grainger hunt

[Mister Bubba's bulletman]

No hogs at Granger? You can't throw a rock there with out hitting one!

I have been encouraged by No1hogkiller to tell all of our fellow Texas bow hunters who have an interest in chasing hogs at Granger WMA where they are, how to hunt them, and when is the best time.

To do all that right I'd have to write a book.

First of all, No1hogkiller can shoot. It was his first time at Granger and he had a blast. I think knocking down a big fat doe one minute into our hunt made a believer out of him! It was a wonderful moment I know we'll never forget.

If your gonna hunt with us you better be ready to shoot because I get as much of a charge out of putting my hunting buddies in a position to shoot as I do shooting myself.

Gun hunting at Granger ain't even fair. Bow hunting at Granger is a challenge. Knowing the WMA layout by wandering around each unit is the best thing you can do if your just starting out.

You can't get lost. There are hogs in every unit. It is not impossible to stick one with an arrow. Learn a unit and start on the next one. This might take a couple of years but it's cheap hunting and rewarding.

Get out there and start hiking with the purpose of learning to find your way around. Hunt and hike.

If you're by yourself, one third of every minute should be looking for signs on the trail your following and smelling the air for hog. Hogs are easy to smell. When you get really good you'll even smell a doe in heat. Don't shoot those unless you're on a draw hunt.

Another third should be scanning the horizon for movement no matter if you're in thick cover and can see 30 feet or in the open and you can see a mile.

The last third should be making sure your not leaning on some Poison Ivy.

Trust me on that one. I've guided several people over the years on their first trip into a Granger unit and pointed it out and suggested "don't touch that" only to get the call the next day about "why I didn't tell her husband there was Poison Ivy out there".

Poison Ivy is not a problem right now but through trial and error we have found we can do all the hog hunting we want before spring gets here and everything starts to green up.

If you're thinking of going out in the next few months your really in luck. The flooding this summer raised the water level up into some of our hogs favorite spots and killed everything in those areas so the wildlife has had to change their habits. The brush is much less dense and it's easy to see hog and deer as they move.

If you hunt Granger already or are planning to, here are some landmarks off the top of my head you might know. If your out hunting and come across some of these you doing good. If you've been to all these then you already know how wonderful a place Granger WMA is to hunt!

Unit A. The bridge supports.
Unit B. Johnny's food plot.
Unit C. The gravel pile that you can sit on and watch the deer play tag.
Unit D. The crescent stock tank. The gravel bar on the river where the ladies get drunk and skinny dip. Please respect their privacy.
Unit E. horse apples. swimming pool.
Unit F and G. The points, the cemetery, several wells, a few tornado shelters and the horse trail.

If you have walked to any of these you have also walked past several deer, hogs, beaver, and maybe even a huge swamp rabbit.

If you didn't see any wildlife then turn around go back to the truck very slowly. Maybe you'll see them going back to the area you just pushed them out of. You know the rule. If you see one sow, the sounder is also near by.

Here are some picture of the last gun hunt in December 07 at Granger.

L- R No1hogkiller, Tommy the Red, Mister Bubba's Bulletman.

Mister Bubba's Bulletman and The Recruiter.

The biggest hog. This one need two scales.

In total the four of us got 8 deer and 8 hogs. The hogs weighed out at over 1300lbs total. The biggest one was 225 dressed. It had a broadhead stuck in it. That's another story.

I'll try to add helpful hints from now on for those who want to stick a pig at Granger.

Good Luck at Granger WMA. The Hogs need you. They can't help themselves. They breed like rats!

[pflugerville hillbilly]

alright you got me confussed when are you aloud to hunt with rifle at granger i thought it was bow only, i have friends that cant bow hunt,it would be cool to take them some place close..


i guess i have some reading to do, it sucked tpwl was closed yestreday ill have to get there today

[pflugerville hillbilly]

bulletman thank you for all the info will let you know what happens......thank you again

[Mister Bubba's bulletman]

Rifle hunts at Granger WMA

Rifle hunts are only allowed during TPWD sponsored Gun Deer Management Draw Hunts. Check your public lands hunting guide for dates and times. Deer at Granger may only be taken during a Draw Hunt.

