Tips For The Hunt

 

Scent

The number one tip for hunting hogs or javelina is hiding your scent.  There are plenty of products out there which are constantly debated on if they work or not while some hunters swear by them and others throw them away.  As stated above, javelina and hogs have terrible eyesight and can walk right past you without noticing.  However, with that said they have great hearing and a finely tuned sniffer that picks up anything other than their stinky pig buddies.  As long as you are hunting into the wind you could technically smell like anything and not spook your prey.  We've compiled the following suggestions:

• Figure out wind direction and hunt into the wind

• Wash your clothes before the hunt with scent killing detergent

• After getting out of your vehicle or at various times during the day spray yourself with scent killer

• Use scentless shampoos, deodorants, and soaps if possible

• Park any vehicles away from where you intend to hunt

• Smell for the hogs/javelinas.  If you are near them you will usually smell them

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Night Hunts

Some areas you have to notify the local police ahead of time that you are going to be using a spotlight.  Night hunts are definitely more intense and a heck of a lot of fun!  Whether you're running down hogs that invaded crops with your 4x4 and spotlight, sitting on a feeder with green feeder lights, or stalking with night vision you can't go wrong with this style of hunting.  Hogs and javelinas are largely nocturnal and will visit established feeders nightly.  You can also catch them at dawn or dusk on their way to wallows or feeding and rooting areas.  There are quite a few techniques you can employ for a night hunt, below are some ideas you can employ:

• Set up a feeder light (we reccomend a green light)

• Use a gun mounted or hand held green light with low and high settings, red lights work as well

• Set the feeder to come on a few times during the night or have a remote

• Have one hunter covering the feeder, another hunter or two covering the routes the hogs will run when the hunter fires on the hogs at the feeder (know where your buddies are)

• Use chemlights tied to hunters to know where your buddies are at all times if you hunt a field in a line to drive out hogs

• Use a night vision monocular or scope to know when the hogs show up, and when you're ready to have the surprise party as bright as a Cowboy's game you won't start the party too early

• Have at least three people if you are spotlighting from a vehicle.  One to hold the light, one to drive, and at least a garanteed shot for the guy who's job is to jump out first followed by the driver after he parks the truck.

• A "hog toy" is a great way to know hogs are near without seeing them as they will be bumping it around trying to get at the food.  The Rednecks Oasis is working on developing the ultimate hog toy if you don't have time to make one.

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White light vs colored light

The bottom line is that they both work.  However, there is some science as to what the hogs see.  They can see all colors of light but some not as well as others.  Hogs, like most animals, will see and react to any unnatural white light at night.  They will see both the source (you) and where the light is hitting (them).  When we switch to a red or green light the only light they can see is the source that appears grey.  

 

A colored light is more similar to the moonlight and the dimmer the light is the less likely the hog is to react.  The best practice with a colored light is to point it up at the sky, turn it on, and slowly bring the light down to where the hog is as this will not disturb its feeding(make sure there is not a tree above you before you turn the light on).  Though you could still spook the hog, you are almost guaranteed to leave him undisturbed.  Now, which light do you use?  Red, green or blue?  Red lights are harder for you to see but disturb fewer species of animals like coyotes.  Green lights are easier for you to see with while hogs can not see the color green.  Remember, they will still see the green-light source but it will appear as a dim grey light to them.

 

Now don't let the colored light discourage you from using a white light.  White light will illuminate a much bigger area, create cleaner siluets, and reach farther than any colored light.  If you have a feeder light that is white it will take them longer to adapt to the constant light at night but they will eventually get used to its presence.  You can also use a hand held light to either turn it on and open fire quickly or try gradually bringing it down.

 

Stalking

 

Stalking is a fun and challenging way to hunt your next hogs or javelinas.  It is a great way to learn where the hogs travel, where they feed, and where they have their wallows.  You will first want to take into account scent and wind direction before stalking your prey.  Hogs love roads and will use them which makes a road the best place to start looking for hog highways that runs off the road into the brush.  Some ways to tell you're on a hog highway is by checking the signs.  

• Look for any trees, stumps, or light poles that have wet or dried mud on them, hair caught in the wood and tusk marks.  If you find mud on it you are likely on a trail that leads to or comes from a wallow that the hogs visit.

• Check for tracks, don't walk on them as you might need to come back

• Stop to recheck the wind direction from time to time

• Keep an eye out for snakes

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If you choose to go into the brush move as quietly as possible, stop often to listen, look and smell.  Crawling through brush to stay on the hog trail is sometimes your only option.  You can, and likely will, find hog beds and you will definitely smell them before you see them, follow your nose as best you can.  Once in their bedding area, if you haven't seen one yet you can continue on or hang around.  Check for fresh hog or javelina scat as that will give you a good idea if any of the pieces of bacon are around.  If your gun has a safety make sure it's on so the trigger does not catch on a branch of mesquite...scaring the hogs would be the least of your worries.

 

Bug Spray

 

You can choose to use bug spray or not as this is a personal preference and comfort.  With deer ticks, mosquitoes, flees and chiggers bug spray can be a good thing.  However, if a critter catches a wiff of your bug spray they'll be gone before you see them.  Again, monitoring where the wind is coming from will prevent a critter from noticing your bug spray.  The real question comes down to what type of spray.  We'll do a simple breakdown and let you decide what, if any, you want to use:

 

• DEET: DEET actively scares away bugs as long as it is still evaporating.  Once it evaporates you must re-apply for it to be effective.  There is a debate whether if it is healthy or not, I can tell you I have used it since I was a cubscout through Eagle Scout and never had any skin irritation or ticks.  However, it will smear/melt plastic such as plastic lenses on glasses, colored print, rubber and other related things.

• Picaridin: is as effective as DEET without the melty plastic effect and is odorless

• Permetherin: is harder to find than DEET or Picaridin and usually must be ordered online.  Permetherin is not just a repellant but a pesticide.  It is not intended to be used on your skin, but is actually intended for your clothes.  After being applied to your clothing it will last at least up to two weeks and a few laundry washes.  It can be applied to deer blinds and tents as well as a number of other things.  If you use DEET on your skin and Permetherin on your clothing you should be bug free in even the worst locations.