Feral Hogs

[jwtexas]

I have always seen small signs that they were around but nothing major. But, this year they are tearing everything up. I was just wandering those of you that have them around your place how are they for you this year? I'm declaring war on them this year. So far I have put a small dent in their herd.

 

[warpaint]

You need to get in touch with Caustic. He's probably one of the better informed here on this subject. ;-)

 

[backhoeboogie]

Last year they were bad. I trapped a bunch. I didn't see any for over 7 months. Two weeks ago they started hitting my coastal field and they are wrecking it. I've got traps out and have managed to catch some again. Nine to be exact.

Here is your problem. It is two fold. Number 1 is the exotic raisers who introduce Russain Boar into the bunch. Number 2 is the do gooders who trap and release elsewhere. They will trap them in a neighborhood and then haul them out to the country and "release" them. The released hogs are now trap smart and you won't catch them again. Your only choice it to wait them out and plug them.

Novice hog hunters try to kill them the way you would kill a deer. It does not work. Hogs have a different anatomy. You have to shoot them in front of the shoulder in order to hit the vitals. Go to a web site called "Texas Boars" and you'll find detail of hog anatomy.

Finally, there are a lot of dog hunters around who hunt them down. If your place is big enough for dog hunting, all you have to do is call these good ole boys. They won't shoot your cows. Many of them go in with knives to kill the wild boars once the dogs have them held. These good ole boys will gladly rid you of your problems.

If you see any of these "catch and release" do gooders, call the sheriff. You can count on them coming back to do it again if you do otherwise.

 

[backhoeboogie]

You need to get in touch with Caustic. He's probably one of the better informed here on this subject. ;-)

When I was a kid, I was tough enough and brave enough to noodle catfish with my barehands.

Caustic has to be a very crusty dude if he is brave enough to noodle wild hogs.

 

[jwtexas]

So far this week I have managed to shot 5, 2 of those were this morning. Problem is every group I see is 30 plus. I think I have 2 different herds running around here.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Last year at George's Creek Ranch they had to take a picture to count the hogs. There was one picture that had over 160 hogs/pigs in it. I understand the govment boys came in. Those hogs wrecked tombstones that were 150 years old.

 

[jwtexas]

I saw that picture on a ATV forum I go to, it was something to see.

 

[Beefy]

they have been tearing up the nutgrass this year.

 

[sidney411]

I've been hunting at night with a spotscope and having real good luck, only problem is the weeds being so tall in some areas I hunt.

Has anyone tried one of the hog calls? I saw them in Bass Pro but didn't want to spend the money on something I hadn't heard anything about yet.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I've been hunting at night with a spotscope and having real good luck, only problem is the weeds being so tall in some areas I hunt.

Has anyone tried one of the hog calls? I saw them in Bass Pro but didn't want to spend the money on something I hadn't heard anything about yet.

Get yourself about a 10 pound pig and make it squeal. I wouldn't recommend it unless you were in a tree.

 

[milesvb]

The ground has gotten so hard here that the hogs must be staying in the creek bottom. They've even left my neighbors corn and soybeans alone. I haven't seen any fresh sign since the second week of July (knock on wood). The weekend after the 4th I walloped a boar and a small sow out of a group I spotted crossing the neighbor's pasture one morning. The boar weighed 330 on the neighbor's grain scale. I think that's about the biggest I've killed although it's the only one I ever weighed. The damage a hog that size can do in a pasture is unbelievable (and sickening).

 

[milesvb]

Has anyone tried one of the hog calls?

I've got one. It isn't heavy enough for a paper weight.

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

I just wish it was legal to use a silencer on a rifle for hog hunting! Most of the time the whole group will run like crazy after the first shot. I've often daydreamed of how it would be to pick them off one by one from a tall tower blind, and I'm sure a rifle equipped with a silencer would really help. Sometimes they scamper off and try to hide under a cedar tree but I can still see them from the tower and have been able to pop a second one, but I've never been able to get more than two out of a group.

 

[milesvb]

I just wish it was legal to use a silencer on a rifle for hog hunting!

I'm pretty sure it's legal if the silencer is registered with the BATFE and the tax stamp is acquired. Hogs aren't classified as game so they are a "any means or methods" type animal. The silencer and tax stamp might be a bit pricey though. Heck Arnold, just plunk down the cash for a suppressed rifle mounted with a night vision scope and you'll be the ultimate hog assassin.

 

[D.R. Cattle]

I have always seen small signs that they were around but nothing major. But, this year they are tearing everything up. I was just wandering those of you that have them around your place how are they for you this year? I'm declaring war on them this year. So far I have put a small dent in their herd.

If you think you've put a dent in their herd, you probably don't know how many you have. If you really want to thin them out, look for a hunter with dogs and traps to work on them while you continue to throw lead at them.

 

[HOSS]

Sometimes I envy you Texas boys that have plenty of hogs to take a poke at now and again. I know once they start doing the damage that they do it aint so fun for ya'll. Here in Tennessee where I am at we don't have very many. The nearest ones I know of are about 30 miles east of me. We do get the occasional bear though and we have tons of deer and turkeys. I usually make a trip to the mountains to bow hunt them hog critters and have a ball. Ya'll should recruit some of us Tennessee boys to help you out with the pig killin

 

[sidney411]

Arnold, I have the same problem. If I could get one I'd sure try it. Know anywhere, I'm using my .243 right now. BTW, how am I supposed to catch a 10 lb pig?

Thanks for the offer HOSS, I already have a hunting partner: TR.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Lat night I caught another little sow. This gal doesn't have any Russain Boar in her. That's a good sign.

 

[backhoeboogie]

BTW, how am I supposed to catch a 10 lb pig?

When you build your traps, use sheep panel in lieu of cow panel. It has a 4 inch grid. 8 pounders will get their heads stuck in the 4 inch mesh but can't get through. Keep your trip wire about a foor up in the trap. The little dudes will all run in there and chomp down on the bait. A big one will come in behind and trip the guilotine door. Walla. You'll have a one or a few shoats/hogs and a bunch of little guys.

My traps are boxed with top and bottoms. I fill the bottoms with dirt to hide the wire. I lift the whole trap with the tractor front bucket, backhoe, or track loader and drop it in the truck. I then haul them to a holding pen.

 

[sidney411]

All mine are cattle panels now, when I build more I'll use the smaller panels. I did have one about 5 lbs or so get crushed with the guillotine door on one trap, just about cut it in half. That was the smallest pig I've ever seen. Just this weekend they plowed under about a half acre in front of the house, looks like it was tilled for a garden. Not a stitch of grass, weeds, nothing but turned up dirt - wish it was spring, I'd rake it and plant in some veggies. The hit the hay field too.