Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations In Texas, there are 2 kinds of property...

1. Property that has hogs on it.

2. Property that will have hogs on it.

I shot this picture within a few miles of my property last Saturday. I estimated the biggest sow was over 300lbs! Thats a lot of bacon.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/darnold01/MiscPictures036.jpg

Your right about that Alligator. I think I saw that sow on my land last week. Its funny how they come and go. I won't see any for weeks then one day there roaming all over. I've seen some bigger on my property which boarders Cooper Lake Wildlife preserve. Sure do tear up your land as well. But the small ones are sure tasty.

You guys have wild pigs roaming through your land?

Are you allowed to hunt them? mmmm bacon....

3z,

There are Millions (literally) roaming all over Texas. They are getting worse than Water Turkeys and Fire Ants.

Gator,

Worse than water turkeys? Come on now. They don't eat fish, right?

You are right about them growing in population and they do terrible damage to my pastures. I was cursing them this weekend to no one in particular because of the rough ground they make rooting...sure makes it tough to mow on a tractor...and the hay fields, man what a mess.

I never see them in daylight hours...so its interesting that you can do that. I trap them each year for sausage, but I don't think it makes even a blip in their population numbers.

Hogs rule the land and water turkeys the water!

Asolutely. Can hunt or trap them all year long. Don't even need a license on private property. I leave a trap out full-time down near the creek bed. If I put some corn in it I can count on catching one or two at a time. One morning I went to check it out at had 4 small ones in the trap.

I assume these were domesticated animals that got loose? I have heard of wild boars but didn't think pigs went rampant.
They would be fun to bow hunt.

What are their natural predators other then humans?

Many I would have Honey Ham Sandwiches all summer long if I was down there.

Hogs are a year-round problem. At least Water Turkeys leave Texas for part of the year - allthough I hear they go to haunt the Tarpon Fishermen.

3z,

They are domesticated hogs gone wild. Lots of folks down here eat them, in fact I know of a few "hog trappers" who load them up and sell them at the auction - which I assume ends up on someone's table. Anyway, they are a real menace. Just like Meadowlark mentioned, they rooted up my dam, now you can hardly mow without bone-jarring bumps from the holes they leave behind. It's like a blanket of holes, not one piece of earth left unturned. Very Frustrating.

Out in East Texas most of the hogs that tear up our land is a cross between domestic hogs and ferrell hogs. As the story goes years ago when the pork market went down a lot of hog farms went belly up and people just turned their hogs loose to breed with the Ferrell hogs.

Hogs are a real problem in Tx for sure.

My house is about 1.5 miles from the red river, and hogs can be seen anywhere up or down it, any time of the year or day. But last week someone hit a 200+ Pounder in a car and killed it, that was about 3miles from the river. My neighbor sets a trap by a cattle feeder, and catches the hogs that rob the cow feed at night. Needless to say they are fat.
Had a big BBQ with him last week.

That same man, about 3 years ago hit 2 that where in the 300 -350lb range with a brand new ford 350, luckly they went under the huge bumber he had on, and he just slid on them to a stop. He Hit them at about 1pm on a regular dirt road about 5miles from the river, but across a major highway.

I have another wild pig story , A different neighbor of mine hunts them with dogs and mules, and catches them alive.

As for bow hunting them, I would want to be in a tree with a gun and bow. It would not be good to miss.

My Uncle will only hunt hogs with someone he can out run that true!

I'm surprised you guys can see them in daylight hours...they must be desparate for food.

My wild hog story: After countless episodes of pasture ripping, I finally decided to take matters into my own hands and trap some hogs. I purchased a trap, baited it, and unbelievably the next morning I had 9 hogs, yes, nine, 9 wild pigs. What to do with 9 screaming jumping hogs? Not being very experienced with this business, I decided to pick them up in the trap with my tractor and transport them back to the house where I could pen up the entire crew and then decide on the next step. Little did I know that the bottom of the trap had openings which were just large enough for the small ones to squeze through. So, when I picked up the trap with my hay fork on the tractor, I had pigs running everywhere, in every direction, all at once. Sheer panic, pandemonium.
The only two adult hogs that couldn't get through the openings remained and later became the best sausage I've ever had.

Meadowlark,

Now THAT is what I wish I had a picture of...did you try and drag any to death like JB's friend?

That is funny!

:p

No, I was stunned into complete inaction...just froze up watching wild pigs screaming for their lives and running everywhere. It was indeed a sight to behold.

Meadow,

My wife just came in to see what all the laughing was about. I have a great visual of the pen, pigs and tractors and all the pandemonium...That is the funniest thing I have heard in a long while. Thanks.

That's a great story Meadowlark

All of the free-roaming wild hogs are "ferrell hogs" (ie. decendents of once-domesticated stock). There are even a few with Russian boar bloodlines (long snouts).

Here's one enjoyable and effective method of harvesting the widely cussed critters.

One Texas-sized huntin' blind (with heated sleeping quarters below the shootin' compartment, with cook stove and "funnel-fitted plumbing" for nature's call), rigged with a tilt-up mechanism on a gooseneck trailer.


Overlooking a 1-acre fenced food-plot with a 500 lb twin-slinger corn feeder in the middle.


Coupled with a Russian Military Night-Scope on a 300 Weatherby Mag. It is amazing what all you can see in total darkness....


Result...


Hint (from experience): BE SURE to let the local game warden know - preferably before you start shootin' - that you'll be huntin' ferrell hogs during the night.

We also have another type of porker roaming South Texas called a havalina (natives, I believe). They stink to high heaven! But good eating if prepared properly.

We used to live in Germany where both my wife and I had hunting permits. There, a group owns the hunting rights to an area. Part of their job is to control (and pay for any damage made by) wild boars. To this end, they MUST have at least one hunter watching the property 24-7, 365 days a year. Obviously they don't kill all of the wild boars but they sure do keep the population down.

Norm,

You should have recruited Kellie, looks like his rig is designed for 24 x 7 pig hunting!

Anyone who hunts with a .300 Weatherby AND a Contender is versatile.

Like everyone else said I have also had my share of run ins with them. I have hunted them everyway (rifle, handgun, shotgun, dogs, trap, snares, jeep). I've even cut the boars in the trap to increase body and tusk size. I been with guys who kill them a knife after the dogs have them stretched out.

Big problem. Come through my please about once a month. See them in the daytime. Kill them anyway I can. The most I have caught in a trap is 9. In one weekend hunting we kill 18. Reproduce like rabbits.

So far, I don't have a problem with pigs. I have seen 2 in the last 5 years. I found where a huge one had bedded but figure it was just traveling through. However, they have been thick 20 miles from me for years. I know they are coming and have been expecting them.

Our problem is no deer. Five years ago we saw several herds of does almost on a daily basis. Now, deer sightings are unusual. I plant wheat patches, have corn feeders and use a game camera. Very few tracks after a rain. I have 205 acres, mostly wooded, with scattered clearings and a creek. I have implemented a dog management plan which was a real problem for awhile. Neighbors ain't real happy about that. Pigs just might be a plus to me.

Dave, where is your place located?

I'm just south of Bowie.

Dave,

My wife is from Wichita Falls, so we drive through that area on occasion. I have always felt that area must have a decent deer population from the looks of it...and it sounds like you did have deer. I wonder what changed? Have you discussed the issue with the local TPW biologist? Perhaps there is something you could do to get them back again. I too manage my place for deer and other wildlife in addition to the fish.