Chattahoochee Bruiser

jbogg

Senior Member
7F0FC677-20C9-4656-8873-9C626A05168F.jpeg8E4BDA98-2163-4218-AC80-83F427F3CAF0.jpegI ran up to the mountains this morning for a couple of hours not really intending to hunt since we had family coming over for Sunday Supper at 5PM. I really just wanted to stretch my legs to relieve the cabin fever I have been suffering from as a result of all the rain lately. Decided to take my rifle anyhow just to guarantee that I wouldn’t see anything.

Got a late start and did not arrive to the locked gate until 10:30AM and began the long walk up the mountain. An hour later I walked up on this beast just as he was entering a food plot with the sun directly overhead. I sat down in the middle of the road bed, took aim with my 300 Win Mag and the rest is history. After dragging him off the field I got busy with my knife, and it was by far the toughest hide I have ever seen on a critter. Made the long walk out, and pulled into my driveway at 3PM. Quickest hog hunt I have ever had. Still a couple of weeks left of small game season, and there are a ton of pigs up there. Getcha some of that bacon!
 
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whitetailfreak

Senior Member
Good job bud. Y'all must be covered up with pigs on your side of the mountain. Kill em all.
 

Big7

The Oracle
That ain't no hog..

That's a four legged Go-Riller.

Monster for sure!
 

bany

Senior Member
Sweet!
 

Buckman18

Senior Member
Congrats again, John! You da man!
 

Killer Kyle

Senior Member
Gonna start calling you the "Chattahoochee Reaper" John! You have been bad medicine on those pigs this year!!!
 

jbogg

Senior Member
Gonna start calling you the "Chattahoochee Reaper" John! You have been bad medicine on those pigs this year!!!

I have to justify the new Camp Chef smoker I purchased last year. Need more Pork! Most of the hogs I have seen this winter have been in the middle of the day. Sleep in and walk a ton of miles. My kind of hunting!
 

elmer_fudd

Senior Member
Seems like there is a pile of them in every drain, and they are moving at all times of the day.

This is the first year I have seen hogs during the day on public land.. twice so far this year.
Congrats!
 

ppdaazn

Senior Member
Seems like there is a pile of them in every drain, and they are moving at all times of the day.[/QUOTE

what are the drains look like in the mountain?? i wanted to know some visual reference so i can learn more. kept hearing the creek drainage but im a noob lol. need to up my hog skills
 

Rabun

Senior Member
That's gnarly one. Congrats! Was he all alone? I've yet to have an opportunity on a mountain pig. Let us know how he turns out on the smoker.
 

Killer Kyle

Senior Member
Seems like there is a pile of them in every drain, and they are moving at all times of the day.[/QUOTE

what are the drains look like in the mountain?? i wanted to know some visual reference so i can learn more. kept hearing the creek drainage but im a noob lol. need to up my hog skills

Lots of laurel. Lots of rhododendron. Some might be open. Some might be so thick you can barely make it through, if at all. Some are piney with red oaks and some greenbrier and ground pine. Maybe some hill cane. Some are shady and with white oaks, poplars, basswood, hickories, sweetgums and LOTS AND LOTS of blueberries. Doghobble and hazel alders along the creek banks. They're all different. I'd be hunting the thick up around the heads of the creeks. Hogs are on the red oaks mostly right now. If you're new to the mtns, it's a good idea to have a GPS with you or know how to navigate with topo map and compass unless you plan on just staying right on the creek so you can follow it back down. Don't get yourself lost in the thick unless you don't mind spending the night in the big woods.
If you can find gentle terrain with a southern aspect up in the head of a creek, hogs might be beded or pilfering nearby. Hogs stay on the move, and you should too unless you find some smoking hot sign that is +-24 hours old. When you find sign that fresh, I'd sit on it. Also,look at the map and target the widest creek bottoms and river valleys. That's where the hogs will usually be hanging out, and bedding up high later in the day up in the tribs and off the main creek.
 

jbogg

Senior Member
That's gnarly one. Congrats! Was he all alone? I've yet to have an opportunity on a mountain pig. Let us know how he turns out on the smoker.

There was a smaller pig with him. Don’t know if it was another boar or sow. Smoking the ribs and a front shoulder tomorrow. Will report back.
 

jbogg

Senior Member
Great job John. I was near Hogpen Gap two weeks ago.. saw lots of signs but no hogs.. you th'man!

Hope you have been well Ali. I was on the AT east of Hogpen just before Christmas, and the pigs had rooted up the ground along the trail for over half a mile. I think they were eating black berry briar roots.
 

jbogg

Senior Member
Seems like there is a pile of them in every drain, and they are moving at all times of the day.[/QUOTE

what are the drains look like in the mountain?? i wanted to know some visual reference so i can learn more. kept hearing the creek drainage but im a noob lol. need to up my hog skills

Lots of good info in Kyle’s post above. Like he said they roam a lot, so best bet is to wear some comfortable boots and start covering ground.
 
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