Help! Hog trap with cam and remote gate

Alabama

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Aug 23, 2016
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South Alabama
In the last couple of years my land has been getting more and more wild hogs on it. I shoot a few and they leave but they always return and I know I'm not putting a real dent in the population by just shooting a few every year. Since deer season closed I get pics of between 10-30 on my land daily. The sows are dropping pigs like crazy and I need to start trapping them. I've helped some farmers construct some traps in the past but they were always the kind the hogs set off themselves and you rarely get them all. In fact I'd say most of the time we get less than half of them, the result is trap shy hogs that are almost impossible to catch later. I've looked online at the remote controlled gates with cams that send pics to your phone and there are a ton of options out there and they are expensive! I want to get some first hand experience from some guys who have tried them before I drop that kind of money on one. Help!
 
I've got no experience at all but you might find some on the Georgia outdoor news forum. I've found it to be helpful and friendly. Good luck.
 
Before you break the bank I'd spend a little money and build a corral trap with heavy wire pannels and T posts. We've built two on my family's property and they have worked as long as pigs were coming to bait. Both traps caught groups at a time, which kept pigs off the place until another group moved in. A circular shape where one end over laps the other. Leave it slightly open while baiting then once you're ready to trap tie the top of the gap together so they can push through the bottom to enter. So far haven't had any break out of jump over the pen.
 
Before you break the bank I'd spend a little money and build a corral trap with heavy wire pannels and T posts. We've built two on my family's property and they have worked as long as pigs were coming to bait. Both traps caught groups at a time, which kept pigs off the place until another group moved in. A circular shape where one end over laps the other. Leave it slightly open while baiting then once you're ready to trap tie the top of the gap together so they can push through the bottom to enter. So far haven't had any break out of jump over the pen.

I just saw a video yesterday of one of these traps after someone else suggested them. I think they would work but I've got some boars that come in as singles and will be hard to trap. I've got 2 groups now that are coming through. a group of 14 with 6 adults/sub adults and 8 2 month old pigs and another group of 9 with 2 sows and 7 little pigs. There are also 3-4 big boars that come in by themselves or with the groups. I'm just scared I'll make the others trap shy if I catch 1 group and they're in there all stirred up and scared before I can check it and the 2nd group shows up. I've got them baited up pretty good in the last week or so and I had somebody going to bring his trap. Then he told me his price! So now I'm scrambling, maybe a good camera that transmits pics to my phone so I could know when they get in it and take them out before alerting the others.
 
I worry about try shyness as well. Something that is inevitable. But for what it's worth I will say the last ones we trapped out, my dad and brother did not listen to my advice for leaving it open and continuing to bait it. They instead baited it with it set 3 days in a row and caught a single boar, 3 boars, and a sow and shoat group of 9. That was about this time last year, and we didn't have any back on the place in this winter.

Good camera might be worth while. Would definitely help to determine when to leave open and when to set. Just curious, but what kind of trap set up was the guy going to bring and how much was he charging?
 
It is some fancy set up with panels that go together just like cattle panels (but has hog panels welded in) and 2 gates on opposite sides. 2 cameras to watch both gates and a remote trigger. it is the best set up I've seen. If you use it right and you're patient it will get the whole sounder. He has about $7k in it total but he does it for farmers in the area for extra money. $100 set up and $25 per hog ($10 for for pigs less than 30 lbs.). Believe it or not he has no shortage of business.
 
Before you break the bank I'd spend a little money and build a corral trap with heavy wire pannels and T posts. We've built two on my family's property and they have worked as long as pigs were coming to bait. Both traps caught groups at a time, which kept pigs off the place until another group moved in. A circular shape where one end over laps the other. Leave it slightly open while baiting then once you're ready to trap tie the top of the gap together so they can push through the bottom to enter. So far haven't had any break out of jump over the pen.


yep. I have trapped hundreds over the years. as someone mentioned, the key is to use good bait (soured corn) and to leave it open for several days letting them eat as much as they want then set the trap. sounds like you have found a decent price for someone to come in and trap them. you may also want to check with your local federal and state agencies; dnr, dept of ag, soil and water commission. we have a program here where farmers can get on a list and dnr contracts with a trapper to set it up for you. your only responsibility is to shoot the hogs and dispose. no cost. they use the remote door trigger. another option is to call me and we can bring some dogs down there and have some redneck fun and catch em.
 
Find some trustworthy friends or neighbors or just some good ole boys who like hunting hogs and just let them have at it. That method won't break the bank and you might even get some free pork out of the deal.
 
He has about $7k in it total but he does it for farmers in the area for extra money. $100 set up and $25 per hog ($10 for for pigs less than 30 lbs.). Believe it or not he has no shortage of business.
Price does seem high, but doesn't sound terrible. Guess it all depends on how much it's worth to you that you want them gone. I'm surprised he stays busy though. Many people I know complain all day about them, but god forbid they let somebody come hunt them. None sure aint going to pay someone to take care of them.

another option is to call me and we can bring some dogs down there and have some redneck fun and catch em.

This is the method I'd go with if you have a place big enough for dogs to run.
 
