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

paintballdude902 wrote:

whats are the tactics for this one? bait and live trap?
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Whenever there is a “lone” animal I will attempt to shoot that individual (circumstance permitting). If I were to trap the hog….it would mean much more work on my part.

I would have to put out more corn, monitor the hog on the game-cam, wait until it was comfortable going into the trap, etc…

Problem is: A group of sows has now joined in, so I am pretty much forced to go into “trap mode”. :banghead:


Trail_cam_6_30_09006a.jpg

Trail_cam_6_30_09005b.jpg
 
Just trying to sort out the numbers so I can get a feel for the magnitude of the problem. I went through the thread beginning to end and tried to do a brief summary. Anyone feel free to correct errors I may have made.

May 17 - Trapped 17 hogs
June 2 - Snared alpha boar
June 6 - New bachelor group of 5 boars shows up
June 7 - New assorted group 15 + piglets and Spot shows up
June 17 - Trapped 3 of 5 bachelor group
June 19 - Scooby the coon trapped and released
June 21 - Killer rabbit of Caerbannog close call
June 23 - Lone (big muther) boar hooks up with Spot
June 27 - Shot the lone boar, Spot safe
June 29 - Another boar arrives and a group of sows joins (From assorted group of earlier?)

17 + 3 + 1 + 1 = 22 over a 6 week period and there is already another group needing attention. Playing with averages or extrapolation may not be a valid predictor of hog behavior, but any way you slice it this is a problem that could be as big as a hundred or more per year. Is this "normal" for this part of Texas nowadays?
 
SciFiJim wrote:

If you trap them (like on May17th) can they be redomesticated and used as breeding stock?
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Depends upon what you mean by "re-domesticated"... in terms of how long it would take and how successful you would be.

If you mean: Can they be tamed down and used for breeding, then yes....fairly quickly as well.

If you mean: Will they revert to a domestic state that results in physical characteristics consistent with commercial breeds. Yes, but it will take a long time..(many generations) and some amount of selective breeding would be required.

Domestic hogs are normally bred for maximum meat production. They usually display shorter hair, shorter legs, curled tail, floppy ears, waddles, a shorter snout and broader head.

Those physical characteristics would not be "attributes" in the wild...and are quickly lost (in as little as several generations). In other words, hogs will "revert" to a feral state much quicker than you can achieve the inverse with them.

Feral or truly "wild" hogs...are well adapted to their environment. They have ears that are large and erect for detecting danger. They have "the best nose in the business"...capable of detecting scent particles at a level of only a few "parts per million". The snout is longer (for rooting), the legs longer (for running/traveling), the hair longer (for protection), eyesight is better than most folks give them credit for.

IMO, they also form stronger social groups than do domestic hogs. Domestic hogs (like feral or wild hogs) are very intelligent, BUT their lives do not depend on it.

Feral hogs literally use all of their senses and intelligence to "make a living" every single day.

But, back to your question: Yes genetically speaking, domestic and feral hogs are no different. They are products of their environment and breeding. They are "pliable" with respect to what can be done to change their physical appearance (over time).
 
Lightnin, As for “normal for Texas” I’d say about so in areas with a pig problem. If you have the things they like (food & shelter) and not too much pressure you can have a considerable number of pigs in a fairly small area. E TX is pig country, hence the name Piney Wood Rooters. I have been leisurely trapping and hunting for a few farmers and am well on my way to a 100 pig year and I have not been actively trapping since late March. We have a surplus of pigs, I imagine if Mr Flint is kind enough to keep this going till he grows tired of it you may see a 100+ pig year
~z
 
Yes, 100 pigs in a year from this property is very "doable". I really haven't been concentrating on them this year either.

A person needs to take out roughly 70% of the population each year...just to stay even.

Obviously...that isn't happening. :(

We have been fairly "lax" on them so far. But, some years they really piss me off and I go after them like I was avenging "Old Yeller". ;)

Edit: "Lightnin's" tally above is correct...except it does not include 7 other animals we shot from late December through February. The actual number is "29" to date (6-30-09). It could easily be 50 if I hadn't saved back the first big sounder to attract boars.

But, its not about numbers for me. This all "old hat" and I do not post here claiming any "hunting prowess". I am simply trying to provide some information that may be helpful to others.

Hopefully, all understand...that I am NOT an expert and that much of what I post is "area specific". Still, if anyone can glean something that will aid their success...then I am happy for it. I truly dislike these animals.

Flint.
 
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I think that a trapping method that had selectivity for hogs needs to be developed.

I think a biologist familiar with the species would be very helpful
 
have you though about using a pit fall? :)

what about punji sticks?

just put big signs up cover up the holes and put corn on top lol


i just did some rough figures in my head with all the pigs sofar you have gotten pictures of your total is close to 50 good god



can pigs jump?

id say do a 3 foot fence around the property with barbed wire burried under it to stop diggers

the deer will still get past it no problem

but.... the fence would be expensive and you would have to check the lines about once a week
 
can pigs jump?

id say do a 3 foot fence around the property with barbed wire burried under it to stop diggers

the deer will still get past it no problem

but.... the fence would be expensive and you would have to check the lines about once a week
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Depending on how bad a hog wants to get somewhere, any fence short of concrete is pretty much at their mercy.

This was a brand new pen we set up around a protein feeder. It took less than two days for them to wreck the whole sha bang.
http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f285/41nag/Hunting%20-%2007/
 
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I have seen a big boar and a sow take a 4 foot fence with out touching the top. They are more nimble then people think.
 
KenWP wrote:
I have seen a big boar and a sow take a 4 foot fence with out touching the top. They are more nimble then people think.
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Absolutely!

How high a hog can jump depends on the individual, but most hogs can clear 3' without really straining.

I use 5' panels on my traps for just that reason.

Some hogs will "climb" also.
 
that is insane

here the hogs we have are so fat they have problems walking.........but then again they are raised for meat
 
The more hogs the better...Sorry landowner...dont mean that to harm your place or livestock and fields...I just mean

70/30...70 percent deer -30 percent hog...MMMMMMMmmmm
 
good luck trapping that one with a wire fence or snare! Since you would have to shoot it, what caliber would you use to penetrate its armor? :)
 
juk

good luck trapping that one with a wire fence or snare! Since you would have to shoot it, what caliber would you use to penetrate its armor?
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Coincidentally, I just got my long awaited custom "upper" in Friday. It is .458 SOCOM and there is tungsten cored "solid" available for it. :D

http://www.gunaccessories.com/Speer/African GrandSlamRifleBullets.asp

I have a couple of more small parts to gather for my lower, then I need to get my scope mount ordered and I'll throw it all together and post pics.

It is intended to be dedicated "hog gun". No more Mr. Nice-guy.


Flint
 
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one question....


when drawing those arrows...


did you make "pew, pew" sounds or where they "bang, bang"?


.
 
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