Not again.......! Feral Hog Control in East Texas

Flintknapper said:
Curious as to why the hogs had rooted up fairly small patches in multiple areas instead of staying in one larger spot (like they usually do) I went and looked today before trying to repair.

A couple of weeks ago I had 'spot sprayed' a bunch of Bull Thistles that were starting to sprout and both the thistles and a small patch of grass around each one were dead and brown.

It was at each one of these sites that the pigs had rooted. Perhaps looking for worms or grubs of some sort that might have been attracted to the decaying plant matter, I really don't know. Anyone have a different idea or seen this before?
Click to expand...
I have seen something similar here in NW Florida: A month back I sprayed a common ACE brand defoliant targeting blackberry and other invasive vines around a lift station and out building. A week later a pair of armadillos started rooting around under the foundation of the outbuilding. Armadillos aren't near as smart as pigs but they are as destructive and they live only to eat and reproduce, like pigs. I see them show up every time, clawing under areas where I've sprayed vines, looking for grubs. I think the rotting nodes from the vines attract grubs and beetles that the 'dillers just love. Probably the same with your pigs - roots and nodes rotting under the soil attracts the beetles and grubs they eat.
 
Last edited:
Flintknapper said:
Well I DO love my State (most of it) and if killing hogs helps....I'm all in. But I have to admit its mostly in Self Defense (trying to keep them out of my pastures). And maybe a small bit of revenge for past damages suffered. Mea Culpa
Click to expand...

Hope Texas is at least partially compensating you for all the .458 SOCOM your running thru in the eradication! Been following this thread for a few months now. Keep up the good job.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
I have seen something similar here in NW Florida: A month back I sprayed a common ACE brand defoliant targeting blackberry and other invasive vines around a lift station and out building. A week later a pair of armadillos started rooting around under the foundation of the outbuilding. Armadillos aren't near as smart as pigs but they are as destructive and they live only to eat and reproduce, like pigs. I see them show up every time, clawing under areas where I've sprayed vines, looking for grubs. I think the rotting nodes from the vines attract grubs and beetles that the 'dillers just love. Probably the same with your pigs - roots and nodes rotting under the soil attracts the beetles and grubs they eat.
Click to expand...


It's the best theory I have on it too. I can't prove it.....but something about the decaying matter is attracting them. Grubs seem a likely possibility.

Your experiences seem to support that.

Another thing I've noticed over the years is that after a soaking rain...I will find hog rootings at the base/bottom of hills. The soil around here is primarily sandy loam. It is my belief that the rain saturated soil in those areas drives the earth worms (and perhaps grubs) higher towards the surface and the hogs take advantage of that.

The damage from the rooting is extensive in that they seem to spend a lot of time in one spot...BUT curiously do not root as deeply as they normally do out in the flat parts of the pastures.

Again....just a guess and an observation.
 
Couple of boars have shown up that I need to take of.

In the past few months....I've shot a few hogs, trapped a few, but for the most part haven't been 'over run' with them *yet*, thank goodness.

Neighbors Grandsons have been running hogs with dogs quite a bit the last year. Unfortunately, that tends to just scatter them as well as educate the hogs....but nothing I can do about that.

The boar below looks as if it has been 'caught' by dogs. Both ears are missing. When the 'Catch Dogs' are released...they often grab a pig by the ear. If the dog handlers don't get to the pig quickly....then its ears can become 'crushed' and if damaged badly enough, will become necrotic and fall away.

Hate seeing this and is just one more reason why I don't care for 'hog doggers'.



The other Boar is just your run of the mill breeding age boar that needs to be dispatched before making more of himself.



Weather permitting.....I'll go and sit in the next night or so, see what shows up. It never ends.
 
jmorris said:
This is a different approach to the problem. https://hogstop.com/
Click to expand...

I've seen that. Interesting approach.

I don't think effective in my situation....but might be for others.

Most properties where I live are less than 1,000 acres and boars tend to be quite transient between properties. So unless my neighbors would also employ this....it seems unlikely the hogs would visit the bait enough to make any difference. I'm not saying it doesn't have a 'place' in the overall scheme to reduce the population, just not viable for me.

I DO place heavy importance on the need to take the boars out of the population though. It can be argued that the 'Sows' are the baby making machines and therefor higher value targets....but I disagree with that for a number or reasons. Ultimately....any hog you can get rid of is a benefit.
 
uzimon said:
I just looked up judas sow and the example i saw was to outfit a captured porker with a tracking device. Soon the animal will find others to congregate with. Makung tracking easy
Click to expand...

For my purposes....it wouldn't be worth the effort. Not sure really in this day and age why it would be important. It is easy enough to locate hog sign and/or attract them using traditional methods and the 'acceptance' of a lone sow into a group is NOT guaranteed. But I'm certain some University could get a multi-million dollar grant to study it if they wanted. I mean....if we can get a grant to study 'Shrimp on a treadmill', then following hogs around...should be a shoe in. ;) Our tax dollars at work.
 
Last edited:
easy said:
About eating them. Someone told me 'summer hogs' are not good to eat. Smaller ones of course. Opinions?
Click to expand...
Depends on where. On the Florida East Coast, the salt scrub and grains start growing so the pigs eat pretty good. It's not corn-fed but not bad. Around here on the West Cost, pigs under a year/50 pounds are okay to butcher and smoke but, the older pigs tend to be gamey to begin with; in the summer they eat a lot of swamp cabbage and grubs so they get wormy. Not good for much but making sausage and even then you got to spice it real good. Hot Italian or Hungarian style covers the gameyness pretty okay. Mostly it's pest control shooting them in the summer so they don't all breed a next generation come fall. Individual tastes might vary.
 
easy said:
Location, Eastern OK.
Click to expand...
As, heck, it may as well be Mars then. Sorry but I know less about western pigs, wild boar or otherwise, than I do about particle string theory. Maybe someone from thereabouts knows about summer pigs taste like?
 
