Thunder Chickens are my personal addiction though and I haven't met many native Texans who understand why I'm more mad at them then hogs or deer.

 

[CBH Australia]

Yes. Just go into any Wal Mart.

They always seem to attract the most unique people from what I hear.

 

[sgt_zim]

They always seem to attract the most unique people from what I hear.

True statement. For example...

Check out https://www.peopleofwalmart.com

 

[crs]

Dang, almost blinded me!

CEH,
90 miles north of us in OK, there is a hog hunting operation called the Boars Nest. Hog proof fences divided into two decent sized properties. Owner raises hog and bear dogs. He stocks the place with trapped hogs.
The trophy pasture provides hunting the boars with dogs and the other pasture is walk and stalk . Dead game retrieval to the skinning area. A modest fee for skinning and quartering and tossing in cooler. Hunters come from several states around OK to shoot hogs there. $300 for the trophy boars and 150-200 for any hog in the walk and stalk. Both are a lot of fun.
Just 1.5 hour drive north of my place.

 

[crs]

Sgt Zim -- I give up. What is a Thunder Chicken?

 

[buck wild]

Sgt Zim -- I give up. What is a Thunder Chicken?

Turkey

 

[Tundra Tiger]

@buck wild ... Thought maybe it was that (more than) ample gal in the photo... she has feathers and her walking across a floor almost certainly has to sound like thunder.