California Hog Hunter Newsletter

05/06/2024

This is another great event for the kids -- heck, the whole family -- this Saturday at Prado Regional Park. Most of the region's outdoor recreation agencies and groups are represented. From the Mojave National Preserve to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to San Bernardino County Regional Parks (which is hosting the event fish the County Fish and Game Commission), they all are represented here. Local conservation groups like the Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep, Trout Unlimited, and the San Gorgonio Chapter of the Sierra Club will be here. And yet again, I'll be there with a booth where we'll be making quail calls with the kids (and adults). Over 40 booth and exhibits will be here. Come on out.

29/05/2024

Formerly known as Youth Safari Day, Mike Raahauge Shooting Enterprises has continued this amazing tradition of exposing kids -- in a hands-on way -- to a variety of outdoor activities. I'll be there helping kids make their own quail calls -- that sound great -- from rubber bands, clothespins, and black electrical tape. So much for them to do and see.

14/05/2024

A reminder, less than three weeks to go until my first bird hunting seminar. Register now to make sure you have a seat reserved.

09/05/2024

FREE QUAIL CALL
I'm asking my Facebook friends to help me get the word out about my upcoming bird hunting seminars by letting their hunting buddies know about these events. And I'm giving away one of my quail calls (like the one below) away in a drawing to those who help me out. If you are interested in helping out, pop over to my Western Birds page help me spread the word -- and get an entry or two into the drawing for a call.

07/05/2024

Fresh coyote p**p right in the middle of the Pacific Crest Trail. Perhaps the coyote was making a statement. What he was doing for sure was leaving enough moisture behind to give the small butterflies enough moisture for a drink on this warm morning. I knew my friends would enjoy this post.

25/04/2024

Predators CAN be the limiting factor in game population increases or the driving factor in declines in some situations.

Certain subpopulations of woodland caribou are endangered and federally protected in both the United States and Canada.

25/04/2024

Interesting read on non-lead bullets from Africa.

Lead is highly toxic and lead bullets fragment into 100s of tiny pieces on impact. These pieces pose a threat to consumers, including people & species like vultures. Namibian stakeholders are working together to switch to lead-free bullets as a matter of urgency for the sake of human health and the....

08/04/2024

Once again I'm doing a series of seminars to help both new and veteran dove and upland bird hunters find more places to hunt on public lands and give them a few tips that will make them better hunters. More than 50 years of experience and research is packed into these sessions. There will be nine seminars this year held from June 2 through August 17, weekends and weekday evenings. Call 909-887-3444 or e-mail [email protected] and I'll get you a complete registration package that includes all the dates and time, locations, cost, and an outline of the material covered in the seminar.

07/04/2024

Good stuff here for new and veteran handloaders.

On this episode, Seth is joined by Preston Lentfer and Miles Neville. The discussion starts by reviewing traditional methods of advanced reloading. Many of the techniques and advanced reloading tactics are clouded with myth and dogma. The guys analyze the methods using large sample size testing. The podcast then culminates in a step-by-step load development process. We hope you enjoy this educational episode.

Tune in here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6krIptRw-j0

26/03/2024

More really good stuff from Richard Mann. A must-read and must-watch on manhood.

Right of Passage

18/03/2024

I'm with Richard Mann on this one. A good read for my hunting buddies who think long-range shooting on big game is the new normal. It's not. First, most hunters aren't competent enough make shots over 400 yards one out to 10 times. Hell, over 250 yards from real-world field hunting situtations. Second, even the very best shooters with all the gadgetry and gizmos will screw up as many long shots as they make, resulting in wounded game. And that is simply unethical. Lastly, it's simply not hunting. It's sniping. As a great guns and hunting writing once said about all the gadgets used in hunting today, "At some point we need to decide if we are going to hunt the animals or wage war against them."

It's not just about hitting.

20/02/2024

Interesting read on how wild hogs are likely not as damaging to natural resources as most management agencies believe. In fact, they could be neutral or even beneficial.

A new study finds that feral hogs and other invasive species help disperse seeds and increase plant diversity.

18/08/2023

Final reminder about my seminars this Saturday and Sunday at Bass Pro Shops. Bring the kids, have lunch after the Bullet or Hog seminars and come back so they can learn how to make great-sounding quail calls.

06/08/2023

Is this the perfect pig round?

A gun store employee surprised me recently when he said he’s noticed an uptick in requests for rifles chambered in .35-caliber cartridges. And he wasn’t just talking about the .357 Magnum or the .350 Legend. Requests for the .35 Whelen and .35 Re*****on are also on the rise, he said, but he coul...

24/07/2023

Good read by my old friend Bob Robb.

A complete guide to hunting wild boars in the Golden State.

15/05/2023

I'm sorry to announce that we've had to pull the plug on publishing the free, all-digital edition of the California Hog Hunter newsletter. Costs simply overran our sponsorship funding. However, we will still be keeping the guides' list as updated as possible as a service to hog hunters in the state, and we will publish occasional news stories as individual CHH short items. The guides' list and the one-offs will be noticed on social media (here) and updated on the website (www.outdoornewsservice.com/california-hog-hunter). The four digital issues we published over the last year will also remain available as free downloads on the website and contain a lot of valuable information for hog hunters in the state -- in case you haven't read them. Thanks for all your support as readers.