Well....went and sat a bit a couple of nights ago. Almost parked and walked in the last 1/2 mile, but it was sort of muggy so I drove up to within a few hundred yards of my box stand. Good thing too because just about dark a big storm blew in and I just made it to my truck before the 'bottom fell out'.

Pouring rain and lots of cloud to ground lightning on the way out. So that 'hunt' was short lived. Didn't go last night....but plan on going this evening.

Pulled the game cam card on that bait site. Looks like one of the boars is happy to stand under the feeder and let the Coons dribble corn down to him. Actually has corn on his back.



Then if they start 'slacking' he lets them know he 'needs some more corn down here'!



The boar with no ears made an appearance early this morning. Definitely not a 'regular'. So no pattern on him yet.

 
One down. The hog with no ears did not show up...but this one did.

Will hang it and weigh it tomorrow. Pretty tired tonight.

Hard to appreciate how long this hog is. Most are compact and heavy built. This one is tall and long....but is going to weigh out pretty good if pulling him the few feet that I did is any indication.

One Down3.jpg
One Down1.jpg
 
Last edited:
Not as heavy as I thought it might be. Was thinking this one would go 280ish just judging by size and dragging it a few feet.

Generally, I don't bother weighing them unless I think they will go 275lbs or more....and then its just out of curiosity.

But I didn't miss it by too much. Best thing about it is....he isn't out there making more and that's what counts.

Weigh1.jpg
268 lbs.jpg
 
Flintknapper said:
Not as heavy as I thought it might be. Was thinking this one would go 280ish just judging by size and dragging it a few feet.

Generally, I don't bother weighing them unless I think they will go 275lbs or more....and then its just out of curiosity.

But I didn't miss it by too much. Best thing about it is....he isn't out there making more and that's what counts.

View attachment 1011794
View attachment 1011795
Click to expand...
Forgive me if this has been covered already, I know some folks do use night vision Scopes (infrared etc) but I'm curious, what kind of optics you use? I know you run the .458 and 7-08 but a friend just went down to Texas a few weeks ago and said their hunting was night vision only...
 
Horsey, I have a couple of pastures that I could use Night Vision (Thermal/other) in...but for me it doesn't sense. The reason being....I am trying to keep the hogs OUT of my pastures. To that end....I have a couple of dedicated 'bait sites' set up with feeders, elevated stands and LED hog lights on photocells.

The lights illuminate the feeder and an area about 25' wide around it. I place these back in the woods which keeps the hogs (mostly) out of my pastures. Night Vision back there would just be an expense that didn't really pay me any dividends. No advantage to it (for me). I'm just going to get one shot most of the time.

So I am able to use just a normal Rifle Scope. I do have illuminated reticles on both scopes (selectable) but generally I can see the cross-hairs well enough to make the shot.

Checking my game cameras this morning....reveals that I hadn't been gone a full 2 hours after killing the last hog, that another one showed up!



Then a day or so later....a smaller one. So I need to get back down there again tonight I suppose.



Presumably the boar with 'no ears' is still in the area as well, so three boars...any of which might show up. We will see. Mosquitoes and heat will be there for sure. Sigh............
 
I'm using LED lighting around my feeder too. I have a solar charging system setup for my security camera, wi-fi connected to home system. So I can bring up the cameras and see whats at the feeder. I have them setup to send alerts if something sets them off. Most of the time it's coons and deer. Hogs have gotten smart, they know better to come around mine. Have enough light I do not need night vision, though the cameras uses IR. I'm using a VX-R 2-7 scope on my 458 SOCOM. I have the dot turned down to night vision settings, almost off. So I'm using a dot sight at my 100 yrd feeder.

Flintknapper, I was wondering if you got washed away with all the rain that area has had lately. Glad to see your still around.
 
Blue68f100 said:
I'm using LED lighting around my feeder too. I have a solar charging system setup for my security camera, wi-fi connected to home system. So I can bring up the cameras and see whats at the feeder. I have them setup to send alerts if something sets them off. Most of the time it's coons and deer. Hogs have gotten smart, they know better to come around mine. Have enough light I do not need night vision, though the cameras uses IR. I'm using a VX-R 2-7 scope on my 458 SOCOM. I have the dot turned down to night vision settings, almost off. So I'm using a dot sight at my 100 yrd feeder.

Flintknapper, I was wondering if you got washed away with all the rain that area has had lately. Glad to see your still around.
Click to expand...

Not washed away....but nearly drowning in it. I'd be surprised if we haven't already received our normal annual total for this area.

Stay after those hogs.

I've been using my 7mm-08 recently instead of the SOCOM, until reloading supplies become more available. I have plenty of ammo for both (at present) but who knows how long this shortage is going to last.

Buzzards have already cleaned up the boar I dragged off a couple of nights ago....so I guess its time to bring them another one.

Gone.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
  • Locked
Feral Hogs as Food
2 3 4
Replies
77
Views
9K
MCgunner
M
M
  • Locked
What gun for feral hogs?
2 3 4
Replies
86
Views
8K
BigMustard
B
D
  • Locked
Texas' wild hog numbers lead country
Replies
7
Views
3K
Greybeard
G
C
  • Locked
Feral Hog hunting
2
Replies
25
Views
3K
blkbrd666
B
M
  • Locked
Feral hogs in Texas
2
Replies
44
Views
6K
JohnKSa
JohnKSa
Back
Top