North Australian FISH FINDER forums

Anyone had any luck around the Howard Swamp / Shaol Bay area??

There are some extremely dense large clumps thick forest, plenty of pig sign, plenty of quad tracks, just never actually see people hunting, day or night.

Have been running my dogs there lately, missed a few good boars (an inexperienced dog not backing up the other )

just wonder how others have done there?

They are in there but I'd say they would get chased pretty hard by the quad brigade. There are still good boars in there for sure

Nah hasn't been any pigs in there for years
Heard there used to be a few in there

Pretty much what Doug reckons, minimal pigs in there. Plenty of Buffs and Quad bike enthusiasts though.

Yeah I definitely see a lot of fresh buff cr.p around. Anyone had a crack at a Buff with a bow?

I have been finding it hard to get the pigs I do find (3 so far) cuz they are usually in the thick pandanus / golf palm's hiding, probably due to all quads etc. My dogs just get a hiding in there at night then lose the pig..

Last week I took the dogs along this little creek near Howard Swamp they took off and hit up near the water, ran 600 meters trying to pull the pig up but it bashed them (which I was surprised at as I have very large dogs) and took off. I checked the Garmin Astro, found where they hit up and took some pics off the pigs prints from the scuffle and its rub marks.

Anyone got an idea of its size based on these pics?

No pigs there... Thats baby buffalo footprint. Unless you have tiny shoes.. thats a big footprint! I usually measure prints by my fingers.. if its over 4 fingers wide I know its a big pig.

Depends how game you are, in amonst all the pandanus jungle muddy buffalo ridden croc infested swampy poop out there, you'll find em. But yer alot of hunting pressure and some of those boars know how to fight.. specially the pr..ks with no ears.

i've pegged a few with the bow out there over the years but its bl..dy hard to compete with the pressure the quad riders/ doggers apply to the hogs. Best times i've found are before dawn and as far away from tracks and quad-accessible areas as possible. Be prepared to lose a few pints to the mozzies!
that track certainly appears to be too big for a hog mate, i've seen a few hogs around the 160kg mark and that dwarfs em.

That track isn't big at all infact it's small you lot are looking at it backwards look which way the mud is lifted its to the back of old mates foot which means its going the opposite way to your foot unless it's walking back ways
The print closest to your toes are the back of the hock starting the print in the mud
No wonder you haven't go anything with the bow your tracking them back wards hahaha

Doug usually hauls one or two big ones out of there this time of the year
Or at least him winning the annual Dog a Hog competition seems to suggest that
It's on next month fellas 3,4 and 5 of August at Pussycat Flats Pine Creek
Dont miss out it will be a top weekend

Regards
Shaun

i'll be there Shaun,

catch ya there

shaggs wrote:Doug usually hauls one or two big ones out of there this time of the year
Or at least him winning the annual Dog a Hog competition seems to suggest that
It's on next month fellas 3,4 and 5 of August at Pussycat Flats Pine Creek
Dont miss out it will be a top weekend

Regards
Shaun

Wouldnt happen to have the entry forms would ya? I got a mate getting some from "Phil???" but probably be easier to get my own haha.

Turtle wrote:

shaggs wrote:Doug usually hauls one or two big ones out of there this time of the year
Or at least him winning the annual Dog a Hog competition seems to suggest that
It's on next month fellas 3,4 and 5 of August at Pussycat Flats Pine Creek
Dont miss out it will be a top weekend

Regards
Shaun

Wouldnt happen to have the entry forms would ya? I got a mate getting some from "Phil???" but probably be easier to get my own haha.

Yeah got a heap of them here Turtle

shaggs wrote:
Yeah got a heap of them here Turtle

Righto well Ill ring my mate and see if he's got anything yet otherwise Ill give ya a call in next week or so to pick some up. Is there a cut off date for entry??

No cut off date but you need to get in early as might run out of T-Shirts

There are good boars in there go into the mangroves on a big tide that will push the big ones out a mate lost one of his best dogs out there last year to a big salt boar it made a mess of the dog never got the boar for some pay back so it might still be out there good luck champ keep them eyes peeled