Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge hogs

[Westxhunter]

I got a tag for the Boars Den area of this NWR here in Texas. Anyone hunt here before? It says I can take unlimited hogs and with all the farms in the area, this might be fruitful, but I'm trying to decide if I want to take a game cart for hauling and if the hogs aren't that plentiful, i'll probably just stick to my pack.

 

[Hecman]

Hello, i just saw your post and i also got drawn for the hunt at the Boar's Den this Nov. I am doing research on this area and it seems to be a good place to find deer and hogs. How did it go for you last year there? Were you able to harvest any deer and/or hogs? Any recommendations? Any feedback is appreciated.

 

[Westxhunter]

I only hunted for 2 days and got a hog. There are more hogs than deer. Setup on the far side near the private property that encroaches the area. The guy has a deer feeder there. You should be able to catch the deer going there at dusk. You have to do late hunts because you're not allowed in there until 5am, which is too late. It's challenging because you won't be alone. Take a sidearm just in case, the undergrowth is thick. I believe last year was the first year this part of the NWR was open for hunting. It's got lots of potential. You only have an hour after sundown to leave the refuge as well. So be prepared to drag out anything you harvest. I bought a nice packable sled for my pack. Worked like a champ.

 

[Hecman]

Thanks for replying. I have more questions if you don't mind answering them. So do you recommend i only hunt near dusk? Is that private property you are referring going east of the parking area and do you remember if there is a trail that leads to the private property? What did you use to kill the hog a rifle or shotgun? Did you encounter any snakes, alligators, or other dangerous creatures? Did you skin and quatered the hog you harvested there at the refuge or did you take it somewhere else?

 

[Westxhunter]

So, I recommend just spend the entire day out there. Scout beforehand if possible. There are a couple wlalking trails. Stay on those until you see some good game trails. This is still a challenging hunt, but a great way to work on spot and stalk. Take your mud boots (It's a swamp) unless it's really dry. I never really got close to any water though just in case there were gators, however, i'm not sure there are gators there. Pretty sure I saw a water moccasin, but not much else. There are farms in the area as well with a couple that have fields that border the refuge. Watch your boundaries, it's alot of land to cover, but you can trespass easily if you're not paying attention. I took my 30-06 with my .243 in the car as backup just in case. I just quartered the hog and buried the guts. I cleaned up the rest when I came home. I used both Onx and Gohunt maps to get a good fix on the private land so I wouldn't trespass. Use Lake Trail which will get you to Rayburn lake. I also walked the boundary of the trinity river looking for sign. There's a large gap where power lines run through the refuge. You can sit the edge of that and try to get something going back and forth. IF you see other hunters, talk to them, see where they want to setup and wear your blaze orange so you don't get shot. Good luck.

 

[Hecman]

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Hecman]

Hello, I have more questions that came to my mind. When you were there hunting at this place, did you use a blind or natural cover to conceal yourself or did you just spot and stalk? Also, after you harvested the hog and took out its guts, did you drag it to your vehicle and put in a cooler when you took it home? I am asking this because if I happen to harvest a deer or hog, I may have to quarter before I take it home since I am traveling 12 hrs from El Paso.

 

[Westxhunter]

I did spot and stalk and I also have a small deployable blind. Do yourself a favor, stay in a hotel. Pack some coolers. I quartered it and finished up at home. Tip: make sure the meat is as clean as possible, leave in the coolers and drain water daily and add new ice on top. I do this for about 3 days. Takes much of the game flavor out if it's a boar. ;-)

 

[Hecman]

That is what i plan on doing, thanks again.

 

[Westxhunter]

Update us on how your hunt went!

 

[Hecman]

Sure will.

 

[Westxhunter]

So How'd it go?

 

[Hecman]

Got me a good size adult sow, about 150 lbs with the help of another hunter. I only saw 2 deer which i couldn't take a good shot.

 

[Westxhunter]

Got me a good size adult sow, about 150 lbs with the help of another hunter. I only saw 2 deer which i couldn't take a good shot.

Congrats Brother, glad you got the chance to hunt there.

 

[Hecman]

Thanks.