Texas Hunting Forum

Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem"

Posted By: GT653

Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/12/20 10:16 PM

Hi,

I wanted to get into wild hog hunting, so I was looking around to get a Night Vision scope, and wanted to get a .308 rifle but a
hunter friend that works at LaRue Tactical ( they make AR10s / 15s etc ), told me to save my money, that the "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" is a myth. That there is no such problem, that if there was a problem I should be able to easily find opportunities to go and hunt pigs; that the whole thing is a scheme by land owners to make a business out of hunting a pig here and there.
I told him he was crazy, that it seemed a bit conspiratorial; that the whole internet from blogs, to goverment websites talk about the issue, and that the population is out of control; that they don't even require a hunting license to take them down.
Then he said "I challenge you to find any place that would let you go and hunt a pig for less than $200; nevermind free. Then come talk to me". That if it was such a problem they would invite you, beg you to come and get them.
So is he full of it ? or is he right?

Needless to say I am now curious, and put buying those things on hold.

Thanks
Posted By: Jhop

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/12/20 10:31 PM

Pigs can be a big problem for folks growing crops and raising livestock. However letting people drive around on their property shooting at anything they think is a pig can turn into dead livestock and more crop damage than the pigs cause. I'm very blessed in the fact that I have a number of ranchers and ranch mangers that I hunt pigs for and I'm Glade for the opportunity. I gladly spend my own time and money helping them out too! It's very easy to look on any number of places where folks are begging to be able to hunt pigs. popcorn
Posted By: pnh

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/12/20 10:35 PM

I let people come hunt at night and another traps for me. I'm not in it for the money, I consider they're doing me a favor in return for free access.
Posted By: mikei

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/12/20 10:35 PM

Your hunter friend may not be full of it, but he sure doesn't understand that there is a serious problem with feral hogs, not just in Texas, but in all the southern states. They have even become a problem north of the Sun Belt. The issue in Texas is that most of the land is privately owned, therefore you have to get permission from the land owners to hunt hogs on their property. Getting that permission is generally kind of tough, because a lot of the land owners have had serious problems with allowing folks on their property that do not know the difference between an Angus and a hog, a deer and a hog, and don't understand that that .308 rifle can do serious damage to equipment, homes and people! There are several public land areas that allow hog hunting, and many of our members on this forum hunt those lands, successfully.
Posted By: Creekrunner

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/12/20 10:41 PM

1. Welcome! welcome
2. You've got to find smarter friends. That guy's an idiot.
Posted By: Sniper John

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/12/20 11:36 PM

Place I hunt in East Texas a friend and I get to hunt for free year round in exchange for controlling hogs on the property and helping with property maintenance. There are landowners that will allow this, but it will usually have to be well experienced hunters that already have a trusting relationship with the landowner or through people the landowner knows well who will vouch for them. And yes we do get phone calls from the landowner and neighbors "they are back, please come take care of them asap". We always go when we get those texts/calls.
Posted By: SapperTitan

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/13/20 01:02 AM

When you hunt a landowners property you aren’t paying 200 bucks to kill a hog your paying 200 bucks for him to allow you to enter and hunt on HIS property. If I owned land I wouldn’t let strangers Hunt as it poses more risk then benefits.
Posted By: flintknapper

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/13/20 02:26 AM

Originally Posted by Creekrunner
1. Welcome! welcome
2. You've got to find smarter friends. That guy's an idiot.




^^^^^

There's your answer folks. Nothing else need be said.
Posted By: Whiptail

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/13/20 03:47 AM


He's right that private landowners aren't going to let anyone off the street go out on their property for free.
He's wrong that there isn't a problem.
Posted By: GT653

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/13/20 03:54 AM

Thank you all for the answers. It helps me understand what's up.
Posted By: Douglas Tipton

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/13/20 04:05 AM

OP best discussion I've seen on the subject of access.

https://youtu.be/NKpsuN7j5tE
Posted By: GT653

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/13/20 05:57 PM

Yeah, very good video; exactly what I was asking about.

