"OFFICIAL" Granger Hog Hunting Thread

[chevota]

Heading back out There tonight to bait a spot gonna sit it saturday if they dont mop everything up by then

[scalpel4]

New to the forum, this is post number 1 for me. Was in Austin for the Roger Waters concert and decided to stay the weekend for a little hog action. I was reading up on this forum before hitting granger this weekend to get some pointers, and I found them helpful, but didn't have any luck. Here's a synopsis.

Friday went to pecan area and baited two locations, one area (two spots) right near the entrance by the spillway and one area (two spots) by a watering hole way down the path to the right. I scouted around and I can see deer poop almost everywhere there, as well as fresh deer and hog tracks. I also scouted around down in the spillway but it's all pretty dry, and hauling a hog out of the spillway solo in 95 degree heat isn't my idea of relaxation, so I stayed higher and focused on the pond/. Came back Saturday morning, everything was untouched. Everything everywhere was still bone dry, except the pond of course. So I sat/stalked the area for about 3 hours and called it, it wasn't getting any activity and it was way too hot for hogs. So I called it and went for Cinco De Mayo festivals in Austin.

Came back in the evening about 5:30 and tried again. Same deal in Pecan, so I didn't hang around. Went to area 6, also well discussed in this thread. Bowed up and walked the path into the wooded area. Just when I was entering the tree line, a nice deer sprang out of a bed area behind the trees 10 feet to the right and bolted. Ran too fast for me to see anything other than whitetail backside, but the back was about 3 1/2 to 4 feet high. I'm guessing it was a good sized deer! Didn't expect anything like that this close to the entrance, so I was encouraged. Stalked for 90 minutes, nothing. So I packed in and drove to point 7, took one look at that stairwell and said "You gotta be out of your mind!" packed back in and went to San Gabriel. Now is it just me, or are the entrances both channeled to private land and padlocked? Way to go TPWD. so back to 6 I went . This time I stalked the water line a distance in both directions, then stalked the paths once more. Got back to my truck about 8:50 with nothing but two legs full of spear weed.

To me it looks just way too dry for hogs to hang out. The real kicker is I was driving back Sunday morning to Dallas. Stepped out of my hotel room and what did I see? Fresh rain on my truck. ****. At least I know a place that may be pretty good for deer.

[viper3853]

^^haaaa young grasshopper. They are there in pecan, you just need to walk way back in there!! That pond to the right of the trail holds nothing but logs. You need to go further and into the spillway, hogs don't hit that spillway entrance area til about nov-dec. I haven't been in about 6 months and haven't seen what it looks like but my bet is that they are in the reeds where there's water in the spillway. Granger also holds some great deer too.

[chevota]

I spent the last 2 weekends out there and didnt see much. I have spent all my time in the grove. And feel like ive hiked **** near the whole area on both sides of the river. except for the spillway area. I also baited a couple times but no luck. The only "3 pigs" I saw were questionable because 2 were at dusk and dawn and looked like little piglets. One was at 4am on the side of the river that I saw walking into the place I was going to hunt in the morning looked like it would have been 30-40lbs.

[Dirtymike]

Lots of hiding spots with all the green. It aint easy.

[ground level]

New to the forum, this is post number 1 for me. So I packed in and drove to point 7, took one look at that stairwell and said "You gotta be out of your mind!" packed back in and went to San Gabriel. Now is it just me, or are the entrances both channeled to private land and padlocked? Way to go TPWD. so back to 6 I went . .

There are reasons why a gate is closed and/or locked on a Unit - inquiring about such to either the controlling person on the area, whether it is Corps, TPWD, USFS or private landowner will give you an explanation to the action.

[scalpel4]

I spent the last 2 weekends out there and didnt see much. I have spent all my time in the grove. And feel like ive hiked **** near the whole area on both sides of the river. except for the spillway area. I also baited a couple times but no luck. The only "3 pigs" I saw were questionable because 2 were at dusk and dawn and looked like little piglets. One was at 4am on the side of the river that I saw walking into the place I was going to hunt in the morning looked like it would have been 30-40lbs.

I'm with you there. I did walk way down the path almost to the spillway, not even a rustle in the bushes. I wouldn't have gone any farther, would have been too difficult dragging the carcass back. I'm guessing the big ones mobilized into the farm fields nearby to root the new crops. I also walked down the concrete ramp to the spillway near the entrance to take a look and survey, sat a while and watched, nothing that looked like they would be there during the day, just a stagnant pool at the bottom kept me from going any further.

But off 6, that looks like a good place to fish.

[viper3853]

Maybe I'll go out this weekend. Haven't been in a while. Do some fishing too.

[NightStalker]

Anybody ever tried hog calling at Granger? Article in sports magazine says squealing piglets sounds will draw sows, and angry boar squeals will draw boars, even in daylight. Article said to use recorded sounds played over a speaker, not a mouth call.

Anybody tried it?

[surfin Pete]

I know it will work with a live squealing piglet. I think an elecronic call would work if you are undetected and get close to the right group of pigs. By right group of pigs I mean a group with little piggies, or a boar lookin' for a fight. I don't know if they have any restrictions on electronic calls at Granger, but check the regs. first, then try it out and let us know.

[Mister Bubba's bulletman]

I never did.

There's so many hogs, so close, all the time, I would think it would upset them and they'd run off before you ever caught sight of them.

Might work, just check your 6 first. They're probably standing behind you looking at you.

[Dirtymike]

Pigllets in a trash can squeeling was said to call in hogs to the primative camp GRXH2012. Standing on a pigllet will for sure call in a hog.

[Harrier]

San Gabriel unit report

I'm not a bowhunter, but I've been shamelessly lurking on this thread for intel about a rabbit hunt (.410 shotgun) I'd planned for Granger WMA. In the interest of bow-gun diplomacy, I thought I would return the favor. I spent from 8 a.m. to about 4:30 p.m.Saturday out at San Gabriel, entering at Gate 6 and walking SW to Gate 7, trying to rustle up some bunnies. I looked in every brush pile, under every fallen tree, near every stream, but the closest I got to a shot was when I heard something scurry under the thick grass cover. I didn't even see it. For all I know, it could have been a rat. I would have settled for a squirrel, but I didn't see a single squirrel all day long. Needless to say, no rabbits either.

I also didn't see any hogs, which is not surprising since it was hot and I was there during the day, but I did see plenty of hog wallows and several piles of hog poop -- more toward the gate 7 end. I spooked a total of three deer -- only saw the tail end of one, then got a good look at two does later. Conditions were rough. The grass/weeds are very tall, and even where they're laid down it provides about six inches of dense cover for anything underneath. I kept stomping on tree limbs etc. that I couldn't otherwise see under the cover. I hope I didn't botch anyone else's stalk. Maybe you saw me; I was the guy in orange. I came across a wooden stand that someone had left leaning against a tree, and found a large corrugated metal shack maybe half a mile from gate 6.

There was no one at gate 6 when I got there in the morning, but I saw a few cars at gate 7 when I got within sight of it. After I got back to 6 I drove over to gate 5 to take a look around. I regard gate 5 as kind of a cruel joke. Maybe that area would be good for dove hunting or something.

If you have specific questions about signs/conditions/etc. let me know.

[Wudstix]

Was that wood ladder right near the creek? I moved one during GRXH 2012 and sat it for an afternoon/evening. Always wanted to set up a spot at Granger, but 126 miles one way keeps me from doing that.

[GrangerBoars]

are you still allowed to hunt pigs out at granger? I was told there were gonna shut the whole thing down