Hello gentlemen (I use that term loosely -- very loosely!)!

There has been some interest over the last week or so to put together a group hunt or gathering of some sort, involving firearms. Anyhow, last year (or was it two years ago?), Franchise graciously organized a group hunt in North Carolina that by all accounts was a success. I spoke with the outfitter I most often work with -- Hog Heaven Outfitters of Johnston County, North Carolina, about a group hunt and as importantly, a group rate.

February is already all booked up, but he promised to make a space for us in January. January is a good month to hunt there as the deer season will have ended and the animals will not be feeling any pressure, on top of the fact that it won't be hot.

Anyhow, his normal rate is $900.00 for a 3-day hunt, all inclusive (this includes meals). He is willing to do the 3-day hunt for $700.00 for us. Keep in mind that North Carolina now requires a license to hunt hogs. You will eat more than well, and sleep in a bed in the bunkhouse. You will also need the night hunting permit that you can get off of the NC DNR site at no cost. You will be hunting at night -- lights to mount on your firearm will be provided by the outfitter if you don't have one. This is a 100% free-ranging hog hunt so there are no guarantees. That said, I have taken a whole bunch of hogs on their property -- which is about 2,000 acres if I can recall correctly.

Those interested, please contact me here and via PM.

Here is a little preview of some of the hogs I have taken there.

Forgot to add -- here is their website:

http://www.hogheavenoutfitters.com

Sounds like a fun hunt. I have never hunted boars at night. Do you hunt over bait? Spot & stalk? Will you have enough artifical light that an Ultra Dot could be used?

240, I got to hunt with Hog Heaven this year, you sit stands over areas that have feeders or mountians of sweet potatoes, Hunt mid-late afternoon all night, or as long as you can sit. The lights are a green or red led hunting light, which does not spook game.

The crew is great, you will not be short of laughs or great food. also another great way to diversify your freezer full of venison,

Here is one of the same types of light mounted to the red dot on a rifle. I'll dig up some other photos later to better show you.

Whit, you put that rig on your handguns as well?

Absolutely! I will post pics later.

Sounds like a good way to test my 458 Lott barrel I finished this am. That's a long ways to go for a hog hunt though but who knows, I'll have to see how things start to develop.

It would be awesome if you could make it, Rod!

Sounds like a great time. A bit too far from home for this old fart.

Well I've got a step mother in Charlotte and I haven't seen her since my dad passed in 04 and I have a ton of extended family still in the mountains of Kentucky. I actually have family in Florida, Georgia, NC, Kentucky, Ohio and I'm sure some I don't even know about all over Dixie.

The perfect excuse, er opportunity, Rod!

Where are our North Carolinians -- or do you prefer Tar Heels?

Franchise??

Of course I'll try to attend,got to try and catch some more of those slabs.

You're too close not to!

Would love to! But we are going to Mexico in Jan., and too close for another vacation.

Good luck you Luckies!

MN

Thanks, MN!

I would really like to try and make this trip. NC is a pretty good haul from MO, but would really like to meet some of you guys. Going after some hogs would just be an added bonus. Heck I may be retired by then, and looking for something to do.

Dan

Would love to, Whit!

This is great! I hope y'all can make it!

I'm in!

Thanks for the invite Whit! I already have a fall/winter boar slaying booked. The Jersey Wildman & another member or two will attend the blood bath. Good luck to you all, I hope you all kill nice boar.

Sounds like this needs to become an official annual event!

do they allow the knife hunting for them? I've always been fascinated by that but I think you have to use hounds to do it.

Rod, you can come down here to Bama and hunt 'em with spears. I have trapped 21 of those suckers in the last few weeks so your chances are pretty good.

Come on David, it's not till January and it's local. Would love to get all of us together and well, it's in your backyard. Come on David!

You can use the knife, but no hounds! Might make it a bit tough! LOL!