Start watching at 22:07; before that is about something else.
Posted By: Dalroo

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/13/20 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by Douglas Tipton
OP best discussion I've seen on the subject of access.

https://youtu.be/NKpsuN7j5tE


Good video discussion - bottom line, and as a property owner I completely agree, yes, we have a hog problem, and no, I will not let a stranger (even if paid) hunt on my place. Too much can go wrong.
Posted By: Creekrunner

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/13/20 06:47 PM

This is the same argument that's been around since the Middle Ages - lands that are held by, owned by, or ruled over by certain people that keep just anyone from hunting on them. Not completely unrelated to the political tactic, also from the Middle Ages, and used to this day, of "I'm gonna take it from the rich and give it to you." Childish, but gets people elected.
Posted By: SapperTitan

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/14/20 12:21 AM

On a side note Larue sucks. Tried to buy a lower to match an upper of theirs and they instantly charged me but found out 2 months later it was gonna be atleast another 6 months wait to get the lower. Canceled order and bought Wilson Combat. Better quality, better customer service, and got it in under a week.
Posted By: GT653

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/14/20 12:34 AM

Yeah it seems like they take their time to make the rifles; but their Ultimate Kit + the Lower is about $1500, which seems like a really good deal for a very nice rifle. I am not sure where you can get that deal somewhere else. ( A comparable Wilson Combat rifle seems to run about $1000 higher )
Posted By: SapperTitan

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/14/20 01:47 AM

Originally Posted by GT653
Yeah it seems like they take their time to make the rifles; but their Ultimate Kit + the Lower is about $1500, which seems like a really good deal for a very nice rifle. I am not sure where you can get that deal somewhere else. ( A comparable Wilson Combat rifle seems to run about $1000 higher )

And they are worth every penny
Posted By: Pig_Popper

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/14/20 02:45 AM

Originally Posted by GT653
Hi,

I wanted to get into wild hog hunting, so I was looking around to get a Night Vision scope, and wanted to get a .308 rifle but a
hunter friend that works at LaRue Tactical ( they make AR10s / 15s etc ), told me to save my money, that the "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" is a myth. That there is no such problem, that if there was a problem I should be able to easily find opportunities to go and hunt pigs; that the whole thing is a scheme by land owners to make a business out of hunting a pig here and there.
I told him he was crazy, that it seemed a bit conspiratorial; that the whole internet from blogs, to goverment websites talk about the issue, and that the population is out of control; that they don't even require a hunting license to take them down.
Then he said "I challenge you to find any place that would let you go and hunt a pig for less than $200; nevermind free. Then come talk to me". That if it was such a problem they would invite you, beg you to come and get them.
So is he full of it ? or is he right?

Needless to say I am now curious, and put buying those things on hold.

Thanks


This is the strangest non-sensical post I’ve read in 2020 .

I mean damn isn’t it obvious...

Your “hunter” friend needs to just invite you to hunt pigs at his place and charge you $ 199
Posted By: Double Naught Spy

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/14/20 04:41 AM

Originally Posted by GT653
Hi,

I wanted to get into wild hog hunting, so I was looking around to get a Night Vision scope, and wanted to get a .308 rifle but a
hunter friend that works at LaRue Tactical ( they make AR10s / 15s etc ), told me to save my money, that the "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" is a myth. That there is no such problem, that if there was a problem I should be able to easily find opportunities to go and hunt pigs; that the whole thing is a scheme by land owners to make a business out of hunting a pig here and there.
I told him he was crazy, that it seemed a bit conspiratorial; that the whole internet from blogs, to goverment websites talk about the issue, and that the population is out of control; that they don't even require a hunting license to take them down.
Then he said "I challenge you to find any place that would let you go and hunt a pig for less than $200; nevermind free. Then come talk to me". That if it was such a problem they would invite you, beg you to come and get them.
So is he full of it ? or is he right?

Needless to say I am now curious, and put buying those things on hold.

Thanks


Your hunter friend sounds like one of the many butthurt hunters who think that they should be given carte blanche access because they are there to "help" the landowner, but got rejected and is offended because someone had the audacity to charge him to hunt on land that isn't his. What he fails to understand is that while hogs are a problem, they are also a commodity. Not only that, a lot of self proclaimed hunters are a lot more of a problem for landowners than the hogs.

