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

der Teufel said:
Another good job. That charging boar would've caused me to go back for my rifle as well, along with a change of undies…
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Well....the only thing with a live (and annoyed) hog is....you don't know the condition of the snare cable. I use shock springs and swivels on my sets....BUT they can still wrap the cable around something and break it. In fact I had that very thing happen just a couple of weeks ago. I think I might have posted it here.

IF they manage to twist or kink the cable, it weakens it considerably and they can break it much easier. Not a problem with a hog that just wants to run the other way, but I believe this one wanted a little pay back.

So retrieving my rifle and taking a longer shot seemed the prudent thing to do. Not that I was scared...mind you. ;)
 
So after baiting a site that has been known to have hogs and which seems like a good area (near woods and several water/food sources), I've only managed to capture this on my trailcam. Hopefully tomorrow morning will show better results. screen-shot-2016-10-28-at-11-4.png
 
It can take awhile for them to find it. Next thing you will probably see on camera are Raccoons. Generally, they are the first animal to find a food source if you have water nearby.

But that is a good thing IF you want hogs to show up. I firmly believe that hogs sometimes use 'coon trails' to locate both water and possible food sources, especially if they (hogs) are new to the area. Can't prove that...but I have too many pics of new sites where the coons show up first and then the Hogs not long after, to dismiss the idea.
 
My MIL just told us last night that some hogs have shown up on her place . . . my nephew has some pictures on his game camera, but I haven't seen them yet. Might need to try and do some population control between now and Christmas.
 
Just had a friend send me a link to this thread, went over all 101 pages of posts over the last several days - what a yarn, with multiple story lines !

I joined up just because of this thread, and look forward to settling in, and enjoying the content.

Best reading, stories, outdoor hunting craft, and outstanding dedicated contributors I have seen anywhere.

Up here in Washington state, our only real pest is " Special Snowflakes ".

They are merely a nuisance, but nothing like your hog population.

Hopefully over time, our resident " Special Snowflake " pests disappear from the USA, maybe move on down to Mexico.

Thank you all for your plague of lead on the hog population, and for sharing your exploits.

Apologies for straying slightly off topic, and please do keep up the good work.
 
BobbyV said:
My MIL just told us last night that some hogs have shown up on her place . . . my nephew has some pictures on his game camera, but I haven't seen them yet. Might need to try and do some population control between now and Christmas.
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Bobby, I'm sure I'm not too far away being in Oklahoma.....if you need some extra lead flying in the direction of said hogs, feel free to hollar! lol
 
I haven't read the entire thread if you've previously mentioned it, but are you able to give some of the meat or carcasses to a food bank? Seems like a lot of pork to deal with.
 
And North Texas! Well heck, they are all over here. This is the north 30 acres or so of a 90 acre hay field I inspected over the weekend. After the hay was harvested, hogs came in and rooted it extensively. All those tufts of grass you see are grass torn from the ground, roots and all. Dark areas are exposed soil and/or dying grass. Holes/ruts are generally 2-4" deep but are nearly a foot deep in random spots.

It isn't completely destroyed, but according to the farmer, large sections might as well be. He will need to plow under large areas, reseed, and harrow the surface to smooth it back down to cover up the holes/ruts to return his field to its previous condition.
20161126_153307.jpg


This same sort of pattern can be seen covering large ares on several parts of the property.

The farmer just harvested hay from the west pasture and we just had rain move through. The rain will soften the soil and the cut pasture is like fresh meat, so to speak. This property will likely be keeping me busy for a while.
 
SoonerMedic,
If it's private land, try putting some diesel in the corn. I use about 2 cups per 50lbs of corn in a tub and mix it. It will keep the deer off it and attract pigs from a long ways. And no, it won't hurt the meat at all. Once the corn is gone, if you don't replenish it (I do) the pigs will continue to use the spot as a wallow because the diesel will act as a bug repellant.
 
Great thread... read through from post 1 in two days... probably the most informative writing I've found on hogs so far, and certainly one of the most entertaining I've read in a while.

