Trap wasn't empty this morning!!

[Hoggin Hank]

I checked one of my traps this morning and I had 10 pigs in it. The biggest was an 80 # boar , a 60 # sow and the 8 other hogs were all 25# or less. I'm going to try and post a couple of pics here.

There a few more pics at my  pics link below in my signature. Just click on the folder "1863 pigs".


(Edited by Hoggin Hank at 7:19 pm on Mar. 28, 2002)

 

[paulc]

hank, pretty cool... those look pretty domesticated.. you could get some purina hog chow and be in some serious pork in a few months... i take it you are in texas...
how does the trap work?

 

[Hoggin Hank]

Your right about the domestic look to these younger hogs. It kind of looks like they are crossed with durock pigs. I'm in central Texas about 45 minutes north of San Antonio in the Hill Country. I do a lot of trapping for ranchers that have feral hog problems. I always tell them that I will remove the hogs without a shot fired and I wont catch or injure deer and most of the time they are eager to get me on the property. This trap has a trap front that is "T" posted to the ground and 2 - 20' long x 5' high panels are placed around it. As you can see there is a trip wire that goes to the door and when the pigs set it off the door closes with a semi-heavy duty spring. The good part is that the door is at an angle going into the trap and the pigs on the outside can root their way into the trap with the other pigs. This is a trap front I have never used before yet I've had it for about 3 years now. I've caught 19 pigs at this ranch in the last 3 trap settings. I hope to start catching some of the bigger hogs that I've seen on the property. There were many around the 200# range that I have yet to catch. You can go to my pics link and click on the "Traps" folder and see some better pics of the door front. I usually use guillotine doors on most of the 4'x8' box traps I build. Hope I answered most of your questions

Just curious if anyone can tell me if it is legal to trap hogs in California:confused-yellow:

(Edited by Hoggin Hank at 8:09 pm on Mar. 28, 2002)

 

[Speckmisser]

Not 100% sure, but I think that you can only trap in CA with a depredation permit.  I don't think this specific rule is in the standard DFG regs, but I do know trapping is NOT listed as a legal method of take.  

I know there are a lot of traps out there, though.  Gotta wonder how many of those are accompanied by legal documents?

Anyone got the definitive answer?

 

[RIFLEMAN]

Speckmisser is correct.  California law prohibits the use of traps for the recreational take of feral hogs.  Only those with a depredation permit or trapping license may trap hogs that are incurring damage to property.

I have no doubt that there is a good number that are trapped illegally.

 

[EVAN III]

  Hank,
Thanks for the pic. It doesn't look like mommy and daddy piggy like you to much in the second pic. Really it looks like the only thing stopping them is the fence. Those pics are toooo cool, Keep it up.   And if you do get the 200#er's  Be sure to post them, I'd love to see them.

                                  EVAN III

 

[Scotty]

Hey there Hank great pics. What do you do with the hogs after you trap them? Looks like a little to much bacon to fill up your own freezer. How do you transport them?
Just curious.
Scotty

 

[Hoggin Hank]

Thanks for the info about trapping in CA. I haul the hogs with my 5'x8' Hog Getter Trailer. It is a utility trailer I built for hauling lawn tractors and 4-wheelers and I just welded together a Bolt on top and I made some metal side chutes that I put on the outer edge of the ramp when I load them. You can go to my pics link and click on the folder " Trailered Hogs" and there should be some pics of the trailer and the set up with the load chute in place. There are also pics of my holding pen( "Holding Pen" folder) . It's 140' around made of 5' high x 20' long hog panels. I have a automatic feeder in there that goes off 4 times a day and I also feed them 12% protien every third day before my EMS shift. I also have to fill the 60 gallon water trough that they get into and turn to mud. I have 25 pigs in it right now and I am going to be selling 5 or 6 this Saturday so I can buy some more feed. But I do keep my freezer VERY full of meat for year-round B-B-Q's. I'm not sure of what the foders are named at my pics link but you can surf around and check out some of the hunting/trapping pics I have on there. Have a Hoggy Day:smile-big-blue:

 

[huntducks]

Hank

Great pictures, glad to see that the pigs are helping on BBQ day in Texas, to bad your so far away or maybe we could count on you to provide the BBQ pork for our next JHP outing, I know you Texans like a BBQ now and then(hehehehe).

My brother lives over in OK about 125 miles north of Dallas and has a fair number of pigs on his place, a few locals hunt them and just leave them lay as they seem to think they have trichinoses.uke-blue:

 

[RIFLEMAN]

huntducks,

    It's a shame they are leaving them to rot.  Domestic and feral hogs and bears in California are just as likely to have trichinosis as the hogs in Oklahoma.

    Properly handling and cooking the meat will render it safe for human consumption.    

 

[Hoggin Hank]

It tears me up when I hear of folks shooting hogs and leaving them lay. I know of a few ranches that have hundreds of hogs tearing up the fields and crops that they have planted and I agree that a ranchers lively hood comes before a smelly ole pig but there are lots of folks that would love to come and trap them for FREE in most cases. Not to mention they are really good on the pit:smile-big-blue: . If anyone in Central or South Texas sees this thread and they have a hog problem just let me know. I'll take all the hogs I can put in my holding pen. In Texas you can sell the hogs to a few markets spread out through Texas and get up to .50 cent a pound for them (alive) Thats not to bad if you catch traps full of 10 or 20 hogs. It's not a ton of money but is sure does off set the cost for feed for you other animals.Any little bit helps sometimes..