I hunt over a dozen different properties for landowners. I have earned their trust and have a good reputation, which gets me new properties. While we all want a free place to hunt, most people, like your hunter friend, really are not there to address the hog problem for landowners. All he wants it to be able to go out and blast at some hogs whenever it is convenient for him to do so. He isn't apt to be on a landowner's property several nights a week to actually address the problem. He isn't apt to show up when the landowner calls and says 'the hogs are back.'

Every property I hunt right now is a property that has had previous hunters to "help" the landowner and most were not happy with the result. As one landowner told me, the previous guy would come out with a couple of buddies and if they all had 30 round magazines in their rifles and saw a boar, they were shooting 90 rounds at that boar because they were there to rain hell and damnation on the hogs. They came out to hunt every few weeks to help control the hog problem.

The bottom line is that just because you have a gun and maybe night vision or thermal gear does not mean that you are now a hunter who is capable of addressing the hog problem. It doesn't even matter if you are a good shot. Where I see people get into trouble over and over again with landowners is by breaking the trust with landowners.

I had a buddy hunting a cattle ranch where he was to only shoot hogs. Well, no way in hell he would pass up a coyote. Coyotes are bad and he was doing the landowner a favor by shooting a coyote. The landowner found out and canned him...because he did not follow the rules.
Another lost a property because he started bringing his buddies to help take care of the landowner's hog problem. He had been given permission to hunt. He had not been given permission to guide his buddies. Canned.
One guy shot a calf that he mistook for a hog. Canned...failed to properly identify his target. He paid for the calf, but was not allowed to come back.
Leave a gate open and cattle get out or get into a pasture where they don't belong? Canned.
Hunting a part of the property that was off limits? Canned.
Leaving trash behind? Canned.
Camping on the property. Canned.
Posted By: der Teufel

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/14/20 05:40 PM

As DNS notes above, there are a lot of valid reasons why landowners don't allow just any warm body with a rifle and night vision equipment to "help with the hog problem!"

My wife's family has a couple of farm properties. I could hunt there if I wanted to, but there's not THAT much of a hog problem. Plus, it's leased to some neighbors who plant crops and run cattle there. I've talked with them and they're okay with me going after hogs, but I generally don't because the cattle do tend to get in the way. Also, there are some other neighbors who live nearby, and I don't want a stray bullet leaving the property. I've had occasions where I had to take a three mile detour because I couldn't get through a gate due to cattle spotting me and thinking I was there to feed them. I couldn't open a gate, get my vehicle through, and go back to close the gate without letting cattle into a field of oats where I'd NEVER get them out alone. What would a stranger who didn't intimately know the layout of the place do?

Not everyone is irresponsible, but good intentions or not mistakes can be made. Many landowners just prefer to deal with the problem they know rather than introduce potential new problems. The folks who want to hunt hogs aren't evil, but neither are the landowners who decline their offer of assistance.
Posted By: Sniper John

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/14/20 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by Double Naught Spy


Your hunter friend sounds like one of the many butthurt hunters who think that they should be given carte blanche access because they are there to "help" the landowner, but got rejected and is offended because someone had the audacity to charge him to hunt on land that isn't his. What he fails to understand is that while hogs are a problem, they are also a commodity. Not only that, a lot of self proclaimed hunters are a lot more of a problem for landowners than the hogs.

I hunt over a dozen different properties for landowners. I have earned their trust and have a good reputation, which gets me new properties. While we all want a free place to hunt, most people, like your hunter friend, really are not there to address the hog problem for landowners. All he wants it to be able to go out and blast at some hogs whenever it is convenient for him to do so. He isn't apt to be on a landowner's property several nights a week to actually address the problem. He isn't apt to show up when the landowner calls and says 'the hogs are back.'

Every property I hunt right now is a property that has had previous hunters to "help" the landowner and most were not happy with the result. As one landowner told me, the previous guy would come out with a couple of buddies and if they all had 30 round magazines in their rifles and saw a boar, they were shooting 90 rounds at that boar because they were there to rain hell and damnation on the hogs. They came out to hunt every few weeks to help control the hog problem.

The bottom line is that just because you have a gun and maybe night vision or thermal gear does not mean that you are now a hunter who is capable of addressing the hog problem. It doesn't even matter if you are a good shot. Where I see people get into trouble over and over again with landowners is by breaking the trust with landowners.

