"OFFICIAL" Granger Hog Hunting Thread

[Idaho TradBow]

Ohhh lots of new fence, our license dollars at work. Hogs will have a tough time getting under it.

Dangit all... so much for my old haunts then ...do they not realize there is next to NO public hunting opportunities at ALL in this state within a reasonable drive of San Antonio/Austin (2 hours or less)? A lot of folks can't afford or don't want to pay $300 to sit in a plywood box overlooking a feeder for a fake "hunt"...this right here is IT for us...basically ALL we have. Okay, I guess I should stop whining...not like it's gonna change anything for the positive for a group of honest, working-class, fair chase, ethical hunters who pay taxes or anything like that, right? Wouldnt bet on it...

[NAVY CHIEF]

last year i was out there when it was flying, the helo flew for one day only because of high wind, they supposedly klled a total of 95, only 40 on the wma, the rest was on private property, and yes it affects the hunting! however, i killed a sow the day after the helicopter hunt in comp "c" behind the overflow last year, sometimes you just have to walk. You also must play the wind or you will not see any hogs, during the day they love to bed in briar patches at granger! find the thickest nastiest cover and approach it downwind, and before you get up on it look for movement and listen for squeals or grunts.

[ground level]

The idea of being ultra restrictive with access and weapons usage re hunters/hunting in the Granger WMA so as to limit unnecessarily the sportsman's take and then forking over same sportsman's tax dollars to fund helishoots to let carcasses rot in the sun and reduce same sportsman's chances for a successful hunt in return for their $48 APH Permit dough to appease landownwers is silly. Interesting...you hike around the borders of the WMA and you see all kinds of hog traps across the fence on the private land side replete with all the usual threatening no-hunting/trespassing signs...and then you hear them complain of the hog nuisance on public news stations and read about it in the papers about the poor, poor folks hog troubles ...but let's not let anybody hunt a hog on their place for less than a few hundred bucks , and surely let's grouse if a hunter wants access PAST the property to get to the WMA, or heaven forbid use a shortrange firearm (while happily okaying helishooting in the exact same areas, go figure)....like Crod I also understand their logic in this but I also respectfully disagree with it as well.

If you have a complaint about what legal means & methods may be used for feral hogs on Granger, you need to talk with the Corps folks on that one. Also, it is not TPWD doing the aerial shooting, but the Texas Wildlife Services, formerly called the Texas Animal Damage Control Services and the Corps hires them to do the aerial shooting from helicopters.

[ground level]

Dangit all... so much for my old haunts then ...do they not realize there is next to NO public hunting opportunities at ALL in this state within a reasonable drive of San Antonio/Austin (2 hours or less)? A lot of folks can't afford or don't want to pay $300 to sit in a plywood box overlooking a feeder for a fake "hunt"...this right here is IT for us...basically ALL we have. Okay, I guess I should stop whining...not like it's gonna change anything for the positive for a group of honest, working-class, fair chase, ethical hunters who pay taxes or anything like that, right? Wouldnt bet on it...

With 96% or more of Texas being privately-owned, it is extremely difficult to acquire public hunting lands in Central, West, South Texas, the Panhandle and Hill Country regions in Texas. TPWD is always searching for new public hunting lands each and every year, but it takes landowners willing to lease their lands so the public has additional hunting opportunities with the APH permit as opposed to what they could receive from leasing directly to individuals. That's really what it is in a nutshell.

[Archer23]

last year i was out there when it was flying, the helo flew for one day only because of high wind, they supposedly klled a total of 95, only 40 on the wma, the rest was on private property, and yes it affects the hunting! however, i killed a sow the day after the helicopter hunt in comp "c" behind the overflow last year, sometimes you just have to walk. You also must play the wind or you will not see any hogs, during the day they love to bed in briar patches at granger! find the thickest nastiest cover and approach it downwind, and before you get up on it look for movement and listen for squeals or grunts.

I was informed last year it was 180 total last year 95 below the dam on granger property/private alone.
My source is credible.
Thanks for the "guide to hunting granger pigs"....

