Locating hogs.

[MICHIMAN65]

 I've never hunted hogs before, and where I'm at, there were two farms raising Russians and Europeans for sale to game ranches. The farms both shut down, one because the local kids were cutting through the fences to release the hogs( over 170 from one farm alone ). Its been several years since that happened, but we're spotting hogs in broad daylight now, right from the highway! The land is an excellent mix of crop fields, woods and swamp. My question is, do hogs prefer thickets and heavy cover for bedding areas? Michiman.

[ronbow]

I've never hunted hogs before, and where I'm at, there were two farms raising Russians and Europeans for sale to game ranches. The farms both shut down, one because the local kids were cutting through the fences to release the hogs( over 170 from one farm alone ). Its been several years since that happened, but we're spotting hogs in broad daylight now, right from the highway! The land is an excellent mix of crop fields, woods and swamp. My question is, do hogs prefer thickets and heavy cover for bedding areas? Michiman.

Absolutely. At least here in Florida. They are smilar to deer as far as reactin to hunting presure - nocturnal 

[Land_Owner]

[1]  where I'm at
[2]  two farms raising Russians and Europeans for sale to game ranches
[3]  local kids were cutting through the fences to release the hogs

1.  Which is where?  It'll help with the answer.
2.  What a travesty, that generates negative Public perception, to purposely raise animals for Sport Hunting.
3.  These "youth" (are you sure of their 'age'), aided by these "farms" (breeding factories), have done more harm than good for your local economy and its wildlife environment.

[MICHIMAN65]

 I'm in Saginaw county, which is a little south of the center of the mitten. According to the DNR website, its the highest concentration of feral hog kills in the state. One of the farms was in neighboring Gratiot county, about 20 minutes from me. But the lions share of the hogs I know of, came from a place a few minutes from me. Both places also offered hunts, but the one closest to me, sold to some of the larger game ranches in Michigan. Mostly Russians, but also Europeans.
 As far as the youth, early teens and just younger than that. I have heard some, now in their twenties, brag about clipping fences.
 Land_Owner, I'm also interested to know, would using dogs be likely to drive the hogs out of the area? I've got experience with hounds and curs, but I've always held back, because I don't want to deal with riled up swine. But I always wondered if dogs were used, would the hogs simply move on? Michiman.

[MICHIMAN65]

 Thanks ronbow. I'll have to set up a trailcam. Michiman.

[rockbilly]

Hogs are smart!  Most any pressure, with or without dogs may cause them to absent themselves from a property.  Here in Texas they are not considered a “game animal” and we can hunt/shoot them year round.  I have shot them over feeders and also had friends run them with their dogs.  After killing a few or after a few good chases where several are caught they disappear for a while.  I might go for two-three months without seeing one, then one day I drive across the property and see a herd of 20-30. 

Bottom line, they are damn hard to totally get rid of and do have a very bad influence on the other wild life.  Several years ago I had flocks of wild turkey that would number 20-25 birds to a flock, even had one of about 60-70 birds that roosted in large native pecan trees in a creek bottom, they are gone today.  My son said he seen two turkey this deer season, I didn’t see any.  The quail population has been eliminated altogether, haven’t seen a bird for years.  The only good side……….I haven’t seen a copperhead or rattlesnake for at least five years but I would welcome them back it the turkey and quail came with them and the hogs were gone.

[MICHIMAN65]

 Its surprising to see something so elusive, but so gutsy at the same time. A buddy of mine gets a call one morning from his son, who is a confident, good hunter in his own right.  My buddy calls me and says bring your shotgun and get over here, hogs got my boy up a tree. Come to find out, his son is bowhunting for whitetails from a woodline along a cornfield, and from the corn steps out what, at first, he thinks is a small black bear. Never heard a sound, just all the sudden there she is. When he sees the ears, he realizes its a sow, with half a dozen smaller hogs with her. He shot her through the top of her shoulder, and the arrow stayed in her offside shoulder down low in her chest cavity. They milled around, trying to locate my buddy's boy, but gave up and began moving away. He gets down from the tree, they hear him and drive him right back up there. He wasn't able to get another arrow in her, and we lost their tracks after several hours of following them, and hearing her let out a squall about two hours after she was shot. They worked their way into the thickest, nastiest cover after moving a quarter mile through the corn. Never found the sow, or a single drop of blood, but did find about 22, blood covered inches of the arrow shaft, minus the broadhead and 8 inches of the shaft. They actually pulled the arrow out of her shoulder! I've never heard of anything like that. His arrow went through her chest, and they pulled it out. I saw the arrow shaft myself and still have a hard time believing it. Amazing.