Hi Jeanette
I feed the hogs on a patio within yards of the house. I leave the outside light on whilst I am up to watch them. I watch from inside the house with binoculars (inside lights off, or at least dimmed – outside on), so they don’t know I’m there. (Ideally you want binoculars that will focus fairly close, for this). There is ‘cover’ within 1 to 3 yards in each direction. The feeding area is at the opposite end of the garden to where the gate is, so it gives them the opportunity of doing a bit of foraging on the way to and from the feeding area. Although, the occasional more timid ones do approach through the flower beds, most just head straight down the path! Always makes me laugh! They seem perfectly happy with this arrangement.
Sometimes they head straight back down the path after feeding, but other times rummage around in the borders. Recently (even before the hot weather) I have started to leave longer patches in my ‘lawn’ and since then the hogs have been spending a lot more time foraging there as well. The same hog can revisit the feeding area several times within a few hours.
If you’re going to change the feeding location, I would move it gradually, and/or start putting some in your new chosen location as well.
You will find there is always something new to learn about hogs and before you know it, your life will be completely taken over by them!
