Setting up a Hog Hunting Spot
[email protected] 07.05.17
The Texas hill country offers some of the finest wild hog hunting to be found anywhere in the world. However, setting up your own hunting property takes a good bit of hard labor.
This spring we acquired a new hunting lease in Sutton County, Texas and decided to set it up right. The first step was scouting. During this time we found areas near water and near the thick cover hogs seem to like. Once this part was done, the real work began.
First we moved in feeders. These weren’t just any feeders, they were heavy duty stand and fill feeders that are designed to be able to stand up to the abuse hogs often give a feeder. By heavy duty I mean get a trailer and something to haul them to the location where you plan to hunt. This is not a one man job and I am thankful I had my brother along to help.
The place we were setting up is very rough terrain, but we were able to get in there with a loaded-down Polaris General. The independent suspension allowed us to handle some rough trails with a trailer load, while the generous ground clearance helped when going over large rocks.
Once we managed to set the feeders in place, the heavy lifting began as we filled each feeder with corn. With feeders full and programmed, our next step was placing blinds. Some of the blinds were placed in the trailer we pulled while others we put on top of the General. The roll cage on the General held these huge blinds like a cradle so we strapped everything down and made the haul.
Every blind, whether a tripod or ground blind was meticulously placed down-wind of the feeders. There is no chance a hog will come within bow range if he smells you, so we made sure to use the wind to our advantage. After trimming more than a few limbs, we were officially set up. All we needed to do was give the hogs time to find the feeders and it would be on. I left the ranch with great expectations for the future.
Two weeks later we had a very late unexpected cold front blow in for a few days, so I made the 7 hour drive to the lease to enjoy the last cool breeze before the sweltering heat set in for the summer. Once at the lease, we checked all feeders and cameras and were pleasantly surprised that the hogs were abundant.
My first morning on the stand I shot two nice boars with my bow within 30 minutes of arriving at my blind. With a little tracking help from my dog Jax they were in the bed of the UTV in no time.
If you just read about the kills hog hunting seems real easy. Go sit by a feeder and wait. You’ll find out that there is a lot more work that goes into consistently good hog hunting. If you put in the effort, and pay attention to details, the rewards can be great. This evening I can sit back in the air conditioner and enjoy a nice pork roast or maybe have some sausage on the grill.
Kindest regards,
Brian Johnson