I had a buddy hunting a cattle ranch where he was to only shoot hogs. Well, no way in hell he would pass up a coyote. Coyotes are bad and he was doing the landowner a favor by shooting a coyote. The landowner found out and canned him...because he did not follow the rules.
Another lost a property because he started bringing his buddies to help take care of the landowner's hog problem. He had been given permission to hunt. He had not been given permission to guide his buddies. Canned.
One guy shot a calf that he mistook for a hog. Canned...failed to properly identify his target. He paid for the calf, but was not allowed to come back.
Leave a gate open and cattle get out or get into a pasture where they don't belong? Canned.
Hunting a part of the property that was off limits? Canned.
Leaving trash behind? Canned.
Camping on the property. Canned.


Similar problems where we hunt hogs for free. Trying to add a third partner, we have been through three hunters. None worked out. One for example came back the weekend after we showed the place, brought a buddy and severely damaged the reactionary targets on the shooting range. Which was another of the free benefits. We then explored leasing an area with an already in place nice third stand and feeder to hunt year round for a small fee under $500 hoping we might get someone with a more serious interest. There were only three rules. Notify landowner on arrival and leaving, back 2/3 property off limits for any reason, and no bobcats could be shot. Despite a nice tower blind and nice feeder in place, free rifle range, and base camp, almost always a shot on at least one hog every trip and occasional deer during season, if there are any rules other than do what they want, no one was interested in paying to hunt. Most stating they would only hunt under those restrictions if it was free. Well we already tried that. We decided it's not worth the risk for someone to screw up the relationship we already have with the landowner so the gate is now closed other than to an occasional vetted guest.
Posted By: Lalo

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/14/20 08:31 PM

Charlize Theron says she is straight.
Yet when I tried to contact Charlize Theron through her publicist to go out with her, I got no response.
Therefore Charlize Theron is gay.



[The above is a fictionalized absurdity meant to expose an absence of logic, and is not intended as a serious comment on the sexual orientation of Charlize Theron.]
Posted By: dogcatcher

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/15/20 03:29 AM

welcome
Posted By: 1860.colt

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/15/20 12:00 PM

welcome ta texasHF...
As pappy once said :
i gots a problem with me yard, grass keeps growing, for $200.00 ta $300.00 U can come mow it for me... Thars Big Buck$ in hunting...

confused2 thars big Buck$ in hunting...

Done majority of my hog hunts on WMA's, (public land)... Biggest problem tis finding place ta hog hunt...
Seen big drop in hogs over the years since OSBWMA opened up...
It has 3 months Jan-end March any legal meens hog hunts.. The AK's were used first.
Then the AR's, tis what i used, set up for close range... scope over-green laser under, mostly for the set up had South of house. Home made tree lean ladder, edge of trees, set up roughly 20 yrds, ta right by creek, were had deer food plot & corn feeder. & ta left open field, by big oak had smaller food plot, corn feeder & other minerals for deer. They also have hunts with deer/hog archery, & squirrel hog hunts, full month May.
Flooding pushes game off it...

Theirs several on here who have lots of video's with NV & Thermal hunts... If ya have land or permission, (read other posts) i gots cheap posts, confused2 tis your money, how you spend it tis up ta you...


2cents only reason i got on leases twas the 24-7-365 hog hunts... If ya can find a lease with good sign...
bounce miss me hog hunts... did it old school... slinger people at work called me muyloco caveman...
Best wish's...

edit : rofl ya might need an interpiture...
flag
Posted By: RGLass

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/15/20 01:56 PM

A game biologist addressed the audience at a landowners symposium back in the late 1980s saying “There are two kinds of ranches in Texas. Ones that have wild hogs, and ones that will soon have wild hogs.” I’ve always said the army should trap them and air drop them over Muslim countries. Imagine parachuting pigs !
Posted By: cabosandinh

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/15/20 02:43 PM

Your friend is correct

Landowners don't have a feral hog problem (where he's desperate to let any strangers come in and eradicate )


damages from hogs are acceptable vs damages from idiots with guns and 4x4

I have a place with hogs galore... but I'd rather shoot them myself, take paid hunters at $250/weekend
than let strangers come in to shoot them
Posted By: Double Naught Spy

