Wild hogs

I'm not a professional , but will tell all what I have learned over the years. The most important is hogs are smart. Don't underestimate them for a second. They aren't blind to movement , can hear extremely well , and have a nose better then dogs . They remember everything they are taught by a sow. In order to successfully trap a sounder (litter) you have to take out the teachers (sows). Large boars only hang out with the ladies when they're in heat . Trapping in new areas you may do good on a large number , but don't get used to that. Once an older pig sees their siblings in a trap they never forget the danger . I had trapped all but 2 sows and a boar from a sounder last winter. For the last 5 months I've been watching(gen3 night vision ) the 2 remaining sows with 8 young. I never touched or baiting the traps and they walked by them nightly. If I was to bait either trap the sows would have chased to young away and taught them never to go near traps. Fast forward, the young pigs have now been eating on their own for a couple months , but still hanging with the sows and walking right past both traps. Four weeks ago I took out both sows (night vision 44 mag ) . Three weeks ago I started baiting the traps (doors wire open) and all the pigs would race to get the corn inside , packing in like sardines . On Friday night I set both traps and caught all 8 . I don't have a large pig problem so I shot all but 1 boar and 2 sows to start all over again. I can throw corn all over the traps and the three little piggies will scarf down everything out side the trap , but won't go in.

Now as far as trap builds no bottoms works best, top is needed period . Cattle panels with the 4"X 4" squares work best . Some panels have small holes on the bottom and get larger towards the top , not good as little pigs will climb up and out threw the larger holes or get hung chock to death . If you build it lite enough to move yourself anchor it down with T-post . A pig can lift their weight with their nose and will flip a trap over. For bait straight corn or a locally grown produce they are already eating (farmers crops). Bait the trap with the door wired open till its getting hit every night. Only put the trip wire in a corner and not all the way across the trap. The reason for this is you want to trap multiples and the first pig in the trap will trip a trigger across the middle of the trap. Put it way off in a far corner so it won't get hit till the trap is full of hogs. They will be pushing each other around and one will finally hit the trigger closing the door on everybody. If you google it you will probably find 400,000 trap designs.

Oh and by all means only set your traps when you can check them . There's no need for an animal to suffer.

Pro or not, that is good information. I thank you for posting it.

that is pretty dang good. makes total sense too! also, i thought i was the only person that used the term "400,000" LOL!

This is the group from the last trapping . Easy to handle . Prior to getting trapped , they have been eating figs ,and pears from our orchard . Plus 30 to 50 lbs. of corn a night .The fig trees (around 60) are on my Aunts property that is over grown with poison Ivy and nobody dares to go in there. I'd say they were around 30 lbs each.

Paul, since you've got experience with hogs I'd like to ask you something. First let me lay out the details. I hunt on a Federal (not state) wildlife refuge. They usually have 3 three day deer hunts per year where they will draw names for 3-5 thousand hunters to go on each hunt. Normally a youth hunt, a black powder hunt, and a modern gun hunt. Other than during those specific hunts, the refuge is open to all comers that want to bow hunt deer, or to those that want to hunt the squirrel or racoon. Now, last year, management asked the hunters to kill every hog they saw, even if they did not want the hog. They could give it to someone else of just leave it laying. The point being that they were devastating the habitat and management wanted them exterminated. Last year on the modern gun deer hunt, our campsite (approx 250 hunters I'd guess) killed at least 15 hogs that I saw or heard of on opening morning. I'm sure there were more but I didn't go to every individual groups campfire and ask how they did.

Now this year rolls around and management has forbidden anyone from shooting a hog. They said that they have hired someone to trap the hogs and the trappers didn't want people shooting at the hogs so the hogs would settle down and they could trap the entire group at one time. Now to us (my friends and I) it seems that no one in their right mind is gonna believe that those hogs are smart enough to realize that all those shots fired at deer or coons or squirrels were not being fired at the hogs and that they are gonna get any calmer. The only thing that makes sense to us, is that someone in a position of authority at the refuge has a brother/friend/cousin that is a trapper and they're gonna drag out the job and make this paycheck last as long as possible. That or someone is getting some kickback money somewhere.

So does what they want to do make any sense or are they trying to blow smoke up our (you know what)? It just seems to me that if they really wanted all the hogs gone, they'd promote the taking of hogs during any legal hunting season and then let the trappers have at the survivors once all the other hunting seasons like squirrel and coon have ended and there's no humans in the woods except the trappers.

All the shooting they will go nocturnal for sure. There's a market for wild hogs , but not much to profit if any . The restrictions for operating a buying station are strict and they don't stay in operation long. The trapper may have a contract , so that's where he'll make some $ . It's probably a BIL deal . In Texas the state biologist have determined that just to keep the population in check 70% of the hogs need to be killed annualy . They aren't going to put a dent in them trapping , unless they get real sophisticated with their trapping . There will almost alway be one or two in a sounder that werent in the trap when the door is tripped and will somehow spread the word. They may trap some , but the fun only last so long. Don't worry things will change .

9 days of gun hunting, or even 30 days of gun hunting is not going to seriously limit/reduce the hog population. A good year round trapping program can be very effective.

I seriously doubt people shooting hogs (over 3 different 3 day hunts) would cause them to be more difficult to trap...

If this Mgr really wants them gone, talk him into letting you shoot them at night over bait.

Natedog57 said:

9 days of gun hunting, or even 30 days of gun hunting is not going to seriously limit/reduce the hog population. A good year round trapping program can be very effective.

I seriously doubt people shooting hogs (over 3 different 3 day hunts) would cause them to be more difficult to trap...

If this Mgr really wants them gone, talk him into letting you shoot them at night over bait.

Click to expand...

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Only problem is Nate , most states don't allow baiting , much less night hunting . I think we have it made . I hunt them with a 44 mag carbine and a Raptor 646 scope . Only down side is the scope weighs more than the rifle .

Pigs are very smart animals. Don't ever underestimate their intelligence. My uncle raised hogs & when I was a kid in 4H raised a few for show. They are intelligent & very fast learners; It was always a struggle to get a couple of 250lb hogs into a trailer. Once one saw what got the other one in there it was a real struggle to get the second one loaded. In Texas our wild hog problem dates back to when they started testing for parasites in the blood system at sale barns. That year thousands of pigs got turned loose in the creek & river bottoms after they were abandoned & left at the sale barns. That is one reason why you end up seeing more domestic traits in the wild pigs here in Texas vs. other states. I see lots of wild pigs that have a York, hamp, & durrock lineage.

One trait I've notice that they all seem to have is .............. they all taste gooooood .

Paul Marx said:

I hunt them with a 44 mag carbine and a Raptor 646 scope.

Click to expand...

Sounds like a Ruger M44, got any pics of that setup?

Paul Marx said:

One trait I've notice that they all seem to have is .............. they all taste gooooood .

Click to expand...

Agreed upon!

a buddy of mone from Texas sent this to me. you can use this method if you are tired of eating pork.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUyQqJi1_DY

JMichael said:

Paul Marx said:

I hunt them with a 44 mag carbine and a Raptor 646 scope.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Sounds like a Ruger M44, got any pics of that setup?[/quo

M44 is correct . I'd like to find a bolt action if anybodies up for a trade. I'll try and get some photos . The rifle looks new.

Very good info