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

I'm very impressed with this thread.

My brother-in-law lives near Laneville Texas, and having nearly 400+ acres of land he to is quite pestered with wild hogs.

But look on the bright side gents!!!

IF THERE IS A DEPRESSION THOSE HOGS WILL COME IN HANDY!

I hope it don't happen but it might! And that's my 'hope and change'.

Deaf
 
Pics from Arizona. I dont know if anyone on here has experience hunting them out here...they are not nearly as abundant and seem to be very localized around permanent water. This spot is a ways out in the wilderness. I saw 3 pigs (or asses of pigs) when i hiked through the canyon but it seems like baiting is going to have to be the way to get them.

How fast do pigs usually respond to bait?

how long will say 50 pounds of buried corn and spread around last?

any suggestions?
Click to expand...

I suggest that you be careful. In AZ, we have a lot more javelina than true pigs, and the javelina are a protected game species with seasons and you have to draw out for a tag to hunt them. If you kill javelina out of season and without a tag, and get caught, you will not be happy.

FYI, I do not see hogs on the AZ Game and Fish website, so ... I wonder if we really have any of them to speak of. I've hunted in southern AZ for years, and while I see javelina regularly, I've never seen a hog here outside of a pig farm.

Flint - this is a great thread. I've enjoyed it, and am very impressed with your bows and stone work.
 
Hey Flint,

We're having a real cold snap up here in northeast Texas. It's been getting down as low as 10 degrees at my place in the country. How the heck do the hogs survive that? I assume they just bed down as they normally would (not like they're going to break out the electric blankets). Is it just a matter of thick hide and plenty of fat? I also assume they don't wander around as much when it gets this cold, but never thought much about how the cold affects them.

I haven't been up to the farm for a few weeks until last weekend. The filthy critters have really rooted up several areas pretty badly. In one area they'd rooted up nearly an acre of land and it appears they bedded down in the area once they were done rooting through it. Lots of round depressions in the torn up ground about a foot deep, and say, 2 feet in diameter. Probably a couple dozen of those depressions in various sizes.

Just trying to figure out what the nasty critters are up to and where. I've got about 500 acres and there's plenty of areas that have been rooted up, plenty of wallows and other signs, but I rarely see them, even at night. I know poachers have been hunting them off and on over the past couple of years until we posted some signs and secured the gates a little better. I've got a buddy or two who hunt them from time to time. I'm sure they realize they're better off when humans don't see them.


-Matt
 
Hi Matt,

Yes, the hogs can tolerate extreme weather for short periods of time (several days), before they begin to suffer from it.

The average Feral Hog in Texas is not equipped for extremely cold weather (as are Russian Boar or other European pigs), but they can survive by finding places to get out of the wind, bedding down and riding it out.

Depending upon the terrain and severity of weather, the results might range from a minor nuisance, to mild stress for the hogs. They are pretty hardy animals.

Look for an explosion of movement once the weather clears and temperatures swing back toward normal wintertime lows.

Wind and rain seem to send them scurrying for cover...more than just low temps.

Good luck with them.

Flint.
 
Excellent Matt!

The "Bushy" will make a fine big bore hog gun!

If you reload for it... you can take .458 caliber bullets and swage them down for use in the Bushy. You get much more bullet selection that way.
 
Wow what a thread, its like reading a novel! First time I paid attention to it and I have been a lurker here for years. I noticed you liked using the Barnes, its all I buy and reload, I even have a load for my .45auto using the Barnes Tactical M/LE 185gr using 7.7 grains of Longshot. Its only .7gr more than the Barnes MAX load of the .45auto. Technically its a +P and is what I feel very close to duplicating the same bullet in the Corbon DPX.

For my .308 I load the Barnes Triple Shocks in 150gr. Cabelas sells a green laser powered long range spotlight, comes in 30,40 and 50mm sizes for out to I believe 600 yards. I have plans to have one in the future.

I might go with the .450 Bushmaster as well on one of my AR's but what I want for now is to set up my M1A for wolf control up here in Alaska. We have had villages terrorized by packs of them.

I'm glad we don't have wild pig problems up here and even if for some odd chance some were even introduced I doubt they would make it through the first winter.

Did you hear about some yahoos that had several Benelli auto shotguns wired into a remote video camera? I think it was somewhere in the SE.

I think I know your area, I used to live in Carthage TX, never had any time to hunt as I was a drilling rig mechanic there around 1984. But I also don't miss the summer heat and humidity as well, I'm totally cold blooded acclimated now!;)

If you need advice about setting up any LED lights don't hesitate to ask, I use to have a business making LED lights ten years ago, now I gunsmith, reload and fabricate.

PS: Sorry about all that cold weather down your way, I think it got lost looking for Alaska this year.:D
 
I don't know if I'm speaking for everybody here, but this thread is a great read! Can't wait for updates flint! Keep up the good work, and if you see long haired pigs, shoot them first, lets keep em out of the cold and out of MN!
 
