Hog heaven review.

[PBramble]

In Missouri, it is currently illegal to hunt hogs on public land. They have produced results from studies that show trapping is more effective as it captures the sounder, not one or two. Since hogs are social, when you shoot at a sounder, they split up, making them harder to kill or catch from that point on.

 

[geo4061]

Well I have to disagree with that study. We have killed more in two nights using night vision on a ranch than a pro trapper caught in a month. Plus we only killed what the rancher called the "Factories". The big nasties. The trapper dropped the gate on all sizes. Then what about hunting out of a helicopter. I can not see any thing out doing that. They do learn quickly even about traps. I think there is a place for trapping and hunting. All methods should be used.

 

[WildRose]

It doesn't have to cost. that's the part I don't understand. I hunted a farm in western OK and that guy didn't know me from Adam. Verbal agreement. Responsibilities were laid out up front. Don't follow the rules, don't come back. It's really simple. Written agreements are better, naturally, as there is a paper trail of responsibility with legal repercussions available to the land owner.

As far as the struggling bit, if a couple of thousand dollars is going to make or break an operation, they should probably consider selling the farm and finding a 9-5.

The states don't feel that the hogs have a retail value (they cause billions in crop damage and insurance pays for that) and at the rate things are going, most will end up following Missouri's lead. I know that Oklahoma is considering it and at least one state that didn't have hog issues has already banned hunting them. Hunting them for profit will go by the wayside as states are starting to regulate the movement and release of wild hogs. In any case, those who profit from it don't want the hogs eradicated as it cuts into profit margins and that's not in line with the reasons land owners want them gone.

You don't know what you're talking about.

Insurance covers nothing unless the entire crop is declared a disaster and I'm not aware of any federal crop insurance problem that covers damages from feral hogs.

There is thriving market in trapping feral hogs, they are sold to specialty butchers and five star restaurants all over the country so obviously they have a very well established commercial value.

Texas on a small farm/ranch in Texas can cost you in the tens of thousands of dollars annually and every little bit helps. Many if not most small family farmers/ranches today also have full time jobs/other businesses that help keep them afloat through the hard years. In ag you're lucky to break even three out of ten years and turn a profit one out of ten, the rest of the time you're struggling to make ends meet.

I'm just tickled pink you found one guy in OK willing to let you hunt for nothing but that's a very rare exception to the rule.

 

[WildRose]

In Missouri, it is currently illegal to hunt hogs on public land. They have produced results from studies that show trapping is more effective as it captures the sounder, not one or two. Since hogs are social, when you shoot at a sounder, they split up, making them harder to kill or catch from that point on.

I'm not sure who did that study but it isn't based in reality.

Hog traps are small, usually catching no more than five at a time and they aren't selective as to who they catch.

Hunters on the other hand can be and usually are very selective in what they take.

It's pretty well natural for us to start with the biggest and work out way down and that eliminates the herd boars and productive sows right down the line.

Knock out the pregnant/nursing sows and you control the population very effectively. A single boar can easily service 20-30 sows at a time.

 

[WildRose]

Well I have to disagree with that study. We have killed more in two nights using night vision on a ranch than a pro trapper caught in a month. Plus we only killed what the rancher called the "Factories". The big nasties. The trapper dropped the gate on all sizes. Then what about hunting out of a helicopter. I can not see any thing out doing that. They do learn quickly even about traps. I think there is a place for trapping and hunting. All methods should be used.

That's one of the biggest problems, they become "trap wise" very quickly and that's where hunting pays it's biggest dividends. They young and stupid get trapped pretty easily but not the old adults.

If trapping were the answer we'd have run out of hogs decades ago.

 

[snox801]

I'm sure he is right and you can hunt for free. How many do you get in a 3 day weekend? How much time do you spend before the hunt setting up. It's not that easy being from mi. I have to plan drive time. So you expect me to drive a day down spend a day asking farmers if hey have pigs. If they do can I hunt them. Then set up and do it free. Yep can be done but my time is more valuable than that. Although I don't agree with paying the crazy high prices I don't mind paying for a place that knows they have them and where they are. I'm just not hunting hogs for $1 a pound anymore. When they get more people like me not willing to pay the price will drop. Free market tends to work.

 

[PBramble]

You don't know what you're talking about.

You must be right, I don't.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

We don't have them here. I am a bit confused. Are people paying to shoot pigs in a small pen? This frankly seems morbid. I hope I read this wrong.

Steve

 

[snox801]

We don't have them here. I am a bit confused. Are people paying to shoot pigs in a small pen? This frankly seems morbid. I hope I read this wrong.

Steve

Yes the are penned some pens. But in certain parts of the country like Florida a 40 acre pen is very dense. Here in Michigan it would not work or be any fun. That was part of my problem with this place it used to be a larger pen and you hunted over feeders and some walk and stalk. Now he only caters to people who swing in for a few hours to say they shot a hog. The pen was no more than 60' wide by maybe 300' long.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

As a hunter I reserve judgment about how others hunt. To each his own. This sounds like killing for the sake of killing. Why not just take it to the next level and do it in virtual reality and call it hunting.

I can't say anymore....

Steve

 

[WildRose]

Yes the are penned some pens. But in certain parts of the country like Florida a 40 acre pen is very dense. Here in Michigan it would not work or be any fun. That was part of my problem with this place it used to be a larger pen and you hunted over feeders and some walk and stalk. Now he only caters to people who swing in for a few hours to say they shot a hog. The pen was no more than 60' wide by maybe 300' long.

You'd definitely find hunting them in our part of the country to be far more challenging. It's a whole lot more hunting and a whole lot less shooting.

 

[just country]

morning, to hunt anything on state preserves u need a
state grand slam license. the hunting fee is built into
the license fee. if u do not believe get CAUGHT!!
gbot tum