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Ring Rooting - Why?
#7669114
11/21/19 10:04 PM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 8,235
Double Naught Spy
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OP
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I have a property where the landowner said the hogs were rooting up his winter wheat. I checked the field and found a few small spots of rooting, but then found that some of his randomly scattered oak trees were rooted in a ring around the circumference of the tree, pretty much matching the overall shape of the tree's canopy. If a tree has a big, circular canopy, there was a big, wide circle of rooting on the ground. If the canopy was offset to one side, the ring rooting was offset of one side. So what I want to know, is why is the hog rooting in this pattern? What is it after? These are oaks and there are acorns under them, but not just as nice canopy matching circles under the trees, but all over under the trees, as you would expect. I found 4 trees with these rings. I found a couple of other trees with the random patchy rooting that I would normally expect. This appears to have been done by a single hog as there was a single set of tracks leading from tree to tree.
Last edited by Double Naught Spy; 11/21/19 10:11 PM.
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: Double Naught Spy]
#7669128
11/21/19 10:25 PM
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Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 309
oldrancher
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 309 |
There is more moisture in the soil on the outside of the drip line of the Live Oak. Probably more grubs and insects in the moisture.
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: Double Naught Spy]
#7669129
11/21/19 10:26 PM
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,019
Bar-D
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Porcine crop circles......
People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: oldrancher]
#7669141
11/21/19 10:43 PM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 8,235
Double Naught Spy
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There is more moisture in the soil on the outside of the drip line of the Live Oak. Probably more grubs and insects in the moisture. You may be right. I did look at (and feel) the soil and could not tell that it was any more or less moist than the soil around it, but without a hygrometer, the difference would have to be fairly significant for me to tell and even then, what the conditions were at the time of the pic may not be what is beneficial to the grubs/bug/whatever. Bar-D, are you suggesting that the hogs are aliens????
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: Double Naught Spy]
#7669215
11/21/19 11:52 PM
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 2,823
RattlesnakeDan
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Maybe the hog has one leg shorter than the other.
Just like Jesus, sometimes you gotta kill some hogs. Lone Star Mesquite . com RattleSnake Dan's Shredding Service
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: RattlesnakeDan]
#7669225
11/22/19 12:06 AM
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 4,693
krmitchell
Extreme Tracker
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Maybe the hog has one leg shorter than the other. Lol. Should be easy to trap them if they are just making circles like that.
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: oldrancher]
#7669235
11/22/19 12:14 AM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 28,019
skinnerback
THF Celebrity Chef
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There is more moisture in the soil on the outside of the drip line of the Live Oak. Probably more grubs and insects in the moisture. May be after Cicada grubs.
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: Double Naught Spy]
#7669268
11/22/19 12:59 AM
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,019
Bar-D
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There is more moisture in the soil on the outside of the drip line of the Live Oak. Probably more grubs and insects in the moisture. You may be right. I did look at (and feel) the soil and could not tell that it was any more or less moist than the soil around it, but without a hygrometer, the difference would have to be fairly significant for me to tell and even then, what the conditions were at the time of the pic may not be what is beneficial to the grubs/bug/whatever. Bar-D, are you suggesting that the hogs are aliens???? Just a theory I have........
People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: Double Naught Spy]
#7669540
11/22/19 01:39 PM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 424
Woj
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
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Lots of worms, grubs, and other sub-surface insects in (& below) the root system. The drip line is easiest place for the hog to get into and under the roots. Closer to the tree and the roots are too large, and too much work to dislodge.
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: Double Naught Spy]
#7669922
11/22/19 07:52 PM
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,495
der Teufel
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: Double Naught Spy]
#7670096
11/22/19 11:08 PM
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 3,037
Vern1
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This time of year I would suspect they are after acorns as other food is hard to come by right now in some places. If it happens year around then it's probably grubs/worms/insects. They seem to lose their minds digging where I have fed round bales to my cattle in the past to get to the grubs.
Last edited by Vern1; 11/22/19 11:12 PM.
Cheers, Vern1 Texans since The Old 300 in 1824 NRA Lifetime Member
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: oldrancher]
#7670578
11/23/19 06:04 PM
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Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 7,759
snake oil
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There is more moisture in the soil on the outside of the drip line of the Live Oak. Probably more grubs and insects in the moisture. This is my guess also..
"You may all go to hell and I will go to Texas".
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: Vern1]
#7675295
11/29/19 03:43 AM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 5,158
flintknapper
THF Trophy Hunter
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This time of year I would suspect they are after acorns as other food is hard to come by right now in some places. If it happens year around then it's probably grubs/worms/insects. They seem to lose their minds digging where I have fed round bales to my cattle in the past to get to the grubs. They do like their grubs. Not hard to see why...as some of them represent a substantial meal. This time of the fall we find some really large ones under logs and old hay bales.
Spartans ask not...how many, but where!