I'm presently getting geared up for the family's annual Texas deer hunt next week, a little west and north of Comanche.
The landowner (my wife's cousin) sent out an email yesterday saying he shot 5 hogs the week before, and has seen plenty more. Last year they were out there but not in great numbers. A couple in the group shot s few but I personally never saw a live one. Deer aplenty, though.
It's a slightly less than 2000 acre area with several feeders, stands, hides, food plots etc. While I'm hoping the hog problem isn't becoming as bad there as it is for you guys in Deep East Texas (or here in South Louisiana, for that matter,) I am looking forward to a chance for putting the red dot on a few.
The hunt is primarily a deer hunt, and there are plenty to go around, but, as always, hogs become the priority whenever encountered. This year I'll be bringing my two (step) son's who have not hunted much, if at all (not through any fault of mine, and I'm currently rectifying the problem...) We should have a great time regardless of what comes into the lanes, if anything.

Just want to add my appreciation to the others here for you guys who are so dedicated to not just hog control/hunting but sharing and educating the rest of us...
 
1187Shooter said:
Great thread... read through from post 1 in two days... probably the most informative writing I've found on hogs so far, and certainly one of the most entertaining I've read in a while.

I'm presently getting geared up for the family's annual Texas deer hunt next week, a little west and north of Comanche.
The landowner (my wife's cousin) sent out an email yesterday saying he shot 5 hogs the week before, and has seen plenty more. Last year they were out there but not in great numbers. A couple in the group shot s few but I personally never saw a live one. Deer aplenty, though.
It's a slightly less than 2000 acre area with several feeders, stands, hides, food plots etc. While I'm hoping the hog problem isn't becoming as bad there as it is for you guys in Deep East Texas (or here in South Louisiana, for that matter,) I am looking forward to a chance for putting the red dot on a few.
The hunt is primarily a deer hunt, and there are plenty to go around, but, as always, hogs become the priority whenever encountered. This year I'll be bringing my two (step) son's who have not hunted much, if at all (not through any fault of mine, and I'm currently rectifying the problem...) We should have a great time regardless of what comes into the lanes, if anything.

Just want to add my appreciation to the others here for you guys who are so dedicated to not just hog control/hunting but sharing and educating the rest of us...
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Welcome to THR!

We wish each of you the best of luck on your upcoming hunt. It sounds as if you have an excellent place to go to.

You are to be commended for including your step Son's. Whether or not they 'take' to hunting, the time spent afield will be good for all involved. Be sure to teach them 'safety' and respect for the land the resources.

Let us know how it goes.

Take care,

Flint.
 
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Caught these two Saturday. Neither one that big ~100 lbs. But the brown sow had 7 piglets with her. She was lead sow and taken at 10-15 yards with my 1894 in 44 mag with handloads. Domed her. She dropped. After the shot, the black sow behind her went 5 steps to my right and stopped quartering towards me. That was an easy decision. Why not be greedy. Well when I touched off the second round, she whipped around and charged me. And she had a tank of a boar behind her. I yelled and kicked at her and almost made contact. In fact, when I put my kicked foot on the ground, I stepped in her blood. The boar came at me too but turned when I stood and kicked at the first. But all in all, it was a good day. And can't wait to get back out after them.
 

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BigBore44 said:
SoonerMedic,
If it's private land, try putting some diesel in the corn. I use about 2 cups per 50lbs of corn in a tub and mix it. It will keep the deer off it and attract pigs from a long ways. And no, it won't hurt the meat at all. Once the corn is gone, if you don't replenish it (I do) the pigs will continue to use the spot as a wallow because the diesel will act as a bug repellant.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the tip!
 
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Dog Soldier said:
I have to wonder how long it will be before the animal rights nuts get involved? They will in time start a "Piggie" Protection movement. Here in the West the so called wild horses are actually feral critters. These herds do massive damage to the open range. But they have more lawyers than a Democrat Senator.:thumbdown:

http://www.wildhorserange.org/uploads/2/6/0/7/26070410/cost-horse-and-burro-fact-sheet.pdf
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Happy to ship the Hogs I trap to any 'concerned citizens', they can do with them what they will.