[SnakeBootsRGood]

The idea of being ultra restrictive with access and weapons usage re hunters/hunting in the Granger WMA so as to limit unnecessarily the sportsman's take and then forking over same sportsman's tax dollars to fund helishoots to let carcasses rot in the sun and reduce same sportsman's chances for a successful hunt in return for their $48 APH Permit dough to appease landownwers is silly. Interesting...you hike around the borders of the WMA and you see all kinds of hog traps across the fence on the private land side replete with all the usual threatening no-hunting/trespassing signs...and then you hear them complain of the hog nuisance on public news stations and read about it in the papers about the poor, poor folks hog troubles ...but let's not let anybody hunt a hog on their place for less than a few hundred bucks , and surely let's grouse if a hunter wants access PAST the property to get to the WMA, or heaven forbid use a shortrange firearm (while happily okaying helishooting in the exact same areas, go figure)....like Crod I also understand their logic in this but I also respectfully disagree with it as well.

And why do they choose to do this in February of all times? This is such a great time to be out there hunting them (other major hunting seasons closing, cold weather has them out and about, etc.) Couldn't they at least wait until March or April to let us have a decent shot at them?

[Archer23]

And why do they choose to do this in February of all times? This is such a great time to be out there hunting them (other major hunting seasons closing, cold weather has them out and about, etc.) Couldn't they at least wait until March or April to let us have a decent shot at them?

They say the tree canopy affects the shooters.

[TXFireFighter]

Yep they do it right before the leaves come back in... You can see a mile away in some parts right now that come april you wont be able to see 20 yards in front of you. Crod when you going out? Lets meet up, im off wens-fri this week

[surfin Pete]

Last saturday afternoon, I ran across a landowner that was cruising his fence line- not hunting- just cruising on his property. We spoke for a while and the topic of the hog fence and heli-shoot came up. It was interesting to get his perspective because he didn't want the fence nor the heli shooting. He doesn't have any crops to protect, and yes he did have a hog trap. He said the hogs just aren't around like they used to be. We parted ways, and I ended up getting into the hogs (no shots) not 400 yards from where we were talking, but I know the fence, the brush clearing, and the heli shooting affect the hogs. It does seem like our tax dollars would have been better spent on a more site-specific fence around the croplands. I still love hunting Granger, even though I usually go home empty handed. Heck, it's tough dragging a hog out of there, so empty handed is not so bad sometimes.

[Wudstix]

Hope the hogs are calmed back down by GRXH. Chris I don't see you tag on that sow.

[Wudstix]

finally found the pigs on number 6,didnt get a kill but at least were seeing pigs again,primitive camp area aint so good now with the new fence,might get mighty hungry feb 25th

paintman, I should have that baby canoe fixed and be a bit more mobile if you don't mind could you PM some suggestions besides PC.

[paintman]

What kind of new fence and where? That would totally mess with my hunting strategy for the months the corn is up and it's hot - if the pigs couldn't get back down into the thick WMA stuff and water holes/wallows from the corn fields after daybreak. I basically stalked the borders along the old fence that did exist there (a VERY "holey" one) and ambush the pigs coming back in from the neighboring fields. Some of those gaping holes in the existing fence were like hog superhighways leading right down to bedding/wallowing/watering areas...PLEASE don't tell me they've cut off those "funnels"....arrghh..they didn't, did they???

The whole ridge above primitive camp is new hog fence.its dang tight too.I walked a good portion of it and only saw a few spots where there have been something coming under.grxh ought to be real interesting this year although the pig we feasted on last year was shot further down river near the bluff.anyone know if the fence goes all the way to the bluff?all the way to hyway 95?

[Muzzy100]

Paint man it goes about half way across the bluff and stops not even half way it will not be going any further they are done on our end

[paintman]

Paint man it goes about half way across the bluff and stops not even half way it will not be going any further they are done on our end

so it doesnt go all the way to "the spot"???

[Muzzy100]

They also do it in February because they plant in March and it is designed to be able to see the pigs and put the most pressure on them right before the crops are planted. They like to eat the planted seeds with all the chemicals and what not on them as well as the adult crop. Although we all like to hunt them and the heli shoot doesn’t help out our cause I personally know farmers in the area who loose thousands of dollars yearly I have seen what it can do to them first hand and how devastating it can be to their livelihood I have now come to the understanding realization that it has to be done.