Feral Hogs

[Arnold Ziffle]

May want to consider building your future pens as the swinging or hanging door types, instead of the guillotine, so that you aren't limited to catching only those porkers that get in before the guillotine falls.

 

[backhoeboogie]

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.

The little guys get out of the cow panels. Eventually they are too trap smart to catch.

 

[sidney411]

I have 2 traps in the makings out of those huge metal cable reels. They will both have the hinge doors but I'm having a difficult time making them (doors) work as these are the 1st traps I've built. The others I have were either on the place before or Dad built them and he's a better fabricator then I am. I'm not even positive my welding will hold them, but I will try them as soon as I can get them all put together.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Not sure what material that is. Guess I am not familiar with it. I use old bed fram iron, pipe, whatever to build the box.

The drop gate design didn't work very well for me. I have one of those still but use it mostly as an interim holding unit. Guilotine gates are the way to go. It gives you much more real estate within the trap and it is a sure thing. The swinging gates can be opened by other hogs and the trapped ones escape. When they slam shut it is a good tight fit but when the other hogs nudge in, you lose that wedged in feature. You can put a latch in and hold them, but then you don't catch others anyway.

Once I went to sheep panel with the 4 inch grid, and guilotine gates, nothing escaped.

 

[milesvb]

Around here you can't get a hog to go in a box trap for love nor money. Most folks use a circular trap made of cattle panels and t-posts with a fabricated swinging door or the natural spring of one of the panel ends to serve as a trap door. A deer feeder in the middle completes the setup.

 

[Caustic Burno]

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.

I hate hogs 45-70 stops them in there tracks doesn't matter if he 20 pounds or 200.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Around here you can't get a hog to go in a box trap for love nor money. Most folks use a circular trap made of cattle panels and t-posts with a fabricated swinging door or the natural spring of one of the panel ends to serve as a trap door. A deer feeder in the middle completes the setup.

You can catch them in a box trap with the right bait.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Around here you can't get a hog to go in a box trap for love nor money. Most folks use a circular trap made of cattle panels and t-posts with a fabricated swinging door or the natural spring of one of the panel ends to serve as a trap door. A deer feeder in the middle completes the setup.

You can catch them in a box trap with the right bait.

Absolutely CB.

Your bait also has to be something that deer will not want anything to do with. Straight corn will catch hogs but it will also catch deer.

Hogs will jump cattle panels. Cattle panels are only only 52" tall. They have big grid and the little ones go right through. Big hogs will get their heads in the openings and round them out until they break a weld. Cattle panels will not hold a full grown hog even if you have a top on the pen. Maybe I can get some pics of cattle panels destroyed by hogs.

I've seen the hogs jump 60 inch sheep panel. I have seen hogs climb out of 6 foot pens. Hogs are smart critters. They will climb in corners, kind of like a ladder, so the round concept you are citing is good. Hogs will also get on each other's backs and jump. It is funny to watch but they hit the top cap. I had one that had obviously jumped out of someone else's trap, just like you describe, many times. He knew all the tricks. None of them worked on my holding pen.

Please, once you catch one, keep it caught. Or, send him on to the afterlife. DO NOT sell to "game preserves" or else you are simply contributing to the problem.

 

[KANSAS]

Snare the trap shy hogs.... Snares are cheap, easy to use, and hogs dont get "snare shy".... Can get you the cable size tomorrow if ya like....

You can set 50 snares in an afternoon easily...

 

[backhoeboogie]

Snare the trap shy hogs.... Snares are cheap, easy to use, and hogs dont get "snare shy".... Can get you the cable size tomorrow if ya like....

You can set 50 snares in an afternoon easily...

I know nothing about snares, but I sure as heck would like to know more. I could set them in pastures the calves are not in and I could put them in fence holes the hogs have made.

Got any good links? I have neighbors who would be interested as well.

Edit: I don't want to be taking out the bambi's all over the river bottom. Can I snare without catching deer or calves?

 

[KANSAS]

I sent you a pm... with a bit more detail....

For anyone else out there that has a hog problem.... I would be more than happy to snare em for ya this winter at no cost.... I just have a hell of alot of fun doing it....

 

[sidney411]

Send me the info if you don't mind, or post it here.

CB, I have had no problem killing them with my .243, I was talking about trapping a 10 lb pig to make it squeal. LOL!

Backhoe, haven't you seen the big cable reels on the sides of the road where they are doing construction and stuff? Their made out of square tubing and are about 7-8 ft tall? That's what I'm using, I've cut out about 1/2 of the supports so it has a more 'open' feel and weled cattle panels on the top, bottom, and around the outside, I've got the frame build for the swing door but can't get the shutting mechanics right, that's where I'm stuck. I can't figure out where to put springs at to close the door.