I imagine most of those folks would soon have an 'epiphany'.

Love to see one of them 'Hug-a-Hog'. Hope they have Obama Care!
 
IMG_6756.JPG I'm no photographer and the pics don't do justice... but went out Sunday to some new property my friend and I got permission to hunt. Actually he was ecstatic for me to come hunt. I was told I could hunt deer but he said he was overrun with hogs. I'm way more into pigs than deer anyways. So I was up at 02:15 to make the two plus hour drive to a property I'd never been to.

We get there and drive/walk in while it's still dark. After about 6-7 miles of walking roads, up and down ridges, creek bottoms, and top land, I'm starting to think this guy was full of it. No rooting, no beds, and only saw one wallow. Not much sign for being "overrun".

Around 10:00 my friend texts me and asks if I've seen anything. I told him what I'd seen...nada. He says he's going to make his way back to the truck. That's his code for he's done and ready to go. So I start making my way out. I get to a fence and start walking it up to where he and I split up that morning when out of a rock outcropping I hear this crashing sound and the unmistakable grunt of a pig. I can't see it well but I see the black. Instantly I'm in the zone. It's trotting away up the hill and turns to go under the barbed wire fence. I've only got one chance at this thing. Its almost at the top of the hill and I still haven't seen it clearly. It steps between two scrub oaks at ~60 yards and I brought my 444S up, and touched off a round. It disappeared over the hill. About 3-4 seconds after lowering my rifle I hear a pig squeal way out in the field. And it sounds a long ways out. I figure in my excitement I blew the shot and only wounded it. Start walking up the hill to see if there's blood and I see a leg kick in the air on the horizon. Immediately I clear my 45 and start edging up. When I get to the top, there he is. And he's way bigger than I thought. Easily my biggest pig ever. And I'd 10 ringed him. I won't lie. I "whooped and hollered" for a minute. So I text called my friend who I was sure was back at the truck about 1.5 miles away. No answer. So I text him....and he called (go figure). Told him I'd just shot a big pig. He asked where I was and said he and Cody would drive up there so we didn't have to drag it. So they get as close as the can with the truck and he calls back. He can't see me as I'm over the hill from them. So I whistle real loud. Nope. Can't hear me. So he honks the truck horn. Yep, heard that. He says they'll be right there. Shouldn't take long long I don't think. They're only like 150 yards from me.

So I'm hanging out taking pics of this boar with my phone when I hear "Boom!....(pig start squealing) Boom! Boom!.....Boom!.....Boom....Boom! After the 2nd boom I hit the deck. I knew I was safe. But never hurts to take as much away from Mr. Murphy as possible. When the shooting stops I get up to start to crest the rock hill when something black catches my eye to my right. It's 2 more pigs about 45-50 yards from me. They've rounded the hill from where my friend was shooting. They're in a field and there's a barbed wire fence between them and the rocky, scrub oak thicket on my side of the fence. They want in that thicket pretty bad and take off at a dead run. I swing my rifle around and catch the back one just before it disappears in the rocks. Touched off another round. Again, I can't see from my vantage point if I hit anything. So I shoulder my rifle again and clear my 45. Get down there...it's a sow. A BIG sow. And she is very pregnant...and I'd 10 ringed her too on the run.

The shooting from my fiends resulted in 4 pigs from 60-100 lbs. Apparently they had a sounder of somewhere around 100 come up on them from over a hill behind a pond. And the two that came by me had broken off when the shooting started. So as it turns out, the guy is over run with pigs. He said he's got 3 other sounders running around. But he was very excited to have gotten 6. Technically, I think I got 9. My sow had 7 piglets ready to drop. And they technically got 10 as one of their sows had 6 in her.

No, we didn't put a dent in the population. But we put some really good pork in the coolers and know we've got plenty to chase whenever we want. I've got a couple older coworkers who can't get out and hunt anymore. They've asked me if I could get them a pig. Yes.....yes I think I can. Next time, my friend and I decided to take our M1A's and a few 20rnd mags.
 
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