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California Hogs: A Great Year-Round Opportunity

By: Parrey Cremeans

I slowly crawled through the 2 foot high spring grass. After a short stalk I peered around the wild rose bushes just in time to see a sounder group of hogs headed right at me. I drew my bow, and as the group fed a mere 15 yards in front of me, I released an arrow that found its way through the vitals of a 200 pound boar. It was the perfect conclusion to another off-season opportunity for hogs in California.

When your seasons are over and you still have the itch to get out and hunt, take a look to the west. You’ll be amazed at the abundance of bowhunting opportunities found in California.

California offers a great opportunity to continue your off season desire to harvest a big game animal and at the same time, put some great table fare in the freezer. Wild pork is one of my long time favorites for wild game cuisine. Options are endless when it comes to dining on wild hog.

California has one of the most prolific wild hog populations in the nation. In fact, wild hogs are currently California’s number one big game animal. The difficulty in hunting here is that 90% of the hog population in California resides on private property. As for public land, there are few options statewide that you can depend on to house hogs, and your commitment will have to be great. If public ground is your preference I would suggest researching online forums and certainly call the Fish and Wildlife biologist assigned to the area you intend to hunt. For a much higher probability of success, booking with an outfitter is no doubt the way to go.

Lots of live targets make hog hunting one of the funnest bowhunts you’ll ever find.
Lots of live targets make hog hunting one of the funnest bowhunts you’ll ever find.

Regardless of where, or who you decide to hunt with, you will need a California hunting license and pig tag. Resident tags are right around $70. Non-resident tags are in the neighborhood of $225. Check the DFW https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing web site for exact amounts and purchase options.

You can expect to pay between $650 and $1100 for a fully guided hunt. As mentioned, success rates are typically very high on these hunts, and you’ll be hunting in some of the prettiest country you’ll ever see.

The History on Hogs Out West

Wild pigs came from Europe with the settlers in the 1400’s. As civilization moved west so did the hogs. Keep in mind, these wild hogs were brought as a food source. So do not let anyone tell you they are not fit to eat.
Trying to keep wild pigs captive was quite a challenge not only for the settlers coming west, but later as the Missions were established in what is now California. As more wild game was discovered for food by the settlers, abandoned pigs soon began to roam wild, creating what we now refer to as feral introduced.

With wild hogs ready to breed at six months old, and dropping two litters a year of six to twelve piglets, you can bet the hogs of California will be around for a long time.

With their less than average eyesight and their endless desire to fill their stomach, wild pigs are possibly the perfect quarry for the bowhunter. California’s open terrain for glassing makes for a better than average approach for a stalk. If spot and stalk doesn’t fit your style you can attempt stand or blind hunting between feeding and bedding areas. Pigs do not have the ability to sweat so as temperatures rise blinds on water holes offer a great opportunity for a close-up shot at success. If you truly are looking for some excitement, one of my favorite techniques is what I call Stalk and Spot. With this method we stalk through likely bedding areas during mid-day hours, and hope we catch bedded pigs before they are aware of our presence.

Testing new gear and staying sharp in the off-season are just a few of the perks of bowhunting for hogs.
Testing new gear and staying sharp in the off-season are just a few of the perks of bowhunting for hogs.

Hog Gear

As previously mentioned, wild hogs provide a great challenge for bowhunters. Wild boar hogs can have a gristle like armor plate surrounding their shoulders, sometimes as thick as 2″. This “armored plate” is a shot stopper. You definitely want to avoid arrow contact with this spot.

You’ll want the heaviest arrow you can accurately shoot. I prefer cut on contact broadheads like the Shuttle T from Trophy Taker. You’ll want a minimum of 65 foot pounds of Kinetic energy. More is better in this case. Your best shot will be quartering away. On a younger boar up to 200 pounds or so, I would not hesitate to take a broadside shot.
If you’re looking for an off-season bowhunting opportunity in some of the prettiest terrain in the country, look west to California. Ample live targets make western hog hunting a must for any bowhunter’s bucket list.

Check out justforhunting.com for more info on hog hunting in California.

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