weekend hunting

Hitting the lake for the weekend, looking for my camera and wild pork on the hoof.
Hunting friends always welcome for some discussion and general BS.

Go get'em Juan. Man... you're nuts for swine. I would think that place would be too muddy after all the rain we just got to go billy goating up and down those hills. More power to you brother. I'm planning on hitting the lake the first weekend of March. That'll be my next chance at some pork. Good luck to you...

Freddie

Are you hunting public land???

Juan, hope to see you up there this weekend. Are you camping? Maybe I'll bring some pork to BBQ after dark if you are going to be up there. Maybe even camp as well.

Went up this morning to take a hike and brought my bow along for giggles. Ran into Jonesz at the check-in station and he was parked about a half mile north of me on my way in. The spot I have been putting some pressure on is now a bust with very little sign but it didn't stop me from hiking way too far on very slippery slopes. Some areas still had a dusting of snow and the ground was frozen solid making the inclines very tricky to hike alone. I did slip and fall (real stealthy  ) a couple times. In addition I thought the rain, snow, and ice would have kept the ticks at bay....not! those little buggers keep you itching, scratching, and half stripping down occasionally after finding a couple creepy crawlers on my pants in the first hour. Still itching and scratching back at my desk at work



Checked in at the hatchery on my way out and the current ? total was almost 800 fish and the small creek between the ladder and the hatchery pens was loaded with well over another hundred fish.

Here  are a couple pictures of pig beds I've run across in the past few weeks. Once I figured out what they were (after jumping a nice hog out of one weeks ago) I found them everywhere. The beds are almost always located under madrone trees.

That is really cool guys, I wish I had time to hunt AND fish....  well, for now the fishing is winning, but the posts are great.

What about yakking in to the back of Sonoma to get at the pigs?

Jim

Ive thought about yaking into the back just to hunt. seems like you could get into some real low pressure areas. My only thing is if everything goes right. Youb gotta lotta pig to yak back with. Might throw the yak off a lil too much(imagine getting tipsey with a pig on-board.) But im done to try anything that will put me in porks path    lol. Ill see you this weekend Juan!!!

What time is dinner Red or White??

Mike, if your bringing the wine, dinner is when you want it.
Snapperhead, yeah, public land.
I'll be there before first light in the morning, then staying Saturday night.
Allen, I haven't gotten many ticks, and I've been crawling at times. I've been finding about 2 per weekend, crawling up my pants leg.
Those "nests" are a trip, and yes, often under a madrone. My pic had a pig in it about 5 minutes previous. I heard it spook off, but never saw it, about 25 yards away in the brush.
I fantasize yaking in to a new area, but that takes too much effort for me. I'd rather jump out of the truck and be in a high percentage area in minutes, still dark. I can stay till very dark as well, and not have issues getting back out in the dark. This way I can also quickly check out a fave spot and still have time to drive to another area if the mood moves me. Dragging the bacon out is easier too.
I hope this is the weekend!

Here's my nest pic...

       On my way out today I collected a few fresh bay and madrone leaves and rolled them up in my hunting pants. Maybe that'll cut down on the ticks. If all else fails I will make spaghetti sauce with the left over bay leaves.    Good luck tomorrow...
         
       

I don't get the nest. I have hunted pigs quite a few times and never seen em. Is the material shed off the madrones? It almost looks like the stuff is gathered and piled up but I know thats not the case? Any Ideas?

Cool shots Allen  Chad make sure you got a sticker

Lake Sonoma’s shoreline will be off limits from November 27 through March 25 to any vessel that does not display a hunting registration sticker, is not registered at a campsite, or whose operator/occupant is not within shouting distance of the vessel. Any vessel not meeting one of these three requirements will be considered “abandoned equipment” and its owner subject to citation ($150.00) and possible impound fees.

And bring your long undies it's been a bit nippy up here.

OMG THAT IS JUST FREAKIN AWESOME AND IM SO JEALOUS IM NOT THERE TO EXPERIENCE THIS HUNT AND CHILL WITH YALL! THOSE PICS ARE JUST MAKING ME DROOL FOR THE PUERCO, RIGHT NOW! GD, I SWEAR I HAVE TO GET UP THERE THIS YEAR TO SEE WHAT SONOMA IS ALL ABOUT...IVE BEEN MISSING THE OPPORTUNITY TO HUNT FOR PIGS THERE FOR 3 YEARS NOW AND IM SICK OF IT! I SWEAR ONCE I GET MY TAX RETURN IM OFF AND GONE!

Bigfoot, is your pig hunting experience of the gunpowder kind? That would explain it, to me. Hunting them with the bow is so much more intimate, in their bedrooms kind of intimate!
I can't tell if the grasses, and it does look like grass, are already there at the base of the tree, or if they have been gathered. I don't think it's been gathered, but I'm not putting anything past these pigs anymore. If I had to spend the night in the woods, and one of these nests were handy, I'd be tempted. I say tempted, not would,, because I wouldn't want to be bumped out of it in the dark!
Next nest I come across I am going to pull on the grass to see if it's growing there. I guess I haven't done so already because I don't want to get my smell on it, and maybe ruin a good area.
Ricci, what's keeping you? I've been wondering when you'd chime in.

Soon I would like to join you guys, any plans for late next week?  I have a friend coming in from MO that would be down for it if possible....that of=r we fish for 5 days in a row      terrible choices I know.


Best of luck guys.