What's going on in Texas?

[jlbpa]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...TAM&SECTION=US

Are out of state hunters welcome? Are there farmers/landowners who would welcome an request to hunt. I'm not looking for a guided hunt or hunting a club property.

...or is this guy having a problem because he won't allow hunters?


jlb.

[cdrt]

The guy's not having a problem because he doesn't allow hunting. He's having a problem because pigs breed so fast, you can't keep up with them. They can have a littler about every three months IIRC.

I was deer hunting a few years back on our cotton farm property. Walking up to a section where we had moved some hay bales for the cattle, I flushed about 20 hogs that had holed up there overnight to eat the hay. Most were little piglets. I swear, it was like flushing a covey of quail. If I had had a shotgun, I might have been able to get a few of the little ones. As it was, I nailed a 200 pound sow. At least she won't be breeding anymore.

I'm sure there's some farmers out there who would be willing to let you hunt on their property for hogs only. It would just take some digging to find them. When we stopped running cattle, the problem sort of solved itself, since we took away their main feed supply; the hay bales.

[armedandsafe]

their main feed supply; the hay bales.

Does Texas allow you to hunt over bait?

Pops

[primlantah]

used to know a guy that would pay up to $50 per hog killed on his land. His neighbor would pay $5 per squirrel on hers. They both appreciated it when someone gets a coyote in the process.

[Moe Howard]

I am originally from west Texas and still know some people there including family. Once in a while my brother, and some friends and I will contact a local farmer that is more than glad to allow you to shoot all the hogs you want. The hogs are killing the sheep and tearing up the farm land so they are glad to have someone take care of them for them.

[schmellba99]

You'll never rid yoursel of a hog problem. the best you can do is try to control it as much as possible, but they are definitely a nuicance, which is why they are not considered game animals by the state.

We used to get paid to hunt them on various golf courses down where I grew up on the coast. They will tear the hell out of pretty much anything, and you probably won't have much of a problem finding somebody to let you hunt hog only on their land as most landowners absolutely despise their existence.

[rr2241tx]

Feral hogs are a problem for a lot of Texas landowners, precisely because they are prolific and the giant corporate pork producers pay big money to see that they continue to be classified as undesirable nuisance animals by the State. Before ConAg and their ilk monopolized pork production in the US, all of us had "range hogs" which were really just free-roaming hogs and we'd trap them, fatten them up a bit on whatever was locally available and sell them to packing houses like Armour Foods. We kept their numbers down and they provided a much needed income stream. We sold range hogs to buy school clothes, Christmas presents, truck tires, all sorts of stuff we needed.

Pork factories these days have bought legislation that prohibits transporting the now renamed 'feral hogs' and has the general public convinced that they are a menace to society and a threat to the US food supply, all of which is absolute untruth. Hunters cannot kill enough hogs to keep up with their reproduction and because of the public hysteria over 'nasty, disease-ridden feral hogs' it is hard to even get one processed after it is killed, meaning you either have to leave the carcass rotting in the pasture or learn how to clean, cut and wrap your own hog when the hunt is over. The truth is, feral hogs are quite tasty, disease-free, and not at all fatty like penned hogs. It is a bit of work to get one processed while hanging from a tree limb but the meat is delicious and healthy.

What most people seem not to understand about paid hunting is that each and every paying or otherwise invited hunter is a potentially disasterous insurance liability to landowners. There's no such thing as a lawyer-proof liability waiver and an accident with a high power rifle or handgun is a devastating event if not immediately fatal. Besides which, we have an affirmative obligation to have the place reasonably 'safe' for invitees. You can't idiot-proof a ranch. There's terrain that is inherently dangerous and sometimes changes with the rainfall. There's poisonous snakes, our livestock that sometimes reacts in ways people raised in town don't expect, there's heat, cold and a better than average chance that you'll get lost if you aren't used to wandering about in unfamiliar territory where there may not be any good landmarks. Not to mention that often these people have no idea what is behind their target, like a public road or the neighbor's living room.