That sounds like fun if I can work in in. Not much farther than we drive now to hunt hogs. I have the Glock converted to .45 super with the picatinny that will take a light for the night stuff. I will talk to Matt and see if he is interested. reflex264

well if you can talk Franchise into coming he can rope em and I'll cut em

Work on him, Rod! He's too close not to come and if he can't come to hunt he should at least stop by to meet and greet well, and eat!

Or even come out and shoot a little -- they have a nice range.

Gentlemen, we need more people to participate to make this happen.

BTT

would love to Whit, but just cannot swing it this year

I understand completely!

How many folks need to be signed up to make it happen?

I would like to see ten or thereabouts.

I am 90% sure I can make it, If we got a group of 10 I better kill a few more deer this year to make some venison chili to bring down.

I wish I could say for sure but odds are against it although if things were to work out I'd love to do it. A summer hunt would be even more doable but still tough although I'm hoping sooner than later I'll be able to get back east to hunt with my handgunning bretheren

Whitman,

I understand what you are trying to do. I organize a hunt at the YO every year. It is not easy. Good luck.

It is the wrong time of year and too far for me. Plus, I would not pay to hunt hogs. I would; however, pay the fee to meet you and the others.

I'm another one that would love to make the trip but the distance and time constraints will prevent that from happening. I do hope you can get others to commit. It will fun nonetheless to hear the stories and see some pics.

I have organized group hunts before that were successful. No one forcing anyone to pay to hunt them, but when they're wild and truly free ranging, they do present a challenge, and that is the part that draws me the most. Even hanging out and breaking bread would be nice.

I understand those who live far away may not be able to come, but the locals should be able to.

Rod, understood. But you don't want to hunt there in the summer -- trust me!

Rod you definately don't want to do summer hunt,it was so hot one time your eye sockets would fill up with sweat while trying to sleep.

I'll bring some bear meat and we'll do a stew or fried steaks and gravy or maybe spaggetti.

As I have told Whit, I have many places to hunt hogs but the high % areas include gators, mocs and Mosquitoes out the wahzoo. Anyone want to kill a hog in Jan/Feb? PM me. I will not go in these swamps until we have had some freezing temps, tho.

Kingfish,

Good to see you back around - per my conversation with Whit, I have hogs in my hunting area that we chase year-round. Since the Forum hunt is "local" for me, I'll attend for a day or so to share in the camaraderie, stories (lies), and fellowship.

I look forward to meeting some of my handgunning brethren in person!

Oh and Kingfish - grab the Thermacell, snake boots and pistola and hit the woods! I'm posting from the stand right now...two hogs down, with a sub-Little girl caliber no less! Pics to follow

Dur, say it ain't so. A a girlieman gun??? LOL! I'm typing from my hotel room in Grand Cayman. I hunted bonefish for the past 3 days with a girlieman flyrod

Whitworth, don't try to accomodate my schedule but I will attend if the date works out. I booked an auodad/javelina hunt with Mark Hampton's outfitter for the first weekend in January and my anniversary is the last weekend in january. She probably wouldn't want to go hog hunting for our annual anniversary trip.

now I'm jealous!

This new job really sucks!

I would like to attend. I want to meet some of you guys in person.

Craig - I figure if a 44 is a little girl's caliber, then the .41 is a baby girl's! Wait 'til I break out the 357's...Tough new gig you got there - Grand Cayman and bonefishing huh? Rough.

And Darrell, you don't think you could convince the Mrs that a trip to Hog Heaven with a bunch of handgunners is romantic? Sell it

Dur, if I could sell that you'd be looking for a job!

Ok I am jelous Cf, Chasing bonefish, I had to cancel my tarpon trip two years in a row, Hope we get to meet up this january and share some fish stories, I worked in the industry for almost 10 years.

SC congrats on the pigs down, I am hoping "my little girl caliber" will take my first handgun animal this year. Looking foward to some pics

Seasons - that "little girl caliber" will get it done for sure. Best of luck to you this fall!

As promised, a little primer for the Forum Hunt...in much cooler temperatures, thank goodness!