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/16/20 02:40 AM

Let me put it this way. Saying there is not feral hog problem because landowners won't let people come and hunt for free is like saying your buddy isn't really sick if he won't let a random stranger off the street come in and practice medicine on him for free.
Posted By: 1860.colt

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/16/20 05:54 AM

Originally Posted by pnh
I let people come hunt at night and another traps for me. I'm not in it for the money, I consider they're doing me a favor in return for free access.

up Much respect... Had gotten permission ta hunt hogs on privete land.. One instance, driving back from a hog hunt at sabine. Had been seeing hogs on a high line... Seen a guy riding atv. asked for permission... put up a stand & hunt, got the okay, for hogs, then asked for guys phone #'er so could call let him know whin would be out thar, ta sho respect. He might not of heard me, drove off... Never did hunt it though, outa respect... Their are land owners, not in it for the money... Hunted several...
They seem ta forget 90% of hunters are thar ta hunt, & in case of hog problem HELP out. NOT ta destroy property... & That the hunters are offering thar time & money, gas back & forth, time is money...
GT653 your time tis valuable. Your friend has some good advice, have priced the NV & Thermals, & then the price of the AR... Have two AR's mine was set up for hogs, close range. Mil-dot scope over & green dot laser under, bore sighted for close yrds, type of set up i had, down by creek, & for my hog hunts on sabine...

2cents if ya can find a lease that will allow hog hunts at night, with good sign , bounce i did it flash light off with slinger pistal on hip in the 80's, huntsolo, had a blast... NV & Thermal tis alot Safer... & if would have gotten hurt, hunt privete land here, even after 30 yrs away, they given me permission ta hunt, i take responsibility...
Tis how we do it here...
Good thread, interesting posts, can learn alot..
Stay Safe...
flag
Posted By: JCO

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/16/20 03:27 PM

1. There is a hog problem in Texas. Plenty to read about that. Just Google it.
2. There is an idiot problem in America. Plenty to read or watch. Try Google, You Tube, or CSpan
3. There is a litigation problem in America. Billboards, Bus Stop Benches, Taxi Cabs, Phone Books,Endless Commercials

It’s not about Money. It is about trust.

I don’t hunt with anyone I don’t trust. I don’t engage an outfitter without doing a lot of research to make sure they are trustworthy.
I don’t have relationships with people I don’t trust.

You don’t open your gate to anyone with a good line and a rifle and expect to have a positive outcome. Hogs can wreck your land. People can wreck your life. Too many options for the hog problem without being reckless with strangers.

Happy hunting.
Posted By: Sniper.270

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/16/20 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by JCO
1. There is a hog problem in Texas. Plenty to read about that. Just Google it.
2. There is an idiot problem in America. Plenty to read or watch. Try Google, You Tube, or CSpan
3. There is a litigation problem in America. Billboards, Bus Stop Benches, Taxi Cabs, Phone Books,Endless Commercials

It’s not about Money. It is about trust.

I don’t hunt with anyone I don’t trust. I don’t engage an outfitter without doing a lot of research to make sure they are trustworthy.
I don’t have relationships with people I don’t trust.

You don’t open your gate to anyone with a good line and a rifle and expect to have a positive outcome. Hogs can wreck your land. People can wreck your life. Too many options for the hog problem without being reckless with strangers.

Happy hunting.




Best response so far. Spot on.

As in most things today it is about risk verses reward.
Posted By: 1860.colt

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/16/20 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by Sniper.270
Originally Posted by JCO
1. There is a hog problem in Texas. Plenty to read about that. Just Google it.
2. There is an idiot problem in America. Plenty to read or watch. Try Google, You Tube, or CSpan
3. There is a litigation problem in America. Billboards, Bus Stop Benches, Taxi Cabs, Phone Books,Endless Commercials

It’s not about Money. It is about trust.

I don’t hunt with anyone I don’t trust. I don’t engage an outfitter without doing a lot of research to make sure they are trustworthy.
I don’t have relationships with people I don’t trust.

You don’t open your gate to anyone with a good line and a rifle and expect to have a positive outcome. Hogs can wreck your land. People can wreck your life. Too many options for the hog problem without being reckless with strangers.