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: Double Naught Spy]
#7675312
11/29/19 04:04 AM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 8,235
Double Naught Spy
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Now I don't know much about grubs, but those are freakin' huge! Those are cicada grubs?
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: Double Naught Spy]
#7675419
11/29/19 01:45 PM
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 9,185
hook_n_line
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: hook_n_line]
#7675533
11/29/19 04:23 PM
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 3,037
Vern1
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Gonna have to try that! Here is one from underground where we fed roundbales last year. Not sure exactly what they grow into but we have a healthy crop of rhinoceros beetles here in the spring/summer.
Last edited by Vern1; 11/29/19 04:25 PM.
Cheers, Vern1 Texans since The Old 300 in 1824 NRA Lifetime Member
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: Double Naught Spy]
#7675534
11/29/19 04:25 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 5,158
flintknapper
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Now I don't know much about grubs, but those are freakin' huge! Those are cicada grubs? I believe these are the larvae of the Hercules Beetles we have around here. I'm uncertain the timing of their maturity but in the Fall and Winter months it is easy to find them in any decaying matter. In particular under old hay bales and rotting logs. I believe the reason for that (at least in part) is that the decomposing material creates and gives off heat which is attractive to them. Hogs will move some impossibly big logs to get at them. I find them when moving hay bales or cutting up an old tree that has been on the ground for a long period. Other types of grubs are much smaller than these. It isn't unusual to find dozen or more under a hay bale (or what is left of a hay bale). And that same number under a rotting log. Well worth a hog's effort to get to them.
Spartans ask not...how many, but where!
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: Double Naught Spy]
#7677523
12/02/19 01:56 PM
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,233
JCO
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You learn something new every day.
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: TKandMike]
#7677972
12/02/19 08:38 PM
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 106
Team Fat Sack
Woodsman
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Woodsman
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Posts: 106 |
Those things are mounters!
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: Team Fat Sack]
#7678016
12/02/19 09:39 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 5,158
flintknapper
THF Trophy Hunter
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They get bigger, the one's I posted are just average size. Here is an internet pic of a larger one:
Spartans ask not...how many, but where!
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: flintknapper]
#7678073
12/02/19 10:44 PM
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 39,536
redchevy
THF Celebrity
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They get bigger, the one's I posted are just average size. Here is an internet pic of a larger one: There are always pictures of bigger ones on the internet...
It's hell eatin em live
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: Vern1]
#7678076
12/02/19 10:45 PM
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 39,536
redchevy
THF Celebrity
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Gonna have to try that! Here is one from underground where we fed roundbales last year. Not sure exactly what they grow into but we have a healthy crop of rhinoceros beetles here in the spring/summer. Have tried many many times to catch fish on them creeks lakes ponds etc. never had a nibble. lol
It's hell eatin em live
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: flintknapper]
#7678078
12/02/19 10:46 PM
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 39,536
redchevy
THF Celebrity
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Posts: 39,536 |
Now I don't know much about grubs, but those are freakin' huge! Those are cicada grubs? I believe these are the larvae of the Hercules Beetles we have around here. I'm uncertain the timing of their maturity but in the Fall and Winter months it is easy to find them in any decaying matter. In particular under old hay bales and rotting logs. I believe the reason for that (at least in part) is that the decomposing material creates and gives off heat which is attractive to them. Hogs will move some impossibly big logs to get at them. I find them when moving hay bales or cutting up an old tree that has been on the ground for a long period. Other types of grubs are much smaller than these. It isn't unusual to find dozen or more under a hay bale (or what is left of a hay bale). And that same number under a rotting log. Well worth a hog's effort to get to them. We always called them rhinoceros beetles because the big horn many have. At least that is what my dad always said they were from. We always found them under our wood pile at the house outside san antone.
It's hell eatin em live
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Re: Ring Rooting - Why?
[Re: redchevy]
#7678707
12/03/19 05:03 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 5,158
flintknapper
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 5,158 |
Now I don't know much about grubs, but those are freakin' huge! Those are cicada grubs? I believe these are the larvae of the Hercules Beetles we have around here. I'm uncertain the timing of their maturity but in the Fall and Winter months it is easy to find them in any decaying matter. In particular under old hay bales and rotting logs. I believe the reason for that (at least in part) is that the decomposing material creates and gives off heat which is attractive to them. Hogs will move some impossibly big logs to get at them. I find them when moving hay bales or cutting up an old tree that has been on the ground for a long period. Other types of grubs are much smaller than these. It isn't unusual to find dozen or more under a hay bale (or what is left of a hay bale). And that same number under a rotting log. Well worth a hog's effort to get to them. We always called them rhinoceros beetles because the big horn many have. At least that is what my dad always said they were from. We always found them under our wood pile at the house outside san antone. There are a lot of similar beetles and sometimes names are used interchangeably, but this is the beetle I most often encounter. https://texasinsects.tamu.edu/eastern-hercules-beetle/
Spartans ask not...how many, but where!
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