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Full Draw
01-11-2004, 03:41 PM
OK veteran hog slayers, help me out here... This may be a long read, but I'm trying to give you as much info as I can to get your opinion.

I have had several factors hit my hunting land all at one time... I'm not sure which is killing my chances? I have only entered the area when I am going to hunt it, which was the three days I mention below.

On Friday, I entered my stand area to find the bait hit hard as has been the case since priming the area several weeks ago. I have seen hogs on almost every hunt. Well, on Friday about the time hog's normally make their way to the feeder, I hear something coming my way... I look over my shoulder to see a HUGE tan and black object heading my way... Up came the bow, for a quicker draw should it be a boar, but to my dismay, it was a large boxer dog I think??? He charged in and started running all around my feeder location until he finally jumped a group of sholts. They ran through the woods with the dog chacing them. He must have caught one because one of the piglets started squeeling bloddy murder for about 2 minutes. Then I hear more noise behind me, it's the dog's owner... He and his little boy walk under my stand and stop looking at all the corn on the ground. He tells his boy, someone is hunting for pigs in here. He looked about trying to find a stand, but never turned to look behind and above himself... I said "Excuse me" and he liked to jump out of his skin. He looked up and apologized for messing up my hunt. I told him no problem and it was nice to see a man taking his boy into the woods with a new BB gun. I told him to be careful as I have been charged by these hogs out here and that his boy would be a rag doll in the jaws of one of these pig's. He then left... 5 minutes later, I hear him calling his dog... He was still calling for the dog when I left at dark, 2 hours later.

That night the weather got cold and became very windy. I went in sat am to hunt... Nothing had touched the bait. It was cold and got even colder as the day went on and still very windy. Left at 10 am and came back at 2:45, the bait had been hit, but not hard like normal. I saw nothing between the time I arrived and the time I left at dark. I decided to sleep in and hunt the mid day today. I went to hunt at 10am and left at 1:15pm, Nothing had hit the feeder location last night or this am and I saw nothing during the time I hunted?

I'm not sure if it is a combination of the dog, the guy and his son, the sudden cold snap or the high winds???

What has been your experience with wind and cold temps??? I realize the dog and his owner didn't help my situation, but for them to stop hitting it at night seems very strange?

Rod

guess
01-11-2004, 04:41 PM
in our area they will hit the same spot night after night , at about the same time getting later every night.I have drove in shot hogs ,came back an hour later and shot at the same hogs.then boom they are gone takes me a month or two sometimes to figure out where they went,but sooner or later they come back.usually later.I've found that nasty,misty, rainy weather makes them move well in the daytime.if you are using a feeder you might try setting it for earlier and less corn ,maybe they will compete more for the feed.

Rickey
01-11-2004, 05:29 PM
Rod,
I have noticed every time I see a dog chasing a hog around here, which I shoot immediately, the hogs don't come around for awhile. That food isn't all that important. There more food somewhere else. Remember if you wasn't baiting they would be eating something else. Give them a chance and they'll be back shortly. Did you ever get your feed on a timer? I was looking at one yesterday with the better half. $70 for a moultrie timer. That's a little steep for me right now but maybe sometime soon. I got to much food on my plate right now. I don't think I'll ever get it cleaned.

Another thing is it sure is good you didn't shoot that dog with the kid there. That would not have been good for the kid to see. Did you warn the guy about the dog and tell him what you saw him doing and heard?

Full Draw
01-11-2004, 08:19 PM
I wasn't sure if it was the weather or the dog???

The wind stopped blowing and it warmed up into the 60's so I slipped back into me secondary stand. 2 sows and 12 piglets showed up at 5:10pm.
They fed for 1/2 hour and walked back toward the swamps. I now know why that red sow was alway's by her self and never stayed long at the feeder. She has 3 teeny tiny little piglets. I mean they make Alans famous pig look huge! lol

Yes, a friend of my brothers is letting us use one of his feeders.

I would not shoot that dog. I am very close to houses out there. (Closest house is about 1000 yards) Of which we have built 95% of the houses in the subdivision. Wouldn't be good for business. lol

[ 01-12-2004, 05:43 AM: Message edited by: Full Draw ]

jason mills
01-12-2004, 02:29 PM
Maybe this isn't the first time a dog or people have entered your area.I can't see the dogs scent scaring your hogs.I have a boxer and at my back yard spot she comes with me every day ,I throw corn on the ground with my hand.Now my dog has never chased the hogs,maybe its a local dog that gets loose alot and runs your hogs.I have some pictures with my trail cam of my dog and 2 hours later the hogs are in the next picture.Something is chasing them off,you're hunting with a bow not shooting them with a gun,so I don't think it's you.A hog isn't going to pass up a free meal unless he's getting pressured,not by human or dog scent but by something that is scareing or chasing him.Thats just the way it's down hear.A hog is a very smart animal,I've had to move my climber several times,I used to leave it on the tree all the time,and I found they would notice it wasn't there and they would look in the tree or not come out.Hang in there they will come back.

Full Draw
01-12-2004, 07:24 PM
It appears to have been the windy conditions we were having. The hogs are back and must have been hungry. LOL Looks like a D-8 Caterpillar went through the area. graemlins/thumbsup2.gif 3 days worth of bait was completely gone. I'll give it a few days then hit it again.

I made up some sour corn I'm letting get good and smelly to try and grab the attention of the boars to see if that will help bring them in before dark.

The local trapper over by this propery I am hunting said he thinks the boars seem to travel alot. Say's he see's them and catches them for a couple week's then they vanish for awhile, then they are right back in the area for while and then gone again???

Does this hold water in y'alls opinion?

Rickey
01-12-2004, 10:44 PM
Yessir, very true. Sometimes you are on them and then they vanish. Next thing you know is you are smoking them again! Patience is a virtue with hogs. Also, don't lock yourself into that stand. I'm not saying don't use a harness, just saying be willing to get down and put on a stalk if the wind is right. Don't worry about noise because they don't care about noise, they do care about seeing you and also about smelling you.

Shadow
01-14-2004, 03:27 PM
Just for the record, I see the mojority of my hogs on wet days. Days when it is misting rain, or having scattered showers. I bet 80% of the pork I have taken has been on wet days. Pigs are smart, and when they are disturbed, it may be a while before they settle down.

Texas Dave
01-14-2004, 06:47 PM
I agree with Alan on the wet days, I've noticed that after a good soaking the Hogs seem to fan out in the woods more than sticking to one particular feeding area. I've heard that the rain brings certain insects to the surface , and that it is just easier for them to root. For whatever reason, they are more active in wet conditions.