I have been kicking around the ideal of building a hog trap with a feeder inside. Thats all the easy part. What do you by experience think is a good trap door. I really cant use a squeeze through because of the cows, so I have to use something that I can leave open when I'm not there. There are different style swing doors and Guillotine but what do you think works good?

I built this one out of 1 1/2 panels 4' tall and Tposts. You could add panels for as large as you want. I made a simple gate with the design. Simple and easy to build.





I put some limbs in the entrance to keep deer and turkey out. I replace the trip rope with a piece of cable and wire.

I love these type of designs, but we have cattle on our lease and if I'm gone for a week or two, I'll have all kinds of dead animals including cows. I'm really thinking that large saloon doors would be best. But its always good to ask opinions so that I dont leave any good ideals out.

I just put some PVC pipes or some sticks across the opening to make the opening shorter.
I used to use the trap doors made by Wisdom MFG in Jourdanton. I know that Tractor Supply sells another type.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/hog-trapping-gate-5138484

Just hammer you a tpost to where you can wire it open or just wire it shut to where it can't be pushed open. Simple

In theory, it is simple. Have you experienced this with a cow, or are you speculating? I'm not convinced that I need to have any opened entry until trap is set with me checking on it daily. Thus asking for experienced trapping with cattle on board.

The last thing I want to do is jack with the ranchers live stock. We have a nice place and I want to keep it that way.

Maybe I'm over thinking this...

If cattle are that hungry then you have more problems than hogs.

If you wire the opening shut when your gone you will have no issues. They'd have to tear the pen down to get in. Wiring it open probally isn't the best idea cause they could potentially get in and might be dumb enough to not find there way out. And yes I have dealt with cows and have never had an issue with the pen wired shut while not at the places I trap.

a drop door would work good but if you want to catch alot you need a swing door with a trigger in the back of the trap

This is what I'm looking for. Thank you.

Took a cattle panel and cut it at 10ft then cut it in half, latch is a spring loaded gate latch that you can get at most hardware stores, put a four ft walk gate on one side of the frame for the door and it actually works as a chute for loading em up, trip wire is run to back of trap and is then tied to a piece of sucker rod that has one end of the rod stuck in the panel and the other is sitting on a piece of angle iron that is drove into the ground, this takes out the slack that you get with just a wire there and if they bump the rod it falls off the angle iron and trips the trap. Haven't had any problems with cows getting in it but a typical calf will always have to investigate, if there small enough Leave it wired open when not in use so it looks natural, plus the feeder is going yr round. Hope that helps

^^^ Thats really a nice set up.

never saw round one that small
never saw one as big as the one with the drop gate either

We have some small round ones at our place