"The great acorn crop in the fall of 2004 helped the hogs tremendously, as did the spring rains we got," Schaafsma said. "We saw lots of sows with good-sized litters of young, and I think our population here is expanding. We hunt from February through May, and I expect to take between 60 and 70 hogs this year."

Doug Roth, of Camp 5 Outfitters in southern Monterey County, said that in 2006, his operation -- which covers 60,000 acres -- will take between 250 and 300 wild hogs, which is about the usual number. Roth noted that the cool months of 2004-2005 produced good hunting and about 98 percent success for his hunters. Like most folks we talked to, Roth waxed enthusiastic about the huge acorn crop last fall and the favorable spring rains that kept the pigs supplied with food.

"What I'm seeing is lots and lots of hogs, including more little ones than I can remember. It's like most of the adult sows had five or six (piglets) and successfully raised them all. Sows are capable of having two litters a year, but you don't see that too often. But last year, I think a lot of them did just that. Last summer, we killed some sows that had weaned their first litters and were already bred back again."

As an aside, Roth also mentioned that on one of his hunts in June, hunter Mark Buchanan of San Diego killed the toothiest boar ever. The animal weighed nearly 300 pounds and sported 4 1/4-inch tusks.

Meanwhile, Eldon Bergman, who's in his fourth decade of pig hunting, notes that he's been seeing plenty of young pigs on the ranches he hunts in San Luis Obispo County, and while last year was good, he expects 2006 to be even better.

INFORMATION SOURCES

For those who want lists of hog guides, places to hunt on public land or wild hog hunting techniques, there's plenty of information available. The Department of Fish and Game's Hunting Guide For Wild Pigs In California is a useful publication for new pig hunters. View it online at www.dfg.ca.gov/hunting/pig/index.htm. You can request a print version by emailing cprusinski@dfg.ca.gov or order it by phone at (916) 653-2225. A list of licensed hunting guides is available from the Department of Fish and Game, License and Revenue Branch, 3211 "S" Street, Sacramento, CA 95816; (916) 227-2271. A couple of books take in-depth looks at pig hunting in California. The first is Bob Robb's Hunting Wild Boar In California--Vol. 2. Autographed copies are available for $19.95 each from Bob Robb Books, P.O. Box 771083, Eagle River, AK 99577. Email: robb@alaska.net. The other is Gary Kramer's The Complete Guide to Hunting Wild Boar in California, published by Safari Press. Autographed copies cost $19.90 each from Gary Kramer, P.O. Box 903, Willows, CA 95988; e-mail gkramer@cwo.com. A constantly evolving resource for hog hunters is Jim Matthews' quarterly newsletter, California Hog Hunter, P.O. Box 9007, San Bernardino, CA 92427; (909) 887-3444; email cahoghunter@earthlink.net. The Bureau of Land Management, meanwhile sells a packet of Central California hog hunting maps for $4. Contact the BLM, 20 Hamilton Ct, Holister, CA 95023; (831) 630 500. Big Game Hunting Maps (BGHM) offers a California wild pig packet that covers 26 BLM lands and highlights known pig-producing areas. For details, contact BGHM at 6288 Marlborough Dr., Goleta, CA 93117; (805) 967-4482; or online at www.biggamehuntingmaps.com. -- John Higley.

Brady Daniels of Cal-Quest Outfitters had equally good things to say about his Santa Barbara County hunting area.

"We're a small operation, and we try not to over-hunt any of our places," said Daniels. "And that won't be a problem this year, because we've got pigs all over the place. The acorn crop was sparse around here, but there's plenty of other feed, and recruitment of little pigs was great. We'll take 80 to 100 pigs this year and do it easily, I think."

All the guides are saying it: There are more half-grown pigs around than ever before. Don Geivet, wildlife resources manager for the 270,000-acre Tejon Ranch in Southern California, has glowing reports on the situation there this year.

"In 2003, hunting was a little tougher than usual," Geivet told California Game & Fish, "and that I attribute to near-drought conditions around here, which knocked pig numbers back a bit. But after the acorn crop last fall and the best rainfall we've had here in many years, things are really looking up. Last summer we saw a variety of hogs here, there and everywhere. 2006 should be a really good year around here, and if things go right, we expect to take around a thousand pigs."

Obviously, the picture looks bright for wild hog hunting in 2006. If you're tempted to give it a try, this is a very good time. Just remember to get a pig tag before you go. For residents, tags cost $16 each; nonresidents pay $53.30. Of course, you'll need a hunting license too.