Hog Stimulus

[Darryle]

I'm sure there's a farmer with a hog problem that would let guys shoot for free. I know I would if I had them. I think deer are bad enough on my crops.

At one time there were farmers and ranchers who would let people come hunt them for free, but like everything else that is free, it was disrespected and things spiraled out of control. In general, the shooter's ruined it for hunter's, those looking for targets and not game. I knew a local farmer who lost 7 cows and his herd bull in a single weekend, people spotlighting and shooting at eyes instead of identified bodies. That weekend alone killed just about all of the pig hunting in the little southeast corner of my county. The depredation hunting fell to the families of these farmer's and rancher's and people they knew and trusted, we couldn't keep up with the population explosion afterwards. Those that shot the biggest pig they could find, opened the door for the smaller boars to expand their territory, sounders had new properties to destroy or redestroy, vicious cycle that is slowly turning going to the pigs favor, these people are getting older, dying off, families selling farms and ranches and creating micro-enviroments for the pigs. Barbwire fences don't stop them, unless it's v-mesh bull wire, they are coming thru or under.

 

[M1A1ABRAMS]

I hunt 3 different properties in NeGa and zero hogs
Most land owners here complain about hogs but keep a corn feeder or 6 out year round and SALT to
But when you ask them about hunting the hogs you run into a brick wall of
Oh I can't let nobody hunt because they will shoot my deer or run my deer off!!!
I ain't joking I bet I've had 50 farmers this year already slammed the door in my face (not literally) but figuratively and all I wanted to do was put some meat in the smoker and some stew in the freezer.So I would love to have a place to kill some hogs without driving 3 hours away to a Wma in southern Georgia

Do you archery hunt ? Possibly try that route with the owners. Can still be a lot of fun. And it may be a good way to get your foot in the door as they say. Once they get to know you. They may change their outlook with the rifle hunting.

 

[ridgewalker]

I went on a 2 hour helicopter hog hunt a few years ago on one of the King Ranch properties south of Abilene. They only allowed shotguns, so they furnished me with a Remy 870 and 00 buck. As I recall we saw 25 hogs of which I managed to kill 24 along with a couple of coyotes. One of the most fun hunts I have ever done! I highly recommend trying it! Personally it was worth the money.

 

[Josh06]

Be careful, eating hogs. They may have been poisoned.

The poison is supposed to have blue dye in it so when you cut one open you know. I eat a lot of hogs so will be on the lookout.

 

[highfinblue]

There were a couple of guys that worked turnarounds a few years ago that came to Barnsdall, OK, and neither had married, they bought a ranch in Texas together and put a vehicle together to kill hogs. This thing turned night to light, and they had guns mounted on turrets that they manned while on their hog killing forays. They hated wild hogs, as do I, and they had pictures of lots of dead ones. They are a total nuisance, destroyers of farm ground and ranch land, kill them all, hogs that is. Those two were something else.

 

[bfarms]

Like I said, nobody pays to help with a problem. They pay for all the services provided and the experience - just like with any other guided hunt.

Like I said. It's a big problem and I'm not paying a guide to kill hogs. Don't understand why it's a big deal that I won't pay a guide to kill a hog. At the end of the day they are making good money off a hog problem. ( nothing against that ether). Never said it wasn't just like any other guided hunt when you pay for it.

 

[FireFlyFishing]

Sure, we'll swap 2 for one, breeding pair for a single Bear or Wolf, the pigs will help you get rid of:

Future bears
Future wolves
Future Elk
Future Antelope
Future Whitetail
Future Mule Deer
Futuree Sheep
Make your state parks and golf courses look like war zones all while increasing your OOSs

Win Win

Pigs are a problem you should be thankful you don't have. They are the cockroaches of the 4 legged animal world. The population is so dense here, I refuse to eat them. I killed enough of them 20yrs ago to feed everyone in my department at work pork for over a year.

I have a little washout on the river at the farm where me and my dad drag them off to, littered with bones and stained with fat, my dad likes it when the river gets up because he can set some throwlines and catch catfish left and right.

I've heard rumors of hogs coming down from Canada…but I can't confirm and it hasn't blown into a full blown invasion from what I've seen. We do have a lot of alpha predators that would certainly keep their population in check if we got an infestation…at least on the western side of the state and the Yellowstone area. I'm still curious how they would fare with our winters.

Grizzlies and wolves in a place like TX would be interesting. Most of the land in TX is private…but, the Feds would be on anyone that blasted one regardless if it was their private land.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

We live in an area where most households are hunters. We had a lot of hogs a few years ago and I could set my watch when the hogs would come to my Pipe in Ground Feeders. We had cameras setup so we could pattern them. I had Tree stands set up and would have friends bring their children over and would lend them our AR .223 with NV and also hand held Thermal. Gives kids a chance to hunt at almost 100% kill rate.
Just happens that the hogs move from one area to another, BUT there are hunters shooting hogs in all areas.
If I have our Hog Bate Pipes filled and there are hogs in the area, they will come to it. If no hogs come that means the hogs are gone.
I remember about 20 years ago you could go anywhere in South GA to any farm and they would welcome you to hunt hogs and yotes. There were even professional hog hunters with dogs and Refridgerated Butcher trucks that would welcome you to hunt with them. They just kept some of the meat from the hogs you shot.
Then some guys (Guides) started asking the farmers to lease their land to them and not let anyone hunt. So that started the "Guided Hog & Yote Hunts" and now you have to pay to hunt hogs in South GA.
Farms and land that you could hunt for free years ago is now all LEASED.

 

[Clovis Man]

We live in an area where most households are hunters. We had a lot of hogs a few years ago and I could set my watch when the hogs would come to my Pipe in Ground Feeders. We had cameras setup so we could pattern them. I had Tree stands set up and would have friends bring their children over and would lend them our AR .223 with NV and also hand held Thermal. Gives kids a chance to hunt at almost 100% kill rate.
Just happens that the hogs move from one area to another, BUT there are hunters shooting hogs in all areas.
If I have our Hog Bate Pipes filled and there are hogs in the area, they will come to it. If no hogs come that means the hogs are gone.
I remember about 20 years ago you could go anywhere in South GA to any farm and they would welcome you to hunt hogs and yotes. There were even professional hog hunters with dogs and Refridgerated Butcher trucks that would welcome you to hunt with them. They just kept some of the meat from the hogs you shot.
Then some guys (Guides) started asking the farmers to lease their land to them and not let anyone hunt. So that started the "Guided Hog & Yote Hunts" and now you have to pay to hunt hogs in South GA.
Farms and land that you could hunt for free years ago is now all LEASED.

That sounds like deer hunting in South Texas. I grew up hunting on ranchers' land, as we all knew each other and were good friends. Today, most of the ranches have been broken up, and "big city fellers" own them. You have to have some REAL money to hunt in Duval County any more.

 

[Laguna Freak]

You have to have some REAL money to hunt in Duval County any more.

That goes for all the counties within 4-5 hr drive of the golden triangle and cities in W TX and Panhandle