Too wet! For hogs?

hogdogs · June 5, 2009, 11:41 PM

Well junior and I had hopes of putting a TFL'er on hogs... Landowner has some good "bayheads" split by hay/horse pastures and his son's land. We had to wade/swim neck deep a few spots and they had CURRENT which is a very rare sight for junior and me. Only had the "curr dog" off lead maybe 10 minutes. Junior and the guest spoke (leave me out as I will hunt ice cubes in the mojave desert) and decided it was best to try a dryer weekend. Hogs may not have been interested in this property as it is wet where hogs always travel. Got to hear Beavers slappin their tails though! These creeks at worst are chest deep and no noticeable current but tonight were neck deep and the current was fairly high and audible from several yards... Rapids by our norm!
No pigs but a soppin' gob of wet clothing!
NEXT TIME!!!!
Well me and junior may get to dynamite the BEAVER dams and help the drainage!
Brent

Art Eatman · June 6, 2009, 08:41 AM

Huntin' ice cubes in the Mojave? Last I heard, the success rate was sorta low. 'Bout like huntin' for an honest politician.

hogdogs · June 6, 2009, 08:48 AM

All I gotta hear is "I heard there was one in there 'bout 20 years ago...." and I will run on in... well kinda like an honest politician now that you mention it....

Brent

hogdogs · June 6, 2009, 08:59 AM

One more note worthy point...
Had we gotten a hog, it would have had to be released (hate to do that as landowners want them gone), Killed and left to rot (I know the buzzards need to eat but still hard for me to justify) or floated out thru them creeks and that would have added to our risk quite a bit! A gutted hog won't float (barnyards might with their fat) and a live hog barely floats!

Junior made 'tween 2 and 3 times as many crossings as he would check depth, come back for his tracking system (if anyone is gonna drown his $600 dollar box it is gonna be him), there was one point where I didn't want to swim with both dogs on the same leash (3 dog leash) in case one panicked or got in trouble so junior came back for one of the dogs on "mule tape" strap...
All in all it was a real fun night for me! Water was warm, air was not hot met someone new, seein' my son "man up" in them waters... SAFELY TOO!!! And I learned junior has put the beaver on the same "freaky list" as owls and 'yotes...

Brent

VaFisher · June 6, 2009, 11:15 AM

I heard it was plenty wet down there but that sounds like a heck of a extra wet spot.

hogdogs · June 6, 2009, 11:25 AM

VA, Generally this spot is not covered in water, It drains fairly quick into a couple small creeks that carry water towards the Shoal River, our local "big" river that runs to the gulf. But I am afraid the beavers have shored up the dam better in recent months. we have had alot of rain but not a ton in any one day so I didn't expect it to be so bad. At the worst the main creek was shoulder deep with no current and now the shallowest spots were neck deep or deeper (current too swift to safely try to stand) requiring actual swimming... I am going to try and get in there this week and destroy the beaver dams...
BTW, Beavers are a "nuisance invasive specie" in florida so no harm no foul in destroying dams and/or shooting them year around.
Brent

**Shane Tuttle** · June 6, 2009, 11:58 AM

Are beavers considered varmints then in Florida?

hogdogs · June 6, 2009, 12:05 PM

Tuttle, They sure are... No season, No limits, No license on private land.

Quote:

Open season: Raccoons, opossums, skunks, nutrias, beavers and coyotes can be live-trapped or taken with snares year-round.

Limited season: Otters and bobcats can be live-trapped or taken with snares from Dec. 1 through March 1.

Possession: Hides and skins of raccoons, opossums, coyotes, skunks, nutrias and beavers may be possessed in any number at any time. Bobcats and otter pelts may be possessed in any number between Dec. 1 and March 1. Possessing more than one bobcat and otter pelt is prohibited from March 2 through Nov. 30, unless they have been
tagged with FWC seals.

Live traps and snares must be checked at least every 24 hours. Using or possessing steel or leg-hold traps where wildlife might be found is prohibited, unless authorized by permit from the FWC executive director. It is illegal to transport wild-trapped live raccoons within, into or from the state, except by FWC permit.

Brent

VaFisher · June 6, 2009, 05:38 PM

Sounds like some beaver hunt's in the near future.

hogdogs · June 7, 2009, 01:53 PM

I admittedly do not know how to approach beaver (4 legged variety) huntin'. I understand they are purely nocturnal thus a gun hunt is out of the question.
I am hoping to destroy the dams and maybe they will move on somewhere else...
Brent

Art Eatman · June 7, 2009, 10:31 PM

Destroying the dam will commonly get them to move.

There was a beaver pond right next to the highway, near my wife's house. We'd see them in daylight, from time to time when driving by. The county dug out the dam and the beavers went away...

