Heat Hunt: Tips And Warnings For West Texas Pig Hunting In Heat

We all are very familiar with the exciting feeling when we go out to complete some task, and we finish it. It requires a great skill set and a substantial amount of patience to hunt animals, considering they are very smart. When you finally succeed in hunting them, you can only see that as a great accomplishment. Coming home with meat or protecting your crops also gives the same feeling. 

What we are here to discuss is that the summer season heat hunts come with a set of unusual challenges dictated by the fact that they must often take place in scorching heat. Let’s delve into how the heat influences West Texas pig hunting practices and what you can do to be prepared for them. 

Heat, Scent, and the Hunter

One element that you need to keep in mind is that hot weather can make it easier for animals to smell you. This is due to several reasons, the most important being our distinctive way of cooling our bodies: sweat. The hotter it is, the more we sweat. The smell of sweat can spread through the wind and make game animals hypervigilant about your presence.

Hot weather also impacts the way scent travels. In the early morning, when the ground is still chill, thermal currents tend to rise, which can carry your scent upward and away. But as the ground heats up later in the day, these currents can shift and begin to flow downhill.

Utilize Anti-Sweat Gear

Hog hunts in Texas are cheap, so why not invest a little in advanced gear? Wear clothing designed to inhibit the spread of scent. You may also use scent-eliminating sprays on your clothing and gear. These products are designed to cancel out human odors and can be very effective when used properly.

Regular bathing and applying scent-free soaps during West Texas pig hunting season can also minimize the amount of human odor you emit. It may also be advantageous to avoid consuming strong-smelling foods before a hunt, as these can come out in your sweat.

Eliminate Insects

Another predicament for early-season hunts is brought to you by the creatures that hunt you: mosquitoes and other insects. When you’re not hunting, you may overcome this obstacle with a repellent. However, most common repellents have a strong, noticeable smell that can spook game. Opt for scent-free insect repellents specifically designed for hunters. Another option is to wear clothing treated with permethrin, which can keep insects aside without alarming your target.

Make Use Of The Wind Direction 

Some hunters use cover scents or attractants to disguise their own scent or to attract game towards them. This can be especially useful in scorching heat when your scent may be more detectable. But the essential method of scent control is the one we have been practicing since the Stone Age: be mindful of the wind direction and position yourself downwind of the game to avoid your scent being taken directly to them.

How Hot Weather And West Texas Pig Hunting Are Related?

Hogs and Pigs will seek shade and water sources during the heat of the day and may reduce their daytime activity to near zero, pushing their feeding patterns to the cooler dusk and dawn hours or even into the night. Hogs may become almost entirely nocturnal during periods of hot weather. In addition, they may undertake a migration to higher elevations, where they can live in cooler, shady areas during the day.


They would typically live in thick and dense forests, where they have an edge on you, tending to stay near water sources both for hydration and because the surrounding vegetation is usually lush and good for feeding.

At Independence Ranch, fulfill your hunting desires under the supervision of our impeccably trained and super-friendly staff. In case you are wondering where to hunt hogs in Texas, we are just the place. Give us a call and open the gateway to a fun hunting trip.