The rest of the time it is bow for hogs, shotgun for waterfowl, dove, and other game with shot smaller than #4. Or #6, I can't remember.

Like I said, rifle at Granger just ain't fair. It's way too easy.

The Gun Draw Hunts are management hunts designed to help knock down the doe population. This is one part of good deer herd management. TPWD loves guys like no1hogkiller on management hunts. They actually hit what they aim at, big fat does.

This keeps the buck/doe ratio right and only the biggest, baddest, meanest, romping stomping stud buck earns the right to pass on his genetics.

The spike never gets a chance to breed if you keep the doe population under control.

The end result is a lot of nice bucks wandering around the WMA waiting for the lucky few who win the archery draw hunts every year.

So, since 99% of us bow hunters never win the archery hunt, if you live with in driving distance of the Granger WMA start chasing the hogs and learn the units like you know your way to the bathroom at night in the dark without stubbing your toe.

One day you just might win the archery draw hunt and while everybody else say there ain't no deer or hogs at Granger you smile to yourself while driving home with a lifetime buck and a big fat hog in the back of your truck!

Buck in the truck! If that thought don't get you going sell you bow.

Focus on learning the units at Granger. Keep the wind in your face, use all of your senses and you WILL shoot a big hog with you bow. Trust me.

Remember, we bow hunters are as a whole better stalkers, trackers, quieter and less stinky than the average "sit in the stand over a corn feeder" rifle hunter. That's target shooting. Yes I do that too but it just don't feel the same.

If one day you want to look back on your life with the satisfaction knowing that you were a great bowhunter then Granger is a great place to learn, practice, and improve your bowhunting skills.

Park the truck, put your hunter orange on and start stalking.

[no1hogkiller]

Rifle hunts are only allowed during TPWD sponsored Gun Deer Management Draw Hunts.
TPWD loves guys like no1hogkiller on management hunts. They actually hit what they aim at, big fat does.

.
Way to kind Mr. Bubba. Too Kind. I think the first shot was just a fluke, lucky shot.
I couldn't hit a flock of pigs at 100 yards comming straight at me . Put that Savage back in the case and brought out the Mauser Sniper Rifle. It was on!
Great Pics MBBM. Top pic is no1hogkiller's 2 pigs. big one went 165# field dressed

bossman:{{{{You did well for that area we hunted E, talked to the three guys who were in F (don't know if they were in G too), and they were ****** because they were seeing nothing all 5 days, and complaining there were not trees in their unit. I kinda got the sense they were new to public hunting/archery or inexperienced on this style of hunt.}}}}

I can't claim Professional knowledge about Granger, I was on the the TPWD drawn hunt and teamed up with Mr. Bubba , the Red and the Recruiter.

[boss bowman]

You can't get lost.

lmao, tell that to the guys who did get lost behind the dam in the old san gabriel river bed during my hunt, supposedly it gets pretty hairy back there.

[Mister Bubba's bulletman]

lost

Lost?

The best line I've ever heard at Granger was from a buddy who was suppose to go around a stand of trees, cross the creek and work his way back up the other side toward us so we could shoot down on the escaping pigs. Actually a good plan.

An hour later he wanders up and somebody asked him if he got lost?

Taking a last gulp for his water bottle he then said "Yea, the hogs ate my trail of bread crumbs" and proceeded to give us a well deserved middle finger salute!

[Mister Bubba's bulletman]

Hillbilly,

I think I'd go to the primitive boat dock unit E first. As your heading up highway 95 go across the river and turn right on the first county road. Follow it till you get to a 90 degree left turn. On your right is the gravel road and the gate down to the boat dock and area E. You will know your there if the Rhodesian Ridgebacks come out and bark at you if you turn left and go the wrong way.

They can tell you came to hunt and are telling you that you needed to turn right.

