Hogs and Daniel Boone

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littlephil

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I'm curious as to whether anyone has hunted in the Daniel Boone national forest in southern Kentucky. If so, did you notice an abundance of hogs? Also, from what I read, all I'll need is a nonresident small game license right? A buddy and I are looking for an inexpensive hunting trip in November. Any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks and take care!
 
I can't speak to KY, but Zaleski State Forest in Vinton Co., and Wayne National Forest in Galia Co. both in Ohio would be a lot closer for you.
 
mailroom_r8_daniel_boone@fs.fed.us will get your email to the Forest, ask about hog hunting, they'll forward it on to the wildlife biologist there.
 
Tim, have you hunted either place? A different buddy and I went to zaleski a couple years ago and didn't see any hogs. But it was also raining most of the day and neither of us wanted to spend all day being either, so we didn't get to cover much ground. I have to say though, it was beautiful down there, I loved all the rocks and streams in the hills and valleys. I may just have to go back again sometime anyway.

Kilimanjaro, thanks for the address. I just sent an email so I'll wait and if I get anything back.
 
Just an update, I got an email back today about the park. According to what the email said, there was a huntable population of hogs in the 80s and early 90s, but they had disappeared by about 94. Now I ain't real bright and don't remember some things real good, but I could swear that everything I've read online and even on some states dnr sites, stated that the opposite was true. Anybody have any input?
 
I live in northern middle Tennessee a couple of hours away from Daniel Boone National Forest so my experience may not be indicative of how hunting is there, but in the 30 years I have been alive I have never even seen signs of hogs in this area. I have heard stories of them, but there are either very few or they are just very good at hiding.
 
Try the Kentucky DNR, too. Could be populations off-Forest on state lands. There are Forests in Ohio and other nearby states. There are definitely feral hogs in Texas.

The population in Kentucky may be low, but they're still non-native, they'd love to see less of them.
 
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Littlephil, what you are reading online and on state's websites about hogs increasing is generally true. However, in the case of DB you are looking at one relatively small geographic area. It is indeed possible for them to be decreasing (or even largely gone) from one area of a state while increasing in population elsewhere.

If you really want to hunt hogs on public land, you'll need to find a place that has hog problems today.
 
I'll definitely do some more checking, but it seems that I always find conflicting info on good places to hunt hogs. I'll read about a place that has a large population, only to hear that they are rarely seen. If we had the time and money to hunt Texas, that would probably be our first choice. We may just try Vinton county if he can make it down this summer. Thanks for the advice so far.
 
Tim, have you hunted either place? A different buddy and I went to zaleski a couple years ago and didn't see any hogs. But it was also raining most of the day and neither of us wanted to spend all day being either, so we didn't get to cover much ground. I have to say though, it was beautiful down there, I loved all the rocks and streams in the hills and valleys. I may just have to go back again sometime anyway.
Click to expand...

I make an annual trip there now (3 years). The first year was mostly scouting snd trying to find my way around, but ended up in western Zaleski, Turkey Ridge area, where I saw plenty of sign, each year. I haven't seen hogs, but I definately know they are there. This year, about a month ago, I found a giant mud rooting area about 10'x20' and was thrilled. Had to be at least a half dozen or more hogs made it. A USDA widlife biologist sent me great trail cam pictures that bolstered my confidence.

The key is to go in with realistic expectations.

Ohio hogs are much harder to hunt than deer, are far less numerous, and are mostly nocturnal. Once the spring growth comes in, and you have 20' visibility in the wooded ravines, you could step over one without seeing him, and you are in no way going to sneak up on one. Hunting in the rain was probably your best opportunity to see one in daylight. Your best chance of day hunting is to either jump one, which almost never results in a shot, or better someone else jump one, and it run into your field of vision, or dogs. This means group hunts. When summer growth is gone, and in early spring, before it returns is you best chance for still hunting, but its still thich there. There is also night hunting, but I'm just not familiar enough with the area yet myself. Most Ohio hogs are taken as target of oppotunity, usually by deer hunters. Few people looking for them have great success in finding them.

They are definately there, I know they are there and I've seen signature. I haven't gotten one yet, but I know that I'm in the right place and I will eventually see them. Better yet, I'm looking forward to eating one!
 
Tim, thanks for sharing. It seems it may be worth another shot goin down there. Maybe we can go this summer and try to catch em at a wallow or at water. If we get to go I'll probably start a thread and let everyone know how it went. Thanks again for sharing your experience, it's greatly appreciated.
 
I would contact KY fish & game for info. It may be national forest, but you still have private property considerations. If you choose Eastern KY, be careful. The mountains are beautiful, but very rugged. In Nov you won't have to worry about rattlesnakes and copperheads of which there are many. I would plan a scouting trip down there for a week and maybe camp at one of the parks if you are serious.

Like deer in Eastern KY, they will be in pockets. The trick is finding the pockets.
 
I think feral pigs are like armadillos, they don't do well in areas where the ground freezes solid in the winter. While we are supposed to have feral hogs here in Wisconsin also, the numbers are quite low and the populations are concentrated in small areas where access is limited if at all. When the ground freezes around here, hogs can't root and the acorns and hickory nuts have already been worked over heavily by deer and turkeys. Natural food in the woods is gone so the only food left is missed or left ag crops that leave hogs easy targets. Public land has little or no ag crops and access is easy and heavy. Hogs don't last long there, even if the terrain is not preferred for hunting. We have hog hunting guides/outfitters here, but they generally limit taking clients to private properties and pay dearly for the privilege. One could drive to Texas and be assured of more than one hog for the same amount of monies. Most feral hogs around here are not Razorbacks or Russians, but escaped domestic hogs gone feral. Most farms in Wisconsin are 300 acres or less and thus getting to hunt large tracts of private land where hogs are numerous is difficult and expensive at best. I assume Ohio may be similar. Sometimes your state or area is just not the place to hunt a certain game or invasive species, and never will be, especially if you want to be successful. But if one does not care if they go home empty handed the majority of the time and prize glimpses of animals and seeing sign every coupla years, it can be satisfying taking an animal that is rarely seen or hunted in an area.
 
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