Wild hog control

Bser · #1 09/30/08, 10:21 AM

I recently planted a field in palm trees and attracted every feral pig from miles around.We've grown other crops and not had a problem.Their rooting up hundreds of plants a night.Two guys are hunting there now and this has reduced the damage. Is there anything that repels them? Is there a crop that they avoid that I could plant in the middles? Everyone says kill them all but I'd like to avoid that.Using field fence is an expensive option that I'd like to avoid. Ideas??????????

JW Parker · #2 09/30/08, 10:30 AM

Bacon, Ham, Pork Chops, Sausage --- Someone has to have some ideas.

PlowGirl · #3 09/30/08, 10:37 AM

You could try a doubled electric fence. Put scent caps on the fence about every 10-15 feet to "introduce" the pigs to the electric fence (this is really important). Pigs are smart, feral pigs are incredibly smart. Once they can make the connection with the fence and the shock your problem will pretty much be over. It's a much cheaper alternative to stock fencing, which they will tear up anyway. Make sure you use a good charger with the highest number of stored joules that you can afford to buy. Don't go by the "mileage", as that is really not an accurate reflection of a good charger. Best of luck.

deaconjim · #4 09/30/08, 10:56 AM

Turn them into a cash crop. I had a friend who trapped hogs and sold the live hogs to hunting preserves. He made pretty good money that way. He also hunted with dogs, and caught them live for the same purpose.

watcher · #5 09/30/08, 11:42 AM

I'd say the electric fence and/or dogs as being about your only no kill options. If you try the dog option you need to be ready to have some hurt dogs. While most hogs will stay away from dogs some hogs can be a bit ornery when something tries to get between them and their food. And the big hogs can do a lot of damage to a dog.

Trapping can also work but then you have the problem with getting rid of hogs. I don't think your neighbors would be real happy if you just released the hogs away from your crops. AAMOF, they could be quite upset if they found out you were doing it.

farmergirl · #6 09/30/08, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deaconjim

Turn them into a cash crop. I had a friend who trapped hogs and sold the live hogs to hunting preserves. He made pretty good money that way. He also hunted with dogs, and caught them live for the same purpose.

Depends where you are, but I know Texas is passing law that you must have some sort of permit if you are transporting LIVE feral hogs from one property to another. No limit on how many you can kill, though.

sarhound · #7 09/30/08, 12:43 PM

We've got some feral hogs on our farm--if I can get a shot off, they'll be dead feral hogs.

I don't mess around with them. They're far too dangerous. My horses and my search dogs are much more important to me; I can't afford the injuries they can inflict on my critters. They can razor open a belly in a heartbeat.

We were out on a search once where my bloodhound was pulling me to a corner of a field. I saw some animal activity, but I didn't realize it was hogs that were rooting, since I couldn't see them well in the tall grass. The deputy with me hollered out for me to pull back, which was a good thing-- Miss Molly was hot on a trail directly for them. We hit the dirt, and WWIII commenced, with the deputies converging and shooting. We were afraid that our victim was down in that area, and wild hogs will eat a body if they find it. They got a few of the hogs-- we never did find the victim. We still don't know if she was eaten...

THETOOLMAN · #8 09/30/08, 03:32 PM

I trap them. They are great table fare. T have found that these georgia hogs know about a plowed field & there is food there ALSO they know that the smell of fertaliser means food!!

texican · #9 09/30/08, 08:13 PM

They're pretty allergic to lead, especially copper coated lead. If you don't kill em all, they'll be back. If you're planting something (palm trees? are you in the south pacific???) close to a refuge (out of state landowners, large timberlands, swamps, etc.), they'll be back. Keep vigilant, and buy an extra freezer.