Gear up and walk along the tree line east. Keep the plowed up private land on you left till you get to the private landowners huge abandoned hog trap. (15 min slow walk)

Then walk to the right, down the hill till you get to the river. (slow stalk all the way)

You should have now seen hogs and deer running away from you. Take your time. The hog will run down or up the river bank.

Turn right at the river and zigzag upstream with the river on you left at all times. There are huge Pecan trees in the area. Pick one and lean up against it and watch for hogs crossing back and forth in front of you and behind.

As you continue you will end up at the primitive boat dock. You truck is parked back up the gravel road.

You can do this loop in around two hours stopping along the way to spot.

If anybody is fishing you can ask them if they saw any hogs? Sometimes the hogs will come up the bank, stop when they see the people and run back into the woods. Other times they'll jump into the river and swim across into unit D.

Sometimes the fisherman will scream at the hogs. Stop and see if they come right back at you.

If you do this loop on a weekend there is a good chance other hunters are doing the same loop.

The more people in the wood the better. Hunt off them. Let them push hogs to you. What they don't know won't hurt em. They're hunting off you too. Make sure you thank them if you stick one. They might help you drag it out.!

Good Luck.

[RiverRat1]

Sounds like your very familiar with Granger. Are there any "more" remote areas that take a boat to reach.. or requires a long enough hike to stop most walk in hunters?

[El Jeffe]

Bullet you sure speak the truth I have done just what you said in unit e and seen hogs just cant seem to close the deal on one.

[pflugerville hillbilly]

bullet thank you very much....ill have to postpone this weekend just found out im on call this week and next....it sucks!!!!!

[boss bowman]

Hillbilly,

I think I'd go to the primitive boat dock unit E first. As your heading up highway 95 go across the river and turn right on the first county road. Follow it till you get to a 90 degree left turn. On your right is the gravel road and the gate down to the boat dock and area E. You will know your there if the Rhodesian Ridgebacks come out and bark at you if you turn left and go the wrong way.

They can tell you came to hunt and are telling you that you needed to turn right.

Gear up and walk along the tree line east. Keep the plowed up private land on you left till you get to the private landowners huge abandoned hog trap. (15 min slow walk)

Then walk to the right, down the hill till you get to the river. (slow stalk all the way)

You should have now seen hogs and deer running away from you. Take your time. The hog will run down or up the river bank.

Turn right at the river and zigzag upstream with the river on you left at all times. There are huge Pecan trees in the area. Pick one and lean up against it and watch for hogs crossing back and forth in front of you and behind.

As you continue you will end up at the primitive boat dock. You truck is parked back up the gravel road.

You can do this loop in around two hours stopping along the way to spot.

If anybody is fishing you can ask them if they saw any hogs? Sometimes the hogs will come up the bank, stop when they see the people and run back into the woods. Other times they'll jump into the river and swim across into unit D.

Sometimes the fisherman will scream at the hogs. Stop and see if they come right back at you.

If you do this loop on a weekend there is a good chance other hunters are doing the same loop.

The more people in the wood the better. Hunt off them. Let them push hogs to you. What they don't know won't hurt em. They're hunting off you too. Make sure you thank them if you stick one. They might help you drag it out.!

Good Luck.

man I'm starting to think your full of it, we hunted 5 days in E and there is not nearly as much game there as you let on, well maybe there used to be but the area still seems to be recovering from the flood.

[Mister Bubba's bulletman]

RiverRat1

Some of my hunting buddies have used boats to get to some of the areas. If you using a hand portable boat I'd put in at the primitive boat ramp.

Then I'd cross the river to Unit D and park at the picnic area. Walk into the open field and follow Johnny's road to the left along the opening and then push out to the end of the point. Since you're bowhunting spread out and go very slow. Shoot the hogs before they have a chance to gather their wits and bolt. They will run between you. This is called a crossfire moment. Be careful.

Field dress or butcher it out then drag it over to the river. Make sure you bring some plastic bags. Go get you boat and load up.

On the way back drop somebody off in Unit E across the river and have them work their way back to the boat ramp. Boat driver takes the boat back and goes into the horse apples and waits for the hogs to come through.

