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I'd like to start hunting pigs, but I don't own any land and live in a suburb of Dallas. How does one get started? Do you have to know someone? I know the pig problem is getting worse and worse, so it seems like it shouldn't be that hard to find a place to hunt, but I have no clue where to start.

Without having any land to hunt on, I see you having limited options. Your best bet may be to get the annual Texas public lands hunting permit which gets you access to a long list of Public land and private land that has been set aside for hunting.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/hunt/public/

You might also try talking to some local farmers and ranchers. They may allow some hog hunting to help mitigate the damage to their property.

Hope this helps and good luck on your search.

Mark

chuckybrown gave me this link not too long ago: http://www.reedpropertymanagement.com/info.php?pnum=28

baldeagle wrote:I'd like to start hunting pigs, but I don't own any land and live in a suburb of Dallas. How does one get started? Do you have to know someone? I know the pig problem is getting worse and worse, so it seems like it shouldn't be that hard to find a place to hunt, but I have no clue where to start.

I've got 30 acres of woods in east Texas...with hogs everywhere. Was out there the other day and met my neighbor who has a couple sections of farmland. He hates the hogs and actually pays guys to watch his fields after he plants corn. He said the hogs will eat all the seeds that get planted. A month or so ago, I watched 20 adults and about 40 piglets crossing a right of way...sorry, I will get back on topic.

I am willing to bet that there are farmers and ranchers who would let you kill hogs for free. They may want you to kill more than just one. Most of them would be happy for you to gut shot 10-20 of them and let the coyotes deal with the carcasses. Travel to small rural communities and ask the guys in the coffee shops. I honestly don't think you have a hard time finding someone. Heck, try Bonham...it's only an hour a way and its mainly farmland up there.

I've looked at the public lands, but I haven't had a chance to scout any. I think I'd be more interested in finding farmers with serious hog problems. That way I can help them out while having a better chance of bagging a few.

Shinesintx wrote:I am willing to bet that there are farmers and ranchers who would let you kill hogs for free. They may want you to kill more than just one. Most of them would be happy for you to gut shot 10-20 of them and let the coyotes deal with the carcasses. Travel to small rural communities and ask the guys in the coffee shops. I honestly don't think you have a hard time finding someone. Heck, try Bonham...it's only an hour a way and its mainly farmland up there.

Hey TAM.... Sounds like a great opportunity for a web site...

HogMatch.com HogsList.com

Seriously.... match up farmers in need with hunters..

Proteins are expensive these days..... maybe add a butchering section by geography..

RoyGBiv wrote:

Shinesintx wrote:I am willing to bet that there are farmers and ranchers who would let you kill hogs for free. They may want you to kill more than just one. Most of them would be happy for you to gut shot 10-20 of them and let the coyotes deal with the carcasses. Travel to small rural communities and ask the guys in the coffee shops. I honestly don't think you have a hard time finding someone. Heck, try Bonham...it's only an hour a way and its mainly farmland up there.

Hey TAM.... Sounds like a great opportunity for a web site...

HogMatch.com HogsList.com

Seriously.... match up farmers in need with hunters..

Proteins are expensive these days..... maybe add a butchering section by geography..

I would help with that concept! (And benefit from it too since I've been wanting to go hog hunting since we moved here last October)

RoyGBiv wrote:

Shinesintx wrote:I am willing to bet that there are farmers and ranchers who would let you kill hogs for free. They may want you to kill more than just one. Most of them would be happy for you to gut shot 10-20 of them and let the coyotes deal with the carcasses. Travel to small rural communities and ask the guys in the coffee shops. I honestly don't think you have a hard time finding someone. Heck, try Bonham...it's only an hour a way and its mainly farmland up there.

Hey TAM.... Sounds like a great opportunity for a web site...

HogMatch.com HogsList.com

Seriously.... match up farmers in need with hunters..

Proteins are expensive these days..... maybe add a butchering section by geography..

HogMatch.com is already taken, but I'm now the proud owner of HogList.com and .net.

I would also chime in that not only coffee shops, hit up the local feed stores. The feed stores are the ones that have the customers that have the problems. Might take a bit to get in with them, but do one of those people right, word will get around.

This probably goes against the other advice you got, but I would advise you to save your money and pay for a guided hunt with a reputable guide for your first hunt. I did this decades ago against my friends advice ( who pays to for a guided pig hunt blah blah blah), but it turned out to be one of my most memorable hunts I had ever been on , not only that, but i learned how to skin and process a hog, much more difficult than deer in my opinion, at least the skinning part. Anyhow, that's my advice, don't know of anyone in the Dallas area, but i'm sure there are many. Do your research and buy a guided hunt for your first. My 2 cents.

Very few land owners are willing to let strangers hunt their land for free, no matter how big a hog problem they have. I would find a guide that specializes in hog hunts, they will put you on them and the cost is typically only a couple hundred bucks. Another oprion would be to find a year round lease that has pigs. In the Houston area such a lease can be found for around $800/gun/year.

The Annoyed Man wrote:

RoyGBiv wrote:

Shinesintx wrote:I am willing to bet that there are farmers and ranchers who would let you kill hogs for free. They may want you to kill more than just one. Most of them would be happy for you to gut shot 10-20 of them and let the coyotes deal with the carcasses. Travel to small rural communities and ask the guys in the coffee shops. I honestly don't think you have a hard time finding someone. Heck, try Bonham...it's only an hour a way and its mainly farmland up there.

Hey TAM.... Sounds like a great opportunity for a web site...

HogMatch.com HogsList.com

Seriously.... match up farmers in need with hunters..

Proteins are expensive these days..... maybe add a butchering section by geography..

HogMatch.com is already taken, but I'm now the proud owner of HogList.com and .net.

I went to hogmatch.com and did not expect that. had a good laff

Better than I expected (Hogmatch.com)...

I used to play baseball and was afraid it was a site for busting out of slumps...

I should have mentioned I'm interested in hunting hogs for food, not trophies. Killing a bunch of them and picking one or two to butcher and take home would be fine with me.

baldeagle wrote:I should have mentioned I'm interested in hunting hogs for food, not trophies. Killing a bunch of them and picking one or two to butcher and take home would be fine with me.

I liked the idea of doing a guided hunt for your first time. I disagree that farmers and ranchers won't let you hunt their place for free....I say that with the belief that you can present yourself well and convince them that you are an honorable person. I've found that most rural folk seem to be better humans than those in the city. If you can help than at no cost, prove worthy of their trust...why not? Having said that, I don't want you on my place.