TedH71 · #10 09/30/08, 09:43 PM

What state do you live in? You'll have to kill 'em off. They're referred to big eatable roaches in Texas. It's that bad! The mother hog can breed at 6 months of age and have two litters a year averaging 1-8 babies a year. Do your math. Kill 'em...eat 'em...just get rid of 'em in any way possible.

haypoint · #11 09/30/08, 11:23 PM

Twenty years ago, the US had 8 states with wild hogs. Now there are 38 states with a wild hog population. Each state has tried to eradicate this new found pest. Some have spent a lot of money. No state has yet been sucessful in eradicating them once they have been introduced.
In Michigan, the Dept. of Natural Resorces has issued a "shoot on sight" permit for any hunter anywhere. Besides the distruction they pose, they are often carriers of psudorabies and can easily infect home raised and commercial hogs.

"How can I have a nice productive garden without spending my time weeding?" " How can I build a stone wall without any expense or labor?" "How can I keep wild hogs off my property without shooting or trapping them?"
If there were an easy way, don't ya think people would have done it?

Pops2 · #12 09/30/08, 11:58 PM

maybe it'll ease your mind some about killing them if you know that they are a nonnative invasive species. they prey on deer (especially pregnant does & fawn) they raid and consume everything in the nests of native cottontails & ground nesting birds. they can also spread brucellosis and TB to domestic livestock (which they also have been known to prey on in unusual ways like ramming pregnant cows to make them abort and eating the calf).

watcher · #13 10/01/08, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haypoint

Twenty years ago, the US had 8 states with wild hogs. Now there are 38 states with a wild hog population. Each state has tried to eradicate this new found pest. Some have spent a lot of money. No state has yet been sucessful in eradicating them once they have been introduced.
In Michigan, the Dept. of Natural Resorces has issued a "shoot on sight" permit for any hunter anywhere. Besides the distruction they pose, they are often carriers of psudorabies and can easily infect home raised and commercial hogs.

"How can I have a nice productive garden without spending my time weeding?" " How can I build a stone wall without any expense or labor?" "How can I keep wild hogs off my property without shooting or trapping them?"
If there were an easy way, don't ya think people would have done it?

I read a few months ago Missouri just issued a call for hunters to shoot any and all hogs they see at anytime any where.

TedH71 · #14 10/01/08, 11:20 AM

Wind In Her Hair,

It's true. Talked with a friend who is retired and hog hunts every day and gets paid some for it. He said that some hogs are smart enough to figure out that pregnant cows=free food...he said most of it was sheep though not cows. Seems that they give birth and don't always clean up the palcenta and that's what attracts them then they figure it out..espically boars. It's a serious problem in some areas and not so in others. All depends on what the hog figures out is food.....

Bser · #15 10/01/08, 11:34 AM

I'm in florida and the wild pig population is tremendous and growing.anyone who will eat them is welcome everywhere. I just hate to shoot and let them rot. You can only store and give away so much.

GBov · #16 10/01/08, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bser

I'm in florida and the wild pig population is tremendous and growing.anyone who will eat them is welcome everywhere. I just hate to shoot and let them rot. You can only store and give away so much.

Drag them down to the local swamp to feed the gators so that when you get your gator licence you have nice fat gators to hunt. Or, baring that, just look on the dead pig as part of the food chain, it wont last long with all the other critters round to eat it and it will be giving back a small part of what it has taken away.

#17 10/01/08, 11:46 AM

run an ad in a local hunting/fishing mag. there are people that will pay you a hundred bucks or more to come to your place and kill them for you.

MoGrrrl · #18 10/01/08, 12:05 PM

Here's an article from the Missouri Conservationist. It's on page 22 of the September issue:
http://mdc.mo.gov/documents/conmag/2008/20080901.pdf

fishhead · #19 10/01/08, 12:12 PM

Is there a food shelf that would take them?

In MN hunters can donate whole deer to the foodshelf by dropping them off at select processors. You may have a similar program.

I would go with a really hot electric fence and train them with tinfoil smeared with something they like hanging on the hot wire.

watcher · #20 10/01/08, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoGrrrl

Here's an article from the Missouri Conservationist. It's on page 22 of the September issue:
http://mdc.mo.gov/documents/conmag/2008/20080901.pdf

Do they put all of them on line? I have been getting it for years. I get a subscription every year for my birthday from family in MO. It used to cost $5/year for out of state, the best $5 present you can give, IMO.