I'd do this pattern everytime I go out if I had a small boat. I'm pushing 270lbs with all my gear so a small boat ain't worth the trouble. I have to walk.

There are very few people in these areas even on the busiest weekends. Occasionally you'll see a few hunters back in the middle areas but it a tough walk for a worn out guy like myself.

I hunt with some great hunters and sometimes we will hunt off another hunter or groups of hunters. It's just good practice. If you know the hogs escape routes and you see a group going into a hot zone then you take up positions
along those routes and wait.

Several times we've stood on high ground and watch a hunter orange speck kicking deer and hogs out of the brush. If you're on the escape routes then you get the chance at a shot.

The guy in the brush never saw or heard the deer and hogs and goes home none the wiser.

You might get to go home with a rack of pork ribs! Yum Yum!

Have you been practicing hitting a moving target with you bow. It's not easy and I'm a terrible shot on a moving target.

Ask No1hogkiller. he's been with me at Granger.

[Mister Bubba's bulletman]

El Jeffe

El Jeffe,

Thanks for the confirmation on my Unit E hunt route. Unit E is ate up with game.

Once when TPWD did an hog bow only hunt I was given the entire lake to hunt. Thats every unit from E to H and beyond. I chose E. The first morning I picked a trail that lead down to the river across the old county road down from the big hog trap.

I hadn't been there 10 minutes when I could hear something huge coming through the weed in the open field.

I was sitting on a bucket and I stood up to see it I could see the weeds moving as they were six feet tall.

As soon as I sat down a white hog poked his head out and looked right at me. I must have said my prayers because I was about 15 feet and he didn't see me and he stepped right out full broadside in front of me and stopped.

As I drew my arrow back he looked at me. I froze and waited to complete my draw. As soon as he looked away I completed my draw and I was so nervous I allowed the arrow to come off the rest.

Then he looked at me again. I twisted my wrist and before I could get the arrow back on the rest he was gone!

That was still the biggest hog I've seen at Granger.

Last year I took a sow in Unit E that dressed out at 207lbs and this year in Unit G I took several and the largest was 225lbs dressed.

That big white hog was twice as big as the biggest one I shot.

Keep at it. I've shot them on the run and missed them right in front of me!

At least we're out there making them hos earn their keep.

[Mister Bubba's bulletman]

Boss Bowman

You hunted Unit E for five days? You were one of a handful every year who get to trophy hunt that area. I'd trade with you in a heart beat.

There really are a lot of deer and hogs going in and out of there everyday. The problem with the draw hunts are there's never are enough hunters in a unit to kick the bucks and hogs around much.

I did three TPWD deer spotlight surveys this September as a volunteer. I think we counted more deer than ever this year. The flooded dead zones have pushed the deer and hogs into more open area. There are not really more deer, they've just moved to where the food is which is closer to the roads and cut paths.

I remember counting several nice bucks and one night a sounder of about 40 hogs ran out in front of us and stayed in front of us on the road for several minutes!

I was the only guy in the truck that also hunts and the other guys were laughing at me because I was telling the hogs I'd see them in December.

Man, Johnny razzed me about that for two more weeks!

Two weeks ago when we were dragging No1hogkiller's doe out the dividing road between F and E we saw a huge 150 class buck walk the tree line just inside Unit E. He was checking his scrapes. We each could have dropped him.

No1hogkiller will confirm this.

E is a great unit. It has everything for hogs and deer. Lots of thick thick cover, plenty of food for all and the river for water.

We were in F and G and did good for a gun hunt but not great. 8 hogs and 8 deer. Great would have been 20+ hogs.

We would have gotten several more hog if we had had E. It's like F and G but much more concentrated.

I hunt with Tommy the Red, The Recruiter, Nostrodenis, The Captain and my brother Brokenarrow. The first four are excellent marksman, Brokenarrow excels in tracking lost game and I'm at my best helping set up the drives and directing ambushes.

Send any anyone of us out on our own and it get a lot tougher.

Good luck out there. If you can hit a square bail, you hit a Granger hog. Make somebody go with you and push them to you.