Question for the pig hunters of the night

[ozyclint]

I've got a point on a travel route between feeding and bedding areas where pigs are travelling back and forth.

By midnight they have travelled past and by day break that have travelled back again.

They come from the west to the east and back again. The wind is a good constant easterly so that dictates that I get into stand at about 2am after they have finished moving past the stand from the bedding area. Plan is to be ready for them as they move back to bed with wind in my face.

Now since this is a stand over a travel route at a fence crossing and I don't expect them to stop should I put a small amount of corn on the trail to make them stop long enough for a shot?

I also don't know what to expect when I shine a light on them. I have a red LED light on my recurve bow that I can adjust intensity on.

I'm set up for my tree saddle with a 5 yard shot to the trail.

 

[Blowdowner]

I'm amped for you that is all i can offer.

 

[OutdoorEdventure]

They are constantly feeding at night. I’d begin to add corn as often as you can. If using mounted light lower it super slowly on top of them. Don’t suddenly just turn it on. Good luck!

 

[Sbird2019]

I've got a point on a travel route between feeding and bedding areas where pigs are travelling back and forth.

By midnight they have travelled past and by day break that have travelled back again.

They come from the west to the east and back again. The wind is a good constant easterly so that dictates that I get into stand at about 2am after they have finished moving past the stand from the bedding area. Plan is to be ready for them as they move back to bed with wind in my face.

Now since this is a stand over a travel route at a fence crossing and I don't expect them to stop should I put a small amount of corn on the trail to make them stop long enough for a shot?

I also don't know what to expect when I shine a light on them. I have a red LED light on my recurve bow that I can adjust intensity on.

I'm set up for my tree saddle with a 5 yard shot to the trail.

Curious how you have affixed the red light to your bow, as I’ve been trying to think of a good solution.

Do you have a picture?

 

[cbat]

I would start putting feed out there now just to get them used to it . Then I would mount a green light maybe solar power in few days they should get used to it. Only after they start getting used to feeding and milling around would I hunt this setup. Green light you should be able to shoot your bow at 5 yards without the red light. If you have arrows ready you might get off several shots before they blow totally out.

 

[ozyclint]

Curious how you have affixed the red light to your bow, as I’ve been trying to think of a good solution.

Do you have a picture?

I have a Z Visions JP303 light with an adjustable mount that I use on a few of my rifles.
I made a bracket to mount it to the stabiliser bush on the bow.
I can turn it on and off and change light intensity with the ring finger on my bow hand. It works really well.

 

[ozyclint]

Had a sounder of pigs come by at 5am this morning. They didn't cross the fence past me though. They walked along the fence away from me.

 

[Blowdowner]

Had a sounder of pigs come by at 5am this morning. They didn't cross the fence past me though. They walked along the fence away from me.

Dang maybe they only go through the fence one way and take a loop to get back to bedding.

 

[Cowbell]

Use that corn and hunt it two days later. Red or green light - I prefer green. They won't recognize or at worst they will freeze up. We shoot pigs every day. Every. Single. Day.

 

[Davyalabama]

You know where they are moving, is that correct?

Corn, they love corn that has some diesel fuel on it, make it sour.

Lights, use a green light, I use a few cheap garden lights I can set the color. The pigs get used to them quickly coming on. Now, they aren't huge lights, just enough to see them in the area. They make very nice pig lights, man those things are expensive. Yeah, every now and then a pig will push one over, if you have trees, mount them in trees. not too high. They run off solar, so they constantly give off light all night, the pigs get used to them easily.

One thing the pigs will not get used to is you shooting at them. Shoot a few, they are going to find a new route.

 

[Bolt]

If you don't want to use corn and I suggest you do, add a motion sensor light on their trail although pigs are random animals unless they are coming into bait and tend to not stick to a trail. It may take them a few weeks to get used to the light. Also to note pigs hardly ever pause between bedding and food, they usually trot or even run you may have a hard time trying to shoot one without corn but it can be done.
I have had some amazing nights sitting over an almost dry river bed. The pigs would come running in and you could hear them for hundreds of yards. They would water, play in the water and then hit my feeders. Good luck, just make sure to cook the meat well, I got trichinosis which was no picnic.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

 

[weekender7]

Corn will help, just be aware they will be constantly moving while feeding. Lights and hogs are challenge. Some hogs pay absolutely zero attention to a red light while others bolt at the slightest hint of a light, even red. What worked best for us is to start the light out at nothing using a rheostat switch and bring up the brightness slowly until it is just bright enough to see to shoot. I have killed dozens with a bow and a red light, but I have been busted several times using the same setup.

 

[Rich M]

Bait those suckers in.

 

[ozyclint]

Well I got my 5 yard shot this morning at about 5am.

A walking shot, as a grunt didn't pull them up. Boar or sow I don't know, just mob pigs.

It took off down the fence after the hit and arrow fell out as it went back through the fence. Gave it 5 mins and got down out of the tree.

Zero penetration, bent BH. no pig.

 

[Bubblehide]

Pigs literallt make a living and survive from their nose. If you are permitted to bait, you may want to use the wind direction to lure them to a location that better hides your scent from them. If you do this, bait on the ground is obviously avaluable fir them to eat, ans will be consumed. But you may also want to consuder hanging bait when you are hunting-in a stand, so the scent of the bait carries further. In doing this you can better dictate when they come into your stand, based on their non bedded routine and potentially catch them comming or going. Just keep in mind that to much pressure will push them to a different area.

 

[Davyalabama]

Well I got my 5 yard shot this morning at about 5am.

A walking shot, as a grunt didn't pull them up. Boar or sow I don't know, just mob pigs.

It took off down the fence after the hit and arrow fell out as it went back through the fence. Gave it 5 mins and got down out of the tree.

Zero penetration, bent BH. no pig.

What broadhead were you using? There is a guy on youtube (yeah, I know, but this guy ...) Ranch Fairy. He loves shooting pigs with "adult arrows and broadheads).

Do you know where you hit him? I've seen those suckers go down from a 5.56 and run after being hit from a .300 win. mag. They are some tough nuts.

 

[ozyclint]

They must have been using 77tmk's.

BH was a Simmons treeshark. I was using a wide head so to hedge against a marginal hit too far back. Of course that idea failed.
When hit shoulder you want a 3:1 single bevel and when you hit guts you want a treeshark.
You can't win sometimes.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Corn will stop them for sure, just need a second.

Look at the Sniper Hog Lights, they've got some great lights and mounts for your compound or rifles with red, green, and IR lights. Their pattern or timing will likely change now that you ambushed them but they'll be back. I like a Slick Trick for all around performance on pigs. Biggest one I ever killed nose dived into thick brush and I couldn't even turn him around. That was with a plain regular Slick Trick 100gr.

 

[Swamp Fox]

Will second the recommendation for Sniper Hog Lights. Have been using some of theirs since the mid/late 20-oughts or thereabouts.

Also, look into "feeder lights" that you can set up above your kill zone. Usually they're green and motion activated.

For a bow light, I prefer green but red will work. Bring the light down on the pig rather than blasting him directly as you aim.

Someone using pins and a peep will want to make sure they can see them/orient themselves when using a bow-mounted light. Not a no-brainer.