Take a look over on the Texas Hunting Forum and Texas Bowhunter Forum. Lots of folks trapping down there and lots of experience doing it.
We've used traps with doors that let pigs come in as they want, one way opening for them and catch many at a time.
Shooting and dogs just make them the neighbors problem for a few days then they will be back.
It's never ending, good luck!!
My Brother in law once caught over 120 hogs in one trap set over 3 weeks. Keep scent down around the trap when you set it, we never even hunted near the trap to keep our scent form spooking them.
 
yep. I have trapped hundreds over the years. as someone mentioned, the key is to use good bait (soured corn) and to leave it open for several days letting them eat as much as they want then set the trap. sounds like you have found a decent price for someone to come in and trap them. you may also want to check with your local federal and state agencies; dnr, dept of ag, soil and water commission. we have a program here where farmers can get on a list and dnr contracts with a trapper to set it up for you. your only responsibility is to shoot the hogs and dispose. no cost. they use the remote door trigger. another option is to call me and we can bring some dogs down there and have some redneck fun and catch em.

The parcels are so small here you might kill a couple by dog hunting but then they'd just be somebody else's problem for a while. I have friends/co-workers who have been dealing with them for 10 plus years and dogs hunting is fun but it isn't going to put a dent in the population like taking out whole sounders. A local biologist said you have to kill 70% of the population every year just to keep their numbers in check. Thanks for the tip about the DNR, I hadn't even thought about that. It's mostly CRP pines where the damage is, but they do come in the pasture and root too so they might have some programs. Sorry my boss is a hog hunting fanatic and he has dibs on the stragglers. He hates the idea of me trapping them, the big boars especially! I'll keep you in mind when asking the local landowners, your best shot getting permission would be between deer and turkey season. Feb 11th to March 15th. We can't use dogs during turkey season here and it's too dang thick and too hot to run during the summer. People are way too worried about their deer to let anybody on their land in the fall or winter.
 
Price does seem high, but doesn't sound terrible. Guess it all depends on how much it's worth to you that you want them gone. I'm surprised he stays busy though. Many people I know complain all day about them, but god forbid they let somebody come hunt them. None sure aint going to pay someone to take care of them.

This is the method I'd go with if you have a place big enough for dogs to run.

It's mostly farmers who use him. A big sounder can do way more damage in one night than his total fee so I can see why he's busy. It's just too steep for me and honestly I know they aren't going anywhere so I figure if I buy one it's a tool I can use over and over again. Buy once, cry once. I checked my camera and I got some day pics of them the last few days and the best I can tell there are 29 of them. His price would be $100 setup $25 per hog >30 lbs. $550 and $10 per pig <30 lbs. $70. Total $720. I could have a nice set-up from Jaeger pro or some others for about $2k.
 
Take a look over on the Texas Hunting Forum and Texas Bowhunter Forum. Lots of folks trapping down there and lots of experience doing it.
We've used traps with doors that let pigs come in as they want, one way opening for them and catch many at a time.
Shooting and dogs just make them the neighbors problem for a few days then they will be back.
It's never ending, good luck!!
My Brother in law once caught over 120 hogs in one trap set over 3 weeks. Keep scent down around the trap when you set it, we never even hunted near the trap to keep our scent form spooking them.

Thanks wytex, I figured there would be some guys that know their stuff on there, Texas has had em for a long time. When you say the you tried the ones with one way doors were they the kind where the panel acts as a door or saloon doors?
 
It's mostly farmers who use him. A big sounder can do way more damage in one night than his total fee so I can see why he's busy. It's just too steep for me and honestly I know they aren't going anywhere so I figure if I buy one it's a tool I can use over and over again. Buy once, cry once. I checked my camera and I got some day pics of them the last few days and the best I can tell there are 29 of them. His price would be $100 setup $25 per hog >30 lbs. $550 and $10 per pig <30 lbs. $70. Total $720. I could have a nice set-up from Jaeger pro or some others for about $2k.

If you can get a portable set up for $2K it might be worth doing a little business for yourself. Buy once, cry once then feel better when get some of your money back.
 
I would have to talk with my BIL but most of their traps have a door that lets pigs go in but not go out.

If you google hog trap doors many pics come up of the types of doors they use. You can catch a whole sounder with the right trap. Once you make a good door it can be set on different corral type traps made from cattle panels or fencing.
The drop type doors will get you 1 pig at a time. We use those on small traps, they have a trip wire. One way doors work best for sounders.
 
Check this video out, shows the easy way to make a good gate for trapping hogs :

Check out this video also, interesting to see the hog jump and climb :
 
Down in Fla. The farmers cry about the hog damage but have no prob askin' $250 a day for folks to hunt em on private land ........guess it ain't really that much of a crisis.
 
Down in Fla. The farmers cry about the hog damage but have no prob askin' $250 a day for folks to hunt em on private land ........guess it ain't really that much of a crisis.
I've never had an issue with $20-$50 or so for the season to help fix fence that the wildlife I hunt damage. It helps the farmer not just want to shoot them. I would laugh at $250 a day to hunt. Just leave a card with your phone number and they will call you eventually when the issue gets bad.

If I lived in the area with this issue I would absolutely love to spend a week or so hunting and trapping pigs.
 
I second Firedudes suggestion of helping to trap them. Could be work and would be fun.

Do you process the trapped hogs ( maybe just the small ones) or you just exterminate them.

Interesting for me, but it is not my problem.
 
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