Bad Hog hunt

[eglsong]

I just got back from a hog hunt with my grandson at WRANGERUP in AR.  Cost me $310 for a one day hunt.   That would not have been to bad if we had seen some hogs.    Not only did we not see hogs but also did not see any sing that was fresh.   We checked all the feeders and none showed any hog sign.   Then they told me that the next ranch over was trapping hos.   I called them Sat (june 3rd)  on if they had seen any sing and they said that they had.   We also checked at least 5 small ponds and not a bit of sign.  The hunt was on Jun 5th.  They also offered to allow my grandson to come back during the bear season and allow him to hunt for free.  Only if he shot a bear would he have to get a AR hunting lic.

[Land_Owner]

No hunt is a "bad" hunt just because you didn't see any hogs.  If we all saw and shot hogs each and every time we went, or caught fish every time we (and everyone else) hired a guide, there soon would not be any fish or hogs. 

What you EXPERIENCED was a hog HUNT and should not be confused with a hog SLAUGHTER, hog SHOOT, hog KILLING or any other such terminology. 

Sometimes hogs fail to participate and that is why it is called a HUNT.

[Graybeard]

Yup, welcome to free range hog hunting. That's actually how free range hog hunting goes more often than not. If you want to shoot one go to a fenced enclosure with a guarantee but if you want to HUNT go to a free range site and you might or might not see a hog or even any sign of one. I've failed to see hogs or sign of them more often than not on free range hunts.

[eglsong]

To the last two replies.
 Yes I know all about free range hunting  as I have been doing it for 60 years.  Read what I said. I called them two days before the hunt and was told there was hog sign and they were using the feeders.  There was no fresh sign in all the areas we hunted.  If
you look at their web site they sure have pictures a lot of hogs at the feeders.

[NONYA]

The one time i was on a pig hunt in Texas I didnt want to hunt the fenced ranch so we went over to my friends free range land and never saw a single pig,we did get to help some of the mexican help take one out of a steel cage trap and butcher it for a wedding pig roast,they told me you had to be pretty lucky to catch them in the open in this very rough area we were in.

[Land_Owner]

Have to say I missed your time line there and you DO have a reasonable complaint.  They have taken advantage of you and you have every reason to complain.  They told you in advance that there was fresh sign, an encouragement for you to make the trip (an incentive). Upon your arrival and payment of fees they failed to deliver fresh sign (because it wasn't there in the first place) I say they took advantage of you and they deserve the BAD PRESS.

[BRUTE]

In their defense... just because YOU don't see the sign doesn't mean they weren't there. Did you pay for a hunt or for a guaranteed kill? Don't confuse the two.

I could take you to a couple ranches and let you hunt for the week and you would probably not kill anything. Then when you gave up I could run dogs where you were hunting and put 3 on the box.

Hogs can be very smart and sneaky... especially if you are trying to stalk or set up and shoot them.

Society as a whole is getting very bad about the whole "immediate gratification" thing. 

[Wynn]

In their defense... just because YOU don't see the sign doesn't mean they weren't there. Did you pay for a hunt or for a guaranteed kill? Don't confuse the two.

I could take you to a couple ranches and let you hunt for the week and you would probably not kill anything. Then when you gave up I could run dogs where you were hunting and put 3 on the box.

Hogs can be very smart and sneaky... especially if you are trying to stalk or set up and shoot them.

Society as a whole is getting very bad about the whole "immediate gratification" thing. 

I have to agree with BRUTE on this one. I have been monitoring a large herd of sows and pigs this past month and if I did not actually see them and start ground feeding to keep them around, I would never have known they were in the area. So far, they have left no signs of their presence.

[TCBrian]

I have hunted hogs probably 100 times. Only two hunts did I even see a hog, both of which I killed. Most of those hunts were on public land where the pigs were few, but several were on private land that was loaded with hogs. They can be very hard to find. Even without seeing them, I always enjoy the hunt and appreciate the deer, turkeys, squirrels, hog sign or whatever else I see. When I finally see one, it is exciting because of how hard I had worked previously.

Good hunting,
Brian

[elmer]

I don't expect guaranteed kills, but if they tell me on June 3rd there is fresh sign an on June 5th there isn't ANY hog sign I would not be pleased. I understand the it won't be fresh anymore, but it won't be gone.

[BRUTE]

I don't expect guaranteed kills, but if they tell me on June 3rd there is fresh sign an on June 5th there isn't ANY hog sign I would not be pleased. I understand the it won't be fresh anymore, but it won't be gone.

I agree... if that was the case then I would have called it on them right then and there. 

[markc]

I guess I would have to ask what they meant by "sign".   I see sign every time I go to my local lease,  but it isn't necessarily fresh.  Even when I know the sign was made since I checked the previous day, it doesn't mean that I will see any hogs.  This time of year they are pretty nocturnal in my area due to the heat.   I would take them up on the free bear hunt for your son (get that in writing).   

[eglsong]

what do I mean by old or no sign?     Checked feeders at least twice.  Checked water holes twice. No tracks at at any of the feeders.   No tracks in any of the trails.   No fresh mud on trees near feeders. All rubbing trees looked like they were old and none of the trees looked like they had a lot of rubbing on them. On previous hunts the rud trees had the bark worn off.      I also did not see a droppings any where.   The temp was in the upper 80's and I figgered that at least some of the water holes would hold sign as some were way off the general path.

[markc]

What I meant was, when you called them prior to your hunt and asked if there was sign, and they said yes, what THEY, not you, considered to be sign.  I see you've hunted there before and obviously know what hog sign is, but I wonder when THEY told you yes there was fresh sign, what were they talking about since it sounds like the sign was old, not fresh. 

[mmb1226]

Did you hunt there at night at all? I went to WranglerUp back in April and we saw absolutely nothing during the daylight hours. We decided we should start looking for them after dark. I nailed a 150 boar at 3 am the second night. I really enjoyed the cabin and the guys there. I would certainly take them up on the free bear hunt.