Unless and until the public demands that legislation making 'feral hogs' a liability be repealed, it is a problem that has no solution. I kill all I can eat and I get away with my share of homegrown pork, but I can't keep up with them and my deer hunters are only temporary relief in the fall. If I could trap them and haul them to a willing market like we did when I was a child, the hog problem would go away in short order.

rr2241tx

[primlantah]

rr2241tx,

are you suggesting people in Texas replace vaccinated domestic hogs with nonvaccinated ferrel hogs in our diets? Many diseases and parasites hogs carry are threats to human health too. :barf:

[Matt19]

Feral hogs are a big problem in Texas. If you see 'em they are fair game.

[Wildalaska]

I hear they taste like crap....

But hey, someone send me some and prove me wrong

WildsmokedpleaseAlaska TM

[globemaster3]

Wildalaska, you always crack me up with the name changes. Keep them coming!

I grew up in FL and hunted plenty of hogs there. Had to take a hiatus from it until the USAF decided to put me somewhere I can get back on them: OK. The funny part is SW OK is crawling with pigs. A state agency recently used a helo and sharpshooter to level a ton. State trappers are runnign traps on golf courses. Farmers, especially peanut growers, are screaming over the damage. Horse and cattle farms are having their pastures tore up.

The funny part, you cannot get permission to hunt on property there! Leases? $10-20 an acre, more than I can afford. Phone calls to property owners? Nope, not a one, contrary to the other states I've been stationed in where politeness goes a long way. Opportune run-ins at the local greasy spoons? No thanks. Maybe like the previous poster mentioned its a liability issue. But I've never had a problem in other states. Maybe I'm just lucky.

After 2.5 years, a kind gentleman I got to know offered to let me onto his property to hunt as long as I took some hogs. In my book, he's a saint!

Hey Wild! My wife prefers wild pig to venison! No, I'm not kidding. Get me a trip to Elmendorf and I'll bring you some. Can I trade for some caribou?

[Wildalaska]

Can I trade for some caribou?

People that grew up eating corn fed whitetail, like moi, reluctantly eat caribou if they are young (or sausage).

Them westerners eating sagebrush muleys think boo is tasty though

Bring pig and we get you boo


WildkillthepigcutherthroatspillherbloodAlaska TM

who is on the ball here?

[bikerbill]

Lord of the Flies?

[Wildalaska]

Bikerbill is an educated man, send me your shirt size and address in a PM

WildsomebodycracksabookAlaska ™

[Sigma 40 Blaster]

I have always seen a lot of hog tracks and hogs on my in-laws land but this year they are going NUTS. My in-laws live out in the country with a few hundred acres, they live on 2 acres about a half mile away from their big plot of land.

I have been out there a few times this month and every time I have had to literally stop for five minutes while a group of hogs was crossing the road. I'm talking about 10 or so big ones and at least twice that many babies. Unfortunately I cannot shoot them from the road (houses on both sides, pretty spaced out but I am not taking a chance).

The one time I had an opportunity to take some out in their "pasture" I had only 10 rounds of .40 S&W (for 20 plus pigs) and was on a 4 wheeler. I didn't like my odds so I just left.

I can't speak for what's happening all over the state but out where they live there is a mining company that has basically torn down a huge forest and pushed these things closer to where the homeowners live. The mining company has been "repairing" the land as it goes but the hogs just don't seem to be going back.

[Bud Helms]

Let's take this to the Hunting forum.

[Yithian]

Yea, they breed like rabbits and are smarter than dogs.
If they find you, they assault you.
If you find them, don't quit till you don't see them or you run outta ammo.

ATTT and I ran across a "Family" of them last Sat.
Apparently one of the sows was in heat. Lots of boars fighting.
Most of them got away. But, they got away perforated.
Four were harvested. Three boars, which were donated, and a sow.
The boars were 85, 100, and 244 Lbs.
The sow was 140Lb.

Fun as hell to hunt.
Great to eat.

Here is one we took three weeks ago.
ATTT calls her the "Egg with legs!"