"Long Haired" pigs it is! Makes no difference to me. :D

Coincidentally, I just got back from looking at a pasture on the NW part of the ranch. Lots of new pot holes (rootings), so I'm going to have to get out there and see whats going on.

From the looks of it, I'd say a single Boar (probably long haired). ;)


Flint.
 
The local Wildlife Management Area is full of hogs, but will only let you use a .22LR or bow (arrowhead must be "without points") unless it is deer season. The wardens say that a 22LR shot to the ear will kill a hog, I guess that is a brain shot..?

You can't use a tree stand either, nor a ground blind. And no nighttime hunting or baiting. So you basically are stalking.

There is lots of hog sign, but with all these restrictions, is it worth my time?
 
Don't use a .22. It's just inhumane. I thought Flint posted here about what happens when you shoot a pig with a .22, but I might be wrong. It's pretty disgusting.

Can you find the post, Flint?
 
jjjjeremy said:
Don't use a .22. It's just inhumane. I thought Flint posted here about what happens when you shoot a pig with a .22, but I might be wrong. It's pretty disgusting.

Can you find the post, Flint?
Click to expand...
The 22 is not usually the weapon of choice, but will do the job if you make head shots( base of the ear ) under 80 yards. Ive killed dozens.... only because that was the gun in my hands at the time.
 
jjjjeremy wrote:


Don't use a .22. It's just inhumane. I thought Flint posted here about what happens when you shoot a pig with a .22, but I might be wrong. It's pretty disgusting.

Can you find the post, Flint
Click to expand...

I don't recall ever having said "don't use a .22 rimfire" (or any other cartridge). I have killed many, many.... hogs with a .22 (under controlled conditions/in a trap).

I DO suggest that each person know the limitations of their firearm...then use it accordingly.

Yes, I have found .22 bullets in hogs that I have killed, but I have also found large bullet fragments, birdshot and even one broadhead.

If you use a .22 rimfire (even the .22 magnum), a CNS (Central Nervous System) shot is desirable. When dispatching hogs captured in a trap...this is easily done (by being patient and picking your shot).

Under field conditions...the same shot opportunity can be more difficult to get. As much as I loath Feral Hogs....my personal ethics dictate I pass on any shot that has a high probability of wounding. I am similarly bound when choosing a weapon to use.

I will not use a .22 rimfire under field conditions, but I do not hold others to that same standard.

For longer precision shots....I use a 7mm-08 and am mindful of shot angles.

When I don't want to worry about shot angles, I drag out the .458 SOCOM. ;)
 
DammitBoy wrote:


Flint, what is your opinion of the .450 bushmaster?
Click to expand...

I'll assume the question is in the form of: As for a hog gun.

In which case...I would rate it excellent. Factory ammo for it...(presently) is somewhat limited in terms of choice. If you hand-load....your choices are much greater. Even so...most bullets for it are .451-.452 pistol bullets, so choose carefully.

IF you hand-load...a way to increase your bullet selection is to take any of the .458 caliber rifle bullets (tons of them) and swage them down to use in your Bushmaster. Some of the Bushy guys have been doing this for awhile.

Its a couple of extra steps....but worth it.

Any of the three (popular) big bores...built on an AR platform (450 Bushmaster, 50 Beowulf, .458 SOCOM) will put hogs down with authority, but they are limited by trajectory as to the practical ranges you should use them for (generally under 200 yds.)
 
Flint,

I wasn't trying to put words in your mouth. I was just looking for the post with the cyst, to show what can go wrong if the shot isn't placed properly.

If one is confident that the humane .22 shot can be made, take it. I don't think that I've ever been confident enough (or brave enough) to take the shot.
 
great read

Im lucky enough to have none on my property... yet have helped a number of farmers in my area with eradication. They are a serious PITA!
 
Does the behavoir of the hog change in the rain or a thunderstorm? I am trying to go hog hunting Saturday and it is scheduled to rain. If the animal's behavoir doesn't change, then maybe the rain will help hide our scent and noise?
 
chbrow10 wrote:

Does the behavoir of the hog change in the rain or a thunderstorm? I am trying to go hog hunting Saturday and it is scheduled to rain.
Click to expand...
Light rain or intermittent rain, no...not much effect on their patterns.

Thunderstorm/heavy rain is another story. Hogs tend to "hole up" until bad weather has passed. But...prior to bad weather (and again when it clears off), you might actually see increased movement/activity.


If the animal's behavoir doesn't change, then maybe the rain will help hide our scent and noise?
Click to expand...
Yes, rain tends to carry air borne scent to the ground and also mask noise (to some extent).

Just the same....try to stay downwind of any area you expect to see hogs, they have the best nose in the business!

Best of luck to you. Post pics of any success.

Flint.
 
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