I waited for the boar that has been coming around "looking for love", but ended up deciding that these 2 sows would be easier to handle on my own this AM...

Congrats of the sausage supply there, SChunter. Nice shootin! Give us a few details on the gun! And what kind of holster is that?

I am thinking that I might be able to go. Depends on the dates...but I am very interested!

Thanks Boot! 7.5" Mod 97 FA in .41 Mag - topped with FX-II Leupold 4X in their Lovell mount. The holster is a Pistol Packaging Bandito

SC you going on the hunt?

Great Hogs, sounds like a great summer morning, also a very nice set up, 41, what load?

Dur, congrats. Nice BBQers you got there. I hope those ribs are going on the slow cooker or smoker.

Bfr - Yes sir - for at least a day or so to meet, greet, and eat! And maybe whack another piggie

Seasons - I was shooting factory 210 Speer Gold Dot HP's. When I first got thi gun in 2009, there were NO 41 components anywhere to be found. XTP's were backordered for 6-8 months, and these factories shot so well, I bought a case (or more). Still shooting them!

Craig - the parts were on ice before 8AM!

Dur, we have some shooting to do, my friend. Please give me a call. same #.

Im going to try if they get the days up. Got a couple of dates I have to be home for.

Any news on the group outing yet?

I just need some dates and I can confirm. I am also willing to pick up anyone flying into Baltimore or Philly on my way.

Sorry guys for the delay. Still looking at January. Still need to know how many are planning on attending.

Kind of off topic .. as I couldnt go even if my skills were up to it ....How do you carry acrossed state lines without permits or are all these states recipricol.... I know .... but i live in NY.... upstate ny .....rural ny ...we dont ,share a darn thing.

nytracker.. you can take the florida and Utah cc permit at Gander Mountain in Rochester, some of the local gun clubs have hosted the permit sessions and get reciprocity with 30+ states, unfortunately the other folks can't get reciprical permissions with NY

Would love to participate! And I will certainly be the one with the longest commute to NC....;-)

But I've hunted in NC before and it's a great place, so as long as I can accommodate the dates with a trip to the US it's entirely feasible. Although January is not necessarily optimal, would prefer the last week or even better early February.

HogHunter, do any of the other gander stores do that ,like the ones in kingston or middletown NY? 700.00 dollars for 3 days is a great price.

Hmm. This is a possibility for me as my G/F dad lives in Florida and we are due for a visit.LOL I'll have to look into it a bit more so for now I'm a maybe. I looked at their website and couldn't find anywhere how many you were allowed and if and what the trophy fee was.
Mike

The three day hunt is $700.00 all inclusive -- no additional trophy fees attached.

So are you allowed to take more than one hog?

Two Hogs per hunter, 100 extra after 2,

If anybody is interested there is a article about hog heaven in the summer issue of cooking wild magazine,pretty damn good recipe too, along with many others.

the article in pdf format should be on the website in the coming weeks.

Whit, you can put me on the list as a go.

Any thought on a per day rate?

Boot said he is planning to kill hogs at a rate of 3 per day :-)

The 3 day hunt is $700.00 all inclusive. It doesn't really pay for him to get the camp up and running for less than a 3 day ordeal.



Great article, Matt!

Lol. You must have me mixed up with someone with a bigger wallet!!

Just wpndering if it's up and running what a single day would cost. I can't go for a three day.

My "guess" would be $700 and you would be free to leave at any time.

Dan

Would it be a friday to sunday or all week days?

Thursday to Saturday Night, Depart Sunday is the normal lengh of time.

You have to stop hunting by midnight saturday night, since there is no sunday hunting.

Exactly......

My answer still applies. ALL IN...

I am sure we can work something out.

Definitely let us know what the options are. I dont have any more vacation days left til next june, and would only be able to come up late fri evening perhaps. But I'm for sure wanting to make the group hunt.

Boot -- look at my new thread on this forum.

Count me in also. It'll be like homecoming. I was born and raised in Johnston county.