205Lbs

There is one out there, somewhere, that leaves prints in the road four inches across.
That 205Lb sow, made prints just over 2 inches.
He is a big one, and he is smart.
He doesn't come to bait, and doesn't go into traps.

[BurkGlocker]

I used to go hunting down around Segovia and Harper in the Hill Country on my ex-wife's cousins place. They owned a section of land in both places, but the one in Harper was high fenced off, and had nothing but trophy bucks (and of course the does...) But we were hunting one time and you could hear this pig off in the distance but never saw him. One day after a hunt, her cousin comes back and tells me that he finally got him and to come look at this pig. it was the largest feral hog i have EVER seen, probably pushing close to 400#, maybe even more. But dont get me to lying about the actual weight because we didnt have a scale, but this thing was close to 6 foot long and almost as big around as a 55 gallon drum. Lets just say we were stocked with sausage from that pig for a LONG time...

[45Marlin carbine]

we have some here in WNC, I've got a couple over bait (crushed apple pulp from juice mill) and some other fellas got 'em in traps until they wised up and won't come around traps. myself I think they pick up on smell, they are smarter than dogs and have as keen a sense of smell - I wonder if they smell the steel.
if you get 'em near an apple or crop field you can be assured of good eating. a buddy got one near a soybean and sweet 'tater farm, mighty tasty.

[hogdogs]

rr, As a hog dogger with a state nuisance permit in fl I understand and agree with your post pretty much 100%. Since they are uncontrolled I do feel that legislation requiring vaccines is fair. What I do not agree with in their legislation is that a freakin' vet has to inspect and such... that is high dollar and un fair as the vast majority of "pink pigs" never got seen by a vet.
Having done some homework and lots of field work on the subject is that dogs are better than traps and traps are better than gun hunting in production. Gun hunters just can't get in there where dogs can go and any they kill are dead and must be processed for "non-sale"... traps don't get the older wiser ones too often. With traps you MUST be there each day as they don't go long without water. If a guy runs the heck out of several sets of dogs he can easily catch many more than traps can.
Both with traps and dogs the hogs can be penned and later sold (in Florida anyway) so long as they have the required shots etc.

But the clincher is as above mentioned the land owners just can't risk letting folks on their place. I have gotten some good spots but missed out on many others. With hog dogs the farmer mainly needs to know they won't trash on cattle and chickens.
Brent

[Wildalaska]

Enough of the debate, somebody send me some!!!!!!!

WilditaliansausagepleaseAlaska ™

[chow chow]

It will only get worse as we speak. Less hunters today as high prices drive more not to renew their leases or cut back on hunting trips.

[Yithian]

I can get a big enough foam chest and dry ice, Wild.
What I can't afford is the shipping of 100Lbs of pork to AK.
You can make your own sausage, hams and ribs.

The other prob I have is I had a wisdom tooth pulled two days ago.
Top right tooth.
A cheek-weld and recoil is unwelcome this week.

I'm gonna eat some real food... early.
I'm gonna eat some loin medalions wraped in bacon.

[Wildalaska]

The other prob I have is I had a wisdom tooth pulled two days ago.
Top right tooth.
A cheek-weld and recoil is unwelcome this week.

Dude thats when you wait for a day at the range with lots of chicks around...pop off a round, stand up, spit out some blood and look at your fellow shooters and drawl..

"Man, thats sure some recoil...any of you wimps wanna try"...

Then watch the girls swoon....

Sort of like using a pliers to pull out one of your teeth in a bar for a free drink

WildtakesomedarvonandgotobedAlaska ™

[DWFan]

One of the problems I see with the guy in the article is that he obviously isn't a hunter or he'd know you don't hunt hogs with regular shot; buckshot or slugs are the only way to go...a rifle or major handgun is preferred.
If I had a hog problem, I'd use the internet to advertise and interview prospective hunters by phone and in person with the stiplulation that they haul out the hogs they shoot and anything they bring with them. There are numerous firearms sites where you could post your situation and get to know the interested shootists before you allow them on your property, or even tell them where you are.