My guess is that a daylight gun-hunt would work best if you figured on sitting and reading a book, just waiting. But, like I said, a guess.

davebig · June 8, 2009, 01:19 PM

Wet as ever! Neck deep is a bit too intense for me, but I know my son would be very excited about that, good story

hogdogs · June 8, 2009, 01:27 PM

davebig, Swimming with 2 dogs on one lead takes a fairly stupid redneck too...

Brent

June 5, 2009, 11:41 PM	#1
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	Too wet! For hogs? Well junior and I had hopes of putting a TFL'er on hogs... Landowner has some good "bayheads" split by hay/horse pastures and his son's land. We had to wade/swim neck deep a few spots and they had CURRENT which is a very rare sight for junior and me. Only had the "curr dog" off lead maybe 10 minutes. Junior and the guest spoke (leave me out as I will hunt ice cubes in the mojave desert) and decided it was best to try a dryer weekend. Hogs may not have been interested in this property as it is wet where hogs always travel. Got to hear Beavers slappin their tails though! These creeks at worst are chest deep and no noticeable current but tonight were neck deep and the current was fairly high and audible from several yards... Rapids by our norm! No pigs but a soppin' gob of wet clothing! NEXT TIME!!!! Well me and junior may get to dynamite the BEAVER dams and help the drainage! Brent

June 6, 2009, 11:58 AM	#7
Shane Tuttle Staff Join Date: November 28, 2005 Location: Montana Posts: 9,443	Are beavers considered varmints then in Florida? __________________ If it were up to me, the word "got" would be deleted from the English language. Posting and YOU: http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting

June 6, 2009, 08:41 AM	#2
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Huntin' ice cubes in the Mojave? Last I heard, the success rate was sorta low. 'Bout like huntin' for an honest politician.

June 6, 2009, 08:48 AM	#3
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	All I gotta hear is "I heard there was one in there 'bout 20 years ago...." and I will run on in... well kinda like an honest politician now that you mention it.... Brent

June 6, 2009, 08:59 AM	#4
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	One more note worthy point... Had we gotten a hog, it would have had to be released (hate to do that as landowners want them gone), Killed and left to rot (I know the buzzards need to eat but still hard for me to justify) or floated out thru them creeks and that would have added to our risk quite a bit! A gutted hog won't float (barnyards might with their fat) and a live hog barely floats! Junior made 'tween 2 and 3 times as many crossings as he would check depth, come back for his tracking system (if anyone is gonna drown his $600 dollar box it is gonna be him), there was one point where I didn't want to swim with both dogs on the same leash (3 dog leash) in case one panicked or got in trouble so junior came back for one of the dogs on "mule tape" strap... All in all it was a real fun night for me! Water was warm, air was not hot met someone new, seein' my son "man up" in them waters... SAFELY TOO!!! And I learned junior has put the beaver on the same "freaky list" as owls and 'yotes... Brent

June 6, 2009, 11:15 AM	#5
VaFisher Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2006 Posts: 596	I heard it was plenty wet down there but that sounds like a heck of a extra wet spot.

June 6, 2009, 11:25 AM	#6
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	VA, Generally this spot is not covered in water, It drains fairly quick into a couple small creeks that carry water towards the Shoal River, our local "big" river that runs to the gulf. But I am afraid the beavers have shored up the dam better in recent months. we have had alot of rain but not a ton in any one day so I didn't expect it to be so bad. At the worst the main creek was shoulder deep with no current and now the shallowest spots were neck deep or deeper (current too swift to safely try to stand) requiring actual swimming... I am going to try and get in there this week and destroy the beaver dams... BTW, Beavers are a "nuisance invasive specie" in florida so no harm no foul in destroying dams and/or shooting them year around. Brent

June 6, 2009, 05:38 PM	#9
VaFisher Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2006 Posts: 596	Sounds like some beaver hunt's in the near future.

June 7, 2009, 01:53 PM	#10
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	I admittedly do not know how to approach beaver (4 legged variety) huntin'. I understand they are purely nocturnal thus a gun hunt is out of the question. I am hoping to destroy the dams and maybe they will move on somewhere else... Brent

June 7, 2009, 10:31 PM	#11
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Destroying the dam will commonly get them to move. There was a beaver pond right next to the highway, near my wife's house. We'd see them in daylight, from time to time when driving by. The county dug out the dam and the beavers went away... My guess is that a daylight gun-hunt would work best if you figured on sitting and reading a book, just waiting. But, like I said, a guess.

June 8, 2009, 01:19 PM	#12
davebig Member Join Date: April 9, 2009 Posts: 20	Wet as ever! Neck deep is a bit too intense for me, but I know my son would be very excited about that, good story

June 8, 2009, 01:27 PM	#13
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	davebig, Swimming with 2 dogs on one lead takes a fairly stupid redneck too... Brent