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Post by Thtwudbeme on Dec 1, 2019 15:41:25 GMT
So, using their stated logic that... ... How is it really any different from their stated official manner of eradicating feral hogs?
Only so many hogs can get into a single trap and once they see their siblings caught in a trap wouldn't the survivors become trap-shy and avoid baited sites? Unless they are throwing a net over the entire group.
Sorry, but I am in a logical mood today...
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Post by Jolly on Dec 1, 2019 15:51:29 GMT
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Post by Ozarks Tom on Dec 1, 2019 19:29:45 GMT
My step-son manages an 800 acre game ranch in East Texas. They had ongoing problems with feral hogs. The best solution was to add knotted wire fencing 4' out from the 8' deer fence, then berm over it to keep the hogs out. Then they shot 136 hogs that were already inside the fence over the next couple years.
That's more expense, and logistically impossible for the average landowner, leaving few options. I'm told we have hogs in this area, but in 18 years haven't seen even sign of one. My first sighting will have me increasing the calibers scattered around. Right now I'm just breaking even with armadillos.
Nick, I'd start baiting now, before those piglets get big enough to hurt your dogs, and put a 20ga by the door loaded with slugs for Pony to start bringing home the bacon. Oh, just remembered, I've got a pig tractor out behind the barn I built for a guy who changed his mind. It's made with 2" pipe and pig panels, and bolts together from four pieces. It could be easily modified to a drop panel on a narrow end with angle iron channels welded on. Drop the panel from a distance with a long rope. You're welcome to borrow it for as long as you need it.
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Post by Thtwudbeme on Dec 1, 2019 21:22:54 GMT
Silly me. I just figured out who @n9viw is.
And, the bureaucrat's method, further explained by Nick, seems to have as many, if not more, flaws than just surrounding them and blasting away.
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Post by DEKE on Dec 1, 2019 21:49:41 GMT
On my tree farm we did catch several hogs in a sturdy pen. The bait pulled a rope attached to a swinging drop gate, 20 feet behind the pigs. But the best method of eradicating the pigs was to allow two of my neighbors and their buds access to the farm for the price of a pork shoulder or two.
The pigs got comfortable rooting up my freshly cleared future hay field. It looked like a war zone with trenches and bomb craters. They got several folks on the uphill side of the field to create a cross fire and waiting for the pigs to come up out of the swamp at night. That got several hogs and then steady hunting got the rest of them. I haven't had any pig problems for the last 4 years. Bears are my main problem now. They like to climb over fence and tear it up in the process.
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Post by ceresone on Dec 1, 2019 22:59:10 GMT
In other words, a rabbit trap like my brother and I made as kids ! Long box, sliding door held up with a string that trips when they get the bait,
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Post by Ozarks Tom on Dec 2, 2019 0:12:02 GMT
In other words, a rabbit trap like my brother and I made as kids ! Long box, sliding door held up with a string that trips when they get the bait,
That might be an even better method than I was describing with the long rope. The pig tractor would have to be anchored to the ground to keep them from lifting it and escaping, but it would eliminate the frequent watching, especially at night when they seem to be most active.
Put the bait, corn, on a line to the end where the trip mechanism is.
The pig tractor I built is 16' long and 8' wide, plenty strong.
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Post by Tim Horton on Jan 31, 2020 18:32:51 GMT
To a point.... They are right... Trapping the whole sounder is doable, and a more effective way of minimizing issues.. Scattering an existing sounder creates a number of new sounders..
A lot of research has been done in refining this type of trapping process in the last few years.. I suspect there are just too few whole sounder traps available, and people that will put in the time to use them effectively to make a difference at this time..
Unfortunately.... It does seem more and more shooting is a substantial cause of sounder break ups. Small live traps are some what effective at reducing the numbers in a sounder and seems to keep it somewhat intact. Again it seems there are too few traps being attended to that will make an impact on total animal numbers..
There is a small number of sightings of animals and small sounders on this side of the border. Provincial game departments are trying to monitor locations, and numbers to try and head off a full invasion as it were.. With that, they are requesting information on sightings, but not allowing shooting at this time..
Again, unfortunately... It seems research and control methods are still quite far behind the curve in making a dent in this issue.. But.. Slowly gaining..
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Post by daw on Feb 1, 2020 1:04:14 GMT
Those are some mighty good looking hogs. Very obvious
hogs turned off of farms to make their own way.
Awful lot of meat for people to eat.
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Post by mtviolet on Feb 1, 2020 5:07:43 GMT
I am so un-educated on feral pigs. So far we don't have any, that I know about, in Western Montana. is there a hunting season or can you shoot them year round? I assume they are edible like domestic pigs?
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Post by Ozarks Tom on Feb 1, 2020 12:04:39 GMT
mtviolet, In all the places I've heard/read about where feral hogs have invaded they're considered a nuisance invasive species and can be shot on sight. Some states discourage it for the reasons Tim Horton, mentioned about scattering the sounder, but I'm not aware of any state that forbids shooting them at any time.
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Post by daw on Feb 1, 2020 12:51:53 GMT
mtviolet, some of the wild hogs look like Duroc , some Spotted, or Big Blacks, or Poland China. All are meat breeds. Hogs very easily can go feral, get mean or dangerous. I do not know if you have to have an out of state hunting license or not. I noticed that hog hunting is forbidden in the National Forests in Missouri.
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Post by DEKE on Feb 1, 2020 13:02:24 GMT
Florida, I *think* there is a season on them in national and state forests, but on private land it is open season all the time. You have to have sturdy fences not just to keep the pigs out, but also to keep pig hunters with dogs out. Those guys seem to think they can follow their dogs anywhere at any time, regardless of no trespassing and no hunting signs.
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Post by mtviolet on Feb 2, 2020 5:46:30 GMT
That pig is as big as a small steer. bet there is a few gallons of lard on that thing.
Thanks for the info on hunting pigs. they seem like they could root up a forest in no time at all.
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Post by DEKE on Feb 2, 2020 15:43:13 GMT
... pigs. they seem like they could root up a forest in no time at all. yes and no.
Joel Salatin (if you don't know the name you should search him) puts his pigs in his woodlands to intentionally root up the area. The pigs get 30% of their nutrition from found food, mostly acorns. They leave the are rooted up but turning that soil got a lot of seeds into the ground which eventually sprout to create new forest.
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