Over the years here I know I’ve asked this question more than a time or two, but never know what the answer will be from year to year either…There’s only one thing I love more than hunting turkeys (which I do have at home) and that’s going after feral piggies!!
As usual we will be down on Coosaw Island staying with our “second” family the middle of Oct with the hope that the new motor on the old johnboat will keep us on the water more than the old motor did last year:smiley:
However, as always, I am ever ready to go after some feral pigs if given the chance!! I had a spot up until a few years just south of Beaufort but now all you see is big houses on that land
Sooo…even though I know it’s right in the middle of you all’s deer season (which again I have plenty of up home!) I’d sure appreciate a chance to take out a feral pig or two. I’ve always wanted to do a hog roast for “family” and friends down there “on the dock” so you know what I’d be doing with it!!
I did hit the Savannah Wildlife refuge a couple of years ago but was almost afraid to step foot on the bank in a few places because of the ‘gators that I was seeing-yeah I was by myself in a place I’d never been before which probably didn’t help much either. I swear there was one that could have sunk the old 14’ johnboat I had then with just a quick flip of it’s tail [:0]
Young DNR guy that helped us back to the dock last year (that some of you may know??) said he had a place up by Colleton that was almost overrun with hogs-he had my ph# which I was hoping would lead to an invite…especially since he wanted to deer hunt up my way, but never got a call.
The other caveat is that we are bringing my Dad (82 in Dec) with us again this year and I’m sure, even as much as he loves to fish, that he would be willing to take a shot at a hog…he’s an old farm boy that has done his fair share of hog butchering in his youth. He does not bow hunt, so if he went it would definitely have to be with gun.
I’ve been hunting on the wildlife refuge since I was a young boy. I’m 30 now and have never had a run in with a gator. (Knock on wood!) If you cant find anywhere else I wouldn’t hesitate to give it a try. If you would like some good locations to hunt by foot shoot me a PM. Also they started charging for the permit to hunt there I think it’s $25 you can only purchase it online and print it out. They don’t sell them at the local office.
I’ve also hunted the Savannah Refuge since I was a kid, and I’m twice Adams age That place is loaded with hogs, and yeah, you see plenty of gators but I’ve never had a problem with one that I didn’t create. The biggest threat from gators is getting between a mom and her young by accident. Do you know what baby gators sound like? Just like little pigs oinking. When you hear that, get out of there now, they are calling mom for help and she’s coming.
The down river end of the refuge is real marshy and the pigs there taste like marsh. But the upriver end has a lot of high ground and acorns. I would suggest Bear Island and Bear Creek. Good hogs all through there. Lot of deer too.
Thanks Larry! Adam and I have been trading some text-he’s pointed out several areas that he has hunted and taken both deer and hogs on. I’m in the process looking at everything…I think I was probably real close to most of them when I was putt-putting around a couple of years ago. The Fire Chief over in Hardeville (I’ve put 27 years on our local volunteer dept up here)had given me the places that he had been hunting them when I was there before. I was more just exploring then (and giving my wife a day to go shopping) but had everything with me to go hunt if I found any fresh sign. Just haven’t had the time, or weather to go give it another try since then.
If you do decide to hunt Bear Island and Bear Creek and if you’ve never been, there are some things you need to know.
Use a small boat that can handle a scratch and grounding, there are many logs and stumps in the water, it’s not very deep and the tidal range is surprising. Carry a spare prop. There is an old railroad trestle and we’d usually start hunting just above it and work up. When you leave the boat, even if going a short distance, tie something bright and fluorescent high as you can in a tree. If anywhere near night, hang up a chemical light. Woods are very thick along the banks, creek has many bends and twists, and I’ve lost my boat and spent the night on the river bank once Had a little pig, built a fire, cleaned it. My buddy found me the next morning, cooking a fresh tenderloin
That was before GPS was invented, but I wouldn’t rely on that even now. Have a compass, the GPS in thick woods doesn’t always work well. A pack with everything you need to spend the night. There are 3 USGS survey lines marked across the island, from the Savannah River side to the Bear Creek side. Blue marks on trees and you can see one mark from the next. If we hunt the river side we usually tie up the boat at one of the survey marks. Then you just find the blue line and follow it to the boat. The center line is usually the best for hogs.
It’s fairly rough hunting, especially for an 82 year old. But I have the solution, if he can drive the boat and walk 50 yards The way we often hunted Bear Creek with 2 or 3 people was by making man drives. The boat driver drops off 1 or 2 man dogs on the bank, then runs the boat up 1/4 mile or so, gets out and sets up as a stander. The drivers push the bushes to the stander. When they get to him, just hopscotch again up the creek like that.
What you’re saying is bringing back a lot of the things I remember doing!! I think I realized the first couple of times that I stopped to scout that the boat was not visible from 10’ away so I tied flagging ribbon out about every 10-20’ for 100’ or so…everything looked pretty much the same once you got away from the bank[:0]. I always have a compass with me-mainly because I’m a pretty low tech guy that gets more turned around trying to use a GPS than it’s worth
As far as the boat I’m using-it’s a 16’ johnboat with a new 25 Merc 2 stroke jet that has done it’s time on low river conditions up here…not too worried about replacing a prop or dinging up the boat…oh yeah-the 35 Merc that we had all the starter problems with last year is on a sawhorse mount in the back of my garage for now and don’t know if it’s worth than being a boat anchor as far dependability.
The good Lord willing we should be pulling in on Fri 10/9 and probably heading back home on Mon 10/19…how’s your supply of pickled dogs doing??
I’m on call the 8th thru the 14th. I will plan to be down on the 15th thru the weekend, and yes, the dogs are looong gone. They are/were a real hit to everyone that has tried them:stuck_out_tongue:!!
quote:the boat was not visible from 10' away so I tied flagging ribbon out about every 10-20' for 100' or so...everything looked pretty much the same once you got away from the bank
Exactly. It all looks alike and you can be 20’ from the boat and not see it. The growth is thickest along the banks and it opens up just a little ways in. It’s real hard to actually walk the bank in most places. Especially in the dark. Mark the dang thing where you can find it again, preferably in the same day you left it. I’m a compass man too, but I think there are some magnetic anomalies in that swamp [:I]
Well I’ll be…even Amazon has pickled dogs. Looks to rank right up there with pickled eggs, pickled pigs feet and imitation (yes imitation) vienna sausage in my book…
I use clothes pins with reflective strips stuck on both sides. I leave a trail of pins from the boat to the tree I climb and so does my hunting partner. If either one of us kill anything or needs any help we can travel down the pins to one another. GPS works great for the person using it but not so much for the guy trying to find his buddy in the middle of the swamp in the dark!!!
Well I’ll be…even Amazon has pickled dogs. Looks to rank right up there with pickled eggs, pickled pigs feet and imitation (yes imitation) vienna sausage in my book…
I don’t like any of the things you just listed.
Pickled Dogs are a delicacy tho:stuck_out_tongue:!
That place is loaded with hogs, and yeah, you see plenty of gators but I’ve never had a problem with one that I didn’t create. The biggest threat from gators is getting between a mom and her young by accident. Do you know what baby gators sound like? Just like little pigs oinking. When you hear that, get out of there now, they are calling mom for help and she’s coming.
Had a little pig, built a fire, cleaned it. My buddy found me the next morning, cooking a fresh tenderloin 
or dinging up the boat…oh yeah-the 35 Merc that we had all the starter problems with last year is on a sawhorse mount in the back of my garage for now and don’t know if it’s worth than being a boat anchor as far dependability.