Happy hunting.




Best response so far. Spot on.

As in most things today it is about risk verses reward.


popcorn
flag
Posted By: Jiggamitch

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/16/20 05:13 PM

Geez the responses on here get so drawn out some times. Your friend is wrong, there is most definitely a hog problem. Get your rifle and night vision and help fight the good fight.
Posted By: Douglas Tipton

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/17/20 12:02 AM

@jiggamitch. Sometimes an education requires a long drawn-out...education.
Posted By: 1860.colt

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/17/20 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by Jiggamitch
Geez the responses on here get so drawn out some times. Your friend is wrong, there is most definitely a hog problem. Get your rifle and night vision and help fight the good fight.


Quote
its about trust


flag
Posted By: Exiled

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/18/20 05:32 PM

Great responses here, very logical arguments and examples that back the idea that -despite the scientifically well-documented feral hog problem in TX- letting random hunters on private land for free isn't generally a good idea. I think your friend subscribes to the common misconception that because land owners aren't opening their lands to hunters, there musn't be a real problem. If you've never seen the damage down to thousands of acres of crops, if you've never seen gigantic sounders of hogs materialize out of nowhere to wreak havoc, then you're not looking too closely. I recently drove from Brownwood to Austin and spotted four separate sounders of hogs moving around in daytime, visible from the road. Imagine how many more there are out there that move and feed primarily at night? We live in a litigious society where people can be exposed to -and suffer greatly from- frivolous litigation brought by individuals. A few years ago, I was invited by a friend to participate in an eradication "hunt" at his family's ranch in Bastrop. We planned to ambush a large sounder of hogs that was wreaking havoc on his cattle feed and crops. There were about 10 hunters there, all but two members of our lease who know each other well. There were two other guys that came along as friends of some of the members. During that night's hunt, one of these idiots was doing some pretty dumb stuff (long story) and got himself mildly injured because of his own bad decisions. A week later, he sued the ranch owner and his family and this turned into a many-month nightmare for everyone involved. This was a friend of a friend, someone who had actually been at the ranch before. Imagine this situation with just random people you don't know, carrying and using guns on someone's property.
Posted By: 10 Gauge

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/21/20 05:38 AM

There is definitely a pig "problem" in Texas. They compete with the native wildlife and they are everywhere, the population is explosive. If you havent seen a large sounder off I 20 at night then you dont drive on I20 much.

I think they are cool and would rsther have pigs than not have pigs. And they are so fecund, you never run out of pigs.


But they have value. When are plenty of people willing to pay, why give it away for free?
Posted By: SR025

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/21/20 07:12 AM

troll
Posted By: Nakraik

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/21/20 01:03 PM

I've seen the damage and problem from the hogs first hand. I've also seen how hard it is to find a place to hunt for them without paying some ridiculous fee first hand. I didn't get to spend my childhood hunting, it's something I picked up as an adult. To date I've never found a reasonable lease in my area, and at first was even dumbfounded by how hard it was to find a place to hunt pigs at a reasonable rate. After reading stories from landowners on here, and other places, I started to understand why. I currently hunt a WMA regularly, and hit alot of other public land in the area during bird season. With the stuff I've seen personally, and heard from the wildlife manager, and the mammalogist that work the WMA, I absolutely understand why landowners are so unwilling to allow random hunters. You have guys coming in with their buddies, getting liquored up and declaring war on everything that moves, or littering heavily, tearing things up at random, even things listed as off limits. That's not even to mention fire dangers, firearm dangers, and petty lawsuits. I can't tell you how many times on public bird land I've spent more than an hour walking out a short distance of 100-200 yards because I was busy picking up previous hunters trash, and hulls before I give up because I can't carry anymore. I almost had a place to go hunt pigs on private land once, and even at my insistence of a contract indemnifying the landowner from any legal actions by me, and holding me responsible for any damage, I couldn't get the guy to commit because of past hunter behaviors/issues. It really sucks for those of us who act as responsible hunters. It seems regardless of whether there are more of us than them or not, they do so much damage to everyone's rep that we all get to pay for it in some form or another. At this point, the only fix I see is to hope the next generation leads the way better, but that still starts with us. I teach my kids to clean up after themselves, and the people before them, and hope the kids coming from the land wreckers see the light their forebears didn't. I can't be mad at landowners being unwilling to allow a hunt, I've seen the damage first hand, and it can easily be worse than anything the pigs can do. frown
Posted By: 10 Gauge

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/21/20 01:18 PM

I agree with that. You just can't trust everyone. Some close family and friends maybe but even then you can't trust all your relatives either. I wouldn't even want it to be known that I "let" someone come shoot anything.
Posted By: GusWayne

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/24/20 11:06 PM

Sounds like youre buddy has it figured out!

