Howdy all, I'm stuck in CA and it looks like a darn long hawl at the moment (4+ years). My wife is in school and things keep getting longer...

Anyway, I used to hunt hogs at my family ranch below Yosemite back in the mid 80's and had fun doing it. Now I'm in the Bay Area and want to hunt other areas, try new things and such. Do any of you know of any groups out there that are big on hog hunting? From what I've seen, hogs seem to be on the bottom of the list for many hunting groups if not frowned on by upper crusters. Bah, I like it and enjoy it, don't hang with people that think that way anymore. So I wanted to find others that are into wild hogs as well.

I found a book on CA wild hog hunting and have just about read it in one day kind of rare for me

I don't know of any groups but I remember as a kid living in San Jose until I was 14 that there were hogs in the hills between San Jose and Morgan Hill, almost seems like there was public land out by Uvas reservoir but you might check with fish and game on that. Last time I was down there was about 15 yrs ago to see my sister, she lives in San Jose and works for the city PD but that was enough of that place to last a life time, my favority fishing pond/lake had been fenced in and they had brought beach sand in and were renting sailboards, I caught my first 5lb largemouth there on a fly rod, I don't want to know what you might catch there now

I was out in California over ten years ago on my first western trip. The state has a large wild hog populationand to my understanding, more pigs than deer are shot in that state.

I got the impression that unless you know someone very well, you will have to hunt public land. Of course there are guides and outfitters in the Golden State but that can run up a few bucks.

Ya know if you can't seem to find any hogs out there, ya might want to change your focus on democrats, liberals, and some of the wackos out there. It might be fun; just attach a point system and have at it! Heck, there's enough anti-gunners and anti-hunters to keep a guy busy for a lifetime!

Thats a great idea Gerry, he can get them before they can get to Oregon and ruin my state anymore than they already have.

Never met a Cal hunter who frowned on hog hunting. There is the "Pig'oRama" at the Tajon Ranch. You can check the JHO forums. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/index.php?s=2b075ad6e6d2d8b7fded4cb59e24a146&showforum=67 there used to be a good hog forum on this site but it seems to have vanished.

Dwarvenchef--I met a guy online here that sent me a pic of a HUGE hog he shot on public land up there in Norhthern Cal.
He lives north of Frisco. I will email him and ask him to PM you with the info, He invited me to come up and hunt with him when I go out to Southern Cal to visit my kids. Seems like a real nice guy.

Dwarvenchef, i am the guy htrjohn speaks of, the hog is the one i posted on SP, the public land is archery only- closed in the summer months. I would like to set up a hunt this fall, maybe a few of us could get together and sling some arrows!

Pointed sticks still befuddle me, tried for a couple years but never got the hang of it. So I went to Black Powder and pistols.

I'd love to get together with a few other pistol packin pig hunters

what part of the bay area are you living?

San Jose, next year looks like we move to Fresno though. At least I know people in the mountains there

Hey you guys in CA answer me a question---Is it true that if I move back to CA that I have 30 days to register every gun I own including all long guns and it is 25.00 per gun??
When I was in So.Cal in Sept visiting my kids a guy at a gun shop told me this. My kids keep buggin me to move back and Im thinkin if I do its gonna be up North somewhere but if this B.S. is true I doubt its gonna happen. Id go broke.

It's true but not pos on the $$ part,
Will look into the cost, it does cost but last I heard it was $15 per.

Found it, the HSC (mar 03) booklet states moving into state you have 60 days to regester along with $14 per HANDGUN, as this book is handgun oriented I'm not sure about long guns.

Looks like my kids will be disappointed then. Guess I will just be a non-resident hunter occasionally. You dont bowhunt DwarvenChef? Can you use crossbow in CA yet? That Pig Hunt that Tad is talkin about sounds pretty good.

No cross bows. I may give pointy sticks a try again when my daughter get serious about it.

You are only supposed to register handguns. The only long guns that have to be registered ae ones that CA classify as assault weapons. I have hunted hogs in CA with my rifle and my bow. Now I just got my first encore and hopefully soon I can get out and chase some hogs with it or maybe a coyote or two.

Hope they don't get froggy and decide that all 50 cals need to be regestered, be funny watching them try to convince us that the 50-70 is dangerous above and beyond... /knocks on wood... just in case...

Saving up for my first OTT tube in 50-70 for the Encore. Also looking for a mould in .515 with a large meplat. Smack them piggies

You can use crossbows in CA to hunt during the regular season.

When they lift that Ban? See what happens when you leave the state to live in a real country (moved to AK for 8 years) and come back... They change everything on ya.