Hog Proof Your Deer Feeder

[alsaqr]

Finished hog proofing a deer feeder in the rain this morning. The hogs will not/cannot get over the 18" tall fence. The deer just step over the fence.

It's built using scrap T posts and cattle panel.

 

[Blue68f100]

Except you used Cattle wire and not hog wire. The small ones will slip through the opening. The hog panels have smaller opening at the bottom.

 

[jmorris]

You could test it to see if it's hog proof by putting a one way door on it and see if you can keep them inside.

 

[alsaqr]

Built a lot of these fences around feeders. Never had a real problem with hogs getting in. Game camera took a photo of a big boar that got his snout under a panel, raised it up and went under it. Couple days later he was shot.

 

[Flintknapper]

Finished hog proofing a deer feeder in the rain this morning. The hogs will not/cannot get over the 18" tall fence. The deer just step over the fence.

I can accept the "will not"....since hogs are simply choosing not to jump it, but any mature hog is more than capable of getting over an 18" obstacle (so "can not" is wishful thinking).

The difference being...they generally will not work as hard to enter an enclosure as they will to exit/escape one.

More likely they will dig under it or root it up if anything. But often times, minimal efforts to keep them away from feeders can work well enough.

Good job.

 

[der Teufel]

The Aggies Know ...

Texas A&M researchers built fences around deer feeders. They tried various heights, specifically 20", 28" and 34". The 20" fence excluded MOST of the hogs, while both higher fences kept out ALL of the hogs in their trials.

http://plumcreek.tamu.edu/media/735...feral-hogs-from-wildlife-feeding-stations.pdf

So, the 18" fence you have might not be perfect, but it should surely make a difference. A determined large hog can probably get past it, though. Of course, a determined, large hog can probably get through just about anything . . .

 

[Double Naught Spy]

A lot of the deer hunters here in Texas (maybe elsewhere) are going to be surprised when they show up to hunt and find out how many hogs bloomed out of the spring rains, additional spring foods, and all the additional cover that came with it.

The idea of minimal obstacles to keep out hogs sounds pretty good because you don't want to keep out young deer. Plus, the lower fences pose less trouble for humans to access and pose less of a shooting obstruction, particularly from ground level. An occasional interloper isn't too bad, but sounders, even small bachelor groups, can wipe out your feed in no time.

 

[alsaqr]

A lot of the deer hunters here in Texas (maybe elsewhere) are going to be surprised when they show up to hunt and find out how many hogs bloomed out of the spring rains, additional spring foods, and all the additional cover that came with it.

Southwest and southcentral Oklahoma had a bumper crop of pecans and acorns in 2015. There are 20-60 pound pigs running around all over the place: They are mostly invisible because of the new brush and the 6 foot tall grass and weeds. Deer hunters and farmers here will be surprised when huge sounders appear on the young wheat in October.

Years ago a fish and game biologist told me: "Dead pigs do not become hogs" and recommended shooting small pigs at every opportunity. This year i commenced killing small pigs at feeders in March: Killed over 80 with my Ruger 10/.22 and hollow points. A few others fell to my muzzleloaders.

 

[sage5907]

You're dreaming if you think the hogs won't get to that feeder. If the ground is soft they will dig under or get their nose under and push the T post up. If the wire can be broken or bent they'll keep working at it until they get in. The big hogs will go over that fence just like it's not there because if a hog can stand on their back legs and get their front feet over they will climb the fence. I use a 42 inch hog wire fence with the T posts 5 feet apart and they still get in. A big hog can tear up an anvil.

 

[alsaqr]

You're dreaming if you think the hogs won't get to that feeder.

i have other feeders with fences just like that one. Don't have a problem with hogs getting to those feeders.