Since the "Great Freeze," I probably haven't seen a dozen hogs on camera and saw none on the hoof this past deer season when I came home for a couple of weeks to deer hunt.

And I like it. I wish hogs were wiped from the face of this continent.

It can mean a lot of things. It could mean that he doesn't care about the damage (and I have had a landowner tell me this), or...

...he has dealt with jerk hunters previously and figures the hogs are less of a risk than a new hunter
...he wants to have plenty of hogs to hunt when he does go after them
...he truly doesn't understand the problem (which I find hard to believe)

Other reasons other landowners have given me include them
...not liking guns
...not liking hunting
...figuring it won't do any good
...already has a person taking care of the problem (real or imaginary)
...sure I can hunt, but I have to collect all the pigs (without driving onto the property) and dispose of them somewhere off property at a location of my choosing (as if I have places to take dead hogs, LOL).

Regardless of their rationale, their land and their rules. Eventually, those hogs will start to re-invade the adjoining places I hunt...

wiped from the face of this continent
Then the rest of us wouldn't get to hunt them.
Kid had some on the camera but last time I was there, only some hoof-prints next to one feeder -- no hogs seen that nite. I didn't stay up too late either.

Ours have gone AWOL as well. We've trapped 250-300+ over past decade, and the trapping has always been unpredictable and erratic (kinda like pigs), but we haven't seen any in our hay fields for about a year. I'm good with it though. It's nice to not have to pull the baler/cutter/etc over mortar craters. Gives me an excuse to take the bow out and go looking for them too.

Last week I had to bait 4 box traps and 2 corrals across the ranch to get 1 sow and her litter of 7 in one of the box traps. I know there's more on the place, but they are getting real cagey.

Exactly right. They are not indigenous, cause untold millions of dollars of economic destruction, destroy quail and turkey nests, and compete with other indigenous animals for food. Should I go on?

Do I like to hunt kill hogs? Absolutely. But only because it may result in fewer hogs damaging the ecosystem, at least temporarily.

Yes. I wish all hogs were wiped from the face of this continent. As they should be.

I haven't been seeing them at the main place I hunt them but I think it's because food and water there is abundant right now and they don't need to move around so much. Last summer during the drought they were thirsty enough to come running 20 yards behind me to try to get to the pond, they definitely knew I was there they were just too hot and thirsty to care.

Grandsons tell me that they have left my place. I’ll go up soon and 4 wheeler around after the rain looking for tracks.

they're not gone, just moved on to better pasture

I feed them , I shoot them, I eat them

the damage they caused is a small fee to pay
for the pleasure of hunting them year round


They're all over in my neck of the woods

Pigs are still around. I killed a large sow out of a sounder of almost 2 dozen last week. Just had some of her for dinner.

^^^^^^^

Drought and lots of people using thermal these days= less hogs

They're back....

I 4 wheelerered my place after rain and didn’t see a track.

With pen trapping being so effective, and becoming more common, it makes sense that localized populations could see notable impacts. It is on our place. Heard thru the grapevine that a rancher a mile or so from us implemented an intense pen trapping program and over the last two years our numbers have decreased significantly. Didn't see a pig last deer season at all. Huge difference from the previous season where I could see 2-3 sounders numbering up to 30 touring thru the place pretty much daily. I'm not complaining, but they did provide some off-season entertainment. Actually killed three last weekend, all choates from the same litter, no momma to instruct them different.

I have had three pigs on camera in the last three years (all at night) in Fredericksburg Texas off of Lower Crabapple. In years past could see 20 a day usually

I tried using some hog slop to see if the smell would bring any in that might be in the area with no luck. I had planned on doing lots of hog hunting on our property this year but guess that isn't going to happen. Guess it saves me money on fuel for the many trips I was planning on doing to the ranch.

It seems across the state most guys are seeing pig numbers in decline

Where did they go? I and the area around me(South of Bowie) have been butt deep in them for years. I saw a sow and little ones a couple of weeks ago about 10 miles away. They’re mostly gone; but where and why?

I am just north of you on the red river, hogs are gone

I'm in Mason County, and where I hunt if is slim pickin's indeed!

I've had some Javelinas show up from time to time but no more hogs. It blows my mind that I have not seen them this year. I use to see them multiple time per week for years.

This is a BIG mystery???

Possible causes (probably several of these combined):
Heli shooting
Thermal hunting
Cold winter
Dry summer
Hunting pressure has them staying in thick woods and bottom land

I'm still seeing quite a bit of hog sign, but no where as many hogs as I was seeing this time last year

I heard it said that to just keep the population constant we would have to kill 70% of the current population. I have no reason to doubt this. If that is true, I don't think their numbers are down to the point that their population has been effected in the way it is being reported here. As I mentioned, we hunt a huge ranch with very little hunting pressure, no night or helo hunting and we're not seeing a reduction in #'s. Could it be that they have evolved to the point that their behavior to be even more nocturnal and their movements more cagey has become inherent?

Only S&W; nope, they are gone on my place. I have gone to their usual day time hangouts; Nothing. Ride a 4wheeler through the place and don’t even see tracks. Kids keep a couple of corn feeders going with cams and no pictures. I’ve quit baiting traps.