Pigs in Cleveland National forest

3006Daddy

Member
Aug 10, 2012
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I recently went on a four day hunt over by the Love Valley area. I did find a good amount of sign but it was pretty old nothing fresh. It is really dry right now no water at all. On the way home i pulled over with my two boys and glassed over taking in the sight of lake Henshaw. At first all we saw along the river were dozens of cows. As i glassed i saw a huge hog walking away from the river in to some brush. Does anyone know of areas where pigs are still hanging around that are public accessable? On a side note i did see 6 turkeys for those who hunt turkey. i would like to head out again when we get some rain. I'm looking to hunt public land, cant really afford guides. Any advice?
 
Congratulations, that's the first sighting I've heard of up here in over a year. I live above Henshaw on the west side and the last sighting up here was two years ago. Other than that I suspect they are very scattered with no concentrations. Lack of water can work in your favor as they must have water frequently.
 
Snake charmer
Wow that long ago huh! I did see remains of old kills near the dried up ponds. Spines too big to be coyotes and to small to be cow. I'm guessing they are pig bones. Any hints on any good watering holes on public land? If not I guess ill head north in a few months. Thanks
 
How deep in Love Valley did you go? I've been scouting that area for over a year, the only pig sign I see is on land that is posted "no hunting" land yet i buy a tag just in case, so be careful. Was your picture spot at the platform overlooking Lake Henshaw off of S-7? if so, head further north....just my .02
 
I would say that it's cool that you even saw one. They are out there but don't move much in the heat of the day, so dusk and dawn is it most days.

Water, water, water.
 
Talked to a family friend who lives at lake Henshaw and runs the operation for the Vista irrigation district at lake Henshaw (they own and ovesee all the land surrounding the lake) He told me that they removed via trapping thirty pigs from the area last spring, Just prior to the trapping they went in and shot several (saw the photos and a couple were well over 200lb) they havent seen many since but he said they are beginning to see sign again and when they see enough they will repeat the process. He said the locals are seeing them up high on the mountain, He doesnt think they will be eradicated because there are a number of tree hugger land owners with siginficant amounts of property that they will figure out where they are safe and use those areas when the pressure is on
 
That's definitely true, I'm seeing the hogs back in the same areas where I took hogs last year and it's nearby the VID areas. I'm sure pretty soon they will start popping up on Mesa grande. Hopefully my pups will sniff one out this weekend.
 
I have put a good amount of time in the mountains and finally saw my first pig when I went out for a22 in Friday. It was road kill on the 67. I passed it about 430am and drove home at noon and it was gone. Was cool to at least see one though
 
Went out to cleveland national forest for a pig hunt earlier today. River basin is pretty dry, yet a few spots with water where the pigs may wallow. Anyway a good hunt today, being outside, rifle in hand, gear on back, and scaling mountains. Yeah, great day!
 
Strong work Garrett. Being out there is 90% of getting it done!
 
so today me and my dad went down in to love valley in the CNF to do some scouting befor rifle season (didnt seen any deer just tracks) and on are way back to the truck we ran across this older gal with her grand daught, well we got to talkin and it turns out she. owns the property across the road from love valley with in walking distance some where out there. any who i dont know if i should be sayin this might be blowen my chance out the window but it makes me mad that some dip wod about a month ago. shot a sow about a 250lb with piglets right of the road in font of her house!!!!!! i guess the pig was on the road and this lady watched him pull over get out of his truck and stuck her with an arrow. now the fact that he shot the pig doesnt erk me, its that after he shot it he took off left the pig to die the lady said over the nole out there. she said there was a bazzzilian turkey volchers out there on the carcas and she was pissed. but hey what can u do. he could have missed and hit her house who knows???


just thought id throw that out there. people are still killin for no reason


id at least donate the meat if i didnt want it
 
That is too bad. It only takes a few clueless folks to really make things hard on us. Not to mention wasting a good resource. Shooting a wet sow to boot!

I am shaking my head... :mad: :mad: :mad:
 
Yea I know right , im sure the piglets will be fine they will just stay in the shrub oak an come out at dark .

There still are a lot of pigs up there there just in that thick sage and shrub oak we won't start to get fresh pig sign in that area till jan-feb when it's real wet up there
 
Wow that's horrible. That's the second time that some one shot a hog on someone's property and walk off without taking the pig.
 

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