 

[milesvb]

Around here you can't get a hog to go in a box trap for love nor money. Most folks use a circular trap made of cattle panels and t-posts with a fabricated swinging door or the natural spring of one of the panel ends to serve as a trap door. A deer feeder in the middle completes the setup.

You can catch them in a box trap with the right bait.

Corn and little milo in a 5 gal. bucket filled with water and left to ferment in the sun for a month worked in other places but for some reason it doesn't work here. What do you recommend?

 

[Caustic Burno]

Around here you can't get a hog to go in a box trap for love nor money. Most folks use a circular trap made of cattle panels and t-posts with a fabricated swinging door or the natural spring of one of the panel ends to serve as a trap door. A deer feeder in the middle completes the setup.

You can catch them in a box trap with the right bait.

Corn and little milo in a 5 gal. bucket filled with water and left to ferment in the sun for a month worked in other places but for some reason it doesn't work here. What do you recommend?

Switch to pears or plums they will go in. Or soak your corn in diesel.

 

[milesvb]

Around here you can't get a hog to go in a box trap for love nor money. Most folks use a circular trap made of cattle panels and t-posts with a fabricated swinging door or the natural spring of one of the panel ends to serve as a trap door. A deer feeder in the middle completes the setup.

You can catch them in a box trap with the right bait.

Corn and little milo in a 5 gal. bucket filled with water and left to ferment in the sun for a month worked in other places but for some reason it doesn't work here. What do you recommend?

Switch to pears or plums they will go in. Or soak your corn in diesel.

Pears I can scrounge for free.
Thanks for the tip.

 

[KANSAS]

Try chicken scraps... or just a couple of dead chickens....

I know it sounds weird to bait with dead animals, but hogs are omnivors..... Dead fish works as well...

In Australia I am told they bait em in with Dead Donkeys they kill on culling operations...

 

[KANSAS]

You can also call your local wildlife control officer. He should have lots of info regarding snaring those beasts..... Spent some more time on the net last night and was surprised to see that the wildlife control officers kill the majority of hogs with snares. 2nd was live traps and third was shooting...

Once again... you want me to come get rid of em... just let me know....

Type in Hog snares, and snaring hogs on google.... you will get all sorts of responses.... hog snares gives you more info on purchasing snares themselves while snaring hogs gives you some detailed descriptions of set locations, success rates, etc...

 

[HAY MAKER]

Reading these posts reminds me of running javelinas in south TX,we would catch a feral hog once in a while but mostly javelinas,and that ole purple meat aint all bad on a pitt with the right kinda of sauce.
Now there are probably as many feral hogs in south TX as there are javelina's,I think they litter year round and they get big enough to cause real damage to fields.
I have a set of covered pens here in the Hill country that has hard packed dirt from years of working cattle.
I was out there one morning and the whole place was like some one had got in there with a plow took a lil time for me to believe hogs have a snout that tough and can turn dirt like they do,but they sure plowed those pens.
I have trapped a few hogs always had good luck with fermented corn............good luck

PS here is a picture of a few of them in one of my hay fields,shoulda had a gun instead of camera ,cuz they look to be about the right size ;-)

 

[Caustic Burno]

Around here you can't get a hog to go in a box trap for love nor money. Most folks use a circular trap made of cattle panels and t-posts with a fabricated swinging door or the natural spring of one of the panel ends to serve as a trap door. A deer feeder in the middle completes the setup.

You can catch them in a box trap with the right bait.

Corn and little milo in a 5 gal. bucket filled with water and left to ferment in the sun for a month worked in other places but for some reason it doesn't work here. What do you recommend?

Switch to pears or plums they will go in. Or soak your corn in diesel.

Pears I can scrounge for free.
Thanks for the tip.

Almost forgot throw pears all a round the trap with some inside wire the door up. Let them feed for 2 or 3 days and then set the trap.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Send me the info if you don't mind, or post it here.

CB, I have had no problem killing them with my .243, I was talking about trapping a 10 lb pig to make it squeal. LOL!

Backhoe, haven't you seen the big cable reels on the sides of the road where they are doing construction and stuff? Their made out of square tubing and are about 7-8 ft tall? That's what I'm using, I've cut out about 1/2 of the supports so it has a more 'open' feel and weled cattle panels on the top, bottom, and around the outside, I've got the frame build for the swing door but can't get the shutting mechanics right, that's where I'm stuck. I can't figure out where to put springs at to close the door.

Trapping a 10 pound pig aint no problem and neither is the sow.