Hog traps

[TXAoudadKlr]

Anyone have any experience with large pen traps? How high would you suggest the panels be 3 ft taller? Did you sink it in to the ground at all to keep them from digging out? How big should I make it 12'x12 15'x15 or roughly 15ft in diameter? I'm going to put it around one of my feeders to keep it baited round the clock.

 

[davkrat]

Look up JaegerPro on YouTube. Tons of info on hog traps.

 

[Punisher]

Most guys use hog panels from the farm store. Hog panels are different than cattle panels. The mesh gets smaller at the bottom so they can't lift it up.

The state puts out a decent plan using 5 panels and 25 t-posts. If would put the trap around the feeder. You will have to change things around and move the trap if you really want to get them all.

 

[Leslie Sapp]

Did you sink it in to the ground at all to keep them from digging out

I've never had trouble with them digging out, but a big boar can clear a 4' fence and not even leave mud on the top rail. I had to put wire over the top of the pen to catch this guy.

 

[TXAoudadKlr]

Huh, I never knew pigs could clear fences quite that high i was quite convinced that they couldn't really clear fences worth a **** under yes over not do much. I'll go 5ft then to be safe. My biggest thing is the gate or trap door I did like that remote trigger for the door I saw in jagerpro's videos just need to look into it more.

 

[davkrat]

That remote is expensive but to ensure you get them all it seems the way to go. I think on their YouTube channel is the Hogdini video. Big bore flying up over a 4' fence. Added a tilted in top panel to catch him pretty amazing.

Mississippi state has a bunch of info. They made some videos with a federal trapper on setting up a hog panel trap.

 

[Leslie Sapp]

The incident above happened some years back. I'd check the trap, it would be tripped with hog sign in it, but no hogs.

He finally left a smear of mud on the top board as he went over, and I realized what was going on. This trap is only about 6'x8' with 4' wooden sides, so he was doing this flat footed, with no running start.

Note the grown over bullet hole in his skull. Glad I didn't meet him the next day, I'll bet he had a headache and was even more bad tempered than usual.

 

[J E Custom]

On The size- the bigger the better. (The larger the pen the more hogs will inter even if a big boar goes in).

I would use 4' or 5' hog panels with smaller mesh at the bottom (It keeps the small pigs from crawling through it). Bury it 4 to 6"" or stake it down with 16" tent stakes.

I would place about 100 yards away from your deer feeder to keep the traffic down and as you said feed two or three times in a 24 hour period .

I rig my gate where they can push it open by placing a chain on it that holds it open 10 to 12 '' so they get use to going and coming. Then when I have lots of activity I set the trap by removing the restraint chain. allowing them to push there way in but they cant get out. I place a thin piece of metal(Push plate) on the out side of the gate that they can push against and attach it at the top, when the trap is set and they want out they will push the plate through the hog panels and it will swing away like a doggie door and wont open the gate.

The idea is to condition them to think they can come and go whenever they want to. I leave my
traps open for several weeks and when I am ready to trap I set them.

Caution : be sure that the gate is chained open and locked so nothing or no one can set the trap or you will have a mess if you don't check it every day. (They will die without water in a few days)

One other reason for keeping it away from your deer feeder is that if you build it large enough you can also throw your deer remains in one area for them in addition to corn. (They love fresh deer remains).

The large pin traps are the only way to catch large numbers at a time (The most I have seen caught at one time was 31)So be prepared for lots of work or find some to sell them to(They are worth more alive).

Hope this gives you some ideas.

J E CUSTOM

 

[hunterbob]

Anyone have any experience with large pen traps? How high would you suggest the panels be 3 ft taller? Did you sink it in to the ground at all to keep them from digging out? How big should I make it 12'x12 15'x15 or roughly 15ft in diameter? I'm going to put it around one of my feeders to keep it baited round the clock.

I got one that is circular with hog wire panels.. cafae doors, (2 doors snap shut), seems to work well, but the ones that don't get caught in it learn, and won't go in it after that. They will always come to the corn though, but won't go in.... Thats where we use trail cameras to pattern them, set up and shoot them. Take out the leader/leaders/ first .. Then you'll get another sounder in the trap,,,, I'll try and post a picture of the trap I'm talking about TXAoudad..... I'm not very far away from you being in Montgomery....

 

[hunterbob]

Anyone have any experience with large pen traps? How high would you suggest the panels be 3 ft taller? Did you sink it in to the ground at all to keep them from digging out? How big should I make it 12'x12 15'x15 or roughly 15ft in diameter? I'm going to put it around one of my feeders to keep it baited round the clock.

This one is 5' or 6' high, 30' diameter and I never had a hog go over the top yet. sets tight on the ground.
If there's cattle around, run a few strands of barbed wire across the front or they'll get in. Hogs won't survive 24 hours or less without shade or water. So when you set this it has to be checked everyday. So far I got 7 hogs for this month.
I have cleaned this ranch of hogs for now. They'll be back though..We caught the main group of 40+ hogs last year and it was run and gone with a 4 wheeler and a truck.. I love this job. We got 26 kills that day that hour. Others were found dead for a couple days after.... lol The resident hogs were the last to go and it was a big sow and two big boars, with cutters, the next couple of days we caught the 4 piglets.... I searched the area for four days and no hogs... I see lion tracks though lol more fun.

 

[earlcurtis67]

like JE we leave our traps open for a few days, but we pour sweet corn in AND around the trap. also digging a shallow hole and pouring in old motor oil or hyd oil works good too ( if anyone asks, tell em that where ur tractor broke down ) Keep the trap as mobile as possible and keep the human traffic ( fence building, tractor etc.) to a minium where you plan the next trap. We built a small trailer that we tow with a side by side to move the hogs to a bigger pen. Its 6'x10' and has a fold down loading gate, sides and top are made from hog panel....E

 

[hunterbob]

Earlcurtis67, I found out human scent doesn't matter to them. For one thing coons go in the trap all the time and that covers a lot of human scent. Scent does matter if you are setting up to shoot some, that are coming to a feeder though. The problem is they are smart and the ones not caught; they see what happens. We even have a video of a large bore in the trap, guarding the trigger, while the sounder ate the corn spread around. If any came near the trigger it would squeal and keep them back away from it... we had to set-up to shoot this group. One time we had a hog pushing the doors open from outside the trap so the others could get out..... They are smart.

 

[earlcurtis67]

what I ment by human traffic was to avoid pressuring them . as inviting as a good food source is we have seen them leave an area when there has been too much activity there. Its funny you mentioned scent around the pen, I guess they're more worried about the corn than our scent, but while hunting them they can wind us from a mile away. very smart critters....

 

[hunterbob]

what I ment by human traffic was to avoid pressuring them . as inviting as a good food source is we have seen them leave an area when there has been too much activity there. Its funny you mentioned scent around the pen, I guess they're more worried about the corn than our scent, but while hunting them they can wind us from a mile away. very smart critters....

I can clean the ranch of hogs and others will come within a couple of weeks. We can't keep the numbers of hogs down; here in TX. We trap and shoot constantly. I think if some landowners allowed hunters on their land, we could get the population under control. Many sounders stay on other private property during the day, and come on the ranch I hunt, during the night, and not every night either. They have no pattern and when it gets daylight they find thick brush to hide in, until night time. So they keep traveling for miles with no set pattern. Sometimes a group will stay around and hit the feeder/trap for a couple of days..... I don't sport hunt these hogs, I hunt them just like coyotes. The population is growing for these things and they are dangerous. They're spreading to the northern states and the environmental impact is enormous, just for example "Water contamination."