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Old December 4, 2012, 12:58 PM   #1
KMatch
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Join Date: October 15, 2012
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Need my pigs back for the Holidays!

Hi there! Got a question for ya on getting some hogs back for a bit of fun. A few months ago my inlaws started complaining about the hogs tearing up their property. It's 20 acres of flat pasture with cows and horses. I was doing a fair job of baiting and shooting 1 here and there, but was trying to not run them off until after Christmas which is the time both my son-in-laws will be itching to hunt them. BUT, wouldn't ya know it... I caught the lead sow of 1 of 2 known sounders in the trap 1 day, and 2 days later, caught 3 of her younguns in the same trap! Not my plans, as I was looking for a particular boar in that trap, but pigs never follow plans, now do they! Naturally, this has run all but a couple of random late night boars away. We don't keep the same hours. I just found out, a neighbor to this property has suddenly had pigs on HER place within the last couple of weeks. Hmmm...

So, I need to bait them back for the Holidays... This other property is 200 yards from my nearest location I can place a feeder which will be a "no-shoot" zone and 700 yards from the feeder they were hitting before. Keep in mind any baiting has to be done around cows and I already fenced the 1 feeder mentioned. What would your plans be based on the bit of info I tossed out there? Should it matter, this is an hour south of Houston, 20+ acres of flatland next to thick woods. Lots of distraction, as in, oil refinery, 4 lane highway, beer joints, etc, all within cussin' range so noise and distractions don't apply quite as stringent as it might for many of you. Largest on trail cam is likely barely 200 pounds, or, 24 inches at the shoulder. Just FYI. Oh, and don't tell my inlaws I'm trying to get pigs to show back up on their place! They think I'm doing a helluva job.
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Old December 4, 2012, 03:27 PM   #2
hogdogs
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What are you baiting with? Dry corn isn't my favorite but sour corn is. one bag of corn makes 3 5 gallon buckets. I add one small packet of yeast in each added first then corn then fill to cover corn. Careful not to lose your yeast to over filling. Let it sit at least a week . 2 is better. More on application when not using this phone to type.
Brent
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Old December 4, 2012, 04:43 PM   #3
KMatch
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In the sour corn category, I've tried different mixes of yeast, beer, sugar, boiled water, and koolaid from time to time. I've put it on the ground directly under the feeder, on trails coming out of the woods, and at this time there's some in a 5 gallon bucket with the lid screwed on with holes drilled in it next to my regular feeder. Livestock loves it as well as diesel, but to date, I've gotten as many hits on dry corn from HEB (some apple mix I think) as with anything else so I've been keeping it simple. Sometimes they dabble in it, most times they walk by it to destroy half an acre at a time rooting. I'm competing with something and I don't know what it is or how to make mine better. Of course, that was before running most of them off. Now, it's even MORE difficult.
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Old December 5, 2012, 09:15 AM   #4
hogdogs
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First I left out two key parts of actually brewing the bait... After several hours of the initial filling, the dry corn will have absorbed water so a little topping up may be needed, after this, very little if any will be needed...

Covering to keep out critters is suggested but DO NOT LATCH A LID WITH SEAL TIGHT ON THE BUCKET!!! IT VERY WELL CAN EXCEED PRESSURE CAPABILITY OF THE BUCKET!!!

Using water that is too hot will kill the yeast cooties...
As for other ingredients, I have seen some recipes that look like a real assault on the olfactory system... But I, as both a trapper and a hog dogger who uses bait, I will say that the results, while maybe not the absolute best, were the best trade-off with "risk" vs. reward... More than my gag reflex is at risk... In my area, I could be drawing in black bears too and a landowner might be quick to tear up our land access agreement as as soon as he sees a few bears at a stinking foul bait bile (none you mentioned seem extreme but some I have seen/smelled were BADDDD!!!!)...

Here are a couple application tips I feel (by laws of physics alone) add productivity to the concept...

Digging post holes and filling with corn then a dirt cap with some corn with a liberal dribble of juice on the area surrounding the hole can hold hogs a longer time than just on the ground obviously... But I feel it is a louder way to feed with the rooting and grunting that it may bring in more pigs as their hearing is not far behind their nose in ability... And a bonus for you and a negative to the feeding hogs, they are much less able to hear you while engaged in a noisy activity... And less able to smell your approach with their face buried in the rooted soil than when simply eating kernels off the top...

Long distance hog callin' by scent...
Here is my favorite tip to share as it is obvious, often not considered, yet indisputable...

As you apply your sour wet corn in what ever fashion you wish... SAVE THE JUICE!!! Drain it back into the bucket!!! Then when you can scoop juice only, sling it up as high and far up into the surrounding foliage... If this is a sparse proposition, use rags soaked in the juice and put up on limbs or whatever you can as high as possible (be able to remove or it is litter when done)...

This will but the scent higher up so it is easier to be caught in any breeze and being above the ground more, it will travel much further before being excessively dispersed...

I feel hogs will home in on a good scent from miles away with their super sense of smell so get your bait scent further and faster than the scent of others bait or natural food offerings...

Brent
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Old December 5, 2012, 09:44 AM   #5
KMatch
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Brent, THAT'S what I'm after! Thanks much, man! I see I likely killed the last batch of sour with the hot water. Heating in the sun is the common way so I suspected that was the "simple" way and starting hot would work. With your explanation I see the error of that. It stunk, but not so much.

And yeah, the lid was screwed on a bucket but it has a ton of holes drilled in it to send the smell out.

I now have some $3.75/sixpack beer sitting on the desk. Milwaulkee Best Premium. I don't drink (for no particular reason) but that just sounds like nasty stuff! Time to go brew some stink, thanks again to all, but keep the ideas coming!
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Old December 6, 2012, 09:15 PM   #6
12GaugeShuggoth
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Quote:
Time to go brew some stink, thanks again to all
Life is all about perspective. There can't be but a few times where you can say "thanks" and "time to go brew some stink" in the same sentence. Kidding aside, good luck with them hogs.
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Old December 7, 2012, 08:36 AM   #7
hogdogs
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Try some 2 week old or more that is just the corn yeast and water...

I did try beer too (olde english 800), Cannot say it hurt results but cannot feel it helped any either...

Brent
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Old December 7, 2012, 09:19 AM   #8
KMatch
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Yep, "brewing some stink" does sound like some bathroom humor! OK, being new here I'll try to keep it PC, but don't get used to it as that won't last long... I don't do "PC".

Now that things are brewing, how do I tell when it's done? Yesterday, it smelled like a good whiskey. This morning, my shop smells like a brewery and there's a bee doing the backstroke in it. The smell is less pleasant but not terrible. Cold weather is coming in a couple days so what are the growing stages of this stuff? The other time I mixed some, I put it in the sun and a few days later, it was a bit ripe so I called it quits. How's it *really* done?
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Old December 7, 2012, 10:43 AM   #9
hogdogs
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Being where I am I never lost any little yeast cooties to freeze...

With the beer it isn't so pleasant... I do not take offense to the straight sour mash recipe but I like those sort of scents

7 days is a good point to begin considering it usefully soured at mid 70's to 90's temps I did notice considerably slower souring when temps were lower for extended times...

At those warmer temps, I really noticed an improvement in potency at 14 days, I really never got to sour much longer than that as I had traps to keep baited...

I did the beer thing about the same it just didn't seem to improve results enuff to "de-flower" the scent of my real sour mash which, at 14 days, was obviously just a warm bath away from a bottle...

Disclaimer... I do not condone the violation of any BATFE regs including the distillation of spirits without payin' yer taxes... I only know how to make unaged corn liquor 'cuz I watch History Channel...

Brent
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