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

I'm a member of several "hunting" boards, and it appears that hunters either already hunt hogs or dream about getting an opportunity to hunt hogs.

This thread gives those who dream about hunting hogs the ability to live vicariously through those of us who do hunt hogs.
 
^^^^^^^

That is certainly a 'different' style trap, but it seems unnecessarily complicated.

The only 'advantage' I can see to it...is that it offers complete and unfettered access to the bait.

Some things I don't think are so practical:

1. Very heavy, doesn't appear to be portable (easy to move or set up).

2. The ground at the trap site needs to be pretty level or the bottom of trap will provide 'holes' that encourage digging and escape.

3. The trap design requires the hog/animal to be close to the 'center' of the trap before it drops. If you look closely...you will see that all of the hogs nearly made it to the edge. In real life...they rarely feed that compactly.

4. The entire perimeter of the trap/cage is basically a 'gate'. Any animals feeding near the edge/perimeter will most certainly get under the trap before it falls completely. There is no way to 'bait' them to the 'far end' (as with traditional pen traps) since the trap is circular.

It's 'novel', I will give them that, but IMO...not practical.
 
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I agree. In fact, I bet it is going to get dropped on a lot of hogs that are going to be unduly injured and suffer as a result of a ton of steel sitting on them and their bodies are going to allow others to escape. Keep in mind that this is a remote operated trap. Some guy in his home, likely miles away, or at a baseball game (as the creator claims he has done) is going to spring the trap and it will fall on a hog and nobody will be around to put the hog out of its misery for hours. That just ain't right.
 
I agree with all of the above. I looks a bit unstable too. You can see it bounce and wobble a bit as it drops.

However, it may be marginally more humane than the tannerite one.
 
Hope Y'all are busy out killing hogs. Nothing here since February. I am actually glad to not have them on the old homeplace. But I already live in the state of Misery and have enough to do.
 
Flintknapper this is one of the best forum stories I have every read. I wish you could continue with more but I am not going to wish more hogs on you so you can. Enjoy and keep up the good work.
 
I've been playing cat and mouse with this big boar that's been hanging around for the past couple of weeks.

hog-20150622.jpg

I've come close to him a couple of times (i can hear him take off in the brush when I get close), but he keeps coming back to the feeder both morning and night (it's set to go off twice a day). I stayed up on the stand waiting for him Wednesday night. I had my (red) rifle light on when I heard him coming in happy and oinking, and saw the the raccoons scatter in anticipation. Just before he came into the clearing, he busted me - A storm had come through that day, and the wind had shifted the opposite direction of normal, putting me upwind of the feeder. He got quiet, and I'm pretty sure he went back the way he came, judging from the neighbor dogs barking in the distance.

I've been swapping cards in this camera every day or two, verifying he's still around and checking his patterns. I was walking the trail the back way to the feeder (downwind from the feeder), just after sunset today. Apparently, he was already out there and I surprised him. I didn't get a good look at him, but he sure wasn't happy that I was there. He moved into the brush, while at the same time growling in a way that I can only approximate to the deep rev of a muscle car. I got my scope on a piece of him, but couldn't tell exactly where I was going to hit, only seeing black hair. I didn't exactly want to have a pissed-off and injured hog only 10-15 yards away while I was on the ground, so I held off on my shot to see if I could be more sure of where I was going to hit him.

Unfortunately, he moved to better concealment, and I never got my shot. I was losing light quickly, and chasing after an angry boar through the woods didn't seem like the prudent thing to do.

I imagine he may move on before I get a chance after this close encounter. Then again, he hasn't spooked yet, so maybe I'll get my chance.
 
Getting Busted By Hogs

I have been busted a few times by hogs that I know of, but recently have managed to get a couple on video. We have been hunting a place in central Texas with an oats field and no other grain fields for miles around. It is something of a hog and deer magnet.

In this first video, we had already killed one hog from a sounder and were back at the truck when we noticed another sounder. We hopped the fence to go after it and got set up, only my buddy had trouble getting his gear situated as as he fiddle-dinked around, a curious hog took notice, did a sniff check, turned and sounded the alarm. https://youtu.be/KBUNSThPO5E

In this next video (from last night ), we hunted the same field and it is where we took 6 hogs out of it 4 nights ago. We had given up for the night and headed back up to the house when this little group of piglets were spotted. We were hunting with the landowner's son and grandson and so the grandson had the call on the first shot. We were set up and waiting when there was a metallic snap (I think it was his safety being clicked off) and the piglets took notice...and away they went.
https://youtu.be/29beLZXIkUk

This has been a very productive field for us, taking more than a dozen hogs out of it in the previous month. However, that I have witnessed, we have been busted by sight (daylight crossing of field) twice, by smell once, and by sound once. I think I have learned more in the last month in this field then I have learned in the last couple of years, LOL.
 
Good job DNS. Love the videos.

I haven't had much time to get out after them lately, plus it is starting to get really HOT and most of hogs are moving later at night than I am willing to stay up and wait on them.

I have set out a few snares at certain fence crossings...instead. (snares never get tired).

Caught this young boar a couple of days ago.

SNARED%20HOG_zps1fs998k5.jpg

As you can see, they bloat up fast in this heat. I have the game camera on the carcass to see if I can get some Coyote Video.

Buzzards will clean it up if the Yotes don't find it tonight.

A good strong 'cam' lock on the snare makes short work of them, but you have to be careful about where (and how) you place the snare to avoid catching non-target animals.
 
As you can see, they bloat up fast in this heat. I have the game camera on the carcass to see if I can get some Coyote Video.

Buzzards will clean it up if the Yotes don't find it tonight.

