Any one hunt hogs down by Savala Texas?

[skoger]

A friend of mine has a uncle down there, 2500 acres covered up with pigs, told us to come down and hunt for free. We are going mid Jan., anyone know anything about this area.

[Kawabuggy]

I have never personally been there, but I have heard tales of many of a wild hog running free in those parts. I think Zavala is the proper spelling though. It's west of San Antonio.

If you guys need any "help" on your pig elimination journey, I'd love to join you for at least a weekend. Heck, I'll supply the beer & corn. Beer for us & corn for the pigs of course.

[dfrosch]

Might want to read up on brucellosis.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/sports/6622629.html

Good idea to carry some rubber gloves.

[tammons]

Sounds like fun. I chat email and on forums with a guy that guides hog hunts in Texas and they kill a lot of hogs.
Mostly at night.

I hunt in Ga on about 1600 acres but its not contiguous.
Most of the ones I have killed have either been so early or so late you could barly see.


Yep, I agree on the gloves. I got sick after handling a pig I killed a few years ago.
It felt like some sort of flu bug.
Supposedly you can catch the flu and other maladys
from pigs, but it will not spread to other humans.

[Dennis]

I am looking for a place in Louisiana to hog hunt, anybody have any suggesstions?

[kweeks10045]

I think you mean Zavala. I live near San Antonio now, but grew up in the Rio Grande Valley. I have hunted several areas around there, San Diego, Crystal City, Carrizo Springs, Fowlerton (Talk about small towns), etc. Tons of hogs. The shots can be quite long if you are shooting down senderos while driving around. Yes, hunting from a vehicle is legal on private ranches here in Texas. Those hogs get tough in that area. There is not a plant around without briars, thorns or daggers. Night hunting is a good way to get hogs, especially if your baiting (both legal). Also a lot of Javelina, Bobcats, a few Mountain Lions, and other fun things to hunt. A good size hog can be 250-300 lbs. and have 1/2" thick hide down here. They can be very aggressive and dangerous. Sharp tusks are the norm. Javelina are just as bad, they will gang up on you and shred anything that gets in there way. You will never forget the sound of a mad Javelina clicking his teeth together at you. I strongly recommend something along a 7mm-08 or bigger. Unless you can hit them behind the ear, think bigger. 270, 30-06, or even 45-70's are great. I have shot one in the neck with my .243 with 87 grain Hornady's. All it went in was 2" maybe. Only reason he went down is it hit on top of the spine. I had to put him down with a knife. Bullet just stunned him. He was 250 or so.

[snipecatcher]

I've never hunted there, but I've been in the area. As kweeks10045 said, the land around there is very unforgiving. You really don't do much walking around, as everything pokes, stings, and bites. There will most likely be narrow roads, and "senderos" cut through the brush that may be 300 yards long or so. Most people put up box blinds with a feeder about 100 yards away, and senderos radiating out 3 or 4 directions from the blind. I usually shoot for the "neck" if it can be called that. A neck shot will drop a pig, but if you shoot too far left or right, you hit the chest or head. Good luck, and have fun.
-Dan

[GUNFANATIC]

I usually shoot for the "neck" if it can be called that. A neck shot will drop a pig, but if you shoot too far left or right, you hit the chest or head.

Better shot is right in the ear. Bang, flop!

[jeg8233]

Completely agree about the ear shots. That will leave them DRT.