You can tell by his smile that California hog hunter Mike Renteria is happy about being part of a successful hunt that produced this 180-pound boar near Cholame. Photo courtesy of Jim Niemiec.

The wild hog population in California continues to push to record levels. Big-game hunters are taking advantage of numerous hunting opportunities on public land, military bases and private ranches that have opened up prime pig hunts.

Wild pigs are huntable across much of the state as they expand their range despite California's drought. In the past three years, the breeding hasn't slowed down.

"Our clients are seeing more hogs every year as the pig population continues to grow in the central valley," said Clayton Grant, master guide for Bitterwater Outfitters.

Many farmers converted fallow CRP land to wheat crops when the price of grain skyrocketed a couple of years ago, he said. The intense farming put tens of thousands of acres of raw land back into grain production. That harvesting left a lot of food on the ground for the hogs.

"The pigs got fat and the population responded with sows having a couple of litters of piglets a year, and the trend seems to be that hogs are moving into new areas," said Grant.

There is excellent wild hog habitat in many parts of the state, but according to information gathered from hunter report cards by the Department of Fish and Game, the bulk of the wild hogs harvested are shot in either Kern or Monterey counties.

Areas in Northern California also have concentrations of hogs. Some of it is even public land. But the bulk of the more productive pig-hunting country lies within large ranches stretching all the way from the coastal range to the foothills of the western slopes of the High Sierra.

According to hog-hunting expert Terry Knight, about the only public areas around Lake County that offer fair-to-decent hog hunting is the BLM land that's called the Payne Ranch, also known as Cache Creek Wilderness Area.

It's an area of more than 60,000 acres and is located on Highway 20 in eastern Lake County. It's all hike-in. The more successful hunters hoof it at least three miles, Knight said.

"The Cow Mountain Recreation Area (BLM) also has a few wild pigs," he said. "It's located just east of the town of Ukiah. There are also some wild hogs in the Mendocino National Forest just outside of Covelo."

While public land, national forests and BLM ground offer the unattached hunter a chance at shooting a wild hog, realistically, the success rate is significantly lower than hunting with a guide on a private ranch.

"Yes, there are huntable numbers of wild pigs on public land here in Northern California," said Matt Mitchell, who heads up the hunting operation on Dye Creek Preserve. "But unfortunately, hunter success is very low."

Hogs are nocturnal and key in on food plots and grain fields in the valley floor. They also feed heavily on the annual acorn crop that falls to the ground under the blue oaks in the higher savannahs, said Mitchell.

"We hunt hogs within the transition zones, making it a lot easier for our guides to pattern the pigs and ensure a successful hunt for the client," he said.

Fortunately, hog hunters have two great choices when it comes to hunting wild pigs on a budget. The hunting programs at Fort Hunter Liggett and Camp Roberts are ideally suited for the hog hunter who wants to hunt on a budget but at the same time have a realistic chance at shooting a quality tusker.

These huge military bases are located halfway between two of the largest population areas in the state.

Both bases offer hog hunting by advance permit. If you're willing to work within the game management and military restrictions enforced on these coastal properties, you can enjoy a successful hunt.