A good strong 'cam' lock on the snare makes short work of them, but you have to be careful about where (and how) you place the snare to avoid catching non-target animals.

One of the first hogs I shot, it was a warm Texas evening. Took about 4 hours for us to find the carcass (no blood), the sow was pretty stiff and bloated. We thought she was pregnant until we started gutting her. When we got to the abdominal cavity....

Fortunately, I was upwind.
 
Getting that GOOD shot.

Something that might help those who hunt hogs over a baited site, whether it is a feeder or some other spot that is regularly visited:

Get ‘em on their knees!

Digging a SHALLOW hole (6”-10” deep and no wider than about 10”) can help facilitate getting a better shot at a hog than you might normally get when ALL of the corn/bait is evenly broadcast.

More times than not, the dominate pig (if in a group) will ‘claim’ the hole and not be pushed away. When left to pick up ‘broadcast’ bait…that same hog would be moving about quite a bit, we’ve all seen how dynamic a group of feeding hogs can be.

Hogs (owing to their physical structure) cannot reach very far below the level of their hooves without either bending at the leg joints or going to their knees.

We know (under normal circumstances) that hogs are loathe to ‘strain’ themselves, so it is a simple matter to get them in that position (on their knees).

There are several advantages to this:

The hog is stationary for a longer period, providing you more time for a shot.

The hog that claims the hole will be the most dominate one (not necessarily the Lead Sow), but certainly a mature animal.

The hog feeding in the hole generally stays preoccupied and is MUCH less inclined to be looking for danger.

In almost every case, a hog feeding in a hole will change its position every few minutes, so if you don’t yet have a good shot angle…wait, its coming.

Boar%20claims%20hole_zpscv0ego8e.jpg

A hog in the positon above….is offering a HUGE target area and you should have plenty of time to make a good shot.

IMO… your aiming point should be anywhere from just behind the head, anywhere along the center-line of the neck, all the way to the middle of the shoulder.

DO NOT shoot hogs behind the shoulder! There is no reason for it. The area I just described is BIG and will drop hogs right in their tracks.

Tips:

*Get permission to dig a hole/holes if the property is not yours or not controlled by you.

*Do not dig a hole so deep that livestock (if present) can step in it and injure themselves)

*Do not FILL the hole completely; the bait level needs to be at least 4” below the surface or the hog will simply bend its legs to get at it.

*Hogs will eventually ‘root’ the hole out…making it much bigger, so figure on back filling that at some point.

IF you are having trouble with spooky hogs or would just do better if one would stand still a bit longer, give this a try.

Has worked well for me…the last 25 years.

Flint
 
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Killed a small Sow this evening just to demonstrate the technique stated above. Was hoping to get the Boar running with the group or maybe the Lead Sow, but neither of them would come fully under the hog lights.

They both would stop at the edges. When I would light them up with my rifle light they REALLY got nervous and just moved farther away, so I just quit and tried to wait them out.

After 15 minutes they had moved back into the brush and had almost circled behind me. Only a couple of small boars, one sow and some piglets were left at the bait site by that time, so I just shot what was there, but the point of it was to show a hog feeding in the hole and the kind of shot it presents.

My game camera actually recorded a video of the shot. I need to figure out to post videos here (if someone wants to tutor me).

Anyway, here is the Sow:

SowDown1_zpstc7efbon.jpg

Here is the Sow just a few moments before I shot it:

SowDown2_zpslro69ep3.jpg

If you think you might benefit from the technique, try it. If not....well pass it on to someone who might.
 
Very interesting technique. I can certainly see it's merits. I agree very much with your advice as to where to place the shots. I have found this works well for me....keeping the shots centered on the front leg.
 
A few more pics (from the next night).

Not to labor the point, but this is pretty much what we want to see. This hog is stationary and presenting about as good a shot opportunity as you could hope for.

HogHole3_zpsxjyjbdmw.jpg

This is the same hog as above. Although there are several other hogs in the group, this Sow has ‘claimed’ the corn filled hole and will not give it up.

Because the hole is still small (not yet rooted out) it is easy to control and video I have…shows the Sow was not even challenged.

There is also corn broadcast around the hole, but the ‘prize’ is the larger amount.

HogHole1_zpsegcqdmed.jpg

At another bait site (same night) we can see a Hog Hole that is in need of repair. It has been rooted out to form a line about 3’ long and is also too deep.

Both hogs are actually standing in it and if you were to watch the video, they are moving around quite a bit. You still have the ‘pause’ benefit (they are staying pretty much in one spot), but movement is more than what is wanted.

Also, the one hog on the right hand side has become too vertical a target, (because the hole is now too deep).

HogHole2_zpsnjfx2l4o.jpg

Backfill any rooted out holes and start a NEW hole when this happens.
 
Flint...your hole in the ground technique sort of got my interest, so I dug a hole this morning by one of my feeders about the size of a 5 gallon bucket, and filled it about 3/4 full with corn. We'll see what the cameras have to say now. I started to call it your corn hole technique, but thought better of it.
 
^^^^^^^^^

I appreciate your restraint, Stony.

'Flints Corn Hole Technique' is not something I'd want to be known for, and folks shouldn't be 'googling' that anyway. ;)

But seriously, you'll probably get a lot of pics like mine. Hogs, Deer, Fox, Crows, Raccoon's all will visit the corn pile. I got a pic today of an 8 point buck with his nose jammed down in the hole up to his antlers.
 
Checked my camera near that hole yesterday, and had a bunch of deer interested in it. No hogs showed up to check it out, but I have enough deer that I had to fill it up again.
 
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