We'd also like to thanks Legacy Sports International, Hornady Manufacturing, and Turner's Outdoorsman for their support over the last year and over the years on our projects. All three companies are not only dedicated to bringing you the best products for your hunting and shooting needs, but they are strong supporters of helping maintain and grow the hunting and shooting sports and we hope you will continue to support these fine companies.

22/02/2023

We are on the run-up to publishing the next issue of California Hog Hunter newsletter, which should be out around March 15. Again, I'm looking for readers' help in making sure our hog hunting guide and outfitter page is as complete as possible.

If you compare this list from the December issue to the first list we published March, 2021, you will see that we've added listings in every issue. Most of that is because of those of you who taken the time to post information. Our goal is to make this list as complete as possible, and your help keeps making this data better and better.

So, once again, we're asking if we need to add guides and outfitters who are not on this list. You can call or e-mail Jim Matthews at 909-887-3444 or [email protected]. Or you can just post comments on this post on the California Hog Hunter Newsletter page. This post will be shared to a number of groups and pages, and we try to monitor those shares for your comments, but it would make it easier if you go to our page's post before adding your information. Thanks again.

If you want to read any of the last four issues of the newsletter, they are available free at this direct link: https://www.outdoornewsservice.com/california-hog-hunter

Your comments and feedback are always welcome and appreciated.

16/02/2023

I don’t know about you guys, but these are the kind of old, odd-ball guns I love and want to hunt with for wild pigs. Who makes a .330- diameter non-lead bullet?

A genesis in the golden age of African safaris, the .318 Westley Richards Accelerated Express is all but a historical footnote.

12/02/2023

Good read on bullet performance.

When it comes to bullet performance on game, what's better, one hole or two? Here are the pros and cons of each school of thought.

08/02/2023

I'm in awe of the accurate shooting done by today's generation of long-range rifles and hunters, but I think they are missing out on one of the biggest thrills of hog hunting. This story is from the latest issue of California Hog Hunter. You can download this entire issue and all the other three digital backissues from this direct link on the website: https://www.outdoornewsservice.com/california-hog-hunter

07/02/2023

Time to apply for Joyce Island public land hog hunts....

04/02/2023

Good read on Hornady’s CX bullet.

Does lead-free compromise down-range performance? The Copper alloy eXpanding (CX) monolithic bullets from Hornady are designed as a lead-free option that goes long.

Read on for Rifle & Optics Editor Tom Beckstrand’s take- http://ow.ly/neNC50MG3QB

02/02/2023

Great deal if you are just getting started reloading or doing some upgrades….

It’s BACK! Get Loaded 2023 - FREE bullets with qualifying purchases of Hornady reloading products.

Find out more: https://www.hornady.com/getloaded2023

26/01/2023

Here's some seasonal advice to make you a better and more successful hog hunter throughout the year. This story by the late Durwood Hollis is solid advice for beginner and veteran hunters. It was published in the December issue of the California Hog Hunter Newsletter. That issue an all the previous digital issues are available free at this direct website link: https://www.outdoornewsservice.com/california-hog-hunter.

24/01/2023

I admit I’m old school and prefer to read rather than watching or listening, but these Hornady podcasts have me hooked.

On this episode, Seth and Jayden are joined in the studio by long-time friend and Systems Engineer, Jeff Siewert. Jeff recently retired from the ballistics field where he spent his entire adult life. He authored a book titled, “Ammunition, Demystified The (non) Bubba’s Guide to How Ammo Really Works”. On the show, the guys talk about some of Jeff's interesting stories through his career and Jeff shares some insight on the practices and principles in the small arms field. We hope you enjoy this educational episode!

Tune in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-or-I8GkVg

23/01/2023

This story on why hog hunters should be reloading was in the first new digital issue of the California Hog Hunter Newsletter published in March last year (Vol. 8, No. 3). It is available on the website -- along with all the other digital issues published to date -- at this direct link: https://www.outdoornewsservice.com/california-hog-hunter. All copies are PDFs and free to download and share with hunting buddies.

23/01/2023

In the last 20 years, wild pigs have proliferated in Canada's Prairie Pothole Provinces. They may soon disperse south into the United States.

20/01/2023

Public Land hunting opportunities for wild hogs are a regular feature in the California Hog Hunter Newsletter. This is an update on the archery hunting program at Lake Sonoma archery-only hunting program. This whole issue, and all backissues, are available at this direct link: https://www.outdoornewsservice.com/california-hog-hunter

19/01/2023

Every issue of the California Hog Hunter Newsletter has stories and information that is aimed toward beginning or new hog hunters, like this piece by the late Durwood Hollis -- a man who probably shot more wild hogs on public land and hauled them out to feed his family than anyone before or since. This is the step by step process for easily and quickly boning out wild hogs in the field to make their pack out easier. To download, read, and share all four 2022 issues of the newsletter, here's the direct link to the website: https://www.outdoornewsservice.com/california-hog-hunter

18/01/2023

These are the Guides and Outfitters Reports from the latest issue of the newsletter. Want to read the whole issue (and all backissues!), download the free PDF at https://www.outdoornewsservice.com/california-hog-hunter