I’ll keep and short and nice

We have a 225 acre spot and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve saw 15-30 pigs on a sit


They may wreck us for a handful of acres a year..every year.

I still wouldn’t let you hunt them for $300 a day

I said I’d be nice but 1 million in land...you can stick that $300, I’d said I’d be nice

So be thankful there’s even an opportunity to hunt them for said price

Don’t like it, buy your own dirt and get back with us

Buy it, it’ll be fun...I mean I woke up one morning and the money fairy dropped a pile under my pillow

Dollars to donuts you and your buddy live in apartments, own 0 realstate, drive lifted 4x4’s with Browning stickers in the back glass and B about lease prices
Posted By: GusWayne

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/25/20 12:02 AM

I just cant help myself...

Before you biatch about land owners and their prices...become a landowner

It’s easy, super easy, anybody can do it...

I can’t help it sounds like a millennial wine azz to me
Posted By: mickeyhft

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 05/25/20 02:03 PM

I think their is a couple of problems here that could be aligned.

There are a lot of hogs and they definitely can cause problems.

Therefore there are a lot of landowners who need more killed, not because hunting will ever eliminate them, but it can keep them knocked back a little.

There are a lot of folks that would like to hunt them but either need access, mentoring, or both.

There are solutions, one of which is mentored hunting programs. Texas Youth Hunting Program (kids) and the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (adults) mentored hunt programs are both administered and insured by the Texas Wildlife Association. The landowner is protected and can know they will have qualified and trained Huntmasters running the hunts. I could say a ton, but to keep it brief, everybody wins, including the hunting community and perception of hunting in society as a whole.

So, if anyone wants to participate in any role to help solve some of these problems, they can. A landowner who wants to host a hunt. An experienced hunter that wants to help guide and mentor hunters. Or an inexperienced hunter who wants to learn and get some meat.

Mentored hunts do so much to work against the problems of limited hunting access which limits hunter recruitment which limits the good standing of hunting in our society. Texas could and should be a leader in our country in this and I hope everyone who can will participate in these or other programs somehow.
Posted By: 1860.colt

Re: Is there a "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" - 06/07/20 08:24 PM

Originally Posted by GT653
Hi,

I wanted to get into wild hog hunting, so I was looking around to get a Night Vision scope, and wanted to get a .308 rifle but a
hunter friend that works at LaRue Tactical ( they make AR10s / 15s etc ), told me to save my money, that the "Wild / Feral Hog Problem" is a myth. That there is no such problem, that if there was a problem I should be able to easily find opportunities to go and hunt pigs; that the whole thing is a scheme by land owners to make a business out of hunting a pig here and there.
I told him he was crazy, that it seemed a bit conspiratorial; that the whole internet from blogs, to goverment websites talk about the issue, and that the population is out of control; that they don't even require a hunting license to take them down.
Then he said "I challenge you to find any place that would let you go and hunt a pig for less than $200; nevermind free. Then come talk to me". That if it was such a problem they would invite you, beg you to come and get them.

So is he full of it ? or is he right?

Needless to say I am now curious, and put buying those things on hold.

Thanks



confused2 Anyone heard from GT653 lately ?
bang Proof tis in d pudding...

popcorn unless some one sent a PM...
Dont think any one gave an invite...

Tis thinking his Friend twas trustworthy...

rifle Rifle & Night vission scope b expensive & tis useless if dont have place ta hunt...
In 80's got on lease for $200.00 year round hog hunting...
Other leases twas on, didnt even see sign... & WMA (public land) no night hunts for hogs...
Ya all bout Trust... interesting thread...

Stay Safe...
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