Wood then suggested that hunters concentrate their efforts in areas where the white and water oaks are dropping acorns, particularly where hog rooting is obvious. He has noticed a lot of hunters going after hogs during the small-game and turkey seasons, and since hogs compete with deer and turkeys for limited food, the hunting pressure on them is a good thing.

For questions about Oaky Woods or Ocmulgee WMAs, call (478) 825-6354.

On the Oconee River near Dublin, lies the River Bend WMA, consisting of 3,500 acres. It has a pretty good hog population, according to Bobby Sanders, a wildlife technician for the Wildlife Resources Division. He suggested looking for them along the creeks and sloughs that feed into the river and scout for active rooting signs. Sanders said the 2009-10 season should provide more hunting opportunity because the WMA will allow hog hunting during all small-game dates and during big-game hunts. In previous years, hog hunting was only allowed after Oct. 31, but check the regulations for any last-minute changes.

Also on the Oconee River, but to the north of Dublin, is the 5,500-acre Beaverdam WMA. The hog hunting on Beaverdam is good to fair, as the pigs move on and off the WMA in response to hunting pressure.

For questions regarding River Bend or Beaverdam WMAs, call (478) 296-6176.

More great wild hog habitat is located near Macon in the Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. The NWR is open to the public year 'round, except during firearms hunts. That makes pre-hunt scouting accessible.

However, public access is permitted only on the portion of the refuge that is located east of the Ocmulgee River in Bibb and Twiggs counties. Camping is prohibited.

Although gun deer hunting was recently put on hold because of a lawsuit filed by the Fund for Animals, wild hogs are a non-native species and very destructive to the habitat of other wildlife. Thus gun-hunting opportunities for them continue, according to Assistant Refuge Manager Carolyn Johnson.

Both wild hogs and deer may be hunted during the open archery dates, but under present circumstances, check the regulations for full details before heading out.

The refuge is composed primarily of river swamp with creeks and sloughs traversing the entire area. The cover is thick and it is possible to get lost in this terrain.

When the Ocmulgee River overflows its banks, the river plain may remain flooded for weeks. Access by vehicle and on foot may be difficult and four-wheel-drive vehicles may be required to access some areas. Portions of the refuge may be closed during periods of flooding.

Public hunting is permitted on 5,455 of the current 7,348 acres in the Bond Swamp NWR. Johnson said most hogs are found on the west side of U.S. Highway 129/23 (Cochran Short Route) in the drainages of the Ocmulgee River and Stone Creek. Very few hogs are found on the east side of the road.

All hunters must obtain a refuge special use permit. The permits are free and available at the sign-in station, which is on Egg Shell Road that runs along the southern edge of the tract.

Johnson said hunter success has been pretty good in past seasons. But as a result, the number of hunters using Bond Swamp has grown, particularly since quota hunts were eliminated after the 2006 season. In 2006, 424 hunters downed 107 feral pigs for a success rate of 25 percent.

With removal of the quota restriction, in 2007, the number of hunters jumped to 908, but just 81 hogs were killed. That translated to a 9 percent success rate.

Last year, the number of hunters grew further to 1,172, but the harvest also rose to 117 hogs for a success rate of 10 percent. Bond Swamp's record makes it one of the better places in central Georgia to collect some bacon.

For more information, call the refuge office at (478) 986-5441.