Effect of Hogs

[HT]

Only up to a couple years ago is when i started noticing that I had a small hog problem. Really only like one maybe 2 hogs going by the couple of tracks i've seen and a few small places where one has rooted. I never saw one on this farm, i even set out a couple traps but never caught one on this place.

I knew Hogs were were in the area, and coming my way from stories of neighboring land owners and talking with a boy i know that works with longland plantation. Last year Longland trapped or killed 35 hogs on their track of land in my area, the neighboring land owner that is between me and longland killed 12 hogs this past deer season (that's 47 hogs).

Well here in the last couple months the hog sign has increased. Just Thursday morning about 9 am Me and a friend of mine ran 2 big hogs (know one was a sow) and about 10 little pigs off one of my feeders. yea, i've turned them back on a week ago. To try and keep them out of my corn field (they've started working on it as well).

Anyway, There has been some logging going on around my area and i believe that has went ahead and pushed the hogs my way. Plus I've got a 35 acre field planted in corn plus an ajoining track of land that has 2 fields about 50 acres of fields planted in corn that i lease as well. other than the Feeders i have out and the couple spots that i plant some food plots on (just last week, i planted 2 food plots in cow peas). there is no other Ag. fields around for a couple miles. I'm worried i might be in trouble..lol..

But what I am really worried about is the wildlife. 2 weeks before turkey season, i went scouting and heard 14 different birds around my big field. Opening week of the season, I heard 6 and i really haven't heard anything else since the opening week of turkey season. Along about this same time is when i really started seeing an increase in hog activity. Rooting around some of my small cypress ponds, oak flats, and then in my corn field. That's why i started turning the feeders back on ending my turkey season.

anyway, since that first week i haven't hardly heard a bird or seen a bird for that matter not even a hen. Same as with Deer and Deer tracks they are down too. I went this morning, overlooking a 35 acre field planted in corn, a feeder (same feeder i saw the hogs at thursday morning), and a baited hog trap. I set till 9:30 this morning. i didn't see or hear a thing. Heard no turkey's, saw no hens, saw no deer, and damn sure didn't see any hogs..lol..

that bring me to My question, How harmful to the wildlife is Feral Hogs? seems to me like since the hogs have came on strong, everything else has gone. I'm seeing hog sign and tracks now, were i never thought i'd see them. rooting behind houses, rooting along highways. My farm is on a dead-end paved road that doesn't get much traffic.

I'm gonna hunt them, and try to trap them. But my farm is about 30 minutes from my house. and If the sign of other wildlife is down because of the hogs. I'm gonna have to really look into slowing down to stopping planting stuff for the deer and turkeys. It would be fruitless for me to try and keep planting for the hogs just to root it up before the deer and turkeys can get any use out of it. Plus, i can't see me spending money like that. i've got 400 acres, but its only me and a friend of mine that pay the leases, do the work, plant the fields, pay the seed and fertilizer bill, and hunt it. And i know you can't kill a hog out.

Also, i'm planning on cutting some timber and replanting it in pines. how bad is hogs on freshly planted pines?

Wish i could corral all them hogs up in a deep hole, and throw a stick or 2 of dynomite in there with them..lol...

[HT]

Sorry for the long post. Its Helping me out, just to vent some frustration...

[Idlewild]

They will alienate your deer, devastatingly damage your crops, and ruin your precious new pines. Hogs are great, though. I personally love them with salt and pepper and mashed all up into little sausage links. They don't do quite the damage this way, ya might have to scrape the grill grates afterwards, but that's all. In all seriousness, HT. You have heard the stories and they are all true. I have seen these beasts grow to enormous sizes. Went with a buddy to Mill Creek, pulled into a field to retrieve his hog kill, and in the back of the plot was the biggest, nastiest behemoth I have ever seen I my life. This blonde beast HAD to be approaching 400+. I had 5 gentlemen in the truck that all gasped @ the same time. I took a Browning 7mm with a boss to end this hog's hideous battle with the buldge, but it trotted off before I could get out, snorting and growling the whole way. In summary, on just 400acs., they will make you wish you had never met. Do what you can now, tommorrow, and in the days to come, in order to try and curb their "rabbit-like" production. And call me anytime if ya want a little help putting the crosshairs on a few of 'em. Keep the feeders full, let them eat for a few weeks and get used to the sound and the reward of the feeders going off, and then take your stance and start the elimination process. Good luck.

[HT]

appreciate the reply idlewild. You are right, i've had some dealings with wild hogs on a friends on mine place behind his house on the edge of a swamp. it just hits alittle harder when they get close to home like this..lol...

I now have 3 tree stands (1 is a buddy stand) surrounding this one feeder and tree stands on all my other feeders between some friends of mine and myself i hope to put a large dent in the herd. But, when the corn gets up good i might be giving you a yell to come help out with the population control. We'll just have to see how things go in the next couple weeks/months...

[cusportsman]

i'd be up for some hog killin' too, i've always wanted to shoot a hog, so let me know if ya need some help

[Trenchards]

From my experience in Forestry, hogs will root around in a freshly planted stand and will uproot and destroy some trees. However, I have never seen where the damage was widespread. Usually 4-5 trees destroyed.

It seems that you keep a good watch over your property, so my advice would be to replant any areas where hogs have rooted up your trees, and to also shoot every damn hog you see.

Good Luck.

P.S. Let me know if you need someone to cut your timber.

[romeocadet08]

HT, check your PM's

[pig snatcher]

Got dogs will travel.

[pig snatcher]

Give me a hollar at work when you get tired of em. ext.6190

[quackaddict]

HT, i'll be in ktown in about a week. let me know if you want/need some help. i know a few ppl that you know that would love to shoot some hogs, and ill have lots of afternoons to play with the piggies if'n you want.

[HT]

I appreciate the replys ya'll. I'm gonna try to get up on them this week, since i'm off most of this week. next week will be a problem for me since i've got to work 6 out of the seven days next week. So